Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
(Format used for this read: Audiobook)
I read Angie Thomas’ book “The Hate U Give” a couple years ago.
It is a tremendously powerful, socially impactful novel written by an outstanding author.
I was blown away by that book and the author’s way of writing in such an authentic, deep and relevant way.
I then read her novel “On The Come Up” last year….and again was blown away for a second time.
When this book was released last month, I knew I just HAD to read it.
And yall….not only was I blown away again, but I think this novel is my favorite of all 3 of hers that I have read.
Here is the official summary:
“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.”
Before I tell yall what I liked about this story, I want to sing the praises of the audiobook narrator.
Dion Graham is the person who reads this book and I just HAD to look him up.
Yes…in case yall have forgotten…I am *that* much of a book nerd to where I always look up audiobook narrators that I REALLY enjoy!
Mostly, so I can see what other books they have narrated so I can hear their talents again BUT every now and then I discover some other fascinating tidbits of creative work they’ve done in different genres I can check out as well.
Turns out Dion Graham is not only a popular voice actor for audiobooks (one of which is “Dear Martin” by Nic Stone which I listened to not too long ago) and video games, but also TV shows.
One of the gems I found out: Remember Flavor Flav’s reality show “Flavor of Love” from way back when? He was the narrator for it 🤣
He’s also an actor that was in a few popular TV shows like “The Wire” and movies one of which was “Malcom X.”
Dion Graham was also a theatre actor who performed in several on Broadway and off Broadway shows….and allllll these things mixed together is why I think he is SUCH a good audiobook narrator.
The way he voices each character is so authentic to each one’s personality…you forget that the same person is reading every part. He truly is theatrical in how he gives voice to this story.
He is literally able to transport you into the world created in the story with his voice…he is a phenomenal talent, yall.
I’ve already put a bunch of his other narrations on my library hold list 🤣
Okay……now down to the actual story!
This was an awe inspiring, beautiful book filled with unspeakable tragedy and unjust struggle but also with so much glimmering hope and tender love.
There is a tension of mixed emotions that play out on each page: humor and sadness, grief and joy, loss and birth, failures and success.
You feel deeply connected and invested in each character with the way Angie Thomas writes. You see all their various complexities and intricacies thru their struggles and their triumphs.
She writes in such a realistic, conversational way….she uses AAVE (African-American Vernacular English) in the entire book—with the narration and with all dialogue–that creates such palpable authenticity to the characters.
One of the things Angie Thomas brilliantly does in this book is completely break apart false narratives and inaccurate stereotypes surrounding young, Black fathers.
She takes all the nonsense that has been harmfully created in regards to toxic masculinity and absent Black fathers and burns that shit to the ground…and presents a realistic and accurate picture of true and loving fatherhood.
Maverick is not who you expect him to be….and he is not who others expect him to be….and he surprises himself as he discovers who he truly IS underneath all those expectations.
Even though he is a young teenager who becomes a parent unexpectedly and suddenly, Maverick is a caring, tender, devoted and committed father from the moment he meets his child.
To him, “being a man” means doing everything he possibly can to provide for those he loves, no matter the cost or sacrifice he has to go thru to do that.
He does everything he can to provide for him, not just physical needs like food and shelter but also for his emotional needs as well…..things you wouldn’t expect a teenager to do like read multiple parenting books.
As the story’s narrator, Maverick is raw and vulnerable about all his thoughts and feelings….his fears, his worries, his disappointments, his joys….
We hear him talk about lighter issues he’s dealing with as a 17 year old —things like crushes on girls, complaining about school work, raving about his favorite rapper.
And some are heavier issues that are almost too much for a teenage boy to deal with—things like the death of a family member, balancing high school and fatherhood, and escaping gang violence.
Maverick is a complex and unique character and you will feel like you truly got a glimpse into his heart and head after you are done….and you will be different and better for it.
If you read “The Hate U Give”, you really need to read this book.
To hear the backstory of Maverick as well as Lisa, Seven, Starr and others was quite a special experience.
If you haven’t read that book yet, you can still read this one as a stand alone novel….but you will DEFINITELY want to know how the story continues when it is done.