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.
Reviews
An NPR Best Book of the Year!
A Bank Street Best Children’s 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
