Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

Reviewed by Sky E.
Grade 11

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas is the sequel to one of the best books I have read so far: The Hate U Give. I immediately chose to read Concrete Rose once I discovered both were written by the same author. I had extremely high expectations for this book and felt somewhat let down as the novel began. As I continued reading, my high expectations had begun to feel satisfied as the book grew more and more intense. This story walks the reader through the struggles of heartbreak, loss, and fatherhood from the point of view of seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter.

The book begins on the neighborhood basketball court in Garden Heights with Maverick, the main character, playing ball with the King Lords. The King Lords are a gang who run the part of the neighborhood where Maverick lives. Maverick joined the gang as a form of protection from the enemies of his father. Being able to help his mother pay the bills by selling drugs was another benefit to being in the gang. As the boys are playing, they seem to have an audience of Maverick’s girlfriend, Lisa, and Dre’s family. Maverick's mind seems to be elsewhere, worrying about an incident that is taking place that day. Soon after a short basketball game, Maverick, and King, his friend who is also a part of the King Lords, head to a clinic where the story takes a drastic turn as Maverick finds out he may be the father of his best friend’s “son”.

How could Maverick be the father of his King’s “son” when he has a girlfriend? It turns out that Maverick made an unfortunate mistake with King’s “girl,” Iesha, while he and Lisa were on a break. This one-time fling turned into a life-changing event. Once Iesha’s mother learned Maverick was the father of the baby, the two ran off and left him to deal with a child he just met. His mother begins to teach him the ins and outs of parenting, which leaves him with a problem. What is he going to tell his girlfriend, and how is he going to deal with the costs of this baby?

I really enjoyed the author’s style of writing in this book. At first, I wasn’t particularly interested in the way the author decided to initially start the book, but as I continued reading, the style helped bring the book to life. I also seemed to enjoy all the conflict that appeared in the story. Just when I began to think the book was getting boring, a new conflict would show up to appease my boredom.

I would completely recommend this book to the people who enjoy reading fiction with new conflicts in each chapter. The author’s style really allows the reader to feel as if they know Maverick. The style allows the reader to dive into Maverick's mind and feel his pain with him. In my opinion, the ending is extremely satisfactory. Once I finished the book, I kept wishing to know more about Maverick and how his life is going even though the book already ended.

Concrete Rose is a 2022 Printz Award Honor book.

Kaiju No. 8 vol. 1 by Naoya Matsumoto

Reviewed by Makenna J.
Grade: 9

Naoya Matsumoto’s Kaiju No. 8 is an exciting action manga that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat along with some pleasantly surprising comedy! The first volume grabbed my attention right away and I wanted to find the second volume immediately after I finished it. The characters are written very well and I immediately became attached to them. The reader is able to relate to them right off the bat and I really want to know more about them; I’m very interested in their backgrounds and motivation. Along with compelling characters, the story itself is intriguing as well. Someone could argue that the plot follows a very common formula, but I found it very unique and fascinating!

 Thirty-two-year-old Kafka Hibino wants to clean up kaiju, monsters that threaten the citizens’ lives in Japan, ever since he was little. But somehow, he ended up literally cleaning them up! The Defense Force kills them while he’s stuck cleaning up the dead kaiju on the streets. He gave up on his dream of being a part of the Defense Force alongside his childhood friend, Mina Ashiro, a long time ago because he could never pass the entrance exam. Then one day, Reno Ichikawa, a kid who wants to join the Defense Force, joins Kafka’s cleanup team and sparks his dream of killing kaiju alongside Mina again. But suddenly, while they’re working, a kaiju attacks them and puts them both in the hospital. While they’re recovering, Kafka transforms into a kaiju! On the run and with the help of Ichikawa, Kafka takes the entrance exam one last time to be a part of the Defense Force with Mina as his motivation.

 Some plot points in this manga are a little too . . . convenient. Kafka can switch between being a kaiju and a human, but the author never really explains why or how. Although, I don’t mind it too much because I know the author will explain it in later volumes. I really appreciate the refreshing plot of Kafka not being the best out of everyone taking the exam and only having one last chance to fulfill his dream before he’s too old. There was a surprising amount of comedy in this manga, mainly coming from Kafka and Ichikawa’s friendship, and I really enjoyed it. Volume one left on a cliffhanger which made me really want to continue reading! Naoya Matsumoto not only wrote, but also illustrated an amazing series with deep characters, an intriguing plot, and stunning artwork which I find to be very impressive!

I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who’s a fan of action and comedy. I loved volume one, and I’m sure many other people will as well! I’m looking forward to reading more of Naoya Mastumoto’s works!