Concrete Rose

 Thomas, Angie. CONCRETE ROSE. 2021. New York: HarperCollins Children's Books. ISBN 9780063046788

Plot Summary

Maverick Carter has a reputation to live up to; he comes from a line of men who belong to a gang and have done some not so good things in the community. As a result, his dad is in prison and Mav as he's known by family and friends is being raised by his mom, who is determined not have her son not end up the way his father did. Mav is smart, a good looking young man, and he has a cute girlfriend named, Lisa. His cousin Andre aka Dre is like a big brother who tries to make sure Mav doesn't get caught up in the gang life.  However, Mav sees how hard his mom works to make sure he has the necessities of life and he wants to help out. So Mav sells on the down low (his mom doesn't know) for the lead dealer in the neighborhood, King. Although, Dre sells he does everything to discourage Mav from being like him; Mav doesn't listen until he becomes a dad. But things change when Dre is killed. Now Mav has some decisions to make and whatever he decides to do will impact him in a big way.

Critical Analysis

In this prequel to Angie Thomas' THE HATE U GIVE, Ms. Thomas tells the story of a young Maverick Carter who is Starr's dad.  Ms. Thomas writes a story  that is strong in details and rich in words that capture the urban lifestyle of some communities where gangs, teen parenting, community, family, and loyalty are important values. It is also a story about the young Black male growing and surviving against all odds.  The setting of Garden Heights and how the neighbors look out for one another is well-written. She captures the characters of Mr. Wyatt and Mr. Lewis as the neighborhood noseys: they know everything and anything about the people whether its good or bad. If you have lived in a neighborhood like that; then you can relate.  Ms. Thomas also does a good job of infusing pop culture references throughout the story. I know I shouldn't sound biased but Concrete Rose is a story that I could relate to if it had been written thirty years ago. For the youth of today, they can also relate.

Review Excerpt(s)

New York Times-"In “Concrete Rose,” Thomas casts a loving eye on the lives and realities of Black people, which is a powerful continuation of one of her most moving endeavors as a writer: her challenge to readers to affirm the goodness of all types of characters and to greet them with compassion at every turn, no matter where those turns may lead." (Tesema, Martha. Angie Thomas’s ‘Concrete Rose’ Is a Love Song for Young Black Lives. 2021, March. New York Times. Accessed October 15, 2022)

Connections

In English classes, teachers introducing character development can use Concrete Rose for a class read aloud or literature circle book choice and have students diagram and analyze how Maverick changes throughout the story.

Teachers can do a lesson on pop culture and stereotypes. Asking students to list what they enjoy about their lives and then to share how they think people see them as a result of their likes.