Book Review: Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

I’m so excited to review this book! As soon as Angie Thomas announced Concrete Rose last year, it immediately went to my highly anticipated shelf, and rightfully so. The Hate U Give is such an iconic novel in so many ways—not only is it critically important, but the characters, dynamics, pacing, etc., are so well done. I’m excited to get started on this review, but I apologize in advance if it wasn’t what you hoped for—I’m a little rusty on my book reviewing skills. As always, if you’re only interested in my overall thoughts, feel free to scroll to the bottom! ♡

— i.

You’ll be okay, Mav Man. You gotta find your groove. Don’t get me wrong, it won’t be easy. Everybody gon’ have an opinion ’bout how you do things. What I always tell you? Living your life based off what other people think—”
“Ain’t living at all,” I finish.

I loved diving back into the Carter family, even though it was 18(ish) years prior and during a different time. I was always intrigued by Maverick, and I was so glad to read about one of the most crucial points of his life. He has gone through many hardships throughout his life, a lot of them occurring in this book. But Angie Thomas wrote his character beautifully—he was so real that you could feel every emotion. Even if you did not endure what Maverick did (which I didn’t), you still cried when he cried, laughed when he laughed, and got angry when he got angry. It was during these moments that reminded me how skilled Angie Thomas is at crafting characters.

Maverick also had amazing character development, and I loved that it wasn’t linear. He struggled a lot, and it wasn’t a binary issue, either. Sure, he had to decide whether to stay clean or continue selling drugs, but it wasn’t that simple. He had a family to provide for, he had school, his commitment to the King Lords, making his cousin proud. Angie Thomas did a fantastic job portraying the complexity of his situation, making Maverick far more real and even relatable—even if you’re not going through anything similar.

The other characters were wonderfully written, too—I loved seeing Lisa as a teenager and meeting Maverick’s family. I remembered that his mom was already dead by The Hate U Give, so seeing how special their bond was made me so much sadder. I think what I was most surprised by was seeing King as a young seventeen-year-old. In learning more about Maverick’s past, we learn about King’s too. We understand why King made certain choices he did that led him to become the person he is in The Hate U Give (I’m not counting his abuse—there is no excuse or explanation for that). I understand part of Maverick’s journey to finding himself and becoming a man meant distancing himself from King—they were both two different people who had different values and priorities. And while I realize this is Maverick’s story, there were parts during Concrete Rose where I wanted to understand King’s decisions better, but I know that’s another story altogether.

The dynamics were also riveting to read. I kind of wished we had seen Maverick and Lisa work at their relationship to see how they got back together (since they were already married by the time Starr was three), and as I was reading, part of me hoped to see that. So, I was a little surprised and slightly disappointed that we didn’t, but I understand why the book ended where it did! And the ending was beautiful and realistic, so no complaints from me there. Maverick and his mom’s relationship was also really special, and so was Maverick and his father’s. In fact, despite not seeing much of his father throughout the novel, he was still a driving force for a lot of Maverick’s decisions, no matter where he stood. Concrete Rose deals with themes such as parenthood and complex parent-child relationships, and I think Angie Thomas captured these themes beautifully. I’m sorry if I sound repetitive; she’s just such a good storyteller!

— ii.

“I like to be reminded that beauty can come from much of nothing. To me that’s the whole point of flowers.”

As for the plot itself, everything came together nicely. As I said earlier, it didn’t end where I expected the book to, but the ending makes much more sense than what I had envisioned. Honestly, I didn’t know what I expected, but I just figured the book would end around or shortly after Starr’s birth. Or it would do a time jump to when Maverick went to prison. But I realize now that was never the book’s point, and considering how the novel unfolded, its actual ending makes a lot of sense and is perfect. The pacing was also great; there were a few moments where I felt that it lagged a bit, but otherwise, I was hooked.

— iii.

“Tough situations don’t last. Tough people do.”

Angie Thomas crafts wonderful stories and writes them well. I’m not talking about the characters or dynamics, but the writing quality itself. Concrete Rose was told from Maverick’s point of view, and she did not just capture him—she did so while maintaining a great writing style. I loved many quotes (and highlighted, of course), and the writing was exceptional. It’s not often you find writers who can write well and tell stories, but Angie Thomas is one of them.

I also want to say something about the novel’s setting. It was clear and vivid, the way a setting should be. I could easily picture the locations in my head, and I find it challenging to get into a book that has a poorly written setting. So well done!

— iv.

“I won’t give you the permission or the approval you want, Maverick,” he says. “You’re becoming your own man. This is your choice to make. You just make sure it’s one you can live with.”

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Concrete Rose. I have a newfound love and understanding for Maverick and other characters we met in The Hate U Give. Other than a few moments that lagged for me and wanting more Maverick/Lisa development, the book was perfect. Honestly, it already is perfect—these are just personal preferences of mine.

Final Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

— v.

I guess it’s like Mr. Wyatt says. The apple don’t fall far from the tree, but it can roll away from it. It simply need a little push.

Well, that is it for my first book review of 2021! Now I want to hear from you guys. Did you read Concrete Rose? What did you think of the book? If you didn’t read it, have you read The Hate U Give? Are you planning on reading Concrete Rose? If you read neither book, I’d love to know what your favorite read was from January!

Normally I’d say see you in February, but because this review is a day late, I’ll just say see you tomorrow for my (first!!) monthly wrap-up!