Dear Martin

Sarah Sammis

Dear Martin by Nic Stone is about Justyce McAllister, months away from being Ivy League bound. Things start to go bad for him when he's arrested for assaulting a drunk white woman. The reality, though, is she's his girl friend and dangerously drunk. He was trying to stop her from driving her car. Racial profiling, though, makes reading a situation impossible.

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Nic Stone

Melissa Palmer

Book #98 Read in 2017
Dear Martin by Nic Stone 

This was an excellent young adult book. Justyce is a smart black boy who attends a prep school. One night, he is helping his ex-girlfriend, who is drunk and half-white. A police officer cuffs Justyce, assuming he is up to no good. This has a lasting effect on Justyce and he begins to question his friendships, the way people see him and how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would handle things. This is a must read for high school and adult readers alike.

Mae Erceg

This book is phenomenally written and has so much emotion during this tale. It’s so real and such a perspective changer. If you are a person, you need to read this book. 10/10

Jamieson

“What do I do when my very identity is being mocked by people who refuse to admit there’s a problem?” 


So I read this book in a matter of hours which pretty much says enough in terms of how much I enjoyed it. Dear Martin is a small book with big impact. Through the eyes of Justyce, Nic Stone explores modern race relations in America and the police brutality and racial profiling that still occurs everyday. Of course, it reminded me of  The Hate U Give due to the similar thematic issues but at the same time this book absolutely stands on its own, and it ISN'T the Hate U Give. 

I really loved Justyce as the narrator. He definitely felt like a realistic teenage boy to me, and I loved that this book basically revolved around his character development. One thing I really liked is that he doesn't get the answers to all his questions. Throughout this book, Justyce writes letters to Martin Luther King, in which he thinks about his experiences as a black teenager and how King's fight relates to him now. I think it was really interesting to see these inner thoughts, but I also liked that each question led to another, that was even more complex. I think this is extremely relatable and true to life - nothing is ever as simple as you wish it was

The complexity of the discussions in this book were a real highlight. Nic Stone embedded a lot into this small book. Particularly, the intra-community discussions and ideas around "the black experience" not being monolithic was really important and something I found really engaging here. 


  “
“You can’t change how other people think and act, but you’re in full control of you. When it comes down to it, the only question that matters is this: If nothing in the world ever changes, what type of man are you gonna be?” ” 


I had a few issues with this book which is why I gave it a four star. One was that I didn't love the writing style, but this is small and not even that bad. While I enjoyed that it was straight-forward and easy to read, I also found it a little too simplistic at times and I just prefer more lyrical writing. This is an "it's me, not you" kinda issue. Although on that, I did love how much slang is used in this book, these boys SOUNDED like teenage boys! 

I also didn't like that so much of this book is revealed in the synopsis! I kinda knew exactly what was gonna happen the whole time which is disappointing. Even though more of this book focusses around issues and characters than plot, it was still kinda annoying that everything that happened I already knew about before reading it. 

The final issue is that I didn't love how some characters were written? I think giving Justyce's mum and Melo more nuance or depth would have been good here. I'm gonna link this review because it mimics my feelings a lot!


  “You ever consider that maybe you not supposed to 'fit'? People who make history rarely do.” 


Overall I really enjoyed this book. Justyce is such a sympathetic character and I really got invested in his struggles and trials throughout this book. Nic Stone created a really interesting character that carried the book. It was nice to see a complex and emotional boy in YA, since that is rare. I also loved the discussions and themes brought up throughout this book. Dear Martin is so short and therefore easy to read, but it gives a lot in a little page count and I definitely think it deserves more hype than it gets.

This book is actually really good and insightful. I love how the author uses various styles of writing. You go through a lot of emotions reading this book especially as a black person. 

Temi Awani

Yasmin H

This book didn't grab my attention at all once I had started to read it. I really didn't enjoy it, but thats just my opinion. 

This book is well written and tackles many problems in the world, like racism, but I wasn't interested enough to be eager to finish this book. The blurb tells you about the main plot twist, which doesn't take place until half way through the book - I didn't find any of the characters particularly interesting or unique either.

I am giving this book 2 starts because the issues mentioned in this book are important, however it didn't grab my attention like I thought it would.

Montgomery Pierce

There are few books that truly hit close to home, but Dear Martin is one of them. It's a book that I wish had existed when my brother was in school; I'd have given it to him instantly. I see so much of Justyce in him, and so much of what my father taught us growing up in these pages. 

Nic Stone is masterful at capturing the nuance and intricacies of racism, colorism, police brutality, and the impact that they and racial profiling have on black children. Dear Martin is honest and raw, but it's also hopeful. With as much real-world tragedy is depicted and unpacked in Dear Martin, hope is never sacrificed even if it takes Justyce a little while to find it. This is the kind of book young readers deserve.

Alice Myles

such a poignant and important book, a must-read for everyone.

Chloe Verhoeve

5/5 🌟

I picked this up on a whim as an ebook on scribd. I was looking for something like THUG, and I’d heard amazing things about Dear Martin. Well... they’re all true!

It didn’t have the same vibe as THUG, but it didn’t have to. It was an amazing and powerful story on its own! All of the characters were well written and they felt real. 

Just like THUG, I feel like everyone should read this book. (It isn’t long, so what’s your excuse?)

Hana Bohuslavová

Chelsea van Rer

Kailey Rios

this was such an important and powerful story that i think everyone needs to read

jess

Dear Martin was an incredibly eye-opening read that raised awareness so, so many important issues in today's society. There was a lot going on in this book, leading to some very smart discussions on police brutality, race relations, poverty, and the Black Lives Matter movement. Dear Martin focuses on Justyce, a mild-mannered black teenager who decides to live like Martin Luther King Jr after an encounter with a cop goes wrong. 

Dear Martin really hits the nail on the head when it comes to showing the kind of racism that black people in America face on a daily basis, and it did so in a way that was intersectional - Justyce's love interest, Sarah-Jane, was Jewish, and it was interesting to see how Justyce could identify with Sarah-Jane on that level. There's also some really good points made about poverty and privilege within the black community. I feel like I came out of this reading experience a lot more educated than I was before. 

I'm going to be honest: I went in not knowing much about this book, so I thought that the first half went very slow and that Justyce's first encounter was the only incident of police brutality. I was wrong: the first half of the book was a setup for the more emotional punch of the second half, where Manny and Justyce get shot by an off-duty police officer. After reading, I think that this setup was, in many ways, very good: it shows the trauma that black people face from police officers without immediately launching into a fatal encounter. 

Another thing that kept me from being engrossed in this book was the writing. Third person/present tense often makes me feel really distant from the characters, so I couldn't really get into Justyce's head as much as I wanted to except for the sections written in epistolary form. And I felt like the dialogue format like a script also contributed to it. Dear Martin had a good narrative voice, but I just felt so distant from all the characters because of the POV that I found it really hard to get into it. 

All in all, Dear Martin was a really smart book that I think is hugely important, and a definite must-read for teenagers today.

Lulu

I have to give the author great props for writing a book discussing such a deeply difficult topic in a way that was not only emotional, but also incredibly engrossing. Despite having to take a break around the midway point, I still read this quite quickly because I loved the characters so very much. I cried (a lot), I got angry, I felt bad – shouldn't all white people when faced with racial inequality? – but I also smiled and enjoyed all the good parts too. Highly, highly recommended.

Magda Silva

CW: racism, police brutality and discrimination

Such an incredible read. A must one, in my opinion, if you want to read about racism.

Arianna scasino

This book brought me to tears a few times. It is a very sad & harsh reality that we live in. 

Cindy Lieberman

Perfect read for the weekend leading up to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the US. A high school senior writes letters to MLK as a “what would MLK do?” personal project while dealing with both overt and unintended racism in his life.

Janne Janssens

Such an emotional, eye opening read. It is heartbreaking that such events feeling so unreal are still reality. You should add this book to your tbr list right now!

Melissa Schwartz

4.25. Though this Nic Stone novel is fiction, I learned that it was loosely based on true events. This is important as the shooting of unarmed Black individuals, in this case young ones, is such a prevalent issue; along with racial profiling. Dear Martin was written in 2017, but these issues only really started to click for many in the US post-George Floyd. I loved the main character Justyce; his difficult and often devastating journey throughout the story was a sharp reminder of the problems that still exist in our country. But he was also relatable and strong, and often did his best to go his own way. He starts his own personal project beyond his high school curriculum where he writes letter to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which I think really laid out his perspective well. His struggles with insensitive white classmates, an overprotective mother, and the cops he encounters were eye opening and important. Being that this is YA, I think it would be great reading material for school. I wish it were a bit longer, and that we learn more about his mother. I also wish we could have better witnessed the character Jared learning the consequences of his actions and ignorance. But it was an amazing story and I look forward to reading the second book in the series soon!

Amanda Kordeliski

Stone has delivered a wonderful social justice book short enough to appeal to reluctant readers. Justyce is a round, dynamic character who takes you through the journey of his self-awareness beginning with his experience being harassed and cuffed by a police officer when he was only being a good Samaritan. Justyce and his friends experience many of the issues that appear on our nightly news and the adults around him suggest a variety of ways to deal with each situation. The dialog with adults sometimes comes across as a mini-sermon where they deliver the feelings or reactions the author wants to lead you to have. The book is strongest when Justyce writes out his feelings in his letters to MLK and discusses his issues with his debate partner (and potential love interest) A strong addition to the growing list of books about African Americans, implicit and institutionalized racism and the way to effectively change your world.

Kayla Roy

Oh my god. A breathtaking read. Quite possibly, my best read of the year. I simply could not stop reading this book, and felt oddly satisfied when it ended but desperately wanting more. A must read.

Jordyn Wassen

i read this so quickly so i haven't had too much time to comprehend and take in everything i just read. however, it was very good and exciting and there were parts that had me on the edge of my seat. there were many parts that i was nervous about and stressing what was going to happen. As well as many parts that i was glad it explored. I loved how it showed multiple perspectives when there was a disagreement. However, because it was so short, i felt it took a little away from the book. I loved the characters but i didn't get to know them as much as i would have liked. As well as the plot didn't get to expand like i wish it had. I really just wish it was longer and more in depth. None the less, it was still a fantastic read that i would highly recommend.

Torrey

everybody needs to read this book. i’ve never felt as angry reading a book as i did this one. and it was made even worse by the fact that at multiple points there were things said and i knew multiple people right off the top of my head who’d said the exact same thing. go read this book right now

Sammie Piotrowski

The best thing about this book: it’s so real. That is the best way to describe it. Justyce is an imperfect person, just like a normal teenager. He struggles with when to stay quiet and when to speak up, he has girl problems, he wants to please everyone, and he looks for guidance in a dead civil rights leader.

From the very first chapter, this book has you thinking about the black experience in America. Also, the contrast of Justyce, a black kid trying to make it out of the hood, and Manny, a black kid who was handed a range rover and a prep school education, is really eye-opening. It illustrates how these different perspectives see racial issues and offers a new look that isn’t seen too often in YA books (as far as I’ve seen).

The very end almost got me crying, and parts will break your heart. This book was great from start to finish and i highly recommend!

Dear Martin

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