Reviews with content warning for Child death - Dear Martin

Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

31 reviews

taliatalksbooks's review against another edition

4.0

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Dear Martin by Nic Stone is an important YA story that easily explains the implications of racism in the US. Even though this is a short book, I think this story is easily digestible, which is important for communicating complex issues like racial injustice, profiling, and police brutality towards people of color. I really loved the character dynamics, and the way that character grew over the course of this book. Again, though it’s not long, it packs a lot of information and emotion into the pages. You can feel the frustration coming off the characters and I certainly believe that this book should be studied when talking about the state of racial relations in this country. This book is approachable no matter what your view point is, and I think it could do a lot to change the perspectives of people who hold views/act like Jared and his friends. No one has to remain ignorant, and everyone, even people who have been wrong in the past (which I think is a key takeaway from this book) has the potential to change for the better with more education and information.

Content Warnings

cozylifewithabby's review against another edition

5.0

Powerful, important, and stress inducing.
Stone knows how to write teenagers. Must read for high school students.

Content Warnings

kjurewicz's review against another edition

4.0

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The writing style is a little bit simpler then I would personally prefer, but the events in this book are so powerful and important. A great YA read that I would recommend for anyone who wants to begin learning about racial injustice and police brutality.

Content Warnings

paulabekkerus's review against another edition

4.0

challenging emotional hopeful reflective 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: No

Content Warnings

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Touching story about growing up Black, trying to better your situation, and the issues that can arise. This story is tragic yet hopeful and shines a light on the ways that racism is both a domino effect in communities of color and a cyclical phenomenon that affects people of all races.

Content Warnings

tsundoku_'s review against another edition

4.25

challenging emotional reflective 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

Sad and hard to read at some points but I'd highly recommend this to everyone. Very eye opening

Content Warnings

elisestewart's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional informative sad 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: No

Content Warnings

coderedkira's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional 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: No

I didn't expect to be blown away by this read. Nic Stone, in very few pages, made me absolutely love our MC and his friends and want to fight for their well-being. Everyone should read this because everyone needs to know this story.

Content Warnings

theasbookworld's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

Content Warnings

kathis_wonderland's review against another edition

4.5

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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

Dear Martin by Nic Stone is about Justyce, who is unjustly handcuffed by a white cop. From this day on, he realizes that even though he goes to a good school, he can't escape racism and injustices. He starts to study the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to see if he can somehow apply his doings in his own life. But more bad things happen and people are murdered.

I wanted to read this book for a very long time. It reminded me of THUG but was different in so many aspects as well. What BIPoCs have to face every single day is devastating and a crime. No human being should be discriminated. No matter what. Reading books like this break my heart on so many levels. But is important to get this reality out there more. I learn something new every time I read a book. And I learn even more when it is about a topic that I am personally not affected by. This book helped me to broaden my horizon even more and to keep on calling out racist people and content.

I really liked the concept of the journal that Justyce writes. He is trying to apply concepts to his own life, which is good for learning. The entries give a great insight into Justyce's life and how he is thinking about the world. Jared is one character I absolutely hated! He talked about reverse racism and how he was the one being discriminated. He only saw his mistakes towards the end as he realized that ALL BIPoCs experience racism, even when they are the "good" BIPoCs. Even though the second half of the book was really heartbreaking and unjust, I liked how the book ended. It showed that people can change. Beliefs can change. But you have to be willing to open your eyes and listen to the experiences of people and believe them!

This book gives a strong message to its readers. The story is heartbreaking and shows perfectly that America has a problem with gun violence and racism (but that is also a problem for all of the world). I can highly recommend it to everyone! Really liked it.

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