Roses on the Asphalt

Seventeen-year-old Maverick "Lil Don" Carter grew up in Garden Heights, and the Kings gang has always been an integral part of his life. Maverick knows firsthand that because of the gang, you can lose your family, friends, and future. His father, Adonis, sentenced to forty years, is proof of that. Maverick's cousin Dre tries to keep Mav from getting too deep. His best friend King, on the other hand, thinks it's time for them to get into serious business. The joys and sorrows of unexpected fatherhood, the murder of a loved one, and the sudden pregnancy of his girlfriend make Maverick look at his life differently. Will he be able to break ties with the Kings, take care of his son, prepare for the birth of a new child — and make the right choice? In Angie Thomas's new book, we return to Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of the novel "All Our Deadly Hate" to learn the story of Starr's father.