I am trying to diversify my reading and thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was recommended to me by a coworker and I am looking forward to reading other works by the author

This book is so very good, both timely and thought provoking. I loved the first one, "Dear Martin", but this sequel is even better and feels more real, and it is wonderful to re-visit previous characters, especially Justyce who plays a big part here. But it is Quan's heartbreaking story, and to watch him finally find true support and learn to trust it and grow is such an incredible journey. This is a hard look at the juvenile justice system through the eyes of a Black teenager, and it is unflinching and powerful. I will be recommending this book to everyone.

I loved this book! Quan’s story is devastating: he’s young and incarcerated, but hasn’t given up hope. The characters are realistic and it’s easy to get swept up in the story. It is a perfect companion to Nic Stone’s Dear Martin, but it could easily be a standalone novel as the reader gets plenty of information about the ties between Justyce and Quantum are clear. It would be a pleasure to teach this book because there is so much to analyze in the story.

A fantastic follow-up to Dear Martin! I look forward to sharing this with students (once we are back to in person learning).

I love that as you read this book, you just know that Nic Stone’s whole heart was poured into it. In the author’s note, she stated this was one of the hardest books she’s written. That being said, it feels like it has the most heart. I love that the idea for this book came from Nic’s readers who said they don’t see their own stories in books very often. Beautifully written. Belongs right beside Dear Martin in every high school library.

This was really good. I loved the note in the beginning about this book being about everyone who isn’t a Justyce and it certainly was. The only thing I didn’t love about this was some of the formatting. I couldn’t tell it if was my e-arc or how it was written but it was a little confusing.

The sequel by #nicstone to #dearmartin, #dearjustyce grabs the reader from the first page. An astounding one-two punch of YA storytelling that will be shared with #lrsouthwesthighschool students. #ember #netgalley

This book is one of the most compelling and culturally appropriate books I have read this year. I devoured this book in under a day as I was rooting for Quan and frustrated by the justice system. This is a book that ALL educators should be recommending to their students! Thank you netgalley and publisher for this advanced read, I can’t wait to buy multiple copies of this story for some wonderful book clubs. I will definitely be rereading this story again and again. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

I liked Dear Martin and enjoyed seeing glimpses of the characters as they continued here. This book made me sad and angry all at the same time. It is ridiculous that Black boys live in a world that automatically assumes the worst of them, even to the point of guiding them down a path to prison. I'll definitely be adding this to my classroom shelves, so students can get as angry as I did and maybe try a little harder to make the future better than the present.

WOW!!

Admittedly, Dear Justyce has big shoes to fill. In the two hours it took me to devours Dear Martin, it became one of my all time favorites. Dear Justyce stands out on its own from Dear Martin, although it does bring back several of the same characters.

Quan’s story is one that is while very common in our “IN-justice” system, is still not fully understood. Nic Stone battles many issues in the complex character that is Quan and somehow made me ready to go back and teach in this pandemic, all so that I can hopefully believe in a kid like Quan.

If you thought Dear Martin was great, you have no idea what you’re missing. I was captured from the beginning by the lifestyle and innocence of Quan that was quickly turned upside down. Society is so quick to judge and label our youth without investigating or trying to understand underlying factors that influence their decisions. Dear Justyce is relevant for today’s society and the novel that we need to break the racial barriers that exist within our society. Buy it, read it, and share it!

This book was phenomenal. A companion piece to Dear Martin, Dear Justyce explores a young man whose life didn't take the same trajectory as Justyce's. This book is timely, important, and should be having teachers say, "Holden who?" as they recommend contemporary coming-of-age novels for today's teens.

I hadn’t read Dear Martin, but I didn’t need to to be able to understand the book. This book could easily be paired with many nonfiction texts about injustice in the legal system. The characters were so real and I really became attached to them.

I received this Advance Reader Copy from @netgalley. Here is my honest review of this text.

Dear Justyce is one of the most culturally relevant books that I have read this year! In her letter to readers at the start of the book, Stone writes about a conversation she had with kids who love Dear Martin, but struggled to relate to Justyce since they were facing very different life circumstances...enter Dear Justyce.

Vernell LaQuan Banks Jr., a secondary character from Dear Martin, takes center stage as we learn about the challenges he faced while growing up. Quan had very few supportive adults in his life, resulting in him seeking out a chosen family that protected him but also placed him in many dangerous situations...leading to him being arrested for killing a police officer.

Dear Justyce will help readers to understand the lack of choices that many Black children face in their lives. It is also a call to action to always look for young people's potential and help them grow. Quan's story brings to light many issues with policing and justice practices. The connections between Dear Justyce and Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy are very clear.

Dear Justyce is a gripping read that will keep readers on the edges of their seats. Stone utilizes different writing styles throughout the book that also help drive the story forward. Be sure to pick up Dear Justyce when it's released on 9-29-2020. You will not regret it! 5 out of 5 stars!

Dear Justyce was an amazing, timely, and compelling read. Nic Stone’s companion novel to Dear Martin, Once again takes on systemic racism, as main character Quan’s life unfolds from his traumatic childhood through adolescence, and subsequent arrest for the murder of a police officer. Definitely an eye opening read for those who have not grown up in similar situations. This book is an ideal addition to any anti-racist reading list, specifically for students in grades 8+.

I love and have taught Dear Martin in an eleventh grade class and just loved it. I was, therefore, so happy to see a sequel. I like Quan just as much as Justyce, and the letters to his cousin mixed in with his narrative were just an enriching to the story as Justyce's letters to Martin.

The first half of the book is exclusively about Quan, his childhood, and the events that lead up to him being in prison. Then, there is a huge revelation about halfway through the book that I didn't see coming. We also get to see many of our favorite characters in the novel: Justyce, SJ, Jared, Doc, even Martel.

The only thing about Dear Martin that gave me a little pause was that my own students were not like Justyce. Plenty of my students are smart and talented, of course, but they do not have the benefit of his school and his education. I think it will be very beneficial for them to read this book, then, since Quan attends a public school, etc. He, too, is very intelligent and good with numbers.

I won't reveal too much more about this book, but the more novels we read and can give to our students like this book, the better. Thank you, Nic Stone and NetGalley, I cannot wait to put this one on my classroom library shelf in a few months.

3.75 stars

I enjoyed this book more than its predecessor, _Dear Martin_. For me, this is a much more focused read.

Readers who have previously encountered _Dear Martin_ will recall Quan, whom we recall from the first book as Manny’s cousin who was also arrested (still too coincidentally) for shooting the cop who arrested Justyce. Quan takes up a letter writing project to Justyce that references Justyce’s original campaign to Martin, only these letters are meant for a responsive audience. The help here is supposed to be practical, not self-reflective, and it is.

The strongest parts of this work are the ways in which Stone shapes Quan’s background. It’s clear that no matter what he chooses or where he goes, countless factors are against him. This is meaningful not only because of the realistic depiction but also because of the didactic possibilities for folks using this novel as a window (i.e. who have extremely different lived and/or communal experiences). That aspect is top notch.

I did want a bit more development of the ancillary characters, and I wish there had been a bit more complexity happening in the final quarter of the novel. Overall, a solid read -

I am a huge fan of Nic Stone, so when I saw that she had written Dear Justyce, I couldn't wait to read it. Very honestly, Quan's story is so unfamiliar to me that it almost doesn't seem real. I think though, that is the very reason Ms. Stone wrote it. There are kids out there who have no options, no support, and no chance. I'm glad that even in the telling of those circumstances, she was able to provide a chance for Quan. Hopefully, readers who see themselves in him will also see avenues of hope. And for those who do not see themselves in Quan, they will see themselves in Justyce, Doc and the rest of the characters - as people who can offer hope.

The opening chapters felt a little slow to me, perhaps because Quan's story did feel so unfamiliar. However, once Justyce entered the story as an active character, I couldn't put the book down. I can't wait to see what other readers have to say. Well done, Ms. Stone. This book is as important as it is timely. It is a must-read title.

Nic Stone is truly incredible. Dear Martin was one of my favorite books I read this year, so I was beyond thrilled to hear there would be a follow up (of sorts). Dear Justyce is just as well written. Quan, like Justyce, is an amazing narrator. He is real, honest, descriptive, emotional. He connects you to the story he is telling, whether or not you can relate to it. His story is emotional, raw, and gripping. Ideally, it will alter preconceived notions you have about incarceration and the [in]justice system. This reads like a true story and, sadly and unfairly, for many folks it is. I hope that reading this will inspire more people to join the fight for equality and change.

This can be considered a stand alone book but personally, I liked that I read Dear Martin first. I got an outsiders look at Quan in Dear Martin and then got to hear his story from him in this novel. Quan and Justyce also parallel each other and together their stories have a larger narrative intertwined. Part 1 and Part 2 of this book flowed seamlessly together, even though dual narration is introduced midway through. I note that because I don’t think that’s something many authors can pull off (in my experience as a reader). Justyce’s voice in parts of the second half of the book really hit hard knowing all that happened in Dear Martin. So, although this can be considered a stand alone book, I recommend treating it as a sequel and reading Dear Martin first.

Note to editor:
I did not like the text formatting of the novel. It made certain passages seem forced or overdone. Writing. Your. Sentences. Like. This. And making them trickle down the page diagonally was not appealing to me personally. I am 30 so maybe it is something younger audiences want. But I felt that the style detracted from the writing of the actual paragraph by seeming over dramatic and childish when talking about a serious issue. (I also don’t know if that was intentional or if there was an issue with the formatting of the digital arc I received. It seemed intentional.)

Dear Justcye is the moving story of Quan, who we meet while in youth detention for a crime that he did not commit. Quan comes from a very traumatic background, and was harshly disciplined in school since he was young for no other reason than that he was a young Black boy. Finding himself unable to deal with his sad reality at home and the racism that surrounds him, Quan searches for a "family" that leads him further down the road to trouble. His bright light is his old friend Justcye, a young man from the same neighborhood who took a different path, ultimately escaping to Yale. Justyce intervenes on Quan's behalf in order to help him become the person he is supposed to be.

While some of the elements of this book stretch the truth in terms of what actually happens when a child is locked up (and the author comments on this in her afterword), the story is common. All too many children but especially children of color face traumatic situations from which an easy exit is next to impossible. Quan is a loving son and brother, intelligent, observant, and has a wonderful sense of humor. In fact, the reader cannot help but love him and it is hard to imagine him engaging in crime. And that is the situation with so many people who are locked up -- they are amazing people who made a poor choice. In that, this book is spot on.

Quan suffers from panic attacks and anxiety that are trauma-related, and we see the way in which his counselors work with him to help him cope. For those who work with adolescents, this book is a must read, as Quan is representative of many of our kids. His mother, too, presents as a woman who loves her children, but is overwhelmed with life and therefore, unable to give Quan what he needs. This book is also a story of friendship, and the strong bonds that tie Quan to Justyce, no matter how far apart their destinies have taken them. Through Quan's letters to Justyce, (hence the title, Dear Justyce), we get to know Quan, as well as his hopes and dreams that he sees disappearing.

I read this book in two days. It is a heartbreaking but hopeful story that provides a window into what our obligation as adults is in terms of mentoring our youth. For adolescents who read the book, it will be easily relatable, even if the readers are not living Quan's exact life. In fact, Stone points out that her young readers asked her to write this book, so that she could show the opposite of kids who "make it out." She did a magnificent job.