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lucyclay's review against another edition
4.0
A solid 4.75 i loved it and it had a lot of good messages combined in it.
lattelibrarian's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Wow wow wow. It's clear why so many people love this book--and why so many people want it banned. Similar to The Hate U Give, this book shows us how police brutality and gun violence affect young black teens--and black populations in general--disproportionately.
This was a difficult read, and sitting with it does make me uncomfortable. What I read in here is all true, and I've read it before in news articles, blogs, and books. But reading a book in which you place yourself in the main character's shoes does force you, for the duration of the book, to look directly at the trauma induced. You cannot close out of the tab or change the channel. And you are compelled to keep reading.
This was a difficult read, and sitting with it does make me uncomfortable. What I read in here is all true, and I've read it before in news articles, blogs, and books. But reading a book in which you place yourself in the main character's shoes does force you, for the duration of the book, to look directly at the trauma induced. You cannot close out of the tab or change the channel. And you are compelled to keep reading.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality, Racial slurs, Classism, Gun violence, Racism, and Murder
Minor: Alcohol
gemstonejasper's review
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I enjoyed it and plan to read Dear Justyce. It was really fast paced and I read it in one day. That being said, it was very on the nose about its themes. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, just something that I wanted to mention. I do think that it helped me understand the experience of a group of people I don't belong to more than I did before.
rasmustache's review
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
roglows's review against another edition
5.0
Suffice to say, this should be required reading for all high school students and their parents. Excellent.
chelseatm's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
I wanted to like this book more because I saw the enormous potential it had to add to the young adult genre. However, I felt it fell short in some major areas.
The novel is essentially about a young, black man trying to navigate the best route and solution through the contemporary racial minefield. It is kicked off by a traumatic event with a police officer and is then mirrored in other parts of his life. Nic Stone does not have a solution by the novel's end but I think it'd be unrealistic to expect her to. The book is a musing so to speak on that frustration and angering feelings of impotence.
While I enjoyed the overall theme of the book, I found that the characters were very one dimensional, especially the 'bad' characters. I think it would have been more powerful to not have the Jared character be just an entitled, racist brat. Perhaps show his good qualities (because everyone has them) and then you'll inevitably show that the best people have prejudice. I think by displaying such overt examples of racism and prejudice, Stone missed the opportunity to open a dialogue about hidden racism and microaggressions in even the best of people.
While this will still be a powerful book for actual young adults, I felt that it didn't offer anything to adults that The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas didn't already do in leaps and bounds.
I wanted to like this book more because I saw the enormous potential it had to add to the young adult genre. However, I felt it fell short in some major areas.
The novel is essentially about a young, black man trying to navigate the best route and solution through the contemporary racial minefield. It is kicked off by a traumatic event with a police officer and is then mirrored in other parts of his life. Nic Stone does not have a solution by the novel's end but I think it'd be unrealistic to expect her to. The book is a musing so to speak on that frustration and angering feelings of impotence.
While I enjoyed the overall theme of the book, I found that the characters were very one dimensional, especially the 'bad' characters. I think it would have been more powerful to not have the Jared character be just an entitled, racist brat. Perhaps show his good qualities (because everyone has them) and then you'll inevitably show that the best people have prejudice. I think by displaying such overt examples of racism and prejudice, Stone missed the opportunity to open a dialogue about hidden racism and microaggressions in even the best of people.
While this will still be a powerful book for actual young adults, I felt that it didn't offer anything to adults that The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas didn't already do in leaps and bounds.
greenleafbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so powerful and meaningful, I’m really glad I decided to pick it up on a whim.
moyir90's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0