Angie Thomas puts so much life and personality into every single character interaction that it's hard not to feel like you know them all on some personal level. From the very beginning, you see the love he has for his children, despite the circumstances.Īll of the other characters were equally wonderful, however minor. He's interesting and complex, and most importantly, he is a fantastic father. Although we knew him from The Hate U Give, he gets his time to shine in Concrete Rose. You can so clearly understand their emotions and their situations and it's just so great to read about.

Like these things are happening and you can see and feel these character's frustrations and struggles. It's not just that she depicts realistic situations and people, but that her stories feel real. I think the most special thing about her writing is just how real it is. The way she creates characters and atmosphere is something of beauty. He’ll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man.Īt this point, I am convinced that Angie Thomas can do no wrong. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you can't just walk away. In a world where he’s expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he’s different. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. But it’s not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. Suddenly he has a baby, Seven, who depends on him for everything. Until, that is, Maverick finds out he’s a father. Life’s not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav’s got everything under control. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad’s in prison.

As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. International phenomenon Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give in this searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood.

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas