Review: Dear Martin

Dear Martin by Nic Stone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Justyce McAllister is bright (top of his class at Braselton prep), hard-working (heading to Yale), and has overcome many challenges to get where he is. But none of that matters to the police officer who handcuffs him for nothing more than being black.

What ensues is Justyce's insightful and emotional exploration of what it means to be a black teenaged boy in today's society. Through his letters to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (or more informally, Martin), Justyce tries to figure out how to be dignified and respected in a world where his blackness means he might be handcuffed, or much worse, for no reason other than the color of his skin.

Yes, this is a book about race, but more importantly, it's a book about identity and humanity. It is honest and raw. Read this book and then have real conversations about it.

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