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Quick answer: If you loved Concrete Rose, read Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give and On the Come Up, then Elizabeth Acevedo's The Poet X and Clap When You Land, then Jason Reynolds's Long Way Down, and Jewell Parker Rhodes's Ghost Boys and Jay Coles's Tyler Johnson Was Here. All are urgent, honest young adult fiction.
Angie Thomas's Concrete Rose is a prequel to The Hate U Give, following Maverick Carter as a teenager. These picks share its honesty about growing up in hard places.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hate U Give | Angie Thomas | 14+ | readers who want a modern classic |
| On the Come Up | Angie Thomas | Teen | more Angie Thomas |
| The Poet X | Elizabeth Acevedo | 14+ | more Acevedo |
| Long Way Down | Jason Reynolds | Teen | verse novels |
| Ghost Boys | Jewell Parker Rhodes | 10-14 | readers ready for a hard topic |
| Tyler Johnson Was Here | Jay Coles | 14+ | readers who want a contemporary story |
| Dear Martin | Nic Stone | 14+ | readers who want a hard-hitting story |
| Monster | Walter Dean Myers | 13+ | readers who like unusual formats |
| All American Boys | Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely | 13+ | readers who want a two-sided story |
| New Kid | Jerry Craft | 8-12 | readers who like school stories |
| The Crossover | Kwame Alexander | 10-14 | sports and verse fans |
| Clap When You Land | Elizabeth Acevedo | 14+ | readers who like verse |
| Felix Ever After | Kacen Callender | 14+ | readers who like art and identity |
| Efren Divided | Ernesto Cisneros | 9-13 | immigration stories |
| Booked | Kwame Alexander | Ages 10-14 | soccer in verse |
1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Starr witnesses the shooting of her friend by a police officer and decides to speak up. A powerful, widely read novel.
Best for: readers who want a modern classic.
2. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
A teen rapper in Garden Heights fights to be heard while her family struggles. Thomas's second novel, loud and warm.
Best for: more Angie Thomas.
3. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Xiomara, a Dominican girl in Harlem, finds a voice through slam poetry. A verse novel and National Book Award winner.
Best for: more Acevedo.
4. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
A boy rides an elevator down seven floors on his way to avenge his brother's death. A novel in verse that is quick and gripping.
Best for: verse novels.
5. Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Jerome, a twelve-year-old Black boy, is killed by a police officer and becomes a ghost who meets Emmett Till. Serious and moving.
Best for: readers ready for a hard topic.
6. Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles
Marvin's twin brother disappears and is found dead after a police encounter. Moving and honest.
Best for: readers who want a contemporary story.
7. Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Justyce, a Black teen at a prep school, writes letters to Dr. King after a violent encounter with police. Short and gripping.
Best for: readers who want a hard-hitting story.
8. Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Steve Harmon, a teen on trial for murder, writes his story as a screenplay. Powerful and a Printz winner.
Best for: readers who like unusual formats.
9. All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
A white teen and a Black teen face the aftermath of a police beating. Told in alternating voices.
Best for: readers who want a two-sided story.
10. New Kid by Jerry Craft
Jordan, a Black seventh grader, starts at a prep school and navigates two worlds. Funny and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like school stories.
11. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Twin basketball stars deal with family and loss, told in verse. A Newbery winner.
Best for: sports and verse fans.
12. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Two sisters, one in New York and one in the Dominican Republic, learn about each other after their father dies in a plane crash. A verse novel.
Best for: readers who like verse.
13. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
Felix, a trans Black teen, wants to find love and a place in an art program after an anonymous bully outs him. Honest and joyful.
Best for: readers who like art and identity.
14. Efren Divided by Ernesto Cisneros
Efren's mother is deported, and he must step up for his family. Hopeful and urgent.
Best for: immigration stories.
15. Booked by Kwame Alexander
A boy who loves soccer deals with his parents' split and a bully. Rhythmic and warm.
Best for: soccer in verse.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Concrete Rose: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Concrete Rose. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For the same author, read The Hate U Give and On the Come Up. For verse, try The Poet X or Long Way Down. For reflective teen reads, pick Ghost Boys or Tyler Johnson Was Here.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Concrete Rose?
Angie Thomas, in 2021.
Is it a sequel?
It is a prequel to The Hate U Give.
What age is it for?
Teens 14 and up.