This book was a little different from the first two didn't had the same gut punch for my opionions but it was still an enjoyable read! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for sending me an e-arc of Dear Manny!
This is the third installment following a new main character but set in the same world as Dear Martin! I loved Dear martin that one made me cry, this one didn't but it did had some shock value, I would say if u yourself is in a reading slump totally pick this one up. It's a very short read but very impactful too just didn't read it at the right time

Dear Manny is a powerful, poignant story that tackles grief, identity, and healing with raw honesty and compassion. Nic Stone’s heartfelt narrative invites readers into a deeply moving journey of friendship and self-discovery. An unforgettable read that stays with you long after the last page.

Third book in a realistic fiction, young adult series. These books focus on a social justice theme. Readers of the first two books will enjoy this one, which focuses on Jared, the rich white boy.

I loved the first two books, Dear Martin and Dear Justyce, so I was really excited to read Dear Manny, especially since it was written from Jared’s perspective.

Jared now recognizes that he has privilege, and while he feels guilty at times for it, it doesn’t really stop him from using it. He doesn’t always recognize how his actions affect the people around him, but he tries to do the right thing.

I liked seeing Justyce and SJ again, though their presence was limited this time around. I did like to see the friendship that has developed between Justyce and Jared.

I also really liked the relationship that developed between Dylan and Jared. Dylan made Jared think even more about his actions and his privilege. He makes a lot of mistakes with her, letting assumptions and fear cause issues between them.

Jared makes a lot of mistakes throughout his campaign and in his relationships. He’s not perfect and he is battling against beliefs held by his family and many of his peers (within his fraternity and other classmates), but his character has grown through each of the stories, and continues his growth in this book. He is by no means done, however, and still has a lot of work to do. As do I.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC for review consideration though NetGalley, on behalf of the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a great third companion novel to Dear Martin and Dear Justyce! I enjoyed reading from a perspective that closely resembles mine—Being white, privileged, and trying my hardest to be an ally. I believe this perspective was necessary to give these story a well rounded feel. My opinion is that it was very well done although certain aspects I can’t say I necessarily agreed with. Nic Stone did a great job embodying the message she was trying to present with this story and I greatly appreciate her for putting this out in the worst. Characters like the MMC is this novel are definitely needed in story about race and injustice that are prevalent in the world today. This story was very impactful and I cannot say enough good things about it!

Nic Stone has done it again. I know this is a novel Stone hadn't intended to write, but I'm so glad that Jared's voice wouldn't stop nagging at her until she wrote his story. Her social commentary is always on point--and this time we dive into white privilege. While DEAR MANNY isn't my favorite of the DEAR MARTIN books, it adds depth and dimension to the thematic discourse.

Wow. Nic Stone did it again with this powerful book that was never meant to be written. While the story as a whole brought back some of the favorite characters from the past it also moved into the next phase of life. The authors note at the end really sums up the whole things beautifully.

I have never read anything by this author, but I will be looking out for other books they write in the future. I really enjoyed the story as well as the pacing of the story.

In Dear Manny, the third installment of Nic Stone’s Dear Martin trilogy, Stone once again proves her narrative agility and deep understanding of character. Told through the eyes of Jared Christensen—white, wealthy, and "woke"—the novella grapples with questions of allyship, accountability, and identity on a college campus that mirrors our broader political and social divisions.

In the afterword, Stone expresses hesitation about writing from the perspective of a white male character. She needn’t have worried. Jared is rendered with complexity and honesty; Stone offers him grace without letting him off the hook. Jared is more aware of his privilege than he was in Dear Martin or Dear Justyce, but awareness doesn’t guarantee wisdom—and Stone never pretends it does. Jared stumbles. He fumbles. He misreads situations. And in doing so, he grows.

This novella reminds me of All-American Boys in its insistence on uncomfortable truths and its refusal to offer easy answers. Stone doesn’t sanitize the messiness of navigating privilege and performative allyship, especially when tangled up with love and ego. But she also never loses sight of the humanity at the center of her stories.

With Dear Manny, Nic Stone cements the trilogy as essential reading. Each installment builds on the last with increasing nuance, and Stone’s voice only grows more confident and layered with each new release.

The third in the "Dear..." trilogy and it did not disappoint.

This novel explored privilege and race in a powerful way, similar to the previous novels, but was written from a wealthy white male POV. Some parts felt a little rushed, but overall it was well written and ended with some satisfying redemption.

I'm disappointed to see that this is officially the end of the series, because I enjoyed it so much. I would highly recommend this series to anyone high school up, especially as it's becoming increasingly banned in schools.

Still grappling with how I feel about this book and Jared Christensen. He is the epitomy of white privilege and I am upset at how the story ended- I feel like he still hasn't learned his lesson and was rewarded and got away with something. The amount of backstabbing and secret criminal records from these college students is appalling! Lol. I'm genuinely interested if this 3rd installment will be banned as well, or if it will get a pass because the main character is white. Can't wait for more YA/adult books from Ms Stone. Thank you for the early Netgalley copy of this book.

Nic Stone did it again, this is an absolute must buy for an MG and HS library. It took me a little bit to remember the main characters, it's been awhile since I've read the other books in this trilogy, but my mind was quickly activated and the back story quickly came back to me. Stone writes all characters with realness and authenticity, something lack in a lot of YA novels. I applaud her for going the different route with this MC and love the growth and book. Stone always writes as if you're watching the story play out in front of you OR as if you're right there in the story, so believable and relatable. A must read!

I mean it's freaking Nic Stone do I need to say more?! I LOVE this woman!! I couldn't stand Jared in Dear Martin! And in for good reason too lol (If you read the book then you understand why) In Dear Justyce, he became a little bit more likeable (still couldn't stand him lol) but in his own book, we get a better understanding of why he was the way he was. I like how Nic took a step out of the box and wrote a book about a white boy and the POV of how privilege he is until the issue comes. Dear Manny, isn't one of my favorites from the "Dear" series, but it is a book I would be on my shelf to complete the collection.

This was a really powerful book and I appreciated seeing how far Jared had come even though it is clear from the beginning that he still has some ways to go even though it is clear he is trying based on how he questions himself. As a white person, I (with probably very clear privilege) have a tendency to hope that they will fully understand how they messed up, however that does not fully happen. It is unclear if, even when pointed out why the arguments against affirmative action are wrong such as the hypocrisy with the same people being fine with legacy admissions who aren't fine with affirmative action, Jared was able to fully take that in. It was also disappointing that he and Justyce never talked after Jared confessed and Justyce gave him much deserved brutal honesty. However, it is also realistic and helped me personally learn ways I could do better. I feel like this book was a kindness towards white people done by Nic Stone to help give them a chance to learn how to do better and a mirror to reflect against in Jared.

This was the ending I didn't know I needed for the "Dear Martin" series.

In this final book, we follow Jared as he navigates his journey of understanding his white privilege and racism in college. This was the best redemption arc for a character I've ever seen. Jared made so much progress since the "Dear Martin". Throughout this book, Jared would do things knowing the consequences weren't going to impact him as harshly due to his race. Did he make a lot of mistakes and fall back on old privileged ways? Yes, but this book showed how Jared was making changes and trying to learn and grow as a person. Nic Stone was able to truly show him as flawed and human. Someone who was trying to take the steps to being a better human in this already messed up society.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Dear Manny is the third book in the Dear Martin trilogy. When I first read Dear Martin, I never dreamed that it would end up the first book in a series, but I am so happy it did. Dear Manny, the third and final book, was every bit as insightful and socially conscious as the other two.

The first thing I noticed about this book is that the main character, Jared, is white. This is a change for Stone whose main characters are usually black. I was unsure who she would tackle writing from the white male perspective, but she nailed it. Jared struggles to be a better person as he runs for class president at his college. While he makes many mistakes along the way, he also learns a lot.

This is one of those books that will stick with you long after the last page.

What a wonderful conclusion to this series. Nic Stone created some amazing characters that felt real, and flawed, and that you can't help but root for. As a white reader, Jared's story has elements that feel extra relatable. I think book two of the trilogy, Dear Justyce, was my favorite, but for me each of these stories was important and well told.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

Author Nic Stone does it again, with another real-life story discussing racial inequity. This time, unlike Dear Martin and Dear Justyce, the main character, Jared, is white, and has grown up with all the white privileges. However, he strives to do better and be better, for his best friend Manny who was unnecessarily killed by a cop. Jared decides to run for Junior Class President at his university in order to change some of the “old boys club” ways that things are run. Like her other books, this one is interspersed with letters (Jared to Manny) and adds a personal dimension to Jared’s character. I feel like we could have gotten to know Dylan a little better–maybe a book about her is forthcoming? Highly recommended–thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

Dear Manny

By: Nic Stone

Publish Date: March 4, 2025

Publisher: Random House Children’s/Crown Books for Young Readers

Politics and Current Affairs/Teens and YA

#DearManny#NetGalley

200 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader

I would like to thank both NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Book Review:

I really enjoyed this book, and I gave it 4 stars. This is the third book in the Dear Martin series. I love how the author doesn’t shy away from tough topics. This book is about Jared. Jared is still learning himself in this book. In the past two books he still had somethings to figure out but now that he is in college, he is finally opening his eyes more. Is he perfect? No far from it and he is still scared to stand up for himself and his friends when it comes to his dad. He feels he needs to be somewhat quite because his dad is paying for his schooling and doesn’t want to rock the boat. This is causing him some inner debate with himself. I still like how his friends will stand by him even when he messes up and they will also call him out. I am not a fan of his dad or older brother. Jared is running for the junior class president at his college. He is up against two other people and has his work cut out for himself. He wants to make the campus a better place for all and isn’t sure how to put that into words. He also is trying to keep his GPA up and to help with his stress he is writing letters to his best friend Manny in his journal. I highly recommend this book because it makes you think and gives you some feelings to work through yourself.

Dear Manny is the third book in the Dear Martin series .
This time the story is written from the perspective of a white teenager.
Jared is a privileged white college student who decides he is going to run for junior class president at his school and beat the other candidate who is arrogant and obnoxious. What he didn’t count on is a new contender in the race,

The unexpected opponent is Dylan who is black and female. And she turns out to be his partner for a project in one of his classes. Unexpectedly Dylan and Jared become close. Still the race for office is on. Jared’s not so sure he will win this race and makes some questionable decisions with not the best of consequences.

Jared, in heartfelt detail, unfolds his feelings and thoughts in letters to his late friend Manny, who was killed in the 1st novel, Dear Martin.

Dear Manny Ia a compelling and quick read, with short and pointed chapters. The transcripts of the class interactions, make the discussions feel as they truly occurred.

The story is in a college setting where the dialogue seems quite thought out and mature and will raise awareness of your own position and privileges, personal to the reader.

This thought provoking book can read as a stand-alone but I feel readers will find greater meaning having read the first two books in the series.