Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning debut.
Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League - but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighbourhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates.
Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.
Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up - way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty police officer beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack.
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Justyce looks to Dr Martin Luther King Jr. for guidance after a white police officer puts him in handcuffs. It doesn’t matter that his the top of his class, set for Ivy League and left his old neighbourhood behind. But he starts to find some sort of solace writing to Dr King. But then everything changes the day that he does on a drive with his best friend, Manny. When a white off-duty cop fires shots.
I enjoyed Justyce as a protagonist. I loved getting to see him grow and was so easy to get along with. The reader can see Justyce growth throughout the whole of Dear Martin and some of it is because of horrible horrible events. But one should have to go through what he did. Justyce voice is strong and powerful. It hits your right in the guys – and that is what made this book so fantastic.
I loved being able to see different sides of Justyce and his interaction with different people. He can see the true colours of classmates and the world and sometimes that was hard for him to understand. I also loved the different relationships explored throughout the novel. The reader can see Justyce interact with a lot of different people and some of those help shape him.
Overall, Dear Martin by Nic Stone is an emotional read, but it’s also powerful and beautiful. Justyce was such a fantastic protagonist. He felt real and honest and that made for such an incredible read. Dear Martin explores the injustices of the world and why the #BlackLivesMatter movement is so important to understand as well as support. If you haven’t read this book, please do. It is a powerful but brutal read. - Angelique (QBD)
Guest, 19/06/2020
