Dear Justyce is a companion novel to Nic Stone's extremely successful debut novel Dear Martin. Both books could be read independently of each other. In Dear Justyce, Stone turns her critical eye to the broken and injust criminal justice system. Though Quan and Martin were both raised in the same neighborhood and came from fractured family homes, their lives were led in two completely different directions: Martin to an Ivy school and Quan from the school to prison pipeline.
With his father in prison, Quan works hard to excel in school, avoids his mother’s abusive boyfriend, and has the added responsibility to raise and protect his younger siblings. Fast-forward to the present is an incarcerated Quan, remembering the day his father was arrested two years after that meeting. While in custody, Quan writes to Justyce at Yale. Through "snapshots" and letters we learn the circumstances and decisions that led to Quan's arrest as well as his tumultuous friendship with Justyce. When Quan professes that he didn't commit the crime for which he was incarcerated, Justyce becomes committed to clearing his name.
Through Quan, we see not just an incarcerated Black youth, but as a whole, humanized person with their trauma, hopelessness, and awareness of the impact of racial disparities in their lives and how it shapes their future. Unlike Dear Martin, I had a hard time with the narrative structure of the book. Though I understand Stone's purpose, I felt the constant back and forth of the timeline took me out of the story and I was often confused as to when the event was taking place. I found Quan's letters to be powerful and compelling much more than the fairy-tale like ending of Quan's fate (which is incredibly heartbreaking to think of it that way and it is addressed in an author's note). Once again Justyce can be seen as the 'exceptional' Black man and his ability to help Quan needed a suspension of disbelief. Though I am happy with the uplifting ending, I don't think it would have made a stronger impact if Stone chose to stick with gritty reality.
I also wanted to point out having the gang be named "Black jihad" made me feel incredibly uncomfortable as a Muslim reader. Jihad is often defined as 'holy war' in western media. Jihad simply means struggle. To use jihad as part of a gang name is to perpetuate the ideology that Islam and violence are intertwined, though that might have not been Stone's intention. Like Dear Martin, I did wish the secondary characters were a bit fleshed out. Overall Dear Justyce has a great message, but for me it is not as strong as Dear Martin.

Nic Stone's Dear Justyce is an excellent read for teens and adults alike. Stone has a way of creating characters that are loveable and flawed and doesn't resort to clichés when discussing societal problems. While Dear Martin was an excellent read, Dear Justyce is an excellent follow up and I am delighted that she chose to write from Quan's point of view. Quan is a teen who tries to do the best he can with what he has been given and teens and adults can relate to him on many levels. It was a fantastic choice to allow the reader back into Justyce's head while learning more about Quan and how he ends up where he is. Readers do not need to read Dear Martin first, though everyone should read it as well, and this is an excellent companion piece to Stone's previous story. Everyone should read this book.

I am so sorry that I cannot do a review. I read this book for consideration for the Schneider Award. While I am allowed to give starred reviews, I cannot give analysis reviews. But thank you for allowing me the chance to read it!

While I would argue that Dear Martin was the better written of the two, Dear Justyce was definitely the more relevant. Nic could not have written this book at a better time — many young Black (and perhaps other minority individuals) will relate well to it, and those of us who are not Black can learn from it. I also loved seeing the characters from Dear Martin return to help Quran.

I was given advanced access to Dear Justyce from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down! The friendship of two young men, one who escapes the school-to-prison pipeline and one who does not is told through letters. Although the premise seems cliched, it is not. Nic Stone accurately exposes the reality and struggles of young black men in American society. The novel reinforces the importance of a support system and uncovers the inequities in the judicial system.
Reading Dear Justyce will compel you to speak out against and fight against systemic racism.

Wow this was such a heavy and heartbreaking read! I felt incredibly sad for the main character and I just couldn't stop reading. Would highly recommend this!

Nic Stone is such a wonder. My students love Dear Martin and will now get to continue the story with Dear Justyce. Helping students understand the criminal (in)justice system from the perspective of someone their own age is the best way to get their attention.

Quan is imprisoned for the murder of Officer Castillo and has begun writing letters to his friend Justyce (from Dear Martin). The narrative follows the series of events and tragedies in Quan's life that have led to this point beginning at age 11 with him witnessing his father's arrest. His mother is in an abusive relationship with "Count Olaf" Dwight and he has two younger half-siblings who he tries to protect from witnessing the physical abuse. And despite Quan's promise and math skills, he uses those skills for the local "organization" that winds up getting him in more trouble. In his communication with Justyce, Quan is able to reflect more about the path that led him from petty theft to prison for murder; however, Justyce finds a means for Quan's possible acquittal.
This is a wonderful sequel to Dear Martin and gives an accurate account of the circumstances and reality many young Black men (boys, really) undergo in the school-to-prison pipeline. Nic Stone does a great job making characters relatable and truly understanding the psyche of Quan and his trauma. Stone recognizes that Quan, unlike many young people, was able to find the support system through Doc, his counselor, caseworker, and his friends.
I wish there was more leniency for Quan's mom or that the effects of being in relationship of domestic abuse/intimate partner violence has on all the victims. I feel like her character could have been developed more. Additionally, the tragedy with Quan's sister, Dasia, did not add anything to the plot other than a means for Quan's mom to visit him in jail and to increase his debt and allegiance to Martel. Overall, this was a heavy read with an uplifting end.

If you enjoyed DEAR MARTIN, you would definitely enjoy DEAR JUSTYCE. If DEAR MARTIN is for the lucky ones, DEAR JUSTYCE is for the unlucky ones,

Dear Justyce
5/5⭐️

Thank you so much to Crown Books for Young Reader, Penguin Teen Canada and NetGalley for this egalley copy to review! Please also read #ownvoices reviews for this book!

Oh my gosh!! When I read Dear Justyce (and Dear Martin in preparation to read D.J.), I hadn’t read a Nic Stone book before, but now she is an auto buy author! I think everybody should read these books! Dear Justyce tells the story of Quan in letters he writes to Justyce while he is incarcerated. One day he ends up in a very tricky and unfortunate conflict between a house of people and a couple of police officers. Things escalate quickly, and before Quan truly knows what’s going on, he’s being arrested for the shooting of one of the officers and is coerced into a confession. Dear Justyce delves into Quan’s story and history more, of his family, neighborhood, and all the things that made him, him. Through this book, her writing, and her characters, Nic Stone shows the reality for young Black people, especially young Black men, when they get involved in the US justice system. She exposes how deeply embedded systemic racism is in the justice system and how it unfairly targets BIPOC people. For myself as a white woman, it helped me be even more aware of my white privilege and my responsibility towards being antiracist and speaking out against injustice. Again, Stone’s writing is so beautiful, and the way she wrote Quan and told his story really made me connect with him. His emotions and thoughts translated so beautifully across the page.

I 100% recommend this book, and I cannot wait to read more of Nic Stone’s writing!

Amazing!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fantastic sequel to Dear Martin. Unfortunately, as the author notes, Quan’s story is far more common than Justyce’s, which is why it was so important for her to tell. So powerful and well written, but I also definitely felt like the ending is not what happens to most wrongly incarcerated Black teens. Although I do understand needing to wrap up a YA book with a hopeful and positive ending, even if that may not always be real life.

Thanks to Netgalley and Crown Books for Young Readers for an advanced copy of this book.

This sequel to “Dear Martin” is an important addition to the growing list of books illustrating the realities of being a black teenage boy in America. Quan is in jail after taking the fall for a crime he didn’t commit and he begins writing letters to his friend Justyce. He tells him the truth and wonders if there is any legal help he can offer since he’s studying law in college. Through these letters, Quan explored how he got where he is and his complex web of emotions about the people and events that influenced his decisions. This is an excellent read on its on and a wonderful extension of the story from Nic Stone’s first novel.

A powerful exploration of both the inequities in the criminal justice system and the consequences of young people, especially young black men, feeling abandoned at home and/or at school. This is a sequel to the award winning novel Dear Martin and is every bit as worthwhile. Nic Stone conveys ideas about social injustice by painting a clear picture of real life circumstances, without ever getting preachy. This book, Dear Martin, and Jackpot are all highly recommended.

Quan has found himself in trouble and reaches out to his old friend, Justyce, who helps Quan--in more ways than one--to deal with what has happened and to try and get through the difficulties his life has thrown at him.

This was WONDERFUL! A great insight to teens who find themselves in trouble and incarcerated, whether they're actually guilty or not. This is an excellent addition to Black #OwnVoices literature.

Will be using this in my young-adult literature class next semester! Students loved _Dear Martin_, so I'll be offering this as an option for the "read-the-next-by-this-author" assignment they'll be doing. Thanks to NetGalley for the access.

Nic Stone's story-telling is powerful and incredibly important. She shares the reality of life in the U.S. for many Black teens. The story is essential to serve as both a mirror for those who have these experiences and a window for people like me, who need a better understanding of what life is like for others.

I am not able to review this book because I serve on YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults committee.

I definitely preferred Dear Martin over Dear Justyce, but Nic Stone is a magical wordsmith so it's all good.

Sometimes a book is so powerful and breathtaking that you're left at a loss for words.

That is definitely how I feel about the incredible @nicstone 's Dear Justyce.

I read Nic's debut novel, Dear Martin, less than two months ago and was absolutely blown away, so when I learned she was publishing a sequel this fall, I knew I had to do whatever it took to get ahold of it. Just days ago, I was given access to an electronic ARC of Dear Justyce via @penguinrandomhouse (thank you, thank you, thank you so much!!), and after beginning it yesterday morning, I binged it in less than 36 hours.

THIS BOOK IS PHENOMENAL.

From the letter to readers and epigraph, to the very last word of Nic's Author's Note, every word of this book served a purpose and changed me as a person.

Though Dear Martin was told from the perspective of Justyce McAllister - an honor student full of promise and determination - this sequel is told from the voice of Vernell LaQuan "Quan" Banks Jr., an incarcerated teenager whose life experiences are radically different from Justyce's. Through letters from Quan to Justyce, flashbacks, and chapters told from present day, both readers and Justyce learn about the disparity and struggles Quan has faced since his youth, as well as the systemic racism and injustice he has experienced in the American prison system.

With an incarcerated father, a mother who suffers abuse at the hands of her boyfriend, and a younger half-sister and half-brother he often feels responsible for, Quan faces more challenges from age nine into his teenage years than some face in a lifetime. Though extremely intelligent, he feels as though the cards are stacked against him. With very few supportive adults in his life, and a mother he feels has given up on him, Quan is left to seek out the love and support he needs from the Black Jihad. While this group of men looks out for and protects Quan, they also put him in dangerous situations that he feels trapped by. That is until one day, he is in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up arrested for allegedly killing a police officer. But is there more to Quan's story than meets the eye?

Like This is My America by @kcjohnsonwrites , so many aspects of Dear Justyce absolutely broke my heart. The lack of control and choices not only Quan, but so many young Black boys and girls felt around him, made me cry, and I hated that Quan lost so many of his safe places and people who supported and believed in him.

"After my dad got locked up," Quan writes to Justyce, "I ain't really have no positive connections - nobody who was a good influence or who called out some good they saw in me. Honestly, except for ONE teacher - who just had to go and have a baby - wasn't nobody paying me no mind AT ALL, let alone saying anything positive or uplifting or encouraging or pick your feel-good term. ... Which makes me wonder: Would MY life have gone in a different direction if I'd made more positive connections?"

The abuse, desperation, and hopelessness Quan faced was not easy to read about, but it was so very important. Nic handles Quan's story with incredible care, sensitivity, grace, and love, and makes readers not only want to speak out and do something about the economic and social disparity, systemic racism, and injustice that Black men, women, and children and other POC face, but to also acknowledge every child's potential and help them grow to be the best they can be.

"I guess I didn't realize just how big of a difference it could make to have somebody really believe in you," Quan writes in a later letter to Justyce. "I been thinking a lot about Trey and Mar and Brad and them. We were all looking for the same things, man - support, protection, family, that type of sh*t. And we found SOME of it in one another, but we couldn't really give each other no type of encouragement to do nothing GOOD because nobody was really giving US any. Matter of fact, we typically got the opposite. ... How the hell's a person supposed to give something they ain't ever had?"

This book is a call to action in so many ways, and its one I believe should be taught in high schools. I learned so much, and I will carry those lessons with me forever.

Don't wait; please, please pre-order this book, and once you do pre-order, please take the #JustyceChallenge and submit proof of your preorder to the link in @nicstone 's bio because for each pre-order of Dear Justyce, an equal number of copies of Dear Martin (up to 5,000) will be donated to the Prisoners Literature Project @prisonlitproject to be distributed to incarcerated individuals! Also, for every 1,000 uses of the #JustyceChallenge hashtag and the sharing of this initiative, @getunderlined will donate 500 Dear Justyce ARCs (up to 4,000 copies) to the Prisoners Literature Project! How incredible is that?!? Additionally, your pre-order will also get you access to an exclusive virtual event with Nic on Sept. 28.

Thank you to @nicstone and @penguinrandomhouse for access to this eARc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review, and thank you so much to @getunderlined and @nicstone for all of the incredible work you're doing with the #JustyceChallenge (thank you also to @rodgers_reads for also bringing this challenge to my attention!!) These books can truly change lives, and it goes without saying that I cannot wait to see what @nicstone writes next.