Dear Justyce - by Nic Stone (Paperback)

About the Book

Incarcerated teen Quan Banks writes letters to Justyce McCallister, with whom he bonded years before over family issues, about his experiences in the American juvenile justice system.

Book Synopsis

An NPR Best Book of the Year * The stunning sequel to the critically acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestseller Dear Martin. An incarcerated teen writes letters to his best friend about his experiences in the American juvenile justice system.

An unflinching look into the tragically flawed practices and silenced voices in the American juvenile justice system.

Vernell LaQuan Banks and Justyce McAllister grew up a block apart in the Southwest Atlanta neighborhood of Wynwood Heights. Years later, though, Justyce walks the illustrious halls of Yale University . . . and Quan sits behind bars at the Fulton Regional Youth Detention Center.

Through a series of flashbacks, vignettes, and letters to Justyce--the protagonist of Dear Martin--Quan's story takes form. Troubles at home and misunderstandings at school give rise to police encounters and tough decisions. But then there's a dead cop and a weapon with Quan's prints on it. What leads a bright kid down a road to a murder charge? Not even Quan is sure.

A powerful, raw, must-read told through the lens of a Black boy ensnared by our broken criminal justice system. -Kirkus, Starred Review

Review Quotes

Praise for DEAR JUSTYCE:

An NPR Best Book of the Year

An unforgettable tour de force of social-justice and activist literature. --Booklist, starred review

A powerful, raw must-read told through the lens of a Black boy ensnared by our broken criminal justice system." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Stone tackles the American juvenile justice system and its unjust persecution of Black boys in this gritty, powerful sequel to Dear Martin." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

This book expands the conversation about systemic racism to include young men of color who don't fit the demands of respectability politics.... A nuanced perspective on the juvenile justice system. --SLJ

"[An] emotionally intense follow-up to the William C. Morris Debut Award finalist Dear Martin." --Shelf Awareness

"Teens can relate to the feelings of alienation, loneliness, and confusion that lead Quan to make many of the choices that he does, even as the book explores the various ways our current justice system disenfranchises young people of color." --The Horn Book

"[This] layered, painfully timely sequel about racism, police brutality, and incarceration will hit you hard." --Hello Giggles

Praise for DEAR MARTIN:

Powerful, wrenching. --John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Turtles All the Way Down

Absolutely incredible, honest, gut-wrenching. A must read! --Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give

Raw and gripping. --Jason Reynolds, New York Times bestselling author of Long Way Down

About the Author

Nic Stone is an Atlanta native and a Spelman College graduate. After working extensively in teen mentoring and living in Israel for several years, she returned to the United States to write full-time. Nic's debut novel for young adults, Dear Martin, was a New York Times bestseller and William C. Morris Award finalist. She is also the author of the teen titles Odd One Out, a novel about discovering oneself and who it is okay to love, which was an NPR Best Book of the Year and a Rainbow Book List Top Ten selection, and Jackpot, a love-ish story that takes a searing look at economic inequality.

Clean Getaway, Nic's first middle-grade novel, deals with coming to grips with the pain of the past and facing the humanity of our heroes. She lives in Atlanta with her adorable little family. Find her online at nicstone.info or @nicstone.