When it comes to books, I’ve never really had much of an interest. Most of the books I have read have either been cartoonish or mainly non-fiction.
However, when I read the first chapter of Nic Stone’s novel “Dear Martin,” I found it easy to get lost in the pages of a relatable book.
“Dear Martin” not only focuses on the real experiences of a young teen of color, but the hardships that also come with it. This was a captivating book full of truth but it shows the problems that are still very much alive in society today. I love the way Stone was able to portray racism and the profiling of people from certain ethnicities.
The book’s main character, Justyce McAllister, a young teen of color who goes to a prestigious school, has one real true friend, and one mess of a girlfriend.
The book begins with a racial encounter involving a police officer, resulting in a traumatizing experience for Justyce – an experience which would follow Justyce for the rest of the book, always feeling like his wrists are in handcuffs, always remembering the events that night.
All Justyce wants to do is live his life with his best friend, go to a good college, and stay out of trouble. But what can you do when it seems like trouble is always coming your way?
Torn between two conflicting sides, Jus doesn’t know where he really fits in.
Jared, the book’s antagonist, always makes racially motivated comments and does nothing but torment Jus most of the time. And ultimately doesn’t want to see Jus succeed or at least have Jus be better than him.
Trey, one of Justyce’s friends outside of school that he grew up with, always tries to bring Jus down. Whether it’s saying how his friends will eventually leave him someday or how he’ll be right back where Trey is because he won’t succeed in college, Justyce feels like he’s always being pulled against the grain.
Whether in or out of school, Jus feels like he’s trying to “climb a mountain” but someone is tugging at his leg and the other shoving him down.
In addition to this mistreatment, Jus goes to a mostly white school and is one of the only black people there.
After times end with Jus’s old girlfriend, Jus has found a new love interest but knows his mom wouldn’t approve only because of the race.
When Jus writes to King about his experiences, it seems as if he always think “What Would King Do?”
Jus tries his best to build a barrier against the army of the world but all Jus wants to do is live his life to the fullest and surround his mindset and actions as if he were Dr. Martin Luther King.
“Dear Martin” was great at showing the mindset of the main character and the real struggles that everyone will mostly likely go through in life.
The way the author wrote the arguments that Jus had with his peers, his breakdowns were he had let out all his anger and frustration that had built up, or even the sweet talk dialogue – it all felt like a real experience.
It was like you were right there, in the middle of all the chaos and strife, in the midst of the arguments, or even in the middle of the classroom. Wherever it was, you were present.
I liked how the author’s experiences were put in the book to give it a more realistic vibe. Stone makes the reader feel like they’re inside the book, and the ability to make the reader feel what the characters are feeling is strong and not seen in every single book or novel.
The letters that Jus wrote to King seeking answers was an interesting way to write a book, and it’s the first time I’ve seen something like it before.
The gut-punching honesty and realism of the book can leave you pondering thoughts that could maybe even last for weeks, and is something that I’d love to see more of.
Overall the book was a great experience and I would highly recommend reading the sequel “Dear Justyce.”
