Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas is the prequel to her best-selling debut, The Hate U Give.  This story takes us back and tells the story of Maverick Carter, Starr's dad, and a pillar in the Garden Heights' community.  In the first book, we got a glimpse at the man he is.  But in Concrete Rose, we get the chance to see how he got there.  From the struggles of trying to live up to his dad's reputation to helping out a mom who is doing the best she can, Maverick has to learn what it takes to take care of those he loves.  And when he suddenly finds out he is a father and then quickly has another on the way, he must decide what path he must take to create a future for himself and his family.  This is such a wonderfully told story about how we don't have to succumb to the environment we are surrounded by.  How we can find a way to thrive when the world around us expects us to fall.  It shows us how we can be that rose that grows out of the concrete. 

 

From Amazon:

International phenomenon Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give in this searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood.

If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad’s in prison.

Life’s not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav’s got everything under control.

Until, that is, Maverick finds out he’s a father.

Suddenly he has a baby, Seven, who depends on him for everything. But it’s not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. In a world where he’s expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he’s different.

When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you can't just walk away. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He’ll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man.