Thursday, March 28, 2019

Dear Martin

Dear Martin
By Nic Stone
Crown, 2017. 210 pages. Young Adult

Justyce is a college bound, African American teen attending a predominantly white high school. When he’s accepted into a college that denied another classmate, a discussion starts about Affirmative Action, assumptions, prejudice, and racism. Then a run in with a retired, white police officer turns violent and Justyce must come to terms with what it means to be black. His journal-like letters to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. show his desire to be a good example of peacefully standing up for what right, while pressures from all sides weighs him down.

I’ve read several books recently that address a variety of social issues, and I love how this one addressed the issue of racism head on. Justyce is a well-developed character, and when he comes face to face with unacknowledged racism, his reactions and responses felt real and genuine. I would definitely recommend this to fans of THE HATE U GIVE.

ACS

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