Just read it! Nic Stone has once again written a thought-provoking novel that everyone should read. This book may be categorized as YA, but it should be read by adults as well. Ten thumbs up for this novel and the fantastic author who wrote it.

I was really hoping this one would be a winner for me, but it was not. Maybe it's because of the current national outcry we are experiencing from Black Americans. May the timing set my expectation too high. I loved Dear Martin and when I heard the author was writing something from the point of view of Quan I got so excited. I was hoping that many of the teens I work with would be better able to see themselves in Quan, because there are so many more Quans out there in the world. And maybe they will. I don't want to speak for teen readers. But I just didn't hear the voice of Quan the way I was hoping to. I still think there was a lot of Justyce in there. Quan was too articulate, had his feelings too figured out. I don't know many 18 year old boys who have that. Also, Stone even says in the afterward that the real Quans of the world would not have had the support system that Quan's character did. I wish she would have written it more true to real life. Yes, this would have made the story more painful to read, but also more relatable to young readers.

Wow. Just powerfully wow.

This book does not HAVE to be read in continuation to Dear Martin but it definitely helps to know the characters and what’s going on.

This book follows Quan, friend of protagonist Justyce from Dear Martin.

Quan isn’t as fortunate as Justyce. He doesn’t get to go to a fancy school or end up going to a prestigious university. Quan ends up in the cycle that many young black kids like himself end up - the roundabout cycle of jail. This time, though, Quan’s in big trouble. Writing to Justyce seems to be one of the best things for him, as we see throughout the book.

I want to write so much more about Quan but that would totally spoil the book.

I hurt for Quan. I hurt for the Quans of the world who feel that they have to do things in order to survive. This book is a book we need RIGHT NOW. (I write this as protests over ANOTHER Black man’s death by the hands of a cop continue throughout the US and world.) This book is a MUST READ for anyone who wants to understand how poverty, abuse, racism, and even schools contribute to why we have so many people of color in our jails.

We all have to do better.

Nic Stone has written the perfect sequel. I hope her authors note and forward are included in the final published version of this book, because they gave a nice context as to why she decided to write a sequel.
I loved having a different Black main character that was not at all similar to Justyce. I also loved the feeling of hope at the end of the book. It was much needed after being angry and sad about everything that happened to Quan.
I am ready for the world to hear Quan's story.

I finally read Dear Martin the other day and finished that at midnight. Lo and behold Netgalley was awesome enough to approve my request for this earlier in the day. I had every intention of reading Dear Justyce on another day, but me finally going to sleep at 4am says a different story.

I really liked Dear Martin, but this was even more powerful and real. I honestly think it was hard to remember that it is fiction because everything about Quan is real. This is a MUST read for young adults and adults alike. I learned more from this than any history book I had read in the past. As a former teacher, I would love to see the Dear Martin series become mandatory reading up there with "To Kill A MockingBird" and "Lord of the Flies".

When people ask me, “Do you like standalone novels or series more?” I always say standalone. I am not one to read sequels very often. My experience in the past has always been that the sequel pretty much never lives up to the first book. Nic Stone may have just changed my opinion with Dear Justyce. I read this book in one sitting and gave it 5 stars – the 6th book (out of 47) I’ve awarded 5 stars to this year.

The book can stand on its own without reading Dear Martin first, but I do think you will get more out of the story if you read them sequentially.

I loved Dear Martin – it opened my eyes to so many things by telling the story of a Black, middle class teenager that just wanted to do things right in life, but still kept getting a raw deal because of the color of his skin. But in Dear Justyce, we get an inside look at what life is like for a Black teen that isn’t given the opportunities that the main character in Dear Martin was given.

This book takes place immediately after Dear Martin and brings back some of the same main characters, but it gives us the unique perspective of a kid thrown into the juvenile detention system. The main character, Quan, details his life in jail and describes how differently the outcome is for kids based off the color of their skin. This is a story that needs to be read by all.

Adjectives to describe this book (arranged alphabetically):
Absorbing
Action packed
Bold
Compelling
Emotionally charged
Fast-paced
Gripping
Layered
Moving
Relevant
Suspenseful
Thought-provoking

Content warnings:
Brief description of a panic attack
Cancer
Death of a stepparent
Descriptions of sleep paralysis
Gangs
Graphic language (R rated, the F word and N word are used)
Juvenile imprisonment
Parental abandonment
Parental arrest/imprisonment
Police brutality
PTSD
Racism
Spousal abuse
Usage of the N word

Definitely purchasing this book for our high school library! I've read other novels by Nic Stone and liked them; this is a talented author who writes timely books.
Quan is sitting in jail, wrongly accused of a crime, looking back on what got him there, and thinking this is where he'll spend the rest of his life. He tells his readers his story as he looks back at the circumstances surrounding his arrest. (Stone uses letters, script, varied points of view.) Quan wonders about his choices AND the violent circumstances surrounding African American males in our society today! This is a must-read! Choked me up; I'll admit!

This book is a must read. So hard to read but so hard to put down. Such a powerful story. The book details out a life and the choices and circumstances that lead to Quan’s life behind bars. While this is a work of fiction, much of the things in this book are more real then most of us want to accept.

We have to stop closing our eyes and turning our heads way from these kids. They need to know someone is out there for them. We have to be the change and support they need. As Nic Stone states,
“ Sometimes a smile or a genuine “Hey, how are you?” has the power to move an emotional mountain. A listening ear can make a day, and an “I believe in you” could completely change a trajectory.” Thank you for this book, Nic Stone. Your message is so important.

Nic Stone always has a way with pulling me into her books and this was just like the rest. Except it was better. Dear Martin was my favorite book of 2017, and when I saw she was coming out with a book about Quan... I was nervous but so excited. I got this right at the perfect time with everything happening in the world. This book was beautiful and heartbreaking and exactly what people need to read in the time of the Black Lives Matter movement. Stone does such a great job at getting you emotionally involved in the characters and their stories. This was such an easy 5 star read, and I recommend this to anyone when it is released later on this year.

Dear Justyce is about a young boy named Vernell LaQuan Banks Jr. (Quan for short) writing letters to his friend Justyce McCallister while incarcerated. Quan goes through so many difficult obstacles at a young age and throughout his life before and during his arrest. During his difficult time in jail, Justyce has been his ray of light in a dark place in his life when he feels no one is there for him.

This is a great book for all of us to read for reflection and ways to help to those that need it the most. This story reminds me to become more than just an advocator of reading/librarian, but also a human being to our young students. It is great to demonstrate in the author's note that the readers are valuable no matter what. It has a great message for everyone. I highly recommend this book.

Quan, 17, writes letters to his friend, Justyce, describing the events that lead him to prison. The sequel to "Dear Martin" illustrates how the juvenile justice system treats African-Americans.

I finished Dear Martin last night and I was so happy to be able to start Dear Justyce right after. I tore through this sequel and I ended up loving it even more than Dear Martin.

In Dear Martin, we didn't really get a good sense of who Quan was, only what he did. We knew that he shot and killed a police officer and that he was in a gang, Getting to know him was a really valuable thing for me. We see him as a kid and we see just how much he wants to take care of his younger siblings and how desperate he is for family. (His dad is in prison, his mom is pretty much checked out and her new boyfriend is awful.)

Quan is almost the anti-Justyce. Both teens are incredibly smart, but Justyce has a good support system and that's something Quan didn't have. Between the lack of concerned adults in his life and his longing for family, it's understandable how events unfolded as they did. We also see the effects of racism on him (he got a 98 on a math test and his substitute insisted that he must have cheated; no one believed that he just studied hard).

When I finished Dear Martin and realized the sequel centered around Quan, I was a little disappointed. I was so, so wrong.

I definitely need to read everything that Nic Stone has ever written. Her books are incredible.

Highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a DRC of this title for review. All opinions are my own.

Even if I had read this book on a different day, in a different week, in a different month than we are in right now, I would have been moved. But reading it now, as May 2020 comes to a close and the world watches as the streets in cities across the US burn, as protestors and police clash, as the videos keep surfacing, as chants of "I can't breathe" rain down on us, this was visceral. And I can't wait for all of you to read it.

Quan is in a detention center, locked up for a crime that came after one too many other bad decisions. He knows Justyce from when they were kids in the same neighborhood, before Jus moved on to the suburbs, and the private schools, and the Ivy Leagues. But now, through letters, the two are beginning to reunite. As Quan explains why he is locked up, and he reflects on his life and the choices he made (although, sometimes, he doesn't think there were any other choices), the reader gains insight into life as a black boy in a rough neighborhood. What happens when traumas occur, but there is no support system in place to help? When the only family you can find is one that offers a sense of belonging for trading part of yourself at the door?

I highly recommend this one. First purchase for all collections serving YA readers. Look for it in the fall, but put it on your orders now. It is necessary and important and real.

Dear Justyce by Nic Stone is amazing! I love the friendship between Quan and Justyce! Nic Stone shines a light on the dysfunctional lifestyle for this young man and many African American youth. The story provides the reader the full picture of how the justice system works in regard for African American youth. Such a moving story!

This may be Nic Stone's best book yet. Her letter to reader's at the beginning explained that she wanted to write a book for the Black boys she's met who do not have the same opportunities as her character in Dear Martin. Quan has an abusive home where he feels responsible for his young half siblings at a young age. His lack of options results in his first crime of shoplifting food to feed his starving family. The reader knows from his letters to his friend Justyce that he is now in jail for a much bigger crime. As the story progresses, the reader understands his circumstances and decisions. Then in the heart pounding final third of the book, the reader is held in suspense to find out what will happen to Quan. I was really impressed how Stone weaved a complex story into a tight novel that allows readers like Quan to be seen and white readers like me to better understand their perspective. I hope teens and adults will all read this book and find hope in feeling seen, or find a starting point for difficult conversations. This book is so important and it is through reading book about racism and systemic oppression that readers can hopefully find the right voices to speak up and end it.

I read this immediately after finishing Dear Martin, and it worked really well as a continuation of that story. At the same time, I think it would also work equally well on its own. Although knowing Justyce’s story first adds a layer of understanding to why Quan is writing to Justyce, I don’t think it’s necessary to get something from this book. I’m not sure how anyone could read either Dear Martin or this book and not get fired up and want to do something.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this title. Dear Justyce is highly relatable, and will resonate with many inner-city kids across America. This story highlights the intersectionality of Capitalism, class, crime, and race. Quan’s story is gritty, heart wrenching, and authentic. I can't wait to share this one with my student patrons when they return to school in the Fall.

What an awesome sequel...especially when you read Nic Stone's author's note regarding they why behind writing this book. I love seeing both sides of the system and explore these wonderful characters further. Although the ending is admittedly a bit rosey, I do appreciate the hopefulness so we as readers and citizens can promote a more hopeful vision for our society.

Wow. Wow, wow, wow! I hadn't read Dear Martin, but didn't need to in order to be totally engrossed in this book. Nic Stone is a beautiful writer, and she does it again with this book. She wrote this book for the Quans she knows- the black kids facing systemic racism from the moment they step foot in a school, store, neighborhood- you name it. This story will tear you up and show you very big love. It might be fiction, but for so many kids and teens it's reality. We are currently working to get this incorporated into a book discussion club at my library.

Dear Justyce is the title that made me join NetGalley. I’ve had a couple of interactions with Nic Stone the last year and she constantly fascinates me with her thoughts and ideas. So when I heard Dear Justyce was coming, I selfishly wanted to read it before it was released to the public, and I am glad I did. This is also a book worth buying once it is released in Septemeber, 2020 and I will read it again.

I don’t know if the book should be called a sequel or companion to Dear Martin, it certainly helps that you have read Dear Martin before but it is not required. Sure, you know some of the characters already and have or opinion of them, but as in life, opinions can change. The writing style is similar with the use of written letters to often set the scene and update the reader of passed time.
We are introduced to Quan and a life he was born into through a series of flashbacks. From Dear Martin, we know that he is in prison for shooting a police officer - but as Dear Justyce progressed, I began to understand Quan more and realize that there are probably many “Quans” incarcerated today because of a few bad decisions and now they are trapped within the prison “system” unable to break free of its clutches even if they are released from prison at a later time.
Justyce is finishing his first year at Yale and has been in communication with Quan through written correspondence. Quan and Justyce share memories and see how they are connected even though their life path may seemingly be headed in completely different directions.

The ARC edition states that Nic Stone wrote Dear Justyce because she met two young men that were more similar to Quan than Justyce and that they asked that their voices be heard as well. This is how I see this book as a companion to Dear Martin - it really is the yin to a yang type novel. It is intertwined but different at the same time. You learn about an Ivy League education vs. a street education. You find professors in the classroom but also teachers with more influence in a house. You see a young man labeled a cop killer but there is more than one way to label a person. Nic Stone does it again with her writing, but try not to judge it against Dear Martin solely as a means of liking or disliking the book. There is more to discover about yourself and society after reading Dear Justyce.