Concrete Rose is the prequel to the stunning young adult novel ‘The Hate You Give’ which was delivered in 2017. This novel is mostly about Maverick Carter who is the father of the primary character from the first book. If you have not read, The Hate you Give, in that case I do not know this book will mean that much to you.
Seventeen-year-old Maverick lives with his mum. He has no brother or sister and his dad who was the King Lord of the neighbourhood is in jail. Maverick has emulated his dad’s set example that is selling drugs, until he surprisingly turns into a dad and is left holding the infant when the mother ups and leaves Maverick with their kid. Presently Mav should be responsible.
Mav finds a part-time job at the neighbourhood shop, still at school his son requiring an ever increasing number of things. Seeing his companions with flash new things, can Mav stay on an honest way of living, or is the draw of easy income a lot for him to avoid?
I was so anxious to read Concrete Rose, as I liked The Hate you Give so much and Maverick is an impressive character in it. Continually showing his children to be responsible and how to carry on around people. I was captivated to read his backstory and while there are sixteen-years we actually don’t know about probably as this book closes before Starr is born. It was entrancing to see Mav to be a young fellow who needed to grow up rapidly and what formed his life.
The characters of Concrete Rose are amazing. It was amusing to see a few characters from the first book showing up in their more youthful years. I do wonder whether there will be an in the middle of book, particularly as we never get to witness any real grievance among Mav and King like in The Hate you Give. If I am recalling appropriately (It has been a couple of years since I read the first book), Mav does a spell in jail, however this would have been in the missing years.
Angie Thomas has a particular talent with words. She pulls you into the story and you can feel, hear, and be an integral part of each story. I absolutely turned out to be emotionally associated with the plot and angry when Mav did and upset when he did as well. The setting is not difficult to picture as well and I could not imagine anything better than to see them adapt this book also.
Concrete Rose is a novel that you must read if you read and like the first one.
Also Read: Across the Green Grass Fields: Book by Seanan McGuire
Concrete Rose: Book by Angie Thomas – Book Review and Podcast