A review by bookcheshirecat
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

“Son, one of the biggest lies ever told is that black men don't feel emotions. Guess it's easier not to see us as human when you think we're heartless. Fact of the matter is, we feel things. Hurt, pain, sadness, all of it. We got a right to show them feelings as much as anybody else.” 

➽ I finally read Concrete Rose and it was fantastic!! This is a prequel to The Hate U Give and follows Starr's father Maverick Carter as he navigates becoming a teen father. I wasn't too sure if I would enjoy this as it has been a while since I read The Hate U Give, but I was pleasantly surprised! This is a very emotional, character-driven story and you could feel Maverick's inner struggles. I liked that he was a flawed but realistic character who was trying to do his best. Maverick has just become a father, but he's only seventeen and struggling to take care of his son Seven when she still feels like a kid himself. The book gave us an honest insight into parenthood as Mav suddenly has to provide for his son and sacrifice his own time (and sleep) in order to take care of him. He's no longer free to do whatever he wants and while his mom helps out, she makes sure he takes responsibility. Maverick's juggling school, a part-time job and his involvement in Garden Heights.

➽ The book did a great job discussing Maverick's struggles with his masculinity and his relationship with Garden Heights's gang. He feels like he has to be tough and 'man up' instead of feeling his emotions. Mav has some people like his friend King (who's also active in the gang) who are a bad influence and reinforce the toxic masculinity he has internalized. Luckily, there are also many amazing people who let Maverick be vulnerable and want to help him stay on the right track. His mom's great and I loved that she was always there for Mav, but also called him out on his behavior. She makes clear that he needs to take care of his son and can't just shove him off to her, as it's not her baby. Lisa, Maverick's girlfriend, also calls him out when she needs to, as sometimes he can be jealous and stubborn without having any right to be. Dre, Maverick's friend who is basically his brother, also tries to convince him to earn 'clear' money outside of the gang now that he has a family to think of.
I was SO sad that Dre got killed, as he was such a good friend to Mav and had his own little family that he loved so much. You could see how hard the loss hit Maverick and how much he struggled with his anger and grief!


➽ Maverick is trying hard to handle everything going on in his life but also struggles with the expectations others have of him. It was sweet to see how much he adored his son despite feeling out of his depth at first and being tired out by being a parent. He's helping out at a convenience store and the owner is offering him a perspective of the future. However, Maverick is struggling to pay for all the expenses of raising his kid and knows that selling drugs in his neighborhood like King would bring in so much more money. Maverick makes his fair share of mistakes, but you can always tell where he's coming from and how difficult it is for him to have a perspective for the future. His own father has been in jail since he was 8 and he feels like he has to live up to his reputation as a prominent gang member. Mav is torn on how to manage his life and deal with all the anger and frustration that come with it. This was such a well-written story with raw, honest characters and I was fully invested in Maverick's story! 
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