“And that’s what it comes down to. We find the families we were desperate for and learn different ways of going about things. Ways that sometimes land us in places/positions we don’t really wanna be in.”
Dear Justyce is the follow-up to Dear Martin and WOW does it pack a punch. I read Dear Justyce in pretty much one sitting – Stone’s writing is compelling and accessible and she makes some stylistic choices throughout that really push the story along and keep you wanting (needing) to know what’s going to happen next.
Quan (who we met in Dear Martin) is an incarcerated teen awaiting trial for the shooting death of a police officer. Quan is smart and caring and…misguided. He faced some tough times as a child and eventually fell in with a group who gave him the care and love he was missing, but not without consequences.
This book really examines what leads Quan (and kids like him) into making some not-so-great choices, and how they can still move forward into a positive future. If you’re not familiar with the school to prison pipeline, i’d recommend doing a little bit of research before diving in to this book. Stone also addresses some of the events in the book in a note at the end, and that’s very much worth reading (especially if these topics are new to you).
Read with Aimee 