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A review by thebookishfeminist
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
5.0
Dear Martin is an important book that also happens to be un-put-downable (yes that’s a word). The novel follows more or less a year in the life of several teenagers who attend prep school together. We meet Justyce, SJ, Manny, and their friends (and not-friends) as they navigate not only the very real mini-dramas that are life as a teenager but also the tension and pain and rage and heartbreak and hopefulness that is being a Black teen in the US. Nic Stone did a brilliant job of letting us into her characters’ inner lives, and of keeping us not only emotionally involved but also igniting a sense of activism as a reader. What’s happening in our country to young POC is not okay but is emblematic of the values the US was founded on, and racism can be so implicit and quiet that we don’t even know it’s happening until a tragedy strikes. Even then, the system works so hard against young POC that justice is almost never achieved.
Dear Martin is dialogue-heavy, which I didn’t mind at all but is unique. I listed to the audiobook, and I was blown away by the narration of Dion Graham. I think this format was especially valuable given all the dialogue in the text.
This book will put you through the emotional wringer a little bit, but please don’t let that deter you from reading or listening to it. Especially coming from my own experience as a white person, it’s incredibly important for us to feel the fleeting discomfort and uncertainty (and of course also the joys and pride) that are the daily realities for so many folks in the global majority. There are moments in this book that will bring you to your knees, there are moments that will make you feel like you’re a flirtatious teen again, there are moments when you’ll think maybe everything will turn out okay for everyone in our world, and the whole thing will remind you just how invaluable our youth are. They are resilient, determined, self-conscious, and worthy of all of the love and agency we can possibly give them. I’m so glad I listened to this and am immediately adding Dear Justyce to my short stack!
Dear Martin is dialogue-heavy, which I didn’t mind at all but is unique. I listed to the audiobook, and I was blown away by the narration of Dion Graham. I think this format was especially valuable given all the dialogue in the text.
This book will put you through the emotional wringer a little bit, but please don’t let that deter you from reading or listening to it. Especially coming from my own experience as a white person, it’s incredibly important for us to feel the fleeting discomfort and uncertainty (and of course also the joys and pride) that are the daily realities for so many folks in the global majority. There are moments in this book that will bring you to your knees, there are moments that will make you feel like you’re a flirtatious teen again, there are moments when you’ll think maybe everything will turn out okay for everyone in our world, and the whole thing will remind you just how invaluable our youth are. They are resilient, determined, self-conscious, and worthy of all of the love and agency we can possibly give them. I’m so glad I listened to this and am immediately adding Dear Justyce to my short stack!