Concrete Rose
Cover art for the novel The Hate U Give, published in 2017. The cover art depicts a young African-American female teenager holding a title card with the novel's title; the title card obscures the entirety of the teenager's torso, and the only visible clothing includes a red hairband, blue denim cut-off shorts, and white athletic shoes.
AuthorAngie Thomas
CountryAfrica
PublishedJanuary 12, 2021
PublisherBalzer + Bray
Pages368
ISBN9780062846716
Followed byThe Hate U Give 

Concrete Rose is a young adult novel by Angie Thomas, published January 12, 2021, by Balzer + Bray.

Critical reception

Concrete Rose was generally well-received, including starred reviews from Booklist,[1] Kirkus Reviews,[2] School Library Journal,[3] and Shelf Awareness.[4]

Time's Cleyvis Natera stated, "Thomas' genius is her ability to craft one man's history in a way that illuminates the forces that brought us to this critical juncture."[5] Nic Stone of The Washington Post echoed the sentiment, saying,

[O]ne of my favorite things about Angie Thomas is that she's always willing to dig a little deeper, to peel back another layer. This is what makes her latest novel, Concrete Rose — her best, in my opinion — a gift. It not only eviscerates the 'fast Black girl' stereotype and debunks the myth of the Bailing Black Baby Daddy, it gives us insight into the life of a boy most people wouldn't even attempt to look at beyond the surface.[6]

The audiobook, narrated by Dion Graham, also received a positive review from Booklist, which said,

Graham is a natural and convincing storyteller. Graham's solo narration showcases a keen ability to embody both the innocent and the often-troubled side of Maverick. Graham's voice also adapts well to fast-moving scenes, acquainting listeners to the edginess of street life as well as the unrelenting wisdom of a community that continues to grow amid adversity.[7]

Awards and honors

Concrete Rose was a New York Times and IndieBound bestseller.[2] Kirkus Reviews named it one of the best young adult novels of 2021.[2] Both the book and audiobook editions are Junior Library Guild selections.[8][9]

Awards and honors for Concrete Rose
Year Award Result Ref.
2021 Cybils Award for Young Adult Fiction Finalist [10]
Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fiction Nominee [11]
2022 Michael L. Printz Award Honor [12]
Carnegie Medal for Young Adult Fiction Longlist [13]

Inspiration

Thomas was inspired to write the book due to readers' interest of Maverick as a dad in her novel The Hate U Give.

So many kids would tell me Maverick is the best dad they've seen; they wish their dad was like him. We know he was once in a gang and did drugs — and for some people, that doesn't line up with the father and the man we see. I started to think about the character on a deeper level. Having conversations with Russell Hornsby, who played Maverick in the movie, really sparked the flame.[14]

References

  1. ↑ Davenport, Enishia (January 1, 2021). "Concrete Rose". Booklist. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "Concrete Rose". Kirkus Reviews. November 9, 2020. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  3. ↑ Thomas, Desiree (December 1, 2020). "Concrete Rose". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  4. ↑ Kenner, Kharissa (January 26, 2021). "Concrete Rose". Shelf Awareness. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  5. ↑ Natera, Cleyvis. "Angie Thomas' New Prequel to 'The Hate U Give' Challenges the Cult of Masculinity". Time. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas book review". The Washington Post. January 21, 2021. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  7. ↑ Jamison, Andrea (March 15, 2021). "Concrete Rose". Booklist. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Concrete Rose (Audiobook) by Angie Thomas". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on August 7, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  10. ↑ "2021 Cybils Finalists". Children's and Young Adult Book Lover's Literary Awards. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Concrete Rose". Goodreads. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  12. ↑ Morales, Macey (January 24, 2022). "American Library Association announces 2022 Youth Media Award winners". American Library Association. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Longlists Announced for Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards 2022". The Yoto Carnegies. February 16, 2022. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  14. ↑ Egan, Elisabeth (January 28, 2021). "Books Are Back in the White House — And One of Them Is by Angie Thomas". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 5, 2022. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
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