Angie Thomas Books in Order

How to Read the Garden Heights Universe

Angie Thomas's most famous books are set in the fictional Jackson, Mississippi neighborhood of Garden Heights. While these books deal with heavy real-world issues like systemic racism, police violence, identity, and poverty, they are also deeply rooted in family, hope, and community. There are two primary ways to read this series: by publication order or by chronological order.

Option 1: Publication Order (Recommended)

Reading the books in the order they were published allows you to experience the world of Garden Heights exactly as the author built it. You get to meet Starr Carter first, witness the community's struggle, see how the neighborhood evolves in Bri's story, and then step back in time to discover the origins of the family's patriarch, Maverick. This is the order most readers recommend:

1. The Hate U Give (2017)
2. On the Come Up (2019)
3. Concrete Rose (2021)

Option 2: Chronological Order

For readers who prefer a linear timeline, reading chronologically places the prequel first. This option gives you the backstory of Starr's father, Maverick, before you see him as a mature parent in the main novel. The chronological reading order is:

1. Concrete Rose (Set 17 years before The Hate U Give)
2. The Hate U Give (The core story)
3. On the Come Up (A companion story set in the same neighborhood a couple of years later)

Understanding the Garden Heights Books

The Hate U Give (2017)

This groundbreaking debut novel follows sixteen-year-old Starr Carter, who lives in the poor neighborhood of Garden Heights but attends a wealthy suburban prep school. The uneasy balance between these two worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, at the hands of a police officer. As Khalil's death becomes national news, Starr must decide whether to speak out to protect his legacy and her community, even if it puts her own life and family in danger.

Concrete Rose (2021)

Serving as a direct prequel to The Hate U Give, this novel focuses on a seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter in the late 1990s. Long before he was Starr's fiercely protective father, Maverick was a teenager dealing drugs for the King Lords to help support his family. When he discovers he is a father himself, Maverick must navigate the responsibilities of young parenthood while trying to escape the gang life that has claimed so many around him. It is a tender, realistic exploration of Black masculinity and fatherhood.

On the Come Up (2019)

While set in the same Garden Heights neighborhood and sharing the same socioeconomic backdrop, On the Come Up is a companion novel with a new protagonist, Bri Jackson. As the daughter of an underground hip-hop legend who died before he hit it big, sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. When her mother loses her job, Bri channels her frustration into a song that goes viral for all the wrong reasons, forcing her to decide how far she is willing to go to achieve her dreams.

The Nic Blake and the Remarkables Series

In 2023, Angie Thomas made her middle-grade fantasy debut with the Nic Blake and the Remarkables trilogy, drawing on African American history and mythology. This series follows a chronological storyline and should be read in order:

1. The Manifestor Prophecy (2023)
2. The Book of Anansi (2025)
3. The Threads of Fate (Planned / Forthcoming)

The story follows Nic Blake, a twelve-year-old Remarkable (a person with magical abilities) who lives in a hidden magical society alongside regular humans (known as Mutiles). When her father is accused of a crime he did not commit, Nic must embark on a dangerous quest with her friends to find a powerful magical tool and clear his name.

Collaborative YA Novels

Angie Thomas has teamed up with other major young adult authors—Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon—to write interconnected novels. These books are set during major weather events and feature diverse teenage romance storylines:

• Blackout (2021) – Set during a massive summer blackout in New York City, featuring six interconnected stories of love and friendship.
• Whiteout (2022) – A companion novel set in Atlanta during a sudden, chaotic pre-holiday snowstorm.
• Breakout (2026) – A shift into the 'thrillmance' genre, following a group of teenagers trapped at a luxury Florida resort during a hurricane and a string of mysterious deaths.

Non-Fiction, Journals, and Anthologies

For readers who want to experience all of Angie Thomas's work, she has also contributed to non-fiction collections and creative journals:

• Hope Nation: YA Authors Share Personal Moments of Inspiration (2018) – Thomas contributed an essay to this anthology edited by Rose Brock.
• Find Your Voice: A Guided Journal for Writing Your Truth (2020) – A creative writing guide featuring writing prompts, advice, and quotes from Thomas to help aspiring writers.
• You Can't Say That! (2021) – A collection of interviews edited by Leonard S. Marcus, where Thomas and other authors discuss book banning, censorship, and free expression.