Synopsis

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. A Printz Honor Book!

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: Balzer & Bray/Harperteen
Published: 01/12/2021
Pages: 368
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.97lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.60w x 1.30d
ISBN: 9780062846716
Award: Michael L. Printz Award - Honor Book

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 11/30/2020
Kirkus Reviews 12/01/2020
School Library Journal 12/01/2020 pg. 105
Booklist 01/01/2021 pg. 67
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 01/01/2021
Shelf Awareness 01/26/2021
Horn Book Magazine 03/01/2021 pg. 101
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2021 - Outstanding, Noteworthy In Style