This is the third installment in the Dear Martin series that author Nic Stone has just released. What’s interesting about this novel is that it is written by 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 was another contender in the race - Dylan.

Turns out Dylan is black and also a female. And coincidentally also his partner for a project in one of his classes. As Dylan and Jared get closer, Jared’s not so sure he will win this race and makes some questionable decisions with huge consequences. He chronicles his feelings and thoughts in letters to his late friend Manny, who was killed in the 1st novel, Dear Martin.

I really enjoyed this YA novel and the flawed character that Jared is. I think the author did a decent job at showing the complexities of not only Jared, but also Dylan. This is a great read for teens and middle grades.

Thank you to @randomhousekids @netgalley and crown books for a digital review copy of this novel.

Set in the Dear Martin universe, Manny is in his sophomore year of college. Wanting to honor the death of his friend, Manny, Jared decides to use his white privilege for good. As such, he reluctantly joins the junior class presidential race. He has two opponents. One is a conservative named James LePlante IV. He wants the university to go back to 1869. The other a liberal Black female named Dylan. When Jared and Dylan are paired together for a project, the two don’t get along at first. However, as they get to know each other, Jared starts to have feelings for Dylan. Meanwhile, he tries to sort out his feelings and come to terms with his past. Will Jared find a way to use his privilege for good?

The plot is well written but doesn’t fully resolve. The characters are memorable and authentic. Readers who have liked the other books in the series or who like novels dealing with white privilege and racism will want to pick this one up. Recommended for libraries where such books are popular. Gr 9 and up, 4 stars

Dear Manny is book three in the powerful Dear Martin Series by Nic Stone.
The final installment of the series, is set in college. Jared (white, Justyce's roommate, woke) is running for Junior class president. With his antiracism platform.
But he's up against the new girl, Dylan (Black). Will Jared have to choose between his head and his heart?

Stone has a lyrical writing style and knows the racial injustice territory well.
Her style of writing really gets you in the character’s head. You don’t only see what they did, but why they did it.
Nic Stone is a YA author who is making an impact and everyone should read her work.
One of the best series I’ve ever read!

I had the pleasure of spending a couple of hours with Nic Stone a little over a year ago at an author talk and signing, and I remember her telling us about how the voice of Jared just wouldn't leave her alone. That she felt compelled to tell his story because he wouldn't shut up (definitely sounds like him)! Well, she did him justice--with all his privilege, poor choices, and kindness. It's his 2nd year of college and he's come a long way since his asshole-ish, racist ways in Dear Martin. He's rooming with Justyce, running for Class President, and still not loving his fraternity or his Dad's expectations. He's also not proud of a DUI last year that he knows his Dad's money and influence made go away. He's also crushing on one of his opponents--Dylan, a whip-smart transfer student from a HBCU (with her own issues that she is running from) who is making him think in his Constitutional Law class. Both are up against another opponent who is the epitome of a good old boy, back to the stone ages, racist mindset so prevalent in modern politics these days, but Jared and Dylan have their own dirt they don't want exposed. Jared begins to write letters to Manny, his best friend who was murdered by a cop in Dear Martin, as a way to cope.

All of this makes for a compelling and fast read, despite Jared screwing up over and over again. The chapters are quick, and I enjoyed the transcripts of the class discussions, as they often fleshed out or mirrored what Jared was wrestling with in his head. However, it takes him some time to truly understand that all he's got this life is himself, and he needs to be good person, not just an okay one. I love that Jared didn't give up himself, and that Nic Stone didn't give up on him. This is a much needed perspective on empathy for all that teen readers need to see--that when people need our empathy the most, we have to give it to them, even when we don't want to. Understanding and growth demand it. I'm excited for all the students at my school who have loved the Dear Martin series to get into this one, to wrestle with it, and share their thoughts with me!

Thank you to Crown Books & Netgalley for the e-ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars.

Look at me only reading this one day after publication all in one morning because of not sleeping!! Anyways, I'm a big fan of Dear Martin and Dear Justyce (and Nic Stone), so this was a cool arc to receive. I do think this is a bit different from the previous two, and it's almost like a novella compared to the others...but I still think it's so important in the stories. It's from a white lens a white viewpoint of Jared from the other the ones. It's also set in college, so it's a bit different from the others. I do think the fact that it feels like a novella takes away from its depth and complexity, but it still was a fantastic addition to this literature.

Definitely one of the best YA series out there. I loved seeing the growth of Jared throughout the book as well as how his relationships with both Justyce and Dylan changed throughout the book. I cannot say one bad thing about this series and the directions that Stone took with it!

As with the other books in this series, "Dear Manny" tackles modern conversations about privilege and who is afforded access to it, but this time from the perspective a young, white man. If you've read "Dear Martin", you'll maybe remember Jared, who is the protagonist of this new title. Now a sophomore in college with Justyce, his roommate, Jared finds himself again exploring his own privileges and perspectives about marginalized communities. While has certainly grown from his character in book one, he clearly has more growing to do to "sit with these uncomfortable truths".

I appreciated Stone's portrayal of Jared as flawed, but human. His character was complex and growing, with more growth to do even at the end. In her author's note, she worries about this decision: "Would readers hate me for not hating Jared? For caring about him, even? For loving him and holding space for him to be a person, too?" This is the message that the book communicates to me: we have to hold space for each and every one of us to be people, to hold space, especially in such divisive times as these.

Perhaps because I found that message to be so powerful throughout, I struggled with the characters who were most clearly portrayed as the villains of the story. John's character specifically felt a little underdeveloped and lacked a way for me to view him any other way than as a racist stereotype rather than a person. I won't defend him in anyway, please don't get me wrong there! But his character (as well as his father and Hunter) felt more allegorical than anything to me, which didn't make the book as immersive as it could have been. With its short length, overall I felt there could have been a little more development of the characters or the events of the story.

I'm glad Stone took the risk to write this, as I believe there are some important lessons for many readers in here. There may even be some readers who feel "seen" in new ways from this writer and be more willing to engage in more complex discourse.

Thank you to Get Underlined for the free book and to PRH Audio and LibroFM for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

I have been anticipating this since the second I knew it was coming. And it completely lived up to my expectations.

Dear Manny is the third and final book in the series that began with Dear Martin. I strongly recommend reading Dear Martin and Dear Justyce first. Read them because they are amazing, and read them to help best understand this book.

This is a tough book in so many ways. All three of these books deal with difficult topics around racism. And this third book is told from the perspective of Jared. Readers know him from previous books in the series. And without revealing spoilers for those, I'll just say that he is a complicated character who inspires a lot of anger.

And those complicated feelings continued, as I read this book. There were times when I was so glad to see Jared's growth. There were times when he was so clearly in the wrong and utterly blind to his own privilege. And most importantly, there were times when I had to think about my own privilege and position on the issues raised by this book.

It's an incredibly powerful story and one that I hope gets read and shared broadly.

3.5 stars, rounded up

I loved Dear Martin, and I really liked Dear Justyce, but for some reason, Dear Manny just didn't hit me quite like the other two did.

This new story is told from the point of Jared Christensen, the rich white boy whose character we have watched grow and evolve over this series of books. I've enjoyed seeing Jared's character growth, but to be honest, he's never been my favorite character, so I was hoping that this book would endear me more to him, and unfortunately, it really didn't.

Don't get me wrong, though, this book is still good, and I think there will be a lot of people, especially younger readers, who will really love it. It just wasn't MY favorite, especially when there are two previous books to compare it to.

I think the decision to tell this story from Jared's perspective was interesting, and it definitely switched things up, but I had a harder time connecting with this one, and I wish there had been a little more depth to things.

Dear Martin was super special to me. It is the first book we reviewed / read in our Read Woke book club and our students loved it. I have followed Justyce from Dear Martin to Dear Manny and I am so proud of him! This character has come full circle and I love the fact that he has enough kindness in his heart to be friends with Jared. Only Nic Stone can make me like a character that I so strongly hated in the first book; yes, hated. Because Jared embodied everything that was wrong with the "new normal" of saying the quiet parts out loud, with blatant and open racism and many of my students encountered Jared's in their journey. While I am not at a school anymore, I continue to speak up and give hope just like Justyce .

I loved being back with Justyce, Jared, SJ, and references to other characters I loved from DEAR MARTIN and DEAR JUSTYCE. These powerful books gave me new insights into the horrendous experiences faced by Black people - especially Black men/boys - as they navigate a criminal system and police forces that are prejudiced, biased, unfair, and even violent. This book is no different, although it centers around Jared, a White man who is now at a prestigious college and wants to support civil rights, affirmative action, and other policies and actions but often experiences the subtle and specific privileges that come from being part of a rich legacy family with power and influence. His best friend and roommate is still Justyce, who has taught him many things about the experience of Black people that have influenced how he navigates the world.
When Jared runs for Junior Class President at Yale against a super conservative, racist student, John IV and Dylan, a liberal, justice-focused Black woman who consistently advocates for what she believes and those with less power. This book is often cringe-inducing as despite Jared's desire to do the "right thing," and advocate for those with less privilege, he continually gets advantages like getting out of a DUI because his Dad makes a phone call. The tension between characters from different backgrounds and the description of the rich White boys who are right out of a "MAGA" endorsement are exactly what you might see when turn on the TV or read an article today. Jared continues to make mistakes and do things that he should be punished for - but seems to get away with - makes him a less sympathetic character than many of the others. This is an important book that Nic Stone was able to get into the universe in an incredibly timely way to call out the issues facing our society today between people with different levels of power, privilege, and opportunity based on race, class, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, etc. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes contemporary realistic fiction that delivers a punch.

A powerful, emotional read. Timely and full of strength.

Honestly, this book made me cry and you should read it because crying helps.

Nic Stone is back with a third book to follow up Dear Martin and Dear Justyce. Following the death of his best friend Manny, Jared Peter Christensen has grown quite a bit from his first appearance. Now a sophomore in college, Jared is running for junior class president against a right wing business major. He knows what he values: diversity, equity, and inclusion. But so does his other opponent, Dylan, a transfer student from an HBCU. She’s beautiful, Black, and also his partner for class. He’s got White Boy Woke mentality. Can he overcome his privileged background to stand his ground and to hold his beliefs?

Dear Manny is a fast paced book that continues a story that continues to be banned for speaking the truth. It’s hard to deny that reading is political. Nic Stone does an amazing job in each book highlighting the real world and problems that everyday people may face, the inherent privilege or racism that affect many. Was this one different than her previous books? Sure! Jared is not like Stone’s previous protagonists, but that’s what makes this story unique. It tells another side of stories that have become all too familiar and shows that people can learn from their mistakes and grow. Has Jared always been a great person? No. Has he learned better? Yes. Does he still make mistakes? Yes. Does he try to make self-improvements? Also yes. And those are lessons everyone needs. Read this book - this series - if you too believe reading is political and can help people learn to change the world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I love, love Nic Stone. I love who she is as a person, and I love what she writes about. I will continue to read everything she writes forever and always.

This book just wasn’t it for me. There wasn’t really anything I can put my finger on as to why. Maybe it was the format? It never really seemed to draw me in like I was hoping.

I always respect how short she makes the books in this series, but maybe it felt like something was lacking?

I wish I had a better explanation, but this book just didn’t wow me like the others, but I’ll happily read anything she writes.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I read the other two books in this series so I was excited to read this and intrigued that the author would be writing from the perspective of a white boy. This was a good read. Well written and honestly I wished nothing but the worst for the MMC. HA. However there was a redemption arc to his character which I liked. I wish it did not end so abruptly. All in all a great read.

I would probably give it a 2.5/3 recognizing the series' popularity with a teen audience because Stone's characters resonate with the world they see around them. Dear Martin and Dear Justyce are perennial favorites in our high school library and I love when students choose it for independent reading, personal reading, and in a few instances as a small classroom read/lit circle. Stone is an author FOR teens and she's a marvel to have in person-- just what teens need.

That being said, this book fell flat for me because of formatting. The flow was constantly disrupted as a reader with the way conversations in the classroom were presented, then the letters that Jared writes to Manny, the narrative in between, and other text features. It was too much, visually and for the story to bounce back and forth between them all. With my second issue being (as an adult reader which will be different than the teen reader) that it's heavy-handed. Stone doesn't leave any nuance to what she wants for/of/about her characters because it's literally on the page which I think shortchanges the reader into finding their nervousness, frustration, voice, embarrassment, and anger at what happens around them.

I applaud the story, but I wanted a stronger approach to the writing of the story.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7343736556

I loved this book and the way Stone finished this series. Her open mindedness and empathy in writing Jared’s character is a model for all!

Nic Stone does not hesitate to discuss difficult topics that teens face and in the last installment of the Dear Martin series, it's no different. This book discusses white privilege and classism in such a gentle and nuanced way. I can't wait to see what Nic does next.

Dear Manny is a beautiful wrap-up to the Dear Martin series. I appreciate Nic Stone's hesitation in writing Jared's story; however, I feel as though it was an important bookend to the three books. Although white Americans will never understand what it is to live day-to-day as an African American, it is still important to recognize that there are people out there who are genuinely trying to navigate our social landscape and history in the. most meaningful way possible.

I love how Nic embraced Jared's imperfections as a way to show self-reflection and growth. The way he grappled with not wanting to ignore his privilege but also realizing he didn't want to give it up is a dichotomy that is relatable in many different ways and situations. I appreciated that Jared's friends, especially Justyce and SJ, allow him to make his own decisions even if they know the consequences will be difficult for him to face. Jared is a character that has to learn from his own experiences and mistakes, which allows for the reader to learn right along with him.

Dear Manny is just as impactful as Dear Martin and Dear Justyce as it ties together everyone's experience in order to show that all perspectives and experiences are valid as long as we're willing to do the work.

Thanks so much for the ARC - great addition to this trilogy and raises so many important issues as Jared runs for class president, struggles to stand up to his father and and navigates mistakes and redemption. You desperately want him to be the character and person he can be. This is a must buy for any classroom even though it’s set at college.