Justyce is an outstanding student at a prestigious prep school. He will be attending an Ivy League school next year. While he is a role-model student, Justyce is unjustly arrested by a white police officer when attempting to help a drunk ex-girlfriend home. Even though Justyce was trying to do the right thing and the police were in the wrong, no one ever apologizes or rights this racially motivated wrong. This traumatic event shocks Justyce into looking at the world with a new set of eyes. He attempts to live his life like Martin Luther King Jr, using King's writing to guide his actions. Justyce writes letters to King in attempt to work through the events in his life. While many of his white classmates believe that racism is dead, Justyce is finding that racism is just as pervasive a problem now as ever.

This book is wonderful! It is powerfully written. It is well-developed. It is engaging. This novel addresses race through a variety of avenues and truly presents its presence within today's society.

Justyce is a seventeen year old kid-- smart, driven, and smitten with the wrong girl. When he helps her out late one night, his good intentions are misinterpreted by a cop. So begins Justyce's soul-search for how to deal with institutional racism when no answer seems to be right. Written partially as a series of letters to Martin Luther King, Jr, Justyce struggles in school, love, and society.

The biggest successes in this book are the lack of easy answers. Stone draws her characters, both black and white, in shades of moral gray. Despite the heavy subject matter, this book reads quickly. Some of the formatting took some getting used to, particularly switching back and forth from an almost screenplay-like format to typical dialogue. Still, that choice makes sense when so much of the plot and character comes exclusively through conversation. Important conversations, at that.

A good read to bolster discussions, or, as fitting to the characters in the book, debates.

This was really touching and a great debut novel. Stone captures the larger themes of the modern day civil rights movement and mirrors them beautifully against the beliefs and actions of MLK Jr. through letters written in a diary by our MC. Justyce is a deep and complicated young man. He is absolutely brilliant, touchingly self-effacing, and torn apart by a world where his skin color means more than his actions. He is endlessly conflicted and, through his interactions with people from all walks of life, he realizes prejudice isn’t unidirectional. I took a star off simply because the small cast of characters made everything fit together a little too neatly. It was almost by-the-book how each person mentioned fit into their roles. But I chalk this up to her being a brand new author and to the fact that the themes of the story and Justyce’s experiences matter much much more than plot contrivances. The plot takes a much-needed backseat to more important issues. This is a perfect companion read to The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, another brilliant debut author with a lot to say about the state of young black Americans in our current political climate in America. As a white person, I feel like these books are educating me on a world I inherently can’t be part of, but still recognize as a portion of our population that is mistreated and abused. They make me want to act, use my unearned white privilege for the good of society as a whole.

This book is a great companion to Angie Thomas's amazing "The Hate U Give." Both stories deal with police brutality against black bodies, but with enough nuance to offer different and interesting yet relevant perspectives. I look forward to recommending it to teens and adults.

WOAH. Readers are fully immersed in Justyce's story, through Nic Stone's various approaches: screen play, epistolary, TV news anchors, clippings, and prose. The writing was fast-paced and heart-breaking.

Dear Martin is another great title for teens to address questions of racial inequality in the U.S. It shone most in Justyce's writing to Martin Luther King, Jr. and in the conversations that he had with his friends, teacher, and mother. It was in these places that the reader gets a true sense of how the constant, perpetuating racism still present in our country affects individuals personally. I admit that I found the components related to the gang somewhat distracting, and I'm not sure how I feel about the resolution of the situation with the corrupt officer. I will definitely purchase this book for my library and promote it widely with my students.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s and Crown Books for Young Readers, for the ARC, Dear Martin by Nic Stone. Debut author, Nic Stone, has crafted a realistic fiction and urban fiction novel all teens will be clamoring to read. With the ripped from the headlines news of teens being shot by police and police violence, Stone has written a powerful, hard hitting novel I could not put down. I ached for Justyce, a black teen in a mostly white prep school who is unjustly judged by a white cop; roughed up and handcuffed, as he tries to help his drunk, white girlfriend. The title, Dear Martin, comes from the letters Justyce writes to Dr. King as a project to himself, as he tries to emulate King’s style and words to sort through racism, oppression, and injustice he encounters. Justyce’s problems intensify as he becomes more and more embroiled in incidents that involve him, his school friends, and his neighborhood acquaintances. As Martin leans on friends, his debate teacher, and debate partner (love interest), he becomes more and more disillusioned. Stone’s writing, her characters, and plot were all powerful reminders that there is still a great divide in our world and she raises many valid questions about problems our society needs to solve. Justyce’s world and struggle brings many needed diverse voices and issues to all readers. Today’s teens care about the heated, frustrating questions and concerns Nic Stone tackles in her haunting debut novel. Highly recommended!

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

This book is one of those few that will stay with you forever.

Dear Martin by Nic Stone follows the story of Justyce McAllister who is doing a project to be more like Dr Martin Luther King Jr. by writing him letters. The book covers how it is to be profiled based on only race and how it is to live with everyday racism. I do not want to say anything more because I do not want to give anything away. Just pick up this book.

I apologize for the mess this review will be because of my feels toward this book and toward life.
<spoiler>It is hard to review this book while not reflecting it on real life and my own life. Part of the reason I think this book will stick with me forever is that I am privileged enough to never experience this. I am a twenty-year old white European girl living in the rural areas of the Netherlands. Nobody here owns a gun unless they are police officers.
That doesn't mean there aren't racial problems, though. One of our biggest holidays features people in blackface (google Sinterklaas en Zwarte Piet). People, even politicians, defend it by saying they don't want to ruin this tradition of a children's holiday but I don't think the children will care as much as their parents do. And that's excluding the negative effect it might how on children of colour. We call our days of trading in people "one of the black pages in our history" yet slavery is glossed over in most of the history classes I have had. Populist parties like the PVV and the refugee crisis have led to more Islamophobia and hate. And these are just a few problems.

In the first chapter, Justyce is arrested because of racial profiling. During the debates at school about race, some people made arguments that for example, affirmative action is discriminating the majority. Or even that racism is not a problem anymore. Yet, this book shows how it still is a problem. Only now it is more hidden and easier to close your eyes to. Or maybe it has always been that way, I am not sure. Please enlighten me because I feel like I still have a lot to learn about (American) racial problems.

And it shows it some more in the second part of the book. Manny and Justyce get shot at over something as stupid as having their music too loud, cussing and not listening to someone. It is just so awful to know that this could happen today. It is so awful knowing that with police brutality small things like this were enough to kill!
How does one live like this? The police who should protect everyone is scared of you. They don't see you but something else, something less. And of course not everyone does, but enough do. How I wish this wasn't still a problem, but it is.

Part of the impact comes because you spend time with both Justyce and Manny and they are these great, sweet guys. And I could not help but go back in my mind to Ferguson 2014 when the news broke here of protests in the US because of Micheal Brown, a boy, who was killed by a police officer.

How can I help to make it better? Maybe I am naive but I had always hoped that when my generations would be the grown ups this would all just stop. However, after the events in Charlottesville, I am not so sure anymore. So how can I help?

So yeah, Dear Martin was a devastating story to me which woke me up a little more. And I think that was the book's purpose or the author's intent.
</spoiler>

I have been dying to read this book forever and so when Penguin Random House gave me  a copy of this amazingly crafted book, I was ecstatic!

From the very first chapter of this book I knew this book was going to be breath taking. The book starts where Justyce is falsely charged of car jacking by a police officer and consequently  he starts a project called 'Dear Martin' where he writes to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr . Justyce is a real character with an extremely realistic voice that I don't think I've ever related to more.

I have never read a book that has touched me more than  Dear Martin. Nic Stone writes in such an incredible style that is hard not to love. She writes a variety of relationships between white and black that are not your typical stereotypes. Thats another thing I loved about the way Nic wrote this book she did include your typical stereotypes she may have had the odd one but she developed them into real people and people that actually exist, people you would meet on the street! 

There was a group of character that I could not stand for the life of me,one stood out in particular but I realised once I got further in the book that the reason I could not deal with them was because I know someone like that and I always love finding something I can relate to in a book . Those group of characters were awful and made me angry repeatedly especially in one particular scene but thats why Nic put them in there because there are people out there like that.

For a book with less than 300 pages it sure did pack a punch and even while writing this review I can still remember exactly what it felt like while reading this book and I can feel the impact it's had on me.

Like I said before I don't think I've ever read a book that I've felt more connected to and I honestly hope it's not the last book we have from Nic Stone.

Excellent. Necessary topic.
I understand all of the comparison's to The Hate U Give, but I feel that one is being read by mostly adults while this one will find the correct audience with teens.
Only slightly odd thing is the sometimes awkward jumps in time.

Donald Goines (had he done YA) meets Walter Dean Meyers meets SE Hinton...........this caught me by the throat and didn't let go from page one. AMAZING and I will be cross selling this to my young adult readers and my adult readers as well. PHENOMENAL! What an author to keep an eye on!

Do you remember how you felt when you finished "The Fault in Our Stars?" The way your heart sank, but your soul illuminated with hope? With Dear Martin, Stone delivers a life-changing novel that is certain to be one of the most talked about and highly acclaimed books of 2017. ARC via NetGalley ~ Lisa Brennan, Middle School Librarian @noveltalk

What an amazing story. I've already read it twice and I can't write a proper review yet. Each chapter felt like a slap in the face and it made me feel pretty tiny. Dear Martin is one of those books you can't and shouldn't ignore. Powerful debut.

Review will come out on release date. This book is absolutely beautifal and powerful and every teen should read it.

It's so simple and so powerful. Justyce has started a project learning about and writing to Martin Luther King Jr. to help figure things out. He was brutalized by police when he was trying to help his on-again/off-again girlfriend and then realizes the injustices that exist. This voice-y story rings with so much truth and honesty that readers would be hard-pressed not to learn from and empathize with Justyce. He's bound for an Ivy League school and is finishing up his last debate with his debate partner, a white Jewish girl named SJ who is awakening to the injustices is Justyce is and their feelings are mutual. Yet, Justyce's mother also would never want to see her son with a white girl.

And in a series of events that feel ripped-from-the-headlines, Justyce's world continues to implode with more losses and serious reckoning about his position in all of it. Justyce's decisions drive the story that are punctuated by his letters to Martin as well as some news stories every now and then that mix the media in a way that is original and creative, smart and true.

Truly advise readers to read!

Dear Martin caught my eye a while back when I was browsing a Goodreads list of YA novels of 2017 and it immediately had my full attention. Baring a resemblance to one of my favourite books of the year (of course I am referring to the brilliant The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas ), it was a book I couldn’t wait to get my hands on. So, when I got an ARC, I was ecstatic; I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to receive an e-mail in my life.

Justyce McAllister is top of his class, captain of the debate team, and set for the Ivy League next year—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. He is eventually released without charges (or an apology), but the incident has Justyce spooked. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood, he can’t seem to escape the scorn of his former peers or the attitude of his prep school classmates. The only exception: Sarah Jane, Justyce’s gorgeous—and white—debate partner he wishes he didn’t have a thing for.

Struggling to cope with it all, Justyce starts a journal to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But do Dr. King’s teachings hold up in the modern world? Justyce isn’t so sure.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up. Way up. Much to the fury of the white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. And Justyce and Manny get caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack. The truth of what happened that night—some would kill to know. Justyce is dying to forget.

How can I even begin to describe how important this book is? Stone’s writing is very simple and that’s exactly what her story needed; her dialogues resemble theatrical plays, and there’s no lyrical prose, no extensive description. In my opinion, that’s where her strength as an author lies: with her very simple words and structure she managed to deliver a very powerful, very important message that didn’t need any help from pretty words and elaborate descriptions. The reality she is describing is an ugly one – and trying to depict it in any other way simply wouldn’t have worked.

Justyce honestly has my heart, from now until the end of times. He is brilliant, he is sweet, he is caring, brave, and kind. Honestly, my heart ached for this boy. I was afraid that, precisely because of the importance of the story, the characters would fall a little bit flat – perhaps become even a little bit one-dimensional. I stand corrected; in the span of just 224 pages, Stone managed to fully flesh out a cast of characters that drive the story forward and develop right along with it. They made me laugh, and they made me cry, and they made me angry; and it was a rollercoaster of emotions I will cherish forever.

Even the romance was cute! And when I say cute, I mean chemistry-off-the-roof cute, plus it tackled another issue that we don’t often see depicted in YA literature and that is interracial relationships. I just loved both Justyce and SJ so much, both individually and as a couple, and seeing how supportive they were and how much they cared for each other made me realize that this is another thing we don’t often see in YA literature: supportive, healthy relationships.

Sometimes you just pick up a book and know that it’s going to be a game changer; that it’s going to change literature as we know it for good. My humble opinions and I hope that Dear Martin will do just that: change the lives of readers all over the world and help create a better, more inclusive and more diverse place in literature. Nic Stone opened my eyes a little bit more, made me think a little harder, understand my privilege and the world we live in a little bit better. I am hoping everyone will read this book and enjoy this beautiful story Stone has to offer – the first of the many.



**An ARC was provided via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.**

Bittersweet yet uplifting, heartbreaking yet heartwarming, fierce yet beautiful, Dear Martin packs quite the punch. Nic Stone's writing style is down-to-earth and reflective of today's youth, approaching issues such as race, profiling, classism, and privilege from multiple perspectives in a realistic and honest manner. Eye-opening without being preachy or guilt-ridden. Absolutely outstanding.

Wish I had read this book before I had read The Hate U Give. Both books tackle very similar issues I just like the way Ms. Thomas' treatment much better than Ms. Stone's.