What an awesome sequel...especially when you read Nic Stone's author's note regarding they why behind writing this book. I love seeing both sides of the system and explore these wonderful characters further. Although the ending is admittedly a bit rosey, I do appreciate the hopefulness so we as readers and citizens can promote a more hopeful vision for our society.

Wow. Wow, wow, wow! I hadn't read Dear Martin, but didn't need to in order to be totally engrossed in this book. Nic Stone is a beautiful writer, and she does it again with this book. She wrote this book for the Quans she knows- the black kids facing systemic racism from the moment they step foot in a school, store, neighborhood- you name it. This story will tear you up and show you very big love. It might be fiction, but for so many kids and teens it's reality. We are currently working to get this incorporated into a book discussion club at my library.

Dear Justyce is the title that made me join NetGalley. I’ve had a couple of interactions with Nic Stone the last year and she constantly fascinates me with her thoughts and ideas. So when I heard Dear Justyce was coming, I selfishly wanted to read it before it was released to the public, and I am glad I did. This is also a book worth buying once it is released in Septemeber, 2020 and I will read it again.

I don’t know if the book should be called a sequel or companion to Dear Martin, it certainly helps that you have read Dear Martin before but it is not required. Sure, you know some of the characters already and have or opinion of them, but as in life, opinions can change. The writing style is similar with the use of written letters to often set the scene and update the reader of passed time.
We are introduced to Quan and a life he was born into through a series of flashbacks. From Dear Martin, we know that he is in prison for shooting a police officer - but as Dear Justyce progressed, I began to understand Quan more and realize that there are probably many “Quans” incarcerated today because of a few bad decisions and now they are trapped within the prison “system” unable to break free of its clutches even if they are released from prison at a later time.
Justyce is finishing his first year at Yale and has been in communication with Quan through written correspondence. Quan and Justyce share memories and see how they are connected even though their life path may seemingly be headed in completely different directions.

The ARC edition states that Nic Stone wrote Dear Justyce because she met two young men that were more similar to Quan than Justyce and that they asked that their voices be heard as well. This is how I see this book as a companion to Dear Martin - it really is the yin to a yang type novel. It is intertwined but different at the same time. You learn about an Ivy League education vs. a street education. You find professors in the classroom but also teachers with more influence in a house. You see a young man labeled a cop killer but there is more than one way to label a person. Nic Stone does it again with her writing, but try not to judge it against Dear Martin solely as a means of liking or disliking the book. There is more to discover about yourself and society after reading Dear Justyce.

Dear Justyce, The highly anticipated sequel to Dear Martin, drops the reader into a pivotal point in the characters lives with a captivating sense of trepidation and all you want to do is wrap your mind around those characters and their lives. The author judiciously tackles issues of the American juvenile justice system and the importance of letting people know they matter.

Dear Justyce is a great follow up to Dear Martin. It was nice to read a tory about the forgotten ones, teens who get in trouble and are left in jail with very few options.

Dear Martin​ by Nic Stone was one of my favorite books to read that has given me an acute glimpse into what life is like for people of color. When I heard that she was doing a sequel to her book from the point of view of Quan whom Justyce goes to see at the end of Dear Martin, I just knew it would end up brilliant.

Oh how right I was! One of the things that I love about these books is the duality of the black experience and how as a reader it allows me to check my privilege. I am not one to cry at books- I normally actively prevent it- "No, John Green you cannot get me to cry, because I know you are trying!" While amazingly open and honest books like these make me weep. They make me weep for the kids I serve at my school, the kids I have never met, and also the kids who haven't gotten to see themselves represented in books and life.

Quan struggles with what is expected of him and how his life feels like it is out of his control. This is something a lot of teenagers feel like and especially people of color. This book is important for anyone and everyone to be able to get their hands on. It is important to be part of our daily discussions on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for ALL people.

In this sequel to Dear Martin, Justyce and Quan grew up near each other in Atlanta. How did one end up at the Yale and the other in a youth detention center? Through a series of letters and flashbacks, Quan tells the story of his path. Was it a choice or was it already chosen for him by birth? Justyce seeking the truth for his friend, diligently reads Quan's letters and researches Quan's case while interning with a law office. How does one break free of what seemingly predetermined life? Nic Stone writes with heart as she writes an example of many kids who are trying but due to homelife, trauma, and sheer desperation end up in detention facilities.

Such a powerful read. As a white-cis-female, I watch via the news, young black men and women killed on almost a daily basis. Isn't this lynching but under a different guise. I appreciate Stone's willingness to write hard things. I continue to learn, mostly through books like this that my experience is privileged and I want to do what I can to become an ally and own my privilege..

Everything Nic Stone writes is perfection....there's just something so down to earth and real about her....her characters are believable and relatable and you emotionally connect to them. I cried for the main character Quan at the end of this book.

Dear Justyce was complex and emotional, clearly thoroughly researched, and had a wonderful ending...and honestly stood alone very well. I read Dear Martin back when it first came out but that was so long ago and I've forgotten alot of the details, this one was a good spinoff where I believe even people that didn't read book one will still enjoy it. I can normally finish a book in a day or two, and this book is so short.....but I found myself having to constantly put it down after a few pages and come back to it because it was emotional and I didn't know how it would end. Nic Stone has another conversation maker on her hands.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This book is a companion to Nic Stone's Dear Martin. You can read Dear Justyce without having read Dear Martin, but a few small references may be lost on the reader. Having said that, this book is still a must read.

The story revolves around the character Quan -- a young African American boy living in the urban Atlanta setting. He is a character you immediately love, even though he doesn't always make the best choices. Unfortunately the circumstances of his home life are not on his side. What is on his side is his childhood friend, Justyce. The story continues to unfold and character motivations are revealed through a series of letters Quan writes to Justyce. Readers will also be introduced to ensemble characters that will also prove to be on Quan's side -- even characters you wouldn't expect. Although the story may seem bleak at times, readers will feel a sense of hope at the end and hopefully a sense of duty to take action and be there for a child in need of someone positive on their side.

Definitely take the time to read the notes from the author. Here words cut to the heart and resonant with such truth that readers will want more.

On a side note -- I truly appreciate that Nic Stone made the teachers in the book positive roll models!

Dear Justyce not only follows in Dear Martin's footsteps, but presents a real look at the system of how young black men struggle in today's society. This book is a must read for everyone and offers a clear look at what people can do to help disrupt the system. While Dear Justyce is clearly fictionalized, it brings to light what we need to do as a society to help young black men and women find the support they need.

This is a heartwarming book that would be great to teach in a classroom setting or offered to any and all young adults.

As expected, this was excellent. Quan is such a likeable character and, with every mistake he makes, your heart breaks because you want him to succeed. I love the way she shed light on our broken prison system without fully removing hope that it could one day improve. I also love how beautifully Justyce nestled his way into this story and how seamlessly his story continued as a mirror and a stark opposite to Quan's. Mostly, I loved the support system she created for Quan even though, as she said in the afterword, it's the most fictional part of the story. Unfortunately, we tend to throw away delinquent teens rather than create a support network to help them lower recidivism and thrive. It's hard to read about our fractured and racist Justice system and not feel cynical, but we have to try because otherwise no progress can ever be made. The Quans of the world deserve hopefulness and solidarity.

Fantastic read! You will not put this book down. We follow the story of Quan as he narrates to Justyce during his incarceration. Flashbacks show glimpses into Quan’s childhood and the first time he met Justyce. Having read Dear Martin you will see the two sides of coin contrasting the two lives of these characters. Young readers will relate heavily to Quan’s life and what happens when one doesn’t have someone in their corner.

Wrong place, wrong time. Young. Poor. Black. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. I know you probably haven’t because stories like Quan’s don’t get told. They’re subtitles on the back page of the newspaper, if that. Thank you Nic Stone for giving kids like Quan a voice, a face, and a name. Fans of Just Mercy will love this book and see that Quan is just one example of many—a young Black man unjustly placed in an overcrowded prison system. They deserve their own justice. They also need our support. I plan on doing the best I can to give it to my students so they don’t end up in the system. Read the Author’s Note at the end. Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Nic Stone has once again used her magic to capture hard truth in this eye-opening novel.

Quan has been incarcerated for a crime to which he confessed. He has spent more than a year waiting for a trial - 16 months spent with a lot of time to reflect on not only the moment in time leading to his arrest, but also the defining moments of his childhood.
Childhood acquaintance Justyce McAllister shared his Dear Martin notebook with Quan and now Quan is writing letters to Justyce. Sharing truths no one else knows, including truths about what happened the night Officer Castillo was shot and killed.

This book was heart -wrenching. It was difficult to read because of how true it is. Having spent even a minuscule amount of time volunteering in a juvenile detention center, my brain couldn’t stop thinking about all those young men and how Quan’s story was a reflection of so many of their experiences. Even more difficult to process was that the support Quan gets from Justyce and other advocates in his life is, as Stone says in her author’s note, the most fictional part of the story.

I am so glad those young men texted Nic and asked her to write about boys like them- to be their voice.

Quan’s story is the other side of Dear Martin. It’s the story that needed to be told, but it’s the hardest to tell. Most of us remember Justyce and kids like him, but kids like LaQuan? We like to pretend we don’t see them, or that there’s nothing we can do for them.

Nic Stone’s sequel to Dear Martin is even more powerful if that’s possible. It reminds us that we can all make a difference if we just really look and listen and most of all if we care. What chance do you have when you have everything stacked against you?

Nic Stone never disappoints.
Dear Justyce is the best mirror/window book I've read in 2020.

The social and racial biases of our nation written out in this story will make readers angry.
The honesty will open eyes and bring hope. Believe that the cycle can be broken.

Familiar characters from Dear Martin are throughout the story, however, Dear Justyce can stand on its own.

This sequel to Dear Martin does not disappoint. Dear Justyce takes readers on a journey exposing the school-to-prison pipeline and the injustice that many black and brown young adults face in this country. Readers follow Vernell LaQuan Banks Jr. through his experience as a young child watching his father being arrested to Vernell, himself being incarcerated. While incarcerated, Vernell (Quan), writes letters to Justyce McAllister, who is completing his first year, Pre-Law at Yale. Through these correspondences, readers learn more about Quan’s story and what ultimately leads him to be incarcerated. This novel was hard to put down, yet strikingly hard to read at times as a teacher. Nic Stone does a phenomenal job showing what life is like for teens who live life with financial instability, hostile family relationships, gang violence, and racial bias and injustice. While this book is a work of fiction it is rooted in an alarming reality. Readers who enjoyed books like Dear Martin, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, and Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds should read this timely and eye-opening novel.