Reviews

I absolutely adored this, even more than I did Dear Martin. I loved how Nic Stone crafted Quan's voice and perspective and how authentic it felt. His loss of hope in the system paired with his correspondence with Justyce made this such a not only entertaining and engaging but also a fascinating and thought provoking read.

penaimie's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes

4.0

shinespike's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful sad 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

4.0

Okay I really do enjoy Justyce and his squad but I liked Dear Justyce better than Dear Martin. I liked that we got to see Quan’s story because it really popped up in Dear Martin and then was kinda side lined? It was nice to see these 2 communicate and for Quan to feel things like panic attacks and anxiety and he worried about what his family and wanting to be loved but also worrying about if he’s going to be good when he gets out of jail. Justyce is such a true friend and so caring and loyal. I loved it really woo hoo! Had me rooting for Quan and Justyce !

okapi_lover's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective 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

3.75

wylanslcve's review against another edition

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3.0

okay i was so excited for this sequel. i really was. having thoroughly enjoyed [b:Dear Martin|24974996|Dear Martin (Dear Martin, #1)|Nic Stone|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495747080l/24974996._SY75_.jpg|44640226], i expected to also enjoy its sequel.

and i did. for the most part.

i was much more satisfied with the first half of the book rather than the second. i liked the concept of getting to know quan through the use of letters, flashbacks, etc while he sat idly in his cell. it was unique, heart-wrenching and overall a great ride.

the second half felt a bit anticlimactic to be completely honest. when the . . . um, the twist *tries not to spoil anything*, my surprise was like a lightning strike: it disappears as quickly as it appears. i could already plan out how the book was going to conclude - and while it was done quite well, i wish it was a bit more . . . unique, i suppose? i don't know how to explain it without giving anything away.

we get to see some of the characters from [b:Dear Martin|24974996|Dear Martin (Dear Martin, #1)|Nic Stone|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495747080l/24974996._SY75_.jpg|44640226] and at first i was glad, but wow did i forget how annoying and two-dimensional some of them were. okay, they had more substance in the first book, but here it felt like they were just there to draw connections between the two books.

review to be continued.

jenniferstringer's review against another edition

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4.0

I listened to this on my cross-state trek for work. It’s really well done. I’m glad the author explained in the afterward that she took liberties regarding who’s allowed to see whom in jail in order to advance the story, because that always bugs me. But the biggest ( and saddest) skeptically aspect of this story is the idea that a young incarcerated black kid would get that kind of help and support from so many people in a position to help him. But I still appreciate the story, and hope that more stories like these open us to the possibility of what could happen if we listened, believed in and supported rather than assumed, judged and abandoned.

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