Dear Justyce

After the exceptional novel which is 'Dear Martin', Nic Stone brings another gut punch with the incredible sequel 'Dear Justyce'. Both of these novels do a lot of great work exposing the reality of racism in modern society, this one in particular focusing on systemic racism in the American justice system. In fact, it it the perfect companion piece to the the breathtaking novel-in-verse 'Punching the Air' (Zoboi and Salaam) which has a similar hard-hitting message.The opening author's note tells the reader that in this novel, she wanted to turn the reader's eye away from boys like Justyce, who is academically successful and flourishes at a private school then Ivy League college, to focus on boys who were not lucky enough to rise to these heights. Instead, our main character for the majority of the sequel is Quan, Manny from 'Dear Martin's cousin, who has been imprisoned for shooting and killing a white police officer. We already know this police officer was corrupt and racist, having racially profiled and wrongfully put Justyce in handcuffs for an extended period of time in the first novel, and we find out more about his aggression towards Quan and the murder in this sequel.Gaps are filled in as we see Quan's childhood presented in parallel with his letters to Justyce from prison, growing up with an incarcerated father, domestic abuse in the home, being drawn into gang activity and the associated trauma of these events. Stone does not shy away from the brutal reality of Quan's upbringing, gaining the reader's support and sympathy for Quan whilst breaking their hearts with his feeling that an extended prison sentence for him was inevitable.Stone herself admits that Quan's story in slightly altered from reality due to him having a solid system of support, a tutor, a therapist, legal counsel, which does not reflect the reality of many of the forgotten boys like him in prison and juvenile detention. However, she highlights the injustice of Quan's position enough to enrage and educate any reader whilst also emphasising the systems which could support happier endings to the lives of many young, black prison inmates.Overall, this is even more emotionally effecting than 'Dear Martin' and should certainly be given to readers of any age to read but I can see it being particularly impactful with young adults. I cannot wait to bring this to students in my classroom to spark frank discussion about race, injustice and Black Lives Matter.

‘“What about you Quan? Are YOU a killer?”Thing is, I couldn’t really answer. Part of me wanted to flat out say “No, I’m not,” but there was still this other voice saying “What if you are, LaQuan? What if it’s inevitable?”’Quan is incarcerated, passing the time by writing to Justyce McAllister about his experiences. Through a collection of snapshots and his letters to Justyce, we see Quan’s story unravel - from his troubled childhood to present day where he faces cruel injustice spurred on by discrimination for the colour of his skin.Having briefly met Quan in Dear Martin, it was good to delve into his story here. We see his troubled childhood, the events and instances that guided him on the path to where he is today. It’s important that we got to see this viewpoint, as Stone mentions at the very beginning of the book - before we meet once again with Quan - this is a real approach to a character. Justyce has circumstances vastly different to Quan - attends college, respected - whereas Quan is a victim of circumstance, gaining himself an unwanted reputation of “delinquent”.Stone’s inclusion of anxiety in Quan is refreshing. Many authors don’t seem to consider the major emotional impact events can have on characters. For Quan, the thought of spending decades of his life behind bars is understandably panic inducing. Getting to see his panic attacks and seeing Quan navigating them was important and I am grateful to the author for including it.This can be read as a stand-alone considering it focuses on Quan’s story. We see Justyce pop up throughout but you don’t necessarily feel like you’re missing out on anything if you haven’t read Dear Martin. However, I would entirely recommend reading the first book. It is just as important.Overall, Dear Justyce is like it’s predecessor, Dear Martin. This is a must read for anyone and everyone. Eyes must be opened to the injustices far too many face. This is one small step in the right direction.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I could have read this in one day if I didn't work and need sleep. The letters from Quan were my favourite parts of the book and the growing friendship with Justyce. Unfortunately the storyline itself is all to real for many young black males, despite it being fictional. The story provides an insight into the injustice experienced and some understanding into how they have ultimately ended up on this path. Reality of it is hard to swallow and reinforces the need to work for change. Key points in the book that white males will receive lesser sentences (or even nothing at all) for more severe offences and black males will receive more severe sentences for lesser offences.