![]() ![]() It’s a novel that, like Thomas’s other books, plucks at the strings of our complex humanity. But in Concrete Rose, Thomas handles them with utmost care, compassion and nuance. No, gang membership, drug slinging and teen parenthood aren’t light or easy topic topics. She makes us remember what it’s like to feel as though you can’t speak up without dire consequences what it’s like to have dreams so much bigger than you are what it’s like to be stuck between a rock and a hard place with no idea what to do, but also no choice but to figure it out. ![]() One of Angie Thomas’s greatest skills is crafting characters that give even adults readers insight into their younger selves. what Thomas does not do is permit the reader to perch up on a pedestal of unexamined moral ideals and look down on the characters in this book - and the people they represent in the real world - from some completely unfounded position of superiority. Thomas doesn’t sugarcoat any of this: She lets us see the grit and grime of all of it. It not only eviscerates the 'fast Black girl' stereotype and debunks the myth of the Bailing Black Baby Daddy, it gives us insight into the life of a boy most people wouldn’t even attempt to look at beyond the surface. This is what makes her latest novel, Concrete Rose - her best, in my opinion - a gift. one of my favorite things about Angie Thomas is that she’s always willing to dig a little deeper, to peel back another layer. ![]()
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