Dear Martin: By Nic Stone
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 New York Times bestselling debut, a William C. Morris Award Finalist.
Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. 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.
- Hardcover:224 pages
- Publisher:Crown Books for Young Readers;
- First Edition edition (October 17, 2017)
Biography
Nic Stone was born and raised in a suburb of Atlanta, GA, and the only thing she loves more than an adventure is a good story about one. After graduating from Spelman College, she worked extensively in teen mentoring and lived in Israel for a few years before returning to the US to write full-time. Growing up with a wide range of cultures, religions, and backgrounds, Stone strives to bring these diverse voices and stories to her work.
You can find her goofing off and/or fangirling over her adorable little family on most social media platforms as @getnicced, or on her website:
https://twitter.com/getnicced?lang=en
My Thoughts:
Dear Martin follows Justyce who is a black teen boy who goes on a journey of discovering the hardships of being a black male.
This book plot is ripped from the headlines where two young black males were shot and one killed at a gas station by a white male because their music was too loud. I thought I was going to like this book as much as I enjoyed The Hate You Give, but this fell a little flat. I wanted more character development and more to the plot. I knew the outcome of the story because I knew the outcome of the actual event this story was loosely based.
I must say I am impressed with the many topics this book covers from racial profiling, affirmative action, going along with racist jokes and more. Dear Martin would be a perfect book for a high school class because of the topics it discusses, the engaging story and the short length.
I liked this story but I am not sure about why all the 5 stars, it fell short for me. I found the author writing style different than I am used to read, maybe it’s because I read to many crime novels. I am giving this 4 stars.
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Up next my review on The Retirement Party by: Graham H. Miller and Fatal Justice by: Sally Rigby.
One Girl and A Book 