My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Dear Martin

Author: Nic Stone

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 224

Publication Date: 10/17/17

Categories: Young Adult, Racism, Police Brutality, Coming of Age, Contemporary

Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers as she boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning debut.

Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack.

Content Warning: Racism, Violence, Death

This is a very short book, barely over 200 pages but it is impactful.

It tells the story of Justyce, a boy who is going to a really good high school even though he is from a rougher neighborhood. He has dreams of going to Yale and he has the grades and test scores to do it. His best friend is Manny, a rich black boy who hangs out with the other rich kids at their high school but all of those guys are white. He writes letters to Martin Luther King, Jr. just to make sense of himself. When Justyce has a scary experience with a cop, he sees his world in a different light, questions a lot of things, is more aware of the racism happening around him and wonders how to move forward in life as a young black man in America.

Justyce and Manny have an amazing friendship that is tested by the racism happening around them. Manny chooses to ignore it but after Justyce’s traumatic experience it makes him question Manny’s friends. I really liked how they brought up race issues in Justyce’s classroom and seeing how it pertains to his life outside of the class. But this isn’t only about Justyce’s life in high school trying to be a dutiful student, a good best friend and falling in love. There is a very shocking event that makes the news, there is a trial – Justyce goes through a lot and we see if his letters to Martin help him deal and make sense of his situation. Honestly that moment in the book took my breath away, I really like how that part was written.

The book made me feel all kinds of emotions, especially angry and and frustrated for Justyce. He is trapped from all sides.

One of my issues with the story that threw me off at times was the way the characters spoke and the way it was written like a script. It mostly happened when they were in the classroom. I kept wondering why it was done that way! Couldn’t that have just been written as dialogue? I just chalked it up to Justyce seeing these moments as a play and he’s in the background or something…not sure. But it was distracting and making me question what was the point. Also this book is short – I kind of would have love more in the second half of the story where things really go down.

Why you should read it:

• important and impactful story about racism in America and police brutality
• Justyce and Manny’s friendship
• Justyce’s story

Why you might not want to read it:

• some parts of dialogue is written like a script and I don’t know why
• wish second half of the story was more fleshed out and longer

My Thoughts:

This one is short and quick but it is powerful. We get to watch Justyce’s journey from somewhat having the things in life going for him (hot girlfriend, good grades, good school) to him realizing he will always struggle as a black man in America, no matter how smart he is, what school he goes to and what job he gets. Justyce will have to decide what type of man he wants to be and maybe writing to Martin will help him figure it out.

📚 ~ Yolanda

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Quotes from the Book:

“What do I do when my very identity is being mocked by people who refuse to admit there’s a problem?”

― Nic Stone, Dear Martin

“It’s like I’m trying to climb a mountain, but I’ve got one fool trying to shove me down so I won’t be on his level, and another fool tugging at my leg, trying to pull me to the ground he refuses to leave. “

― Nic Stone, Dear Martin

“You can’t change how other people think and act, but you’re in full control of you. When it comes down to it, the only question that matters is this: If nothing in the world ever changes, what type of man are you gonna be?” 

― Nic Stone, Dear Martin