As emotional a ride as The Hate U Give ... and just as worthy a read.

Maverick "Mav" Carter (17) is known in the neighborhood as the son of a King Lord gang legend. While his father is in prison, Maverick has taken up drug trafficking to get money to help his mom, who is working two jobs to make ends meet. He's feeling like everything is going along just fine ... until Iesha drops of their 3-month-old son Seven. Now he is taking care of a baby, going to high school, and running drugs. He knows he has to get a legit job so he doesn't go to jail and can take care of Seven, but it isn't easy.

NOTE: Contains content that may be triggering for some readers. This is not "light" reading.

BTSYA / Teen Reader (16):
The plot is a little quieter than The Hate U Give (THUG), and it really allows Thomas’s gorgeous writing to shine through. All of the characters are created with thought and charm, which makes this story based on family dynamics all the more interesting. The story is definitely an emotional rollercoaster on par with the original. Thomas is great at setting up the stakes and presenting conflict. The emotional beats all hit very hard. This isn’t a light novel, nor one that’s easy to breeze through mentally.

There are a number of heavy themes (e.g., racism, gang violence), so be careful if these might be triggering. Thomas handles these topics really well, so this is also pretty educational for readers a little unfamiliar with them. The more you read, the more things you find. Angie Thomas is a fantastic writer, so this was something I enjoyed rereading.

Concrete Roses is great for high schoolers and young adults. There are some mature themes, so do know what you’re getting into. This isn’t something you’d want to read just once, so it makes a great gift! Readers who liked THUG definitely love this book. Fans of contemporary in general will enjoy her works.

Powerful, evocative writing and exceptional characters will have readers raving about this book as soon as they finish ... and maybe even re-reading The Hate U Give.

Characters use profanity and racial slurs. The plot contains sexual situations, violence, negative stereotypes, and drugs. This content could be triggering for some readers.