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Module 3 - Book Review 1 - CONCRETE ROSE: by Angie Thomas


 Module 3 – Book Review 1 

Review of Angie Thomas’s CONCRETE ROSE 

*This review was written for a course through Sam Houston State University. 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Thomas, Angie (2021). CONCRETE ROSE. Clarion Books. ISBN: 978-0062846716 

2. PLOT SUMMARY 

The book, Concrete Rose, is a young adult novel that is actually a prequel to the book, The Hate U Give, and it is about the teenage life of Maverick “Mav” Carter. This novel follows Mav as he grows up in a tough neighborhood while trying to balance school, friends, and the pressures of gang life. Mav becomes a young father and has to deal with the responsibilities of being a parent while still trying to figure out who he is and what he wants in life. The novel discusses themes of family, loyalty, cultural expectations, and the understanding of the consequences of choices, living in a place that is marked by poverty and violence. The book shows growth, responsibility, and owning the choices made in life through the eyes of a young adult. The characterization, combined with the realistic scenarios, helps to show the growth and accountability that can be found under intense social pressure. 

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS  

Concrete Rose, the coming-of-age story about Maverick Carter, shows how he deals with gang life, being a father, and the family responsibilities he has in Garden Heights. The novel shows themes of loyalty, accountability, and personal growth. This all helps to show the systemic pressures of life in that environment and how it can shape a person’s identity and choices through Mav’s experiences. The use of first-person narration helps to make it believable but still engaging, as it creates a believable and engaging voice so that readers can truly understand his struggles. 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) 

Booklist starred (January 1, 2021 (Vol. 117, No. 9))  

Grades 9-12. Thomas delivers a poignant prequel to The Hate U Give (2017) with Concrete Rose, set 17 years prior. This insightful novel lets readers see Maverick as a teen himself and walk a mile in his shoes, before and during his evolution into the man, father, and husband that he is in THUG. Maverick’s story is one that offers hope, encouragement, and optimism, and it shows those going through difficult times of their own that they can take control of their own destiny. 

Horn Book Magazine (March/April, 2021) 

In this prequel, seventeen-year-old Mav has joined his incarcerated father's gang for protection and is secretly selling drugs with his best friend. The situation isn't ideal, but it provides young Mav with everything he wants in life...until he discovers he's a father. Suddenly a single parent to a three-month-old, Mav reevaluates the life he needs to live for his son (and that's just the first major complication), but he quickly discovers that leaving his old life without consequences isn't an option, while outside pressures build to a tragic event. 

Kirkus Reviews starred (December 1, 2020) 

This literary DeLorean transports readers into the past, where they hope, dream, and struggle alongside beloved characters from Thomas’ The Hate U Give (2017).  Worthy prequels make readers invest as though meeting characters for the first time; here they learn more about the intricate hierarchies and alliances within the King Lord gang and gain deeper insight into former ancillary characters, particularly Mav’s parents, King, and Iesha. 

Publishers Weekly starred (November 30, 2020) 

Risking hard time like his father or death like King’s dad by leading a double life, Mav soon finds himself in over his head when he discovers he’s fathered a child by King’s off-and-on girlfriend, who promptly abandons the baby to his care. Through its portrayal of loss and upheaval, this story acts as a tender love letter to a close Black family and community-one that isn’t without problems but is always full of love. 

School Library Journal starred (December 1, 2020) 

Gr 9 Up-Maverick "Lil Don" Carter is a 17-year-old King Lord growing up in the Garden Heights district. The King Lords have been in existence long before Maverick was born, so his life has always been steeped in gang culture. The unexpected joys and pains of fatherhood, the death of one of his best friends, and another unexpected pregnancy threaten to break Maverick's tenuous hold on his own sanity. The pressure Maverick is under yields some startling blooms in this novel about tenacity and rebirth. This is the perfect example of a narrative that straddles the beauty and pain of belonging and having the courage to make your own choices.  

5. CONNECTIONS  

Related Books – Other books about the themes of choices and consequences, social issues, and teen perspective 

  • Reynolds, Jason. LONG WAY DOWN: 978-1481438254 

  • Coles, Jay. TYLER JOHNSON WAS HERE: 978-0316472180 

Enrichment Activities 

  • Cultural and Community Research – Ask students to research urban communities and historical context for inner-city life. With the research they can 

  • Make a visual map or timeline of community influences on young people 

  • Compare real-life challenges to those faced in the story 

  • Poetic Expression Activity – Inspired by Maverick’s reflections, students can: 

  • write a short personal poem choice, family, or identity 

  • perform or record it to explore voice and self-expression 

6. AWARDS 

Michael L. Printz Honor, 2022 

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