Nic Stone may not have intended to write a sequel to Dear Martin, but those of us who love that book are glad she did. Dear Justyce follows a character that shows up in the first book, though some readers may not remember him. Through letters and flashbacks, a new story unfolds from a young man who grew up in the same neighborhood as our previous protagonist, but whose life has gone in a very different direction.
The Situation: Vernell LaQuan Banks Jr., or 'Quan,' is currently in the Fulton Regional Youth Detention Center on a murder charge. Mistakes were made, choices were made, and through a series of ill-fated events, a police officer is dead and all signs point to Quan. Now Quan is writing letters to Justyce McAllister, who is currently finishing up his first year as a pre-law at Yale. Quan has to know: Both he and Justyce grew up in the same neighborhood, even went to the same schools; so how did they end up in such different places? Quan begins the story when he was younger, and he feels the night his dad was arrested is the night when it all began. Granted, things were not the best before that, but they were better. Afterwards there is the first arrest. Then came the second. Followed by a third that would stay on his record, and the fourth that established the course of his life. Quan does not want to be the guy to blame fate or destiny, but what else is he to call it when no one ever expected anything different?
The Problem: Quan wants to be clear: He made decisions that landed him where he is. But there are others who have made similar decisions - some even worse decisions - whose consequences were not nearly as bad, simply because they did not look like him. Boys who look like him, who grew up where he did, are easily ignored, blamed, and dismissed as delinquents. Quan wonders if things could have been different if he had received more support, if people were not so ready to believe he was capable of only the worst. The path that led him to where he is feels predetermined, and almost impossible to go against, so why not lean into it? But when Justyce enters the picture after finishing his first year in college, he has a plan to change things. It was his letters to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that inspired Quan to begin writing letters to him, and after their months of correspondence, he insists on standing by his friend.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel that follows 2017's Dear Martin. Stone was ready to leave Justyce McAllister alone as she felt good with where his story ended. But after a correspondence with some readers, she decided to write about the black boys who do not end up going to Ivy League colleges in the end - the ones who either stay where they are, or end up in jail, and not necessarily because the punishment is fitting for the crime. Dear Martin readers will not only recognize some of the characters from the previous book, but also Stone's stylistic, almost lyrical prose as Quan tells his story. Going beyond simply varying the sentence structure, simple phrases are often laid out in a way that will cause a reader to stop and think. Is Quan simply following his destiny? Was there ever a chance that things could have been different? If Justyce escaped, why couldn't he? And why is the justice system, and so many other systems, so ready to give up on him, when all it could take is for someone, anyone, to believe in him?
My Verdict: I read this book in a day. Less than 12 hours. And it is not because it is an easy read. There is a lot going on in this thing, and I can see why Stone said in the author's note that she had a difficult time writing it. I even had a difficult time writing this blog post. What I love most is the writing style. From the letters, to the snapshots, to the actual narrative, things start off interesting and they stay interesting. Quan is the type of kid that society quickly gives up on, but I refused to give up on his story, even when things looked their most hopeless and desperate, which was often. From the start it was clear that Quan was going to have a hard road. The term 'uphill battle' is appropriate, but also not quite strong enough. His story says a lot about the world we live in and how it treats people like him, and it is a must for any Dear Martin fan. It is an example of the power of belief and hope, as well as perseverance and courage.
Favorite Moment: There is something about the way Quan describes the playground that he used to run to, with the rocket ship that he would climb inside. The rocket ship shows up a few times, until Quan must eventually describe what the playground looks like without it.
Favorite Character: Justyce may be one of the bravest young characters I have read about in quite awhile. He is willing to enter what amounts to a lion's den for a friend he is not even sure he can save.
Recommended Reading: I recommend Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi, and of course, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
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