I loved this book! Nic Stone did an amazing job of telling this story. It was authentic and real in a way that young people will appreciate. It was a story of hope and justice.

Excellent follow-up/companion book to Dear Martin! Definitely can stand alone, but better as a sequel. Felt like a junior novel companion to Just Mercy with themes of wrongful convictions, the prison system, and the cycle of incarceration that repeats itself in the lives and families of a disproportionate number of young black men. I enjoyed that Stone keeps this book hopeful, that Quan has several people who care about him, that there are strong, smart black characters that come together to help Quan. I also appreciate the focus on education as a path to success, especially all the great books mentioned. Readers will be swept up in Quan’s story, including reluctant readers, and will learn much along the way. Great book for discussion, classrooms, and families. Could definitely be a middle school—early high school read.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Quan and Justyce grew up down the street from one another in Atlanta. However, Quan ends up in jail while Justyce ends up at Yale University.

The story is told through letters, flashbacks, etc. and reveals Quans challenging home life and being accused of things he didn't do at school. A police officer is killed and a weapon is found with Quan's prints on it. However, Quan didn't do it.

This timely book reveals the need for criminal justice reform - and the fact that far more African Americans are incarcerated than any other race.

#netgalley #crownpublishing #criminaljusticereform #africanamericnincarceration #lovenicstone #dearjustyce

I didn't know what to expect when I started the e-galley of Dear Justyce that I received from NetGalley. I knew I had loved Dear Martin (and all of Nic Stone's other books), but I didn't know if this would live up to Dear Martin. Let's just say that I was blown away.

In Dear Justyce, Quan is serving time and writing to his old friend Justyce while he does it. As we see Quan's life go from his first meeting with Justyce to where he is, we can see and start to understand how he found himself on this path. This book is a must read and will definitely be a multi-copy purchase for my library.

After finishing Dear Martin, I was deeply moved by Justyce's story. However, I was still left searching for answers concerning a character so similar yet distinctly different from him: Quan. While his appearance in the first novel certainly wasn't its focus, it was nonetheless hard-hitting and impactful. He wasn't just a character but a representative of a very specific reality that so many black individuals in America currently live and/or will live, unfortunately. So while his appearance in Dear Martin wasn't front and center, I certainly found myself wondering about him after I finished book one. How could this boy be living such a completely different reality than that of his peers? His story's lack of closure left me unsatisfied concerning the character's overall story, yearning to learn more about not just his background but also his future. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised and excited once I heard about this unexpected sequel!

And boy did it deliver! If you loved Dear Martin to any degree, you will find yourself captivated by Dear Justyce. Though this story is fictional, it is a rampant reality in America that Stone records in the most thoughtful of manners. The extraordinary author does an amazing job of relaying this unfortunate reality to her audience in such a short amount of pages, grabbing readers attention and delivering a message incapable of being ignored. It is simply one of those stories that changes you a little more with every turn of the page. For some, it may help you feel seen. For others, it will show you things you were previously blinded to. Overall, it is a story that demands attention.

All in all, I commend Stone on her work and am absolutely eager to read more from her in the future. She is definitely an author to look out for and one that has now been added to my list of automatic-buy authors. If I could give this specific book of hers all the stars in the universe I would. I'm so thankful stories like this are being written and published, and I humbly pray it reaches the hands of those who need it most.

Quan and Justyce were childhood friends, but Justyce’s path has led to pre-law at Yale while Quan traveled the school to prison pipeline with a stopover in an arms- selling gang. Quan has confessed to a murder he did not commit, and as he and Justyce exchange letters, Justyce begins to see that there might be a way for Quan to be exonerated without implicating the others in the gang.

Receiving justice is just a part of Quan’s journey, though. The despair and deprivation that landed him in prison won’t go away just because he is innocent of this crime. How can he gain confidence and build a future full of hope? In the afterward, Nic Stone writes that the most fictional part of the book was the legal, educational, and emotional support system that forms around Quan - there’s plenty of food for thought for readers looking for the way systems need to change. Skillfully written, hopeful. A companion book to Dear Martin that stands solidly on its own.

This book serves as an incredible and timely companion to Dear Martin and I'm pleased to see both available as options to give to students. Both provide a look into the Black American experience, but the differences in support between Justyce and Quan are noteworthy, and both stories have important perspectives to tell.

Nic Stone does not mince the reailities of Quan's life, which will likely feel extremely harsh to some readers, but it never slid into gritty for gritty's sake, and instead builds a picture that is all too believable and realistic for many readers. I can believe that this was a difficult book to write, it was at times a difficult book to read.

I liked the integration of Justyce into this book, and appreciated how he started out feeling very far away - just a person in letters - but towards the end he is pulled more into Quan's life and becomes closer again. I appreciated the themes throughout the book on the importance of having someone who believes in you. It's a good reminder to me as an adult to state that I believe in student's abilities, because you never know whether or not they have that support at home, or if your unbelief will trigger further disbelief elsewhere.

Overall, I enjoyed this book as I did Dear Martin and together both books tell important stories that are well worth reading and investing in.

A compelling, powerful and important story about the criminal justice system and young people of color. If you enjoyed Dear Martin, this is a must-read. Quan's story will stay with me for a long time.

"Dear Justyce" by Nic Stone, the companion to "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone, kept me wanting to read on. In Dear Martin, Justyce is writing letters to Martin Luther King Jr. In Dear Justyce, Quan is writing to Justyce. Quan is introduced in Dear Martin and his story is told throughout Dear Justyce as well as how Justyce's life unfolds following the events of Dear Martin. This book is an essential read in the world we are in today. The book feels as if it could take place today. The continuation of characters from Dear Martin keeps the story going and the readers grow connected to the characters. Nic Stone provides another timely book that will get students talking about important topics in the world today. Recommended for grades 7 and up

Of course Nic Stone’s always been an amazing writer, but I truly believe she hit another level with this book. Quan’s voice and story reached out of the book and hooked itself in my heart. She really captured the desperate feeling of inevitability for Quan and boys like him — which is exactly the thing that I think will spur readers to react in the real world. And honestly, can you praise a book more than by saying you really believe it’ll spur people to make change?

In a sequel to the Morris Award winning Dear Martin, Vernell Laquan Banks Jr., is writing letters to Justyce McAllister from his cell in juvenile detention while he awaits his sentencing for the murder of a police officer. Quan and Justyce, two bright boys from the same rough Atlanta neighborhood and just two years apart in age, have had drastically different trajectories for their lives. Justyce had the life changing benefits of a supportive family that pushed him towards excellence, while Quan’s family was mired in the cycle of poverty, domestic abuse and incarceration. Reading through the scenes of Quan’s experiences, it is clear how crucial a support system is, and lacking that, how Quan made the choices he did which landed him in his current position. Justyce and Quan, who met on a playground as children, reconnect when Justyce hears of Quan’s incarceration and decides to visit his friend in jail. Justyce, who is now a pre-law student at Yale, hears Quan’s story and marshals the help of a lawyer, his girlfriend's mother, to re-examine the case in the hopes of setting Quan free. This novel looks at the unjust treatment that African Americans deal with daily, shedding light on the harsh realities of life for inner city children and families with no safety net, particularly the educational and legal systems that fail to support or serve the communities they are supposed to. Highly recommended for libraries serving teens, an extremely relevant and topical read.

Dear Justyce is the companion to Nic Stone's Dear Martin. This book involve Manny's cousin, Quan, who has been incarcerated for over two years awaiting his trial for a crime he confessed to. Throughout the book, Quan writes letters to Justyce while he is in jail. In one of these letters, Quan confessed the truth of the crime which sparks a group of people who care and support him to take action and find justice. This is truly a moving account of a young black man's journey to adulthood who is forced to make choices based on other's actions. It is an amazing story!

Dear Justyce is a wonderful follow-up novel to Nic Stone's Dear Martin. If you have not yet read Dear Martin - no fear, you can definitely read Dear Justyce without having read the first book, though, I HIGHLY recommend you give Dear Martin a read, not just because it's an excellent book, but also because some of the details in Dear Justyce will make more sense if you are familiar with the characters and the plot from the first novel.

Dear Justyce depicts a series of letters written by Vernell LaQuan Banks Jr. (Quan), an incarcerated teen, to Justyce McAllister, his childhood friend who is now a freshman at Yale. This book shows what happens to many young people, such as Quan, who do not have the support in their lives to make "good decisions." Stone does a fantastic job of illuminating racial injustice as well as the flawed justice system, complete with racial bias, which, in itself, is a magnificent feat. Beyond that, Stone's prose is compelling - her use of both chapters and letters (which also occurs in Dear Martin) invites the reader to be present in the events of the novel and to root for Quan. This book was everything I wanted and more from a sequel to Dear Martin.

Nic Stone has written another powerful story. I was blown away with Dear Martin and so happy to see her write a book about Quan. I hope that there are happy endings for people who experience the racism and bigotry in the juvenile justice system. Ms. Stone’s book has readers pause and think about the underlying issues that force people like Quan to travel down the path they do.

*ARC provided by NetGalley

This is such a relevant and eye-opening book. The author does a great job of providing hard to hear truths of the disadvantages that Quan (and many kids like him) are up against. Nevertheless, there is hope, both in the book as you cheer on the main character and also in the fact that there is a book out there in the world that provides a mirror for so many kids and a chance for stories like theirs to be told. A must read.

When I started this I wasn't aware it was a sequel to Dear Martin but it didn't need to be stated. You can easily read this alone or as the sequel it is intended to be.
The read it fantastic , engaging, and really relevant for the world today. I think it should be a required reading. It doesn't give the soft take but instead gives you the real picture and the feelings that go along with it.
Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for this digital ARC of DEAR JUSTYCE by Nic Stone, a sequel to DEAR MARTIN. This novel is about an incarcerated teen, Quan, who we briefly met in DEAR MARTIN. He’s Manny’s cousin and the one who was accused of killing the cop that put Justyce in cuffs. Quan writes letters to Justyce about his experience in prison. Outside of the letters, we get to know who Quan grew up to be and where it got him today.

I love this book and I finished it in two days. Quan had a hard past. His mother’s boyfriend was abusive. They didn’t have much money. Quan was never recognized for his intelligence. He witnessed his father get arrested. Soon, Quan was stealing and getting put in juvenile detention, and then he joined a group of men who could help him out. It was like his own family. But the true friend that got Quan through everything was Justyce, and we see their friendship grow.

It was exciting to get to see characters we knew in DEAR MARTIN, like SJ, who dates Justyce. I love the Jewish
representation. The loving teacher, Doc, helps Quan get his diploma. Even Jared makes an appearance, that racist classmate, but him and Justyce are friends now that they both attend Yale. Jared is learning to become a better, educated person.

I love how this book is formatted and told. It’s not just in letters, but Stone writes out these snapshots to vividly see the scene. Her paragraphs are poetic. Words are bolded, zig-zagged, and dropped down the page. I also appreciated this rocket ship at a playground to be this place where Quan goes when he’s upset, but when he grows up, it’s gone. It’s like a metaphor that the older we get, life gets harder and complicated and we lose our childhood.

I recommend reading this book to teens 13+ when it comes out on September 29th. It’s an important book to read now and shows how unfair the prison system is to Black people. Please, please, read this book. Know there are always people who have your back while it may not feel like it. You aren't alone.

3.75 stars. The characters and overall plot line had an impact on me, but not as much as they could have. Admittedly, I have not read Dear Martin yet, but I feel this book can stand its ground as a stand alone. I just felt like the obstacles were solved too easily and the character development didn’t resonate as much as it did in her book Jackpot. It felt like a middle-grade story despite the language - not as hard hitting as I was hoping for.

I really enjoyed Nic Stone's Dear Martin. In this book, Justyce's classmate, Quan, writes letters to him from jail. Justyce gave the notebook of letters he wrote to Martin Luther King, Jr. to Quan and Quan reads them, writing back to Justyce about some of the letters while also telling him his own story. Through Justyce, Stone tells the story of a young man who did not have some of the advantages Justyce did, although he had plenty of the smarts, and examines how easy it is for Quan to get into serious trouble.

I found Dear Justyce especially moving because of the young men who I have met during my time as a corrections librarian who very well could have been Quan. There have been a number of guys whose stories just break my heart, because of how much they had to offer, but how much was stacked against them. For some of them, it seems like they never even had a chance. Quan's father is in prison. His mother is abused by a series of boyfriends, the last of whom steals her EBT card and disappears for long enough stretches that Quan and his siblings start to starve. Quan turns to stealing to feed them. Before he knows it, even as he keeps his grades up at school, he gets involved with a gang for the community and protection it offers. And things escalate from there (I won't spoil it). 

The letters from Quan to Justyce are sometimes very direct about the intersection of racism and juvenile justice. Quan points out several times that there is a big disparity between the sentences Black kids get and the sentences White kids get for much more serious charges. Other times, such as when Quan gets involved with the gang, the story lets the reader ponder Quan's choices and the larger societal issues they reflect. 

One of the aspects of Dear Martin that I found especially productive was how Nic Stone uses Justyce's letters and his experiences to examine different facets of systemic racism. Dear Justyce has a much narrower focus and because of this I think it works well as a companion to Dear Martin, but may not stand as well on its own. 

I was not so sold on the novels turn to legal drama as Justyce gets involved in Quan's court case, but it works as a primer on how plea bargaining works (or doesn't) and how the justice system fails kids like Quan.

Very strong follow up to Stone's 2017 novel, Dear Martin, that explores the experiences of Quan through a combination of flashbacks and letters written to his old friend and current Yale student, Justyce. Unflinching in it's depiction of the criminal justice system's treatment of young black men, as well as the societal structures that help reinforce a school to prison pipeline, this novel can be read in conjunction with Dear Martin or as a stand alone. The portions dedicated to both Quan's experiences growing up and the psychological impact of his imprisonment are particularly impressive and arresting.