A wonderful look at Star's dad.

I LOVED the 90's feeling I got while reading the book. I also think it balances the hopes and fears of a troubled situation.

It was a wonderful companion.

I'm embarrassed to say that this is the first book Angie Thomas book I've read. BUT after reading and loving Concrete Rose, I'm definitely going to read the other two! This was a fantastic book that gave me all kinds of feels. Maverick felt so real to me. From the beginning, I felt so invested in him and was rooting for his success!! Angie Thomas is a really great storyteller!

Getting Maverick's backstory was nice. This book fleshed him out as someone who was making poor decisions, but allowed us to understand why he made those decisions. It's easy to see Maverick as a stereotype of young, Black men in America, so this backstory brings him to life. I do with the story had ended later than it did. We know from The Hate U Give that Maverick spent time in prison to get out of the gang, and I wish this book had gone up to that decision.

This is a wonderful book about Starr's father and his life before Starr was born, It's easily accessible, quick read that addresses head-on many of the difficulties teens still face.

Great book by Angie Thomas. Every student and adult should read her books! This book was so powerful talking about Maverick and his trials in life.

Angie Thomas is a genius. I loved this book and I did not want to put it down. Covers so many important topics and this book is so necessary for teens.

I think I honestly enjoyed this more than “The Hate U Give.” Possibly because I was familiar with the characters, possibly because I knew the ending, but either way I just really liked the story. The characters came across as real, the editing was tight, and the situations were relevant.

Angie Thomas gets better and better with every book. This was a relevant, timely and really powerful read. My teens will love this.

Such a great story! For all my students who loved THUG, this is a great addition to our collection. It's nuanced and thoughtful when discussing issues that are brought up in Thomas's other novels. I really liked that Mav always tried to do the best he could for those he loved--it showed in THUG, and it shows in this book too. It was also a lot of fun seeing cameos of characters who were in THUG, such as the kids who are the focus of the other book. A great addition to any library serving teens.

If you enjoyed the Hate you give, this is a great follow up or it can be read alone. This book is a great resource for parents and teachers that can start a conversation about race issues, and BLM. If you enjoy Angie Thomas, Nic Stone is another good author in teen who talks about similar issues.

What a brilliant story of Star Carter’s father as a teenager. I love that this book stands in its own because it’s an amazing book in its own right. I highly recommend it to any reader who enjoyed The Hate U Give, but I really think everyone should read it. Maverick is a complete person-complex in his motivations, his emotions, and his desires. He’s a realistic sensitive male lead dealing with toxic masculinity.

My middle school students have been eagerly anticipating this book! Many of them are fans of The Hate U Give and On the Come Up! We also talked about "The Rose that Grew From Concrete," so as soon as they found out about this book and the allusion to the poem, they were ecstatic! I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to share it with them! Angie Thomas's characters are inspiring, and their stories are needed, especially in the world we live in today.

Angie Thomas is a master at writing the black teen experience. This book gives so much insight into who Star's father is and why he does what he does. I loved both the funny parts of Maverick trying to handle a new baby and the more serious parts of him wanting to be a kid again and losing his cousin and friend to gang violence.

Just like "The Hate U Give" Angie Thomas has the wonderful ability to dig deeper into the issues faced in the black community, while showing reader why it is great to be in that community. With Maverick, we learn about this boy who is planning a life with his girlfriend, who is ready to get out of his neighbor and help his mom. Suddenly, he is a man who has to take care of kids who can't make quick money from drug dealing because it is too dangerous, who feels like his life is falling apart and it is too much just to do that.

This book is a must read for all.

This is such a wonderful prequel to THUG. There's still a lot of Mav's story that doesn't get told (future book maybe?) but what does get told is so amazing. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoyed her other books.

I devoured The Hate U Give. We are fortunate enough to have a class set for whenever I can manage to squeeze it into my curriculum. I have 5 copies for check out in my classroom - and hands down, it's a popular book to borrow. When I saw that there was a prequel, I was a little skeptical. I went in with an open mind and an open heart (I didn't research or google it before I read it). All I knew was that it was Maverick's story (Starr's father) and that it would probably make me cry. I wasn't wrong on either account. This origin story for Maverick twisted my emotions and played with my mind. I found myself enamored with Maverick: cheering him on, telling him not to make stupid mistakes, cringing when babies threw up on his new shoes... all the feels.
I can't even imagine what it would have been like to be in his shoes. Maverick is the definition of perseverance and overcoming the cards that life dealt to you. I admire his fortitude and motivation to do better, be better, and realize his mistakes and take steps to correct them. The courage it takes for Maverick to get out of the drug dealing, gang going life is remarkable. But even more remarkable is how he steps up for his kids. I respect and admire his life story and I think it needs to be shared more - especially with high schoolers.

Told from the perspective of a young black teen who faces many obstacles including having a father in prison and a really good friend shot and killed in front of him, we empathize with him as he learns and grows.

This was a great back story to further develop the characters in The Hate U Give!! I loved it! The characters and the story were beautifully written. I can't wait to recommend this book to my students!

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our library collection on preorder and will recommend it to students.

Concrete Rose was excellent. It really gave great insight to Big Mav and being a teenage FATHER. I respect STARs dad even more now because I understand his background story and his upbringing. I now have a better understanding/respect for the culture surrounding underprivileged areas and how neighbors really did help raise some of the kids in those settings. I also think Mr. Wyatt SAVED Maverick from a troubled life. He pretty much gave him permission to walk away from the "thug life." Lisa's character cracked me up, too. So good. Definitely purchasing multiple copies for my high school library!

I loved this book - the perfect prequel to The Hate U Give. I bought several copies for my classroom library!