(5/5 stars) This subtler prequel to The Hate U Give is a must-read.
Prequels are often hit-or-miss. Some enrich the literary world the author is crafting, but some feel forced, out-of-character, and confusing. Having read, loved, and cried over The Hate U Give when it came out, I was beyond excited to see the release of Angie Thomas’s Concrete Rose, which I can confidently say falls into the first category of prequels.
Compared to The Hate U Give, where it feels like Starr is facing down the world, Maverick (Starr’s father) in Concrete Rose deals with more intimate problems as he navigates teen parenthood, love, and loss. Seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter learns he’s the father of a three-month-old baby boy, and his young shoulders are suddenly weighed down with responsibility. Maverick is left fending for himself and his growing family amidst the loss of a loved one, a tumultuous relationship with his girlfriend Lisa, distance from his imprisoned father, and a tangled web of loyalty and betrayal he can’t seem to get away from in the neighborhood’s gangs.
Thomas is such a master at capturing Maverick’s voice that I felt like the words on the page were alive and breathing, and like I knew him from the inside out. Maverick as a character is intensely human, and we see his growth over the course of the novel as he tries, fails, and learns to be vulnerable. Concrete Rose is a love letter to all struggling teens trying to find their own definitions of success.
On my first read through, I finished the book still waiting for the climax. Puzzled, I went back and reread the second half of the book, then realized it had been there all along. Maverick is faced with a life-or-death choice, and Thomas builds up his grief and desperation so steadily that I expected an explosion, and was surprised by what really happened. In my effort to dance around spoilers, I can only say this—the explosion was inward, not outward, and it fits so perfectly with Maverick’s journey of self-discovery that I could have kicked myself for not seeing it earlier.
As always, Thomas’s dialogue is realistic, her characters are perfectly crafted, and her talent for building and resolving tension is amazing. Her writing is beautiful, just as quick to move me to laughter as to tears: “Don’t let the cuteness fool you. Babies straight-up thugs. They don’t give a damn what you going through.” Elsewhere in the book, she writes, “Son, one of the biggest lies ever told us that Black men don’t feel emotions. Guess it’s easier to not see as human when you think we’re heartless.”
Concrete Rose is softer and smaller than The Hate U Give, but it just adds to the intricate world Thomas has created. When I reread either book—and I know I will—I’ll have a greater appreciation for every character and their own rich stories. I highly recommend this read!
Content warning: death, gun violence, drugs, implied sexual content
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