A review by peytonktracy
Dear America: Behind the Masks by Susan Patron

3.0

This was the first Dear America I have read in memory that I didn’t really like, to be honest. It incorporated elements like a ghost story and a murder mystery that didn’t translate as seamlessly into the format of the series as it might have. Also the “we all wear masks” them was pretty beaten in by the end. And it also felt really disjointed that at times it felt more childlike while also incorporating some pretty adult moments that just felt jarring to read. To its credit, it never lost a message of tolerance, of learning from and acknowledging mistakes when you are unlearning racist or classist or sexist views, and small moments of courage and how they can make a difference. It wasn’t my fave, but it was fun.