An exclusive announcement from People on March 30, revealed not only the title, but also cover to Angie Thomas’s upcoming YA Contemporary titled:
Concrete Rose
Thomas is an award-winning, #1 NYT Bestselling author, who’s debut The Hate U Give was originally published in February of 2017. Her third novel Concrete Rose is connected to The Hate U Give in which its a prequel taking place 17 years before.
According to the article, it will tell the story of Maverick Carter, Starr’s father. The novel will “[track] Mavericks beginnings as he navigates becoming a father to Starr’s older brother, Seven, when he’s just 17…”
It also mentioned that its “a fast-paced, moving story about what it means to be a young black man—and father— in America.” According to Thomas, Maverick was one of the characters that stayed with her the most.
The exclusive announcement not only revealed the cover and title, but also an interview in which Thomas delves more into not only what readers can expect, but also her inspirations and the themes she explores in her novels.
When asked about whether she expects Concrete Rose to get banned like The Hate U Give, she stated, “I absolutely do. This is a book about a 17-year-old young man who just found out he’s a father…Nobody wants to talk about teen sex, nobody wants to talk about teen pregnancy or teen parents. But he’s amongst us every single day and it’s something that we cannot ignore…It saddens me already, but I’m expecting it. And I’m going to keep writing it and my publisher is still going to publish it. Why? Because there are young people who need this story… Your discomfort is not my problem. My concern is for those young people who need this [book].”
“After months of waiting (and trolling on my part), I can finally reveal my third novel, CONCRETE ROSE. Set 17 years before THE HATE U GIVE, it follows the story of young Maverick Carter…”
ANGIE THOMAS VIA TWITTER
The cover artist is Cathy Charles.
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas is set to be released January 12, 2021!
The Booked Shelf 