I received the ARC copy of this book from Netgally in exchange for an honest review.

I was so happy that Netgally gave me the opportunity to read the sequel to Dear Martin which I read in one day. Having a proper roller coaster of emotions, after that one, I indeed have a lot of emotions towards this story.

This book tells the story of Quan, who is a black teen with a troubling background he unfortunately took some really bad decisions guided by what he thought was lack of choices.

The story is very simple and doesn't jump abruptly between preset and past, to the contrary the flash backs are well describe and you can feel Quan distress. As this is a character driven book we are in his head most of the time and gives you some proper insight to how is it like to be some one like him. Having his thought process mixed with PTSD was a little scary at time, but that's the intention isn't it?

What I loved about the book was that it has a nice message and Quan has a good support system that helps him go back to his feet but he keeps fighting, his patience and tenacity are admirable. I'm sure that loads of people wouldn't like that aspect of the book as it doesn't ring close to reality. But for me this book can bring some light to younger people's lives when they are in distress.
I'd love to see some links and resources that black kids can go to if they feel they need to. Help lines and websites.
I highly recommend this read!

Thank you Simon and Schuster UK Children’s and Netgalley for gifting me this book in Exchange for an honest review.

I read Dear Martin at the beginning of the month and it genuinely touched my heart, I couldn’t stop reading it and it left me eager to read Dear Justyce. Well... Dear Justyce did not disappoint!

Just to repeat my disclaimer from my Dear Martin review: I am incapable of fully understanding the trials and tribulations experienced by people of colour due the privilege afforded to me by my own skin colour. It is my duty though to continually strive to educate myself on the experiences of others so that I can stand with them and educate others.

Dear Martin, is a story based on Justyce, who can be seen as incredibly lucky as to where his path took him. Starting in a poor area, Justyce was pushed by his mum to work hard at school and ended up receiving a scholarship at one of the best schools in town and moved into residence on the “right side of the tracks”. There he is surrounded by supportive teachers and friends and his ambition. Despite everything that happens in Dear Martin to Justyce he succeeds and goes to Yale University to study Law. The book shows us that even being in the same environment (where white privilege is rife) that being a person of colour automatically gets you treated differently from your white counter parts. If you’re reading this and haven’t read Dear Martin yet, go buy it immediately, it is a must read!

The story in Dear Justyce is not filled with any of the luck or any of the lightness that broke through in Dear Martin, in fact, the main character Quan seems to experience the complete opposite life to Justyce. I’m really glad that Nic Stone chose to write this book, in a section before the story starts Nic tells her readers of two young boys who asked her to write a book about people like them and this is how we got Quan’s story. From my understanding (which could be wrong, if I’m wrong please correct me so I can learn) this book is a more accurate representation of what a larger volume of the Black community in the US experience or are at a higher risk of experiencing. She also references how writing Dear Justyce was hard for her and involved pulling on emotions from her own experiences. This book showcases the impact of coming from a poor area, where a parent may be in jail, domestic abuse, gang affiliation and poor support systems impact young people, usually this is young people of colour. How the need to survive and/or find support in these environments can lead to going down the wrong path or put people in situations they don't want to be in.

If Justyce’s story touched my heart, then Quan’s story broke it!

This book is around 368 page, but it feels like a much shorter book simply because it’s one you cannot put down! I read the first in conjunction of a readalong with a book club which delayed my progress with this book, but I read the last 50% in less than half a day. It is that captivating. Nic Stone still makes user of every single page, making Quan’s experience give you a reality check. The writing just pulls you in and doesn’t let go!

This book picks up not long after Dear Martin ends, Justyce and Quan were friends when they were younger. For the first part of the book the narrative is a mix of Quan writing his story and experiences in letters to Justyce from jail, flash backs on some of the trauma Quan’s experienced in his short life (he was only 16ish when he was arrested) and his present situation. The second half of the book see’s Justyce have a bigger role after Quan drops a bombshell in one of his letters. I literally don't think I can say much about the second half of the book without a risk of spoilers and I want to be as spoiler free as possible.

It is truly eye opening how events in Quan’s childhood and not having a support system lead to his present and what’s harder to digest is that these are common experiences for others with similar backgrounds. This book, like its predecessor, covers the systemic racism and prejudice faced by a large portion of the Black community, and has a more focused perspective of those issues within the judicial system which just blows my mind.

The characters are still extremely well rounded and formed. It’s so easy to bond with them and end up wanting to protect them! It was nice to see some of the characters from the first book also have a part. I felt the fear and anxiety Quan had about his situation and the impacts his past also has on his mental health. I’m so glad that Nic also chose to put some strong supportive new characters in to help Quan because there has to be people on these young lads side, there just has to be, otherwise as a society we are failing.

I cannot fault this book, it is just as potent, power and raw. Another book you simply have to read about the reality of being a Black man in the US. The book covers racial profiling, racial injustice and white privilege from a slightly different angle than Dear Martin but a very much important angle. The two books show how Black people suffer under racism regardless of if they are a “success” or not, regardless if they are guilty or not. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves and do our parts to change systemic racism.

I hadn't read Dear Martin but this didn't matter as I believe you could read Dear Justyce as a standalone.

I really enjoyed this book and liked the combination of letters and prose. I would absolutely recommend this to my students

However, some of the structural choices were distracting and frustrating, in particular, Stone's decision
To write
A lot
Like
This.
I'm not sure what effect she was going for and for me, it took away rather than added to the strong narrative.

this book was excellent. the writing was so heartfelt. it was one of those books you feel when you read. im sure this book will be loved by many, particularly if read after the first book in the series.

This is a companion volume to Dear Martin featuring secondary character Quan. In this volume, our hero Quan writes to Justyce (the protagonist of Dear Martin) in letters send from juvenile detention, where he's imprisoned for the murder of a police officer, a crime he didn't commit. Its a nuanced & often heartbreaking tale that really illuminates the horrendous situations that black teenagers in the US can find themselves in. The book is so clever and credible in showing us how Quan's good intentions to pursue a better life actually led him to the dire situation he finds himself in and how quickly the case against him finally unravels as completely unjustified is absolutely terrifying. The author offers a pay-off of a satisfying but very rosy ending as all is resolved but in her acknowledgements lets us know that the support and friendship Quan has that leads to his conviction being overturned is probably pure wish fulfilment and unlikely in real life. A really compelling read that highlights some very pertinent issues.

Wow
I read Dear Martin and was amazed at how relevant the book was today so was pleased to know there was a book that followed on. I loved how the book showed a different side to the story, I did not want it to end enjoyed each and every page. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read the wonderful book.

I devoured Dear Martin, the first book in this series (although they can be read non-sequentially) in hours. Nic Stone has an impeccable pace and knack for making you sit right there with the characters. In this story, Quan finds himself in prison for a crime he did not commit. Why is he there? Who is to blame? And how can he be helped? Illustrating the racial injustice which ruins so many young Black lives, this book is so so important. If your local store doesn't have a copy, please request they stock it as a compulsory Teenage/YA read. Kids like Quan are suffering right now, and this needs to change.

Thank you @netgalley and @simonschusteruk for sending me a free review copy.
Dear Justyce follows Quan as he tries to be a good kid for his mum following his fathers arrest, but things aren’t that easy. Quan always seems to run into trouble whether it be stealing a pack of cards or being accused of cheating on a test. As he grows older he gets into big trouble with the law after being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
I had high expectations for this book, considering how much I loved Dear Martin and I was worried it wouldn’t live up to those expectations, but it did. You don’t need to read Dear Martin before Dear Justyce but I recommend you do as they tie in with one another - and plus, they’re both amazing books so why not!

'Un-put-downable' and addictive - Dear Justyce is an important book which you NEED to read.

Our protagonist is Quan - a young African American boy who we follow from childhood to early adulthood. He spends his childhood trying his hardest to succeed, but fails by being pushed into situations that society and the people in it seem determined to place him in - Quan is eventually wrongfully incarcerated for murder. This novel is split between Quan's letters to Justyce and 'Snapshots' or flashbacks that show the events leading up to his current situation. I absolutely loved this style of writing, and Stone's prose is equally evocative and moving.

The novel shines a light on the atrocities experienced by Black individuals within the American justice system, showing racial bias everyone within society seems determined to hold against Quan. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Art is important for shaping opinions, and only by shaping opinions will the real-life Quan's get justice.

Thank you to netgalley for this advance review copy. (For reference I read this during Covid 19 lockdown)

I read this story in one sitting. The writing was amazing. It was able to transport and immerse me in a life completely different to my own. This sequel was as good as the first.

With the horrific treatment of George Floyd, there couldn't have been a more apposite moment to read this book. Quan wonders if there is any way that he could have made different decisions, ones which wouldn't have lead to gang membership and incarceration on a murder charge. As we follow his life, we see how events are stacked against him, and how trivial acts of racism eat away at him (he's accused of cheating because his test score is so good, and despite the fact that books are his escape, the new librarian treats him as if he's going to cause trouble...)
This is a novel that helped me to understand how privileged I am, and it made me feel very angry. However, it's also a gripping read: Quan is such a likeable character, and you are really rooting for him. I'm going to be recommending this book as a great read, and I'll be looking out for Dear Martyn to read the back story, too.

I feel uncomfortable saying I enjoyed this book as at the heart of this narrative is injustice that people of a minority experience everyday. The form of the letters allowed the characters to speak their truth. Quan’s story may be one that many others have experienced but it was interesting to read Nic Stone’s additions to reveal further truth beyond the fiction. Some moments of the narrative are romanticised; I wonder if this is for the benefit of the reader? I wonder how I would feel if these moments reflected the truth?
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This is a must read. And I have now added Nic Stone’s Dear Martin to my TBR list.
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I would definitely recommend this to my secondary students (14+)

Dear Justyce, powerful, raw, unflinching and honest. It's a book that lingers with you long after you've finished reading. An important, extremely relevant and topical read for anyone who wants to educate themselves more on the black lives matter initiative. It should be added to every schools reading list.

This book is a sort of sequel to Dear Martin but works well as a stand alone novel. Opening with an author's note about why she has written it, it hooks you in from the beginning. Justyce has had a complicated childhood and has an awareness of injustice from a very young age. This is a timely and important read and the writing is both gripping and accesible. Would recommend this as an essential read from early teen years through to adulthood.