Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⬜
Title: Dear Martin
Author: Nic Stone
Genre: YA Fiction
Author Info: She/Her
Setting: Atlanta, GA (Fictional Oak Ridge area)
Month Read: February, 2021
Book Type: Paperback
Publication: 2017
Pages:208
TRIGGER WARNING-
Gang Violence/ Police Brutality/ Racism/ PTSD/ Trauma/ Murder
"I will see you again, and our hearts will rejoice."
Summary- Spoiler Warning!
Dear Martin is a really poignant novel about a young black teen attending a (mostly white) prep school in Atlanta on an academic scholarship. In the beginning of the novel we see Justyce trying to help his *very drunk* on again/off again girlfriend not drive home. She's mixed, but presents as white- and an officer unlawfully detains Justyce thinking he is doing something less than kind to her.
After this incident leaves Justyce with PTSD and trauma, he starts "The Martin Project" where he writes letters to MLK Jr, in a journal format to figure out events happening around him, and processing his feelings, questions, and more under a sort of- What Would MLK do mentality. At this point, due to the events with the cop- Justyce starts to clearly see the amounts of bias and racism from the teens around him at school, from other events happening in his life, and also from his mother- (who under no circumstances wants Justyce to date anyone who isn't black.)
As Justyce grapples with these newfound revelations- Justyce also has to deal with the death of his best friend at the hands of an unarmed cop when they're all stopped at a traffic light and a verbal altercation begins. Events start to spiral from this point, and Justyce is forced to move on from grief, despair, elation, new love, and lots of changes throughout the rest of the book.
Review:
Nic Stone is an incredible author, and as an actor I was blown away by how much this book is written in a play format, and would LOVE to see this jump from page to stage. I think this would be such a great opportunity, and to focus youth theater on BIPOC characters. (Representation matters!!!)
Reading Dear Martin during this new Civil Rights Era (BLM!) brought so many things into perspective- the amounts of trauma BIPOC have to deal with in society, the facts that cops can largely get away with MURDER, people thinking that folks who aren't white somehow deserve less- all of these are tackled in this book in such an easy, thought provoking way. I really congratulate Nic Stone on writing such a great book, and can't wait to read her follow up novel- Dear Justyce.
Recommendations:
The Hate U Give, Concrete Rose & On the Come UP by Angie Thomas for books that also deal with racism, gang violence, teen death, police brutality, and struggling to be black and true to yourself in a mostly white, upper class setting.
The Track Series by Jason Reynolds also tackles some themes of being Black in different spaces, having less than, and strong black mentors.
"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality."
-Martin Luther King Jr.
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