In a Nutshell: Striving for goodness when the world has you down as bad
Picture this. You’re an honors student with a top university in your sights. You work hard, and you follow your mother’s advice to always put your best foot forward. So how come, when you help a friend in need, you’re man-handled by the police and arrested? How come the cops tell you that they “know your kind...Just couldn’t resist the pretty white girl who’s locked her keys in her car, could ya?” As Yale-bound African American Justyce knows only too well, “things aren’t as equal as folks say they are”. At every turn he’s caught between worlds: a white classmate attributes his success to positive discrimination, while he’s accused of being a race traitor by some of his black peers. He airs this elemental conundrum with SJ, his debate partner: “white people hold most positions of authority in this country. How do I deal with the fact that I DO need them to get ahead without feeling like I’m turning my back on my own people?” And what’s he supposed to do when he falls for SJ and his mama’s dead against him dating a white girl?
As the compelling, gut-wrenching story unfolds, Justyce writes a journal to Dr Martin Luther King Jr. to work through his thoughts, vent his frustrations and to ask what Dr King would do in his situation. Then a tragedy strikes that threatens to disarm Justyce’s pledge to do as Martin would do.
Important, timely and unforgettable, this powerful exposé of racism, injustice and the injuriousness of profiling articulates the persistent everyday battles faced by thousands of kids in Justyce’s shoes with scorching lucidity. Quite simply, everyone must read this poignant punch-packer of a debut.
Head to our 'Black Lit Matters' list to find more must-read novels by black writers.
| Primary Genre | Young Adult Fiction |
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Powerful coming of age, black lives matter, novel detailing racial struggles present in this day and age. Heart-breaking and heart-warming, Dear Martin, is one of those books you just have to read.
Dear Martin, follows Justyce when he is wrongly arrested due to the stereotypes society puts on his skin. Each page is brimming with raw emotion - anger, love, hate, hope, despair, doubt and sorrow - as Justyce reviews the life he leads; neither belonging to the black or white community. Through letters addressed to Dr Martin Luther King, Justyce lays his heart and soul out to readers of all ages.
Short and bittersweet, you won't be able to put this book down until you've finished the very last page.
All I can say is that although hallowing and shocking, it is an important story with a vital message that needs to be read.... Read Full Review
Dear Martin is a great book and I will definitely recommend it to my friends. It covers huge issues that are not often written about. Also it was very gripping I read it in one day.
Dear Martin is a great book about racism. Justyce is a good smart kid set to go to Ivy League college Yale. But after trying to help an ex-girlfriend of his, he is arrested after doing nothing wrong. The police officer assumes he is a criminal trying to rob his ex-girlfriend because of the colour of his skin. Whereas actually she is the one extremely drunk and about to drive home but because she is white the officer assumes she is innocent.... Read Full Review
Dear Martin is eye opening, it has made me more aware of what's going on around me and its honest plot line has encouraged me to speak out more about race.
This book was so touching, and inspiring, with the plot being delicately thought out and a clear message being put across.... Read Full Review
