* I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *

Painful and necessary.

The story Nic Stone tells, while fictional, is chillingly relevant and important and complex. And painful. I know, I already said it once but it beats repeating.

Grab your Kleenex. Read this powerful story. Share it with everyone and, like Justyce, ask yourself the same question. It’s one we all need to ask, everyday.

Highly recommended.

I feel that this book brings a very powerful, relevant message to all of those who read it. Many will relate to it and many will have their eyes opened.

Fairly short book considering all the author, Nic Stone, packed into it.
Great read, a lot of varied scenes and situations dealing with race, racism, and prejudice of all ages.
Hopeful ending, I don't want to give anything away!
Justyce was inspired to write letters to MLK jr after getting arrested under false pretenses.
Page 157
"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?"

This book had me from the start! What a powerful debut from Nic Stone. My heart ached for Justyce as he was going through life facing people who judged him based on the color of his skin. This book would pair well with All American Boys and The Hate U Give.

Some books, some characters, come to life for readers. You find yourself shaking your head, wiping away tears and swallowing down anger and frustration. And, even when you close the book, it stays with you – like song lyrics you can’t get out of your head. You find yourself using the story, or the characters, as a measure for your own actions, reactions and perceptions. Nic Stone’s Dear Martin is one of those rare and amazing books.

Dear Martin is an important book for more reasons than I can possibly outline in this post – it is raw, it is compelling and it is painfully real. Justyce McAllister is a seventeen year old high school student at a prep school in Atlanta. He is at the top of his class, on the debate team and headed to Yale. However, despite doing everything he can to be successful and respectful, he finds himself in handcuffs after trying to help a friend. This interaction with police shakes his sense of self and forces him to open his eyes to what is happening to young, black men like him around the country. To help him process what he is seeing and feeling, he begins to write letters to Martin Luther King, Jr. and begins what he calls an experiment to “Be Like Martin”.

As Justyce begins to pay more attention to what is happening around him, he finds himself at a crossroads. He is struggling with the big questions: How can he make a difference? How can he prevent himself from being drowned by hopelessness? How can he speak up about injustice and call out others for their ignorance and prejudice without resorting to violence?

Nic Stone is a remarkable writer. She creates incredible characters that grab you and don’t let go. She also brilliantly weaves the lives of Justyce, and his friends and family, with current events and overall themes of social justice, history, racial profiling, community and more. Stone also doesn’t pretend everything is “fixed” as the book ends. While there is a satisfying conclusion to the novel itself, the book offers more questions than answers and the distance between the two remains with readers – as it should.

Read this book. Open your eyes. Force yourself to examine what is happening in our country and ask yourself why. Put yourself in Justyce’s shoes. Let yourself feel…and then do something.

I read this in three hours, in one sitting, and if I wasn't still alive right now I would probably say I didn't breathe the entire time I was reading.

This book is important and so necessary in 2017. The characters are all so vividly real. I could see having any of these kids in my classes and listening to these conversations about race. I've heard kids make comments like Jared has and seen kids react justifiably in the way Justyce does. Much of the book is hard to read, not because it's graphic, but because it's just such a real representation of the insanity that has happened, and is happening in our world right now.

I think this is a must-read for everyone.

Dear Martin would be a wonderful addition to any high school classroom to prompt discussion of racism and police brutality. Its short, direct style and interesting format will appeal to many young and reluctant readers.

Stone has delivered a wonderful social justice book short enough to appeal to reluctant readers. Justyce is a round, dynamic character who takes you through the journey of his self-awareness beginning with his experience being harassed and cuffed by a police officer when he was only being a good Samaritan. Justyce and his friends experience many of the issues that appear on our nightly news and the adults around him suggest a variety of ways to deal with each situation. The dialog with adults sometimes comes across as a mini-sermon where they deliver the feelings or reactions the author wants to lead you to have. The book is strongest when Justyce writes out his feelings in his letters to MLK and discusses his issues with his debate partner (and potential love interest) A strong addition to the growing list of books about African Americans, implicit and institutionalized racism and the way to effectively change your world.

WHAT I LOVED:

Jus is a well-drawn character, one of just eight black students at his very white and very competitive prep school and not really comfortable in his skin. He’s so smart he won a scholarship to Braselton Prep and gets accepted into Yale for college, but the class divide between him and the rich kids is almost palpable. At home, the Black Jihad gang that runs in his neighborhood rags on him for being so smart and going to Bras Prep. He doesn’t have a place where he feels he fits, though his mom tells him he’s not supposed to. He’s meant to carve it out himself.

But when a cop sees Justyce trying to help his mixed-race-white-passing ex-girlfriend while she’s drunk, being ridiculously smart doesn’t help him. Just like that, Jus gets to experience police brutality firsthand as Officer Castillo brutalizes him, leaves him in handcuffs for hours, and always keeps his hand on his weapon. It was the first time Jus really feared for his life and he decides to start paying attention to what’s going on around him instead of ignoring it or glossing over it.

That’s how his letters to Martin Luther King Jr. start. He wants to try and practice King’s philosophies in his own life.

Justyce, his best friend Manny, and Manny’s cousin Quan offer a compelling portrait of modern black adolescence. Jus lives below the poverty line and is using his brain to get to better places. Manny was born into money and he puts up with everything his racist white friends do, though he later decides he’s done with them. Quan? He tested into the same Accelerated Learners program as Jus, but his own life experiences with racism and the criminal justice system led him to just give up and join Black Jihad. And then he shoots Officer Castillo dead.

AND THAT’S JUST THE FIRST HALF OF THE BOOK. The second half takes Jus’s emotions and journey up a notch when a white man–a cop and coincidentally Castillo’s partner–shoots him and kills Manny because Manny played his music a little too loudly. Jus nearly does give up and join Black Jihad like Quan did.

Even as a white woman who will never be in Jus’s position by grace of her skin color, reading Dear Martin hurt and I wished it were possible to console him myself. Luckily, he has his debate partner and crush Sarah-Jane, a white Jewish girl who uses her white privilege for good and shuts down arguments like “affirmative action discriminates against the majority” and “all races are equal now”in their Societal Evolution class. The content and transcript format will do plenty to equip readers with the tools they need to refute those arguments themselves.

(It wouldn’t do much good for me because I fail hard at verbally debating anything, BUT ANYWAY.)

But as Jus puts it after being shot by Officer Tison, “despite how good of a dude Martin was, they still killed him, man.” Trying to put MLK’s stuff into practice allows him and the reader to experience how imperfect they were. Though civil rights protestors’ nonviolent opposition did a great deal and moved forward black civil rights, none of that protected MLK. He was still arrested multiple times. He was still killed by James Earl Ray (and the US government was also found liable for MLK’s death).

Similarly, trying to be like MLK didn’t keep Jus from being shot. Kowtowing to white people and being the Good Black Person until literal minutes before his death didn’t keep Manny alive. Officer Tison just saw them as black kids playing their music too loudly. These facts are a large part of Jus’s moral struggle in the aftermath of his friend’s death and his own near-death experience.

Some characters like Jared and Blake, two very racist white boys, almost seem like caricatures, but that thought was nothing but my whiteness reacting to an attack on itself. I shut it right down because I know I’ve met many, many, many Jareds and Blakes and they’re all to real. In fact, one was in my Gender Studies class my sophomore year of college. A gay guy debated her and tried to educate her on how backwards she was on racism (she claimed racism against white people was A Thing), welfare, and a lot of other things. He was so deeply affected by the bigotry she spouted that he dropped the course within the week.

So yes, plenty of guys like them exist, my brother included. Jared is deeply affected by Manny’s death and makes a complete turnaround by the end of the novel, offering a spot of hope in this fairly bleak novel. But it shouldn’t take a black person they know being murdered by a cop to make a white person stop being racist.

FINAL VERDICT:
Dear Martin is an immersive, real, and important book perfectly paired with The Hate U Give for the teen who wants to understand modern racial tensions, race-related police brutality, and how to be a good human being. If we preserve them properly, future generations will hopefully be able to read these books and understand what was happening. If all our fighting gets us somewhere, the social problems Dear Martin faces head-on may seem entirely foreign to them.

If we’re lucky and can make headway against systemic racism.

Today, I came across another librarian reading DEAR MARTIN by debut novelist Nic Stone and I am looking forward to sharing reactions with her and others about this highly acclaimed book (starred review from Booklist). Stone tells the story of high school senior Justyce McAllister who is handcuffed and poorly treated while only trying to prevent an ex-girlfriend from driving drunk. There is no consequence for, or apology from, the cop involved and this ignites anger and bewilderment in honor student Justyce. He starts reading the works of Dr. King and tries writing letters, or journaling, asking "What would Dr. King do?" Justyce increasingly struggles to deal with prejudice exhibited by classmates at his predominately white high school. Sadly, the situation escalates and a student is killed.

My main reservation about this text is that the dialogue seems forced and even stereotypical at times. Unfortunately, that view was shared by other readers with whom I discussed DEAR MARTIN. Comments were frequently disrespectful towards women, too. In addition, I was puzzled about why Justyce would be going to Princeton (a place which has a reputation of being less than accepting of those who are different) and his close friend, Manny, going to Spelman (the author's alma mater). Both choices did not seem like a "good fit" for the characters as developed in this novel.

DEAR MARTIN is short (~210 pages) and easy to read – it will definitely prompt classroom discussion and I know at least one teacher who is already assigning it as part of an independent reading project. I highly recommend including How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon and/or Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson and/or The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Let the literature circles begin!

See my review on The Hub:

http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2017/10/20/qp2018-nominees-round-3/

Dear Martin is a powerful debut story by Nic Stone that I couldn't stop reading and have continued to think about long after I turned the last page.

Along with The March Trilogy, All American Boys & The Hate U Give, I highly recommend Dear Martin to adults and teens alike.

Black Yale-bound graduating senior Justyce McAllister’s good life at his prestigious, mostly-white prep school takes on a new harsh reality after he’s falsely accused of crimes and roughed up by a policeman while innocently helping a friend. Meanwhile, daily news accounts of young black men being shot or arrested flood the airwaves, stirring up strong opinions among his classmates. As Justyce searches for answers to explain why he’s now facing scorn from his peers despite being a good kid and a star student, he writes letters to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

When a second run in with police ends in tragedy, Justyce grapples with being powerless to escape systemic racism. He can’t help but question if Dr. King’s teachings are still relevant and starts looking for answers in a place he thought he’d left behind.

Author Nic Stone doesn’t give us the answers, but she frames questions in a fresh, thoughtful way, promoting deeper dialogue helpful for understanding and confronting racism and social injustice. It’s impossible to read DEAR MARTIN without feeling changed, moved. A must-read for high schoolers and older.

Sometimes a book needs no words…it need advocates, it needs book pushers, it needs people to put it in the hands of our youth. Dear Martin is one of those books. Let’s put it in our libraries, in our schools, and in the hands of our future.

Really well crafted book. I think its way to address this current issue of police violence against black people is a really good one. Plus, I loved all the letters Justyce writes to Martin Luther King Jr. I thought they were the best. They were filled with such beauty, and at the same time they were filled with hard truths about our current society. I just really liked how the letters were filled with raw truths, and I must say, wow to Nic Stone, for sharing this issue. As for the plot and the characters I don’t think I have much to say. They were all great, and everything developed so nicely and the ending was just stunning. In the end, despite all the violence and (excessive) swearing, I think this book is a must read!

DEAR MARTIN is a timely, emotional read that absolutely should be in every library and taught in schools - everyone should read this book. It doesn't read like a textbook, but it certainly serves as a jumping off point for discussions of race and inequality. It made me angry, made me sad, but most importantly it made me think. It was a really beautiful read. If you enjoyed THE HATE U GIVE earlier this year, you should absolutely check this one out on its release date. Both books are important conversation starters and they're so, so important.

FABULOUS, important, relevant book! I loved this one and couldn't put it down. I've already pre-ordered a copy for my classroom library! Nic Stone does a fantastic job of fleshing out the characters in this book and I was completely shocked by the twist in the book. Best advice I can give - don't read any spoilers or even the full book description before reading!

This young adult novel tells the story of Justyce, an African-American teen at a mostly-white prep school trying to navigate the world and all its racism. He writes imaginary letters to Dr. Martin Luther King in an effort to understand his own struggles better.

For a while I was actually really disappointed in this book—none of the characters and their interactions quite felt real, and they weren’t developed enough for my tastes. But then I got it: Justyce begins to feel like he is more of a political debate than a person, and that came across quite nicely once I got over it and just thought a little more.

The first half of the book feels a little rough, but it improves, and the end makes everything worth it.

Powerful. Infuriating. Heart-wrenching. Important. Necessary. This is a fast read so there's no excuse not to add this to your TBR, talk it up with library patrons, and shout it from the rooftops that Dear Martin should be everyone's next book to read.

This is a debut novel for Nic Stone. Her writing is captivating and honest, sometimes raw, but definitely skilled. Her sentences reach inside the reader and draw out the anger and empathy in equal numbers. I am already eagerly anticipating her next work.

This book punches you in the gut, teaches you to check your privileges, and makes you open your eyes to a hard reality impossible to deny, because "walking arround pretending inequality doesn't exist won't make it disappear".

Dear Martin is a very important book that talks about racism, racial profiling, and police brutality. It's a very interesting read, because it shows different levels of racism: from the most evident ones (shooting deaths of unarmed black teenagers) to those that are more subtle (jokes, racial slurs...). They might be different, but all of them are important, all of them affect people, and all of them are acts of racism.

This book also makes you realise that PoC always find themselves in this kind of situations and it helps you understand the rage of marginalised groups, because sometimes it seems like things are never going to change, no matter what you do. However, Dear Martin is a story that gives you hope, too, and makes you want to keep fighting to make the world a better place.

My only problems with this book are that it was too short, and I wasn't very keen on the dialogue format, but it is a must read and I recommend it to everybody, specially to those who enjoyed The Hate U Give. If you're looking for a story that's easy to read (even though it's hard) and makes you think, don't doubt it and go for it!
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