With a good gig, a girl, and a good friend, Maverick had it all. Now, he’s trying to break his fall.
Title: Concrete Rose
Author: Angie Thomas
ISBN: 9780062846723
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication date: 2021
Genre(s): Realistic fiction
Available format(s): Print, audio. I reviewed the print version.
Awards, honors, notable mentions: 2022 Printz Honor Book
Reading level/interest level: Ages 14+, according to the publisher
Plot summary: Concrete Rose opens at the height of Maverick “Mav” Carter’s popularity. He has earned the begrudging respect of the King Lords, he has a gorgeous girlfriend in Lisa, and he has a trustworthy friend in his cousin Dre.
But things come crashing down when Dre is murdered and Mav learns that he is a teen dad to Lisa’s baby. Mav questions his ability to be a good role model to infant Seven, while navigating his complicated feelings about his own father’s incarceration, struggling to resist the loyalty he feels he owes to his gang, and processing his grief.
About the author: Born and raised in Mississippi, Angie Thomas (she/her) was a rapper in her teen years, and her passion for rap music is most clearly on display in her sophomore novel On the Come Up but also shines through in her debut, The Hate U Give (the title is a reference to a Tupac song), and in its prequel, Concrete Rose. All three of her YA novels have been New York Times bestsellers, and her debut was adapted into a film starring Amandla Stenberg.
Critical review: Concrete Rose is the prequel to the highly lauded The Hate U Give (THUG), but it did not make quite the same splash in the public sphere. On Goodreads, for example, Concrete Rose has about 7,700 reviews, while THUG has nearly ten times that amount at 73,428 reviews. Having now consumed both, I felt that, much like its presence on Goodreads, Concrete Rose is a quieter book.
THUG rises to a crescendo as Starr’s fight for justice gains momentum and even national attention. But in Concrete Rose, Maverick’s journey is primarily an inward one. This book powerfully conveys the enormous pressures placed on young Black men to thrive in the difficult circumstances created by racist people and institutions. In addition, I am so grateful that it tackles taboo topics like unprotected sex, drug deals, and gang involvement with candor and fearlessness.
Related programming ideas: Several years ago, a local library in my area hosted a series of free teen parenting programs. I’m not sure how much pushback they faced at the time and would be interested to hear from the librarians behind that program, but I think it’s time to bring that back! I know people don’t want to think about teen parents, but they exist, and they need support. Attendees of a teen parenting class might also find comfort in books like Concrete Rose and With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo.
Brief booktalk: Maverick had it all – a gig, a girl, and a good friend. Now, he’s trying to break his fall. His best friend was murdered and his girl had a baby (and yes, Mav’s the dad). It isn’t easy out there for guys like Mav, and sometimes, it takes everything in him not to fly off the handle. Can he push through the grit and bloom like a rose in concrete?
Potential challenges: Since its publication in 2015, The Hate U Give has frequently appeared in the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom’s list of top 10 most challenged titles in the country; reasons for challenges include anti-cop rhetoric, “indoctrination of a social agenda,” profanity, and references to drug use and sex (ALA, n.d.). As a prequel, Concrete Rose contains similar content and also broaches the controversial topics of gang culture and teen parenthood. Consequently, it faces a high risk of being challenged.
Reason for inclusion: Without a shadow of a doubt this book belongs in my collection because it is the only book I have ever read about a teen dad. I strongly believe that anyone with a lived experience resembling Maverick’s deserves this book, and that all teens should read it.
Check this out: A Spotify playlist that Angie Thomas created for Mav.
References:
Acsteens. (2013). Palo Alto city library offers “free” teen parenting programs. Adolescent Counseling Services. https://www.acs-teens.org/palo-alto-city-library-offers-free-teen-parenting-programs/
American Library Association. (n.d.). Top 10 Most Challenged Books Lists. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10/archive
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