Nic Stone can't write a bad book. The follow-up to Dear Martin is just as hard-hitting and important, but in different ways. It was published just as my class was finishing a whole-class read of Dear Martin, and I had to order several copies to keep up with student demand. It's high-interest, highly relevant, and absolutely excellent.

When I love a book as much as I loved Dear Martin, I deeply fear that the partner novel/sequel won’t live up to it. I had zero reason to fear - Dear Justyce was just as good, if not (somehow??) better. Nic Stone has this incredible ability to connect her readers with her characters in a way that feels as natural as breathing. She puts words on the page that make you FEEL and I always walk away wishing the book had never ended. This book is a gift and I’d recommend it to anyone.

Dear Justyce is such an amazing companion to Dear Martin. Nic Stone does a great job, yet again, at tackling important topics for today's youth. This book needed to be written and Nic Stone is the PERFECT author. I really can't say enough great things about her - her style is so accessible. Dear Martin was one of my most sought after classroom library reads and I don't doubt that Dear Justyce will quickly follow. I can't wait to get a copy of this book for my classroom library!

Vernell LaQuan Banks, Jr.'s (Quan) life mirrors the lives of so many Black and Brown American boys and girls. He has survived multiple traumatic events in his life including the incarceration of a parent, witnessing repeated incidents of domestic violence, and has had his character and intelligence misjudged by teachers. Through it all, he was determined to work hard and rise above it all. Still, he ends up in jail for a crime he didn't commit. What makes Quan different from so many others like him is that he has a small army of people who care for him and are committed to proving his innocence. This is another book that should be required reading for so many. I can't wait to read it to my kids and share it with students. Nic Stone, thank you for writing another book that is so needed.

Justyce and Quan grew up in the same neighborhood, but their lives are so different now. Justyce is studying at Yale while Quan is awaiting trial in a juvenile detention center. After Justyce gives Quan the notebook with his letters to Dr. Martin Luther King, Quan reflects on his past, present, and future in letters he writes to Justyce. How did their lives get to be so different? Dear Justyce is a raw, compelling book which explores how the need for security and connection influences a person’s choices and how institutional racism can impact these choices. It illuminates how schools and the justice system are failing black teens. This sequel to Dear Martin, a favorite at the high school where I work as a librarian, is as good as the original and is a must read.

#yareads2020 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ @nicstone is a phenomenal writer. This book=redemption! All teenagers need someone in their corner. They need a “team”! Family can fail you, but your team (teachers, friends, counselors, faith leaders, caring adults) will go out of their way to see that you don’t end up a statistic! This book is: real, difficult, powerful, exhausting and yet REDEMPTIVE!! Too many of the words of this book -yell at us from the nightly news however Ms. Stone weaves humanity in this narrative. Beautifully done! @burrolibrary

Like Dear Martin, this book explores the ins and outs of the life of a Black boy living through what SO many Black boys do. False accusations, sense of loyalty, the school to prison pipeline. It was devastating, and beautiful. I love Nic Stone's writing. I don't read many epistolary novels, but I could easily get into the flow of this one because the writing is so pure and authentic.

Wow, I thought that Dear Martin was going to be the best book I read this year until Dear Justyce came out. I can't tell you how many times I had to fight back tears learning more about Quan's backstory and how even though Justyce and him came from the same background, Quan ended up on an entirely different path.

This novel blows me away. Nic Stone is an incredible author and I look forward to sharing this with my class.

Dear Justyce is a strong follow up to Dear Martin. Quan writes letters to Justyce from prison. This novel gives readers a perspective on race, class, and the prison system that is much needed in YA. I love Nic Stone’s writing and the letters format make it a more immersive read. This is a powerful and raw read that is important for readers of all ages.

Dear Justyce is the sequel to Dear Martin, but it's not really necessary to read that one to understand this one. While there are references to the events of the previous novel, this plot stand fairly well on it's own. Let's be clear: this is a novel with a pointed political agenda. It seeks to point out the failings of the prison industrial complex and the school to prison pipeline. How those born "disadvantaged" have little chance to make it out of that hole. None of these things are especially surprising. More compelling to me is the portrayal of Quan's involvement in a gang. We see not only how he got involved but his continued dedication to his crew. How they took care of him and his family, his reluctance to betray them even when he disagrees with their actions. It is not a perfect book and has some rather over the top plot elements. Even so, it's a valuable addition to the conversation about race, justice, and the prison system.

I really enjoyed Dear Martin which this book is the companion to. It was interesting to hear things from the point of view of Quan who deals with poverty, violence in the home and how the lack of things many of us take for granted such as people to rely on can have an impact on a young person. This book is timely as the BLM movement grips the country and shines a light on how African Americans are treated by our criminal justice system. I really enjoyed hearing Quan's voice as much as I did that of Justyce in the first book. I found myself wishing the book was longer and even more in depth. Still Nic Stone's writing is fantastic and I am looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

Inspired by a childhood friend and lonely, Quan writes letters while sitting in a juvenile detention center. As Quan processes his current situation he also remembers past childhood experiences that help explain why he's currently sitting in a jail cell accused of murdering a police officer.

To be honest, I just didn't love this one. I was able to blow through Dear Martin, but I didn't have that same connection to Dear Justyce. I think Quan's story is incredibly important because it's a story that is, sadly and wrongfully, universal for BIPOC culture. I am grateful to Nic Stone for speaking up. But in the midst of this gratitude, I still can't say that I loved this one. I did appreciate Quan's backstory and his growth as a character. I liked the inclusion of poetry here and there throughout the story, but I didn't feel my reader heart beating all a-flutter.

I think younger readers that are hungry for more social justice-inspired content will have a strong connection to this text, but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's Publishing for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I adore Nic Stone. Hard core. She's willing to tackle these hard topics for young people, helping them to see and feel so much of what comes into the school to prison pipeline. And her author's note: chef's kiss.

Powerful yet weak. Words that comes out of my mind after reading this novel—Dear Justyce—made by
Nic Stone. A powerful misheard voices of the people we keep on ignoring because of their skin color, yet
weak because it is not deep enough to penetrate equality in justice.

The story has a pretty meaningful message. A life full of turns making each turn more difficult than the
previous one. Moreover you are discriminate by your color. It is already hard to live by just that and it is
even harder when life makes you do things you promised—to yourself, you would not do. Ending exactly
what you told yourself you would not have wanted to become. But having a family and friends that trust
you makes everything a lot easier.
Quan and Justyce had an unexpected relationship—two kids becoming true friends. Strangers that had
the same childhood. Same hardship yet they not give up on life. They give a different perspective about
life and support each other. A relationship that everyone wished for. Trusting each other fighting for
their justice.
Dear Justyce is a great novel—just like Dear Martin. Making the misheard voices matter. Making
everyone matter.

Nic Stone did an excellent job telling Queen's story, which sadly is the story of many of our African American youth. We really get to see why Quan made the choices he made, which, of course, result in him being incarcerated. As an educator, I have seen my fair share of Quans. In this sequel, MS. Stone's writing style has definitely improved from her debut, Dear Martin.

Nic Stone does it again! In this powerful follow up to Dear Martin, we meet Quan, who writes letters to Justyce who he knows from his childhood. This novel gives a voice to those often unheard and brings forth an important light to those lost in the cycle of poverty.

In the author's notes she states that “despite this being the most fictionalized book I've done this far; it felt the most non-fictional". This statement mirrors exactly how I felt as I was reading Quan's story. This could have easily been the real-life account of one of my neighbors, students, or family members.

This story is realistic, raw, and far too similar to the lives of too many young black men. I applaud Ms. Stone for telling Danny and Zay's story because while many of our young black man can see themselves in Justyce, there are just as many who can relate to Quan.

In this sequel to Dear Martin, we get Quan's story. Quan has no backup: no parent, no teacher, no family. He ends up in prison - just as the system has been set up for him to do. This was a heartbreaking, but eye-opening read about all of the students that we don't "see" or "hear." We all need to work on treating all of the humans in our care with respect. They are ALL worthy. I read this book all in one sitting. I love all of Nic Stone's books, but I think this one is her best work yet. A masterpiece.

I started and stopped this review multiple times. There’s so much I want to say about this book and this author, but I’m not sure where to start. All I really want is to shout from the rooftops that “EVERYBODY NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK.”


Quan has just “admitted” to killing a cop, so he’s been sent back to jail to wait for his trial date. As he waits, he writes a series of letters, this time to Justyce, about his story. We see his troubled home life, how he got to be where he is now, and why he thinks things have turned out they way they did.


As a Nic Stone fan, all I really wanted to say about this book was that “Nic Stone can do no wrong.” And I have to say, I would have been ok with that. I don’t think you all would have lol But still. Nic Stone is incredible and at this point I will read her grocery list if she let me.


As for the story, it was definitely one that was really close to home. I have been through or witnessed so many things that were in this book. Stone mentions that this was the most non-fiction, fiction book she’s written, and I can definitely say it had some non-fiction for me as well. I say this all the time, but this is why I love Own Voices novels. There’s no way anyone who hadn’t lived through this could have gotten some of these instances like she did.


The plot moved fast, but the book was short, so it didn’t really have a choice. I kept wanting to read it all the time no matter where I was. This surprised me because it’s been a long time since I’ve finished a print book. (I’ve been mostly listening to audios constantly.) But with this one I’ve been so engrossed in the book that I didn’t want to do anything else.


I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. Anything this woman writes I will read. I can’t wait to see what else she will bring to her readers. This will definitely be a book that I will be reading again!

Dear Justyce is a companion novel to the earlier book Dear Martin. It had been long enough since reading that earlier work that I would have been hard-pressed to offer any more than a fuzzy outline of the work, but I can confirm that this book stands alone and author Nic Stone fills in any necessary character information so you are able to fully enjoy this story.

This book came about when teens who enjoyed Dear Martin started asking for a story with characters who weren't the top of their classes, and more than that, those who were caught up in juvenile detention.

With that context, we meet Quan. Alongside the narrative, we get snapshots of pivotal moments in his life. We see how his circumstances changed, how his support system eroded and he was left to flounder and find his own community. Justyce, from the earlier book, comes alongside Quan and becomes an advocate for him.

I confess that, while I read Dear Martin, my impression was only middling, due to other titles with similar themes I was reading at the same time that captivated me first. However, I found Dear Justyce a moving, relevant book that meets a need in the publication world -- and, more importantly, in the world of our students -- for texts that are frank with these realities but also hopeful for what the outcome can be. There are different paths available; there are moments to face a reckoning and begin again, to alter the trajectory you are on.

(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)