Dear Justyce (Dear Martin, #2) in DMPL Book Chat

Mar 01, 2021 Courtney rated it it was amazing

Shelves: project-lit

It was a deck of cards.
Cards.
Fifty-four.
Stacked.
Against him.

I don't remember much about Dear Martin except that I was slightly underwhelmed by the story. Don't get me wrong, it's good, and yet I didn't find it particularly compelling. But this, Quan's story. This was compelling. I read it in two sittings and all in one day and I couldn't bear to put it down. There's absolutely something about Stone's writing that gets at the heart of why some Black young men find themselves incarcerated. Of cou ...more

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Nov 01, 2020 Danielle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya-lit, contemporary, audiobooks-read, social-justice, project-lit-ya

"'It's crazy, ain't it? I had this white lawyer once - really wanted to help kids like us, so he took my case pro bono. I was thirteen at the time, and he told me he had a son my age who'd just had his bar mitzvah, you familiar?'
Quan shook his head. 'Nah.'
'It's this ceremony where a young Jewish dude becomes "accountable for his actions."' He used air quotes. 'So he goes from "boy" to "man," essentially. Lawyer homie is sitting there all geeked, telling me about it, and I'm thinking to myself: S "'It's crazy, ain't it? I had this white lawyer once - really wanted to help kids like us, so he took my case pro bono. I was thirteen at the time, and he told me he had a son my age who'd just had his bar mitzvah, you familiar?'
Quan shook his head. 'Nah.'
'It's this ceremony where a young Jewish dude becomes "accountable for his actions."' He used air quotes. 'So he goes from "boy" to "man," essentially. Lawyer homie is sitting there all geeked, telling me about it, and I'm thinking to myself: So your son is a grown man by Jewish standards, yet still gets treated like a kid. Meanwhile ain't no ceremonies for kids like us, but if we get in trouble we get treated like adults.'"

Dear Justyce is the phenomenal sequel to Nic Stone's Dear Martin. In Dear Justyce, we follow the story of Laquan Banks, a friend of Justyce McAllister, who was charged with murdering the police officer involved in Justyce's story in Dear Martin. How's that for coming full circle? I really enjoyed how Nic Stone set up this novel. Not only is it told through letters and a narrative story, there are also these snapshots sprinkled in throughout the book that give the reader insight into who Quan is and how he came to be at the place he is currently is.

Nic Stone is an automatic read author for me. She has proven time and time again to write compelling stories that draw in the reader and show them life in a world that hasn't been written about very frequently (up until recently, that is). I appreciate Stone's work to show me a window into a life that is so very different from anything I have experienced, but is, unfortunately, the reality for so many young people in this country. My heart broke several times over the course of this book and what Quan was having to go through, alone, yet I knew Quan's story could be the story of so many young Black boys in this country. Thank you, Nic Stone, for writing the story we need to read. I appreciate all of the work you have done for young people who are currently incarcerated and need access to quality literature.

There is some mature content and language in this book, so it would be best suited for older readers who are able to handle the mature content.

TW: cancer, death of a parent, language (use of the N word), gangs, police brutality, incarceration of a teenager, parental abandonment & imprisonment, racism, abuse, PTSD, panic attack description ...more

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Nov 21, 2020 Erica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya-lit, wndb

Appeal Factors: character-driven; thought-provoking; own voices

My thoughts: Looking for a shorter contemporary novel that explores tough, confronting questions written in an approachable and quick-paced writing style? Look no further than Nic Stone! While I found that Dear Martin offered a timely discussion on police brutality through a unique narrative conceit (ie a mix of typical 3rd-person limited narration interspersed with letters the protagonist writes to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), it's ...more

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