Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Dear Justyce by Nic Stone

12 reviews

osoordinary's review

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A great sequel to Dear Martin! Really enjoyed this one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Gun violence and Racism

taliatalksbooks's review

challenging emotional hopeful 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

Dear Justyce by Nic Stone was a powerful sequel to Dear Martin. Though shorter books, both of these novels effectively and succinctly highlight the impact of race in the US Justice System. These ramifications create a complex web of emotions, that Stone allows readers (especially those of us who are not people of color) to get a first hand glimpse into the thoughts and reasonings of someone in these positions. This book does a great job communicating the fear, distrust, and discomfort associated with our justice system, and gives readers a new outlook, even if they’re not from areas like the setting of this book. I really loved the character development and writing of this book, and I think the pair are absolutely must reads. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Violence, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Grief, and Racism

chaoticnostalgia's review

hopeful reflective 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, Gun violence, Death, Classism, Grief, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, and Cancer

Minor: Pregnancy and Drug use

brandie_abbie19's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Cursing, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Racism, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Violence

bookcaptivated's review

hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Racism

Moderate: Cancer and Toxic relationship

Minor: Pregnancy

booksthatburn's review against another edition

reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

*Rating edited downward because late in the book a character refers to plans for a Birthright trip and it is unchallenged in the narrative.

DEAR JUSTYCE follows Quan from DEAR MARTIN as he tells his friend Justyce about his life before he was incarcerated during the previous book. Told in a combination of flashbacks and letters to Justyce, this is a contemplation of the past with a chance at having a future. 

There’s so much care in this story, it’s evident in every page. In terms of narrative structure, it begins with the MC in prison, waiting for the outcome of his case but not hoping for much. It traces how he got there, how the turning points never felt like choices because of the system stacked against him as a Black boy then a Black teenager, then a young Black man. It's not trying to be a litany of traumas or disasters, the framing is that most of the sudden traumas were a long time ago, and that distance helps a bit. He's slowly gaining the tools to place his life in context and see how the pieces fit together, while also keeping tabs on the present. 

Now for the sequel check. The whole point of this story us to wrap up some thing left hanging from the previous book, namely: what happened to Quan after the events of DEAR MARTIN. There are several storylines which start in this book and were not present previously. Technically a bunch of the stuff that is resolved in this book was started in the first one, but this is definitely its own story within the series. I don’t know if there will be any more in this series, it looks like the first one was intended to be a stand-alone book, and this features someone who was a secondary character there. If this is the end of the series, it feels pretty complete, but there are definitely a lot of good candidates for another story if the author continues the series. Quan’s voice here is distinct from Justyce’s narration in the first book. This would definitely make sense if someone started with this book and hadn’t read the first one. 

Some of the secondary characters don’t get very much narrative attention here, but given that Quan literally isn’t able to spend any time with most of them, it would be more surprising if they had a lot of space on the page. As it stands, the snippets were enough to remind me of who they were from DEAR MARTIN if they were returning characters, and it was nice to see most of them again. The author is really good at making characters distinct and vibrant with minimal description, and that shone here. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Drug use, and Sexism

CW for sexism (minor), alcoholism, drug use, confinement, panic attacks, cancer, domestic abuse, physical abuse, child abuse, gun violence, violence, police brutality, major character death.

brookey8888's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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

4.5

Such an important book!! I really like how Nic Stone choose to right about a character who isn’t perfect, but still deserves so much. I really liked Quan as a character and how much he grew rather it be in believing he can do so much or just in his relationships. I loved how anxiety, PTSD and therapy were talked about and handled. I also liked learning about how one might find themselves in a gang and why. The only reason it’s a 4.5 is because the first half was a flashbacks and I just kind of wish it just started if that makes sense? Like I didn’t connect as fully to Quan as I could have. Also the other point of view was maybe not necessary but like I honestly didn’t care.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Mental illness, Police brutality, Racism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Physical abuse and Murder

Minor: Violence

invaderlinz's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

An amazing follow up to Dear Martin, and the other side of what life can be like for Black boys growing up without any kind of support system to fall back on. Nic Stone shows us what could’ve been for Quan with how Justyce succeeds, and how Justyce could’ve easily followed the path that Quan does. The author’s note was great too; I’m just so glad both of these books exist.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Cancer and Grief

kissmyash0600's review

emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book should be required reading. Dear Martin was great, but Dear Justyce was more than needed and more than necessary. I appreciate Nic Stone as an author wanting to bring real situations to light; this book was actually based on a text message she received from boys who couldn't really identify with Justyce's story in Dear Martin. Enter Quan, whose story is a great representation of Black experience in America. There is so much insight at work here, and shows how important mental health and a support system is...and how important it is to get our legal system and prison system on the right track.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence

mannifran's review

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Violence