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.

Author: Angie Thomas
Publisher: Thorndike Striving Reader
Published: 02/03/2021
Pages: 491
Binding Type: Library Binding
Weight: 1.35lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.70w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781432884741
Audience: Young Adult

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 3.4
Point Value: 10
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 510408 / Concrete Rose

Award: Michael L. Printz Award - Honor Book

Review Citation(s):
Horn Book Magazine 03/01/2021 pg. 101