RaveThe Los Angeles Review of BooksA refreshing tenderness suffuses Maverick’s relationships with other male characters ... In a world where inflexible notions of masculinity prevail, the main male characters in Concrete Rose are compassionate and communicative, with a strong moral compass that allows them to advance alternative notions of manhood and thus avoid perpetuating the cycle ... a rich and involving story, and Thomas avoids casting her characters as one-dimensional heroes or villains, choosing instead to explore the circumstances that lead them to make the difficult choices they do in order to survive ... Thomas makes clear just how much a single mistake can cost. Her characters are faced with decisions that no kids their age should be faced with, and it is fascinating to see how or if they will rise to the challenge ... does a fantastic job as a standalone novel, holding our attention and engaging our curiosity. It also boldly addresses issues of gun violence and teen pregnancy with admirable delicacy for a YA novel.
Hari Kunzru
PositivePop Matters\"Kunzru accomplishes several noteworthy things with Red Pill, not the least of which is following nihilistic philosophies to their logical endpoint ... The author excels in capturing the geist in alt-right circles, down to the language used ... Perhaps the most remarkable features of this novel are its relevance to current events and the questions it raises with regard to the ethical frameworks we take for granted and within which we operate ... the parallels between a past that is never too far behind and a present that threatens to rouse those ugly ghosts are all too evident.\
Zaina Arafat
PositiveLos Angeles Review of BooksAn unpretentious read, what the novel lacks in richness and layers, it makes up for in accessibility and honesty, steering clear of the stereotypes that so often plague characters from a Middle Eastern background ... You Exist Too Much commits a few classic errors of the debut novel. It trusts the reader too little and explains too much. The jumps between past and present occur too frequently at certain points and without the breadth necessary for the reader to become fully immersed in one scene before proceeding to the next. It could be argued that this intentionally mirrors the narrator’s own meandering thoughts as she processes her past, but there is little in the way of structure in these flashbacks. A nonlinear format would need more room to breathe. There is a sizable cast of characters, perhaps too many for a novel with such tight space. Largely indistinguishable apart from some surface-level traits, the narrator’s lovers blend into one another ... Nevertheless, it must be said that You Exist Too Much fills the queer Middle Eastern gap in the literary market. Moreover, it does so with a lead who is sympathetic and a story line that avoids the tropes that often accompany characters contending with their sexuality. The novel’s bittersweet conclusion is natural, not forced, favoring resolution through empathy and quiet acceptance over the spectacle of a grand reconciliation or confrontation.
