In the stunning and hard-hitting sequel to the New York Times bestseller Dear Martin, incarcerated teen Quan writes letters to Justyce about his experiences in the American prison system.
Shortly after teenager Quan enters a not guilty plea for the shooting death of a police officer, he is placed in a holding cell to await trial. Through a series of flashbacks and letters to Justyce, the protagonist of Dear Martin, Quan’s story unravels.
From a troubled childhood and bad timing to a coerced confession and prejudiced police work, Nic Stone’s newest novel takes an unflinching look at the flawed practices and ideologies that discriminate against African American boys and minorities in the American justice system (description via Goodreads).
I can’t stress enough what an important book this is. Everything about it is perfect, particularly the two notes from the author. If I had any sort of power, this would be required reading in schools. A large part of this book addresses the school-to-prison pipeline, and I think that implementing important literature (like this) can impact that. Reading this would not only be beneficial to students, but also educators, as they are in a powerful and unique position. When I think back to some of the books that I was forced to read in high school ( “classic” books written by white men), I really wish that I could replace them with this one. Books that teach empathy and understanding trump anything else, in my mind.
I will admit, this was hard to keep picking up because it’s sad. I’m thankful that the author gave us some hope by building in a support system for Quan, even though she mentions in her note that this support system is the most unrealistic aspect of the novel. I would highly recommend this to anyone and their mother.
5 Key Components That I Look For:
0=No 1=Yes .5 =Kind of
- Was the book interesting? 1
- Was it easy to finish (even if I didn’t like it)? 1
- Was it emotionally engaging? 1
- Was it memorable? 1
- Would I read it again? 1
5 stars
