Concrete Rose: A Printz Honor Winner

Written by Angie Thomas

Narrated by Dion Graham

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. A Printz Honor Book!

If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad’s in prison.

Life’s not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav’s got everything under control.

Until, that is, Maverick finds out he’s a father.

Suddenly he has a baby, Seven, who depends on him for everything. But it’s not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. In a world where he’s expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he’s different.

When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you can't just walk away. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He’ll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jan 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063043817

Angie Thomas

Angie Thomas is the author of the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling Nic Blake and the Remarkables series, The Hate U Give, On the Come Up, and Concrete Rose as well as Find Your Voice: A Guided Journal for Writing Your Truth. She is also a coauthor of the bestselling collaborative novels Blackout, Whiteout, and Breakout. A former teen rapper who holds a BFA in creative writing, Angie divides her time between her native Mississippi, and Atlanta. You can find her online at angiethomas.com.

Reviews for Concrete Rose

[Toya Scaggs · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Angie, you didn’t need to do this. Okay that’s not actually true.

While I loved THUG, Maverick’s story was what I needed. It is gritty and authentic. More often than not, we see the boys on the block who are slinging, but we don’t stop to question why.

THUG shoes the audience how Maverick has gotten out of the gang and become this wise dad that his kids look up to. But it’s obvious that his story wasn’t all sunshine and daisies.

From start to finish, I was heavily engrossed in Maverick’s story. It was heartbreaking, eye opening, and even providing a little comedic relief along the way.

So much of his story was my own growing up, and to see that reflected on the pages is something that I’m still trying to put into words.

This book will call into question your biases and privilege, but I implore you to open your mind and let Maverick’s story in.

[Lola Saban · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Couldn’t asked for a great narrator!
Beautiful story from Angie! ??

[Tyler Hamm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Woah This Was A Good Book Omg I Love This So Much

[Muriel Ponder · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read THE HATE YOU GIVE before discovering this book (Concrete Rose). Either order works, each stands alone. The power of love and hope shine through both and give me hope for our futures.

[Carla d'Almeida · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

it was so very interesting with lots of twists and turns. the story teller was also great at reading the story aloud. ????

[cathy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dion Graham is a fantastic narrator. And as far as I’m concerned, Angie Thomas could not write a bad book if she tried.

[Angel Schroeder · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book had me invested in Mav. This book definitely had me on edge at times too. Mav has become another beloved figure.

[Makeba Anderson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was written in such a smooth conversational way, I found myself engulfed in the book. Written more from a young adult’s perspective, it also gave light to different generational view points. The book was given 4 stars instead of 5 because the ending lacked fullness and fell flat.

[Elissa Butson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Damn... Angie did it again. I get lost in her books! So good!

[Mary Patton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love it! Just as good as T.H.U.G.. would listen again!

[deneshia hicks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book , loved everything about it from beginning to end !

[Victoria Edelsbrunner · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a great story really the narration makes it. Couldn't ask for a better reader. Just wonderful!

[Yelanis Toranzo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Angie Thomas is such a phenomenal author her stories are wonderful and characters full of life. This prequel is absolutely amazing, a beautiful story of how a kid became a man. It had me hooked from the beginning, I was really excited to learn about Maverick’s past and how he became who he is in “The Hate you Give.”

[c Kops · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Angie Thomas is a new voice for this generation and Dion Graham can do no wrong. With that combination this audio was a hit!

[carolleen francis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

“When it comes to the streets theres rules”. This book was just wowwww. I’m blown away with the action and drama that occurred in this great piece. I enjoyed this book. It definitely meet my expectations of it. I have the authors writing style. This had thinking about my own high school experience how it easily could have what a different way. I cried for the characters and I laughed at them as well. It interesting to see and experience how Maverick life was before Star came a long. Applause, Applause definitely worth the hype.

[Amila Pezer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic! Great story line kept me hooked the entire time

[Mariana Rogado · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Angie Thomas never disappoints!
4,5 ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐
Mav Carter ❤️

[Roberta Natal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

tão incrível! feliz demais de ter finalizado meu primeiro audiobook e ainda mais por ter sido tão imersivo. superando todas as minhas expectativas. amei!

[Leah · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Wasn't a huge fan of the reader's voice. Very detailed but lacked substance. Angie's first 2 books were better. Needed a redeeming ending, but fell flat.

[Scott · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic book. I really enjoyed this. Great narator as well.

[Lauren Little · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Awesome book!! I
Will read 10 more times!! Great work!!

[elsa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

this was absolutely phenomenal, imo i loved it more than The hate u give. maverick was an amazing dad, Lisa was amazing, his Mom was amazing, Dre was amazing, Seven was amazing. Mr. Wyatt was amazing, everything about this book was amazing. READ IT!!!!!!

[d-fbuser-79911981 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

ANGIE THOMAS HAS DONE IT AGAIN!!! This was hands-down amazing in every sense!

I went in thinking that this is a 5-star prediction for me and I was definitely not disappointed. Admittedly, there might have been some relevant details from The Hate U Give that I may have missed, but still, this book D E L I V E R E D what it promised. Concrete Rose follows Maverick Carter before he was even dubbed Big Mav. It tells the story of Mav owning up to his responsibilities as a father at only seventeen years old. Taking care of a kid while being a kid yourself is definitely a tough pill to swallow. Add to that a ground-shaking event in his life that will change him forever. Mav has to accept and live with the fact that he can't simply do the things he used to do before.

Concrete Rose was hilarious and heartwarming at all the right moments. If you're planning to read this, please listen to the audiobook because the acting and the narration are on point!

[Estelle Pizer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another brilliant book beautifully read. I laughed and I cried. A fabulous writer.

[Charlie Angel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"A black woman's hair is always serious."

Well Done Angie, Well Done...

[decaturmamaof2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've been a fan of Thomas' writing since "The Hate U Give" was published. This is the needed story of Maverick and the events that shakes him and his life. Uplifting, funny and sad all at the same time.

[electrascaife · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A prequel to The Hate U Give, this YA novel follow’s Starr’s father as a 17-year-old trying to figure out his life between school, wanting to leave the King Lords gang, and new fatherhood. Like THUG, Concrete Rose is so wonderfully written and also powerful and important. It’s another one for the list of books that all high school students should read – and a lot of adults, too.

[sammusher · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thomas is a brilliant writer, so of course I loved this book, too. My only quibble is where in the story she chose to end it — there were important events we know about from Hate U Give that I wanted to see unfold.

[barnesbookshelf · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's been a minute since I read [book:The Hate U Give|32075671], so there were little things here and there that I couldn't remember from it, like Starr's mother's name (I figured it out lol). But what's nice is that I didn't need to remember everything (or really anything) to love this book! Mav made some downright dumb decisions, but he learned and grew and figured out who he wanted to be, and I love it even more for that. Not everything he did was right, and not everything he did was for the right reasons, but they all helped him. It shows that you can, at any time, make the decision to change your life. It's not going to be easy, but it will be worth it (as The Hate U Give shows us).

Also, I just love Angie Thomas' style. It's fantastic!

[beth.clarke · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another solid YA novel from Angie Thomas. Even if you haven't read The Hate U Give, you can enjoy this prequel. The Hate U Give is about Starr, and Concrete Rose focuses on her dad as a teenager. It doesn't have the non-stop action of her other books, but it's very good. Teens will especially enjoy the street smart kids and how they navigate their world. It's definitely for a more mature teen.