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Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Violence, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Classism
Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Blood
Minor: Domestic abuse, Gore, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment
This book really got me quite emotional but it’s definitely a great read that starts a conversation that needs to be had.
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Alcohol
Minor: Medical content
I first read this book before the George Floyd murder, when Black Lives Matter was a movement that most looked over. After educating myself and surrounding myself and my social media feeds with Black people and their experiences, I feel that I’ve gained more from Justyce McAllister and his story.
Justyce is a very unique character and I’m glad I got a look inside his life, which represents the lives of a lot of Black youth in America. This book is one of the firsts that I’ve annotated and I can assure you that from seeing Jus’s experiences through his eyes, I’ve gotten angry a lot but I’ve also learned a lot.
From Jus himself to Manny, to SJ, and to Doc, I’ve learned about my own White privilege. I related a lot to SJ specifically because she is White and takes a very liberal stand. She has no problem getting into confrontation, which isn’t surprising considering she is Justyce’s debate partner. What I liked a lot about her, since she is a White character written in a book about racial inequality, is that SJ acknowledges her privilege and takes accountability. In one chapter she apologizes to Jus for speaking for him, which reiterates the whole “Don’t speak FOR or OVER Black people, instead raise their voices.” Basically, she’s all about using her privilege as a way to help oppressed minorities. She’s so awesome!
Another character that I admired (somewhat) that isn’t Jus was Jared Christensen. Throughout the entire beginning and middle half, he was one of the biggest reasons I tabbed the book with the color red when annotating. But his character development really shines through near the end, especially in the epilogue. It shows that he’s learned. And I was glad to see that Jus was that person who taught him.
This book is just an all-around must-read. It taught me a lot — opened my eyes even — and I think that it should be on everyone’s TBR.
Graphic: Death, Racism, Police brutality, Grief
Minor: Gun violence, Violence
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Grief, Car accident, Murder
Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime
Minor: Cursing, Violence
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality
Moderate: Violence
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Murder
I think Justyce's experiment of Being Like Martin is a great vehicle for asking these questions. Justyce asks himself (or Martin) very difficult questions about how he should move through the world as a black boy. He asks questions about interracial relationships, whether theyre worth it. Dear Martin brings attention to the nature and impact of interpersonal/low-level racism on systemic racism. I am glad this book is as popular as it is because it is a message that deserves to be heard. Especially in a time when Black people are refusing to be used and abused by the system that has continuously attempted to hold them down.
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Antisemitism