Quiz Concrete Rose Angie Thomas

Concrete Rose Quiz – 20 Questions Across the Whole Book

Use this quiz to check your understanding of Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas. The questions span the full novel, covering plot sequence, character motivation, themes and symbols, and synthesis. For more help, visit the main book page, questions and answers, or the ending explained.

Quiz Questions

Note: Questions are labelled (Multiple-choice) or (Short-answer).

  1. (Multiple-choice) What event forces Maverick to become a father overnight?
    A. Iesha moves in with King.
    B. Iesha abandons the baby at the clinic.
    C. Lisa breaks up with him.
    D. Dre gives him an ultimatum.

  2. (Short-answer) According to Mr. Wyatt, what is the “three-strike rule” at his store?

  3. (Multiple-choice) How does Maverick first react when he sees Red wearing Dre’s watch?
    A. He confronts Red immediately.
    B. He tells King and plans to kill Red.
    C. He calls the police.
    D. He ignores it.

  4. (Multiple-choice) What does Maverick do with the Glock after he cannot shoot Red?
    A. He keeps it.
    B. He flushes it.
    C. He returns it to King.
    D. He throws it in the lake.

  5. (Short-answer) What name does Maverick choose for his son, replacing the nickname “Li’l Man”?

  6. (Multiple-choice) Where does Maverick work to earn legitimate money?
    A. At the swap meet.
    B. At Mr. Wyatt’s store and garden.
    C. At the White House.
    D. At the basketball court.

  7. (Multiple-choice) Who does Bus Stop Tony say drove a red Impala away from Dre’s murder?
    A. Ant
    B. Red
    C. King
    D. P‑Nut

  8. (Short-answer) List two steps from Maverick’s plan for his future in the epilogue.

  9. (Multiple-choice) Why does King pressure Maverick to rejoin the drug trade after Dre’s death?
    A. He wants to help Maverick financially.
    B. He wants to avenge Dre and maintain street credibility.
    C. He wants Maverick to take over the set.
    D. He needs money for Iesha.

  10. (Short-answer) What motivates Maverick to keep his drug dealing a secret from Lisa in the early chapters?

  11. (Multiple-choice) Why does Dre give Maverick an ultimatum to quit selling drugs?
    A. Dre wants to take over the business.
    B. Dre is worried about Maverick’s safety and wants him to be a good father.
    C. Dre is jealous of Maverick’s success.
    D. Dre is working with the police.

  12. (Multiple-choice) What is Lisa’s main reason for rejecting Maverick after learning about Seven?
    A. She doesn’t like children.
    B. She feels betrayed that he kept the secret for weeks.
    C. She is dating Connor.
    D. She thinks Maverick is too poor.

  13. (Short-answer) Give one reason Maverick hesitates to kill Red when he has the gun to his head.

  14. (Multiple-choice) What does the rose garden symbolize in the novel?
    A. Wealth and luxury.
    B. Resilience and possibility for growth despite harsh conditions.
    C. The gang’s territory.
    D. Lisa’s love for Maverick.

  15. (Short-answer) What does Mr. Wyatt’s act of teaching Maverick to plant roses represent about mentorship?

  16. (Multiple-choice) How does the recurring motif of “street rules” function in the novel?
    A. It justifies gang violence.
    B. It contrasts with the rules of fatherhood and morality.
    C. It shows that Maverick is tough.
    D. It is a minor detail.

  17. (Multiple-choice) What does Maverick’s decision to flush half his drug stash in chapter 29 symbolize?
    A. His recklessness.
    B. His commitment to leaving the drug trade.
    C. His anger at King.
    D. His grief for Dre.

  18. (Short-answer) Compare Maverick’s relationship with his father Adonis to his own fatherhood of Seven. How do they differ?

  19. (Multiple-choice) Which character best represents an alternative path to manhood outside the gang?
    A. King
    B. Mr. Wyatt
    C. Dre
    D. Shawn

  20. (Short-answer) Describe one way the epilogue shows Maverick’s transformation from the beginning of the novel.

Answer Key

  1. B – In chapter 2, Iesha and her mother abandon the baby at the clinic, leaving Maverick to care for him overnight.

  2. Three strikes, and you’re fired. For every fifteen minutes late, you must work an extra hour without extra pay. – Mr. Wyatt explains this in chapter 8 after Maverick shows up late on his first day.

  3. B – In chapters 20–22, Maverick becomes suspicious when he sees Red wearing Dre’s gold watch; he tells King and declares he must kill Red.

  4. C – In chapter 29, Maverick returns the Glock to King and falsely claims Red did not kill Dre, then refuses King’s offer to take over the set.

  5. Seven – Maverick decides on this name in chapter 7, hoping his son will be a “perfect” version of himself; he formally tells Iesha in chapter 12.

  6. B – In chapter 5, Dre pressures Maverick to accept a part‑time job at Mr. Wyatt’s store and garden; Maverick works there throughout the novel.

  7. B – In chapter 25, Bus Stop Tony tells Maverick he saw a red Impala – the same car Red drives – leaving the scene of Dre’s murder.

  8. Any two: earn his GED and landscaping certificate, work for Mr. Wyatt, get a second job, save for business courses, become an entrepreneur, marry Lisa. – From the epilogue.

  9. B – In chapter 14, King calls Maverick soft and questions his manhood, pressing him to avenge Dre and reclaim street credibility.

  10. He fears losing her; he wants to maintain their relationship and avoid her judgment. – Chapter 1 shows his double life; chapter 6 reveals his confession and her devastation.

  11. B – In chapter 3, Dre threatens to tell family and Shawn about Maverick’s side operation, insisting he quit dealing to be responsible for Seven.

  12. B – In chapter 6, Lisa is devastated that Maverick kept the secret for weeks and that others knew before she did.

  13. Red mentions his child, and Maverick remembers that Dre also had a son and brother; he cannot bring himself to pull the trigger. – Chapters 27–29; later he tells Lisa that choosing not to kill is the act of a man.

  14. B – In chapters 8 and 30, Mr. Wyatt explains that roses survive ice storms and need pruning to thrive, symbolizing resilience and growth.

  15. It represents nurturing growth, patience, and the possibility of change; Mr. Wyatt helps Maverick develop responsibility and emotional expression. – Evident in gardening lessons and their talks about grief and manhood.

  16. B – The street rules demand revenge for family, but Maverick ultimately breaks that cycle by choosing not to kill Red, embracing fatherhood over violence.

  17. B – The accidental flushing of half his stash signifies a partial but important step away from the drug trade, paired with returning the gun to King.

  18. Adonis was absent and in prison, leaving Maverick to be raised by his mother. Maverick chooses to be present for Seven, caring for him daily, and breaks the cycle of abandonment. – Chapters 4, 17, 26, and the epilogue show Maverick determined to be different.

  19. B – Mr. Wyatt is a mentor who models hard work, emotional honesty, and entrepreneurship, offering Maverick a way out of the gang life.

  20. He goes from a secret drug dealer and two‑timer to a responsible father planning his GED, a landscaping job, and marriage; he is open about his past and committed to family. – Contrast chapter 1 (lying, hustling) with epilogue (honesty, long‑term goals).