Blog Tour: Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Published by: Simon & Schuster (UK)

Out now

Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League – but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighbourhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates.

Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up – way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty police officer beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack.

My thoughts:

Extremely excited to be a part of the Dear Martin blog tour! This is a book I’ve been looking forward to reading for quite some time.

Let me tell you from the off, I loved it. Nic’s writing is so wonderful, I instantly connected to the characters, even though this book is on the shorter side, it definitely packs a punch, with dialogue that at times reads like a script – in the best way. It’s an incredibly important novel, following the experiences of a black teenage boy in America. I physically couldn’t put this book down, I read it in one sitting. In my opinion, this book deserves every bit of hype it’s getting.

One of my favourite aspects of the novel is Justyce’s first-person letters to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, they were incredibly powerful & it was impactful to really have an insight into how Justyce was feeling, talking about what’s going on around him, questioning what he believes & trying to figure out how he fits in. it was a great addition to the story.

I adored Justyce’s Friendships with Manny & Sarah-Jane, also the complex relationship with his mother. I also liked the added romance storyline and I just knew it was going to happen from the beginning, but it in no way overtook the main plot, just a great addition.

This is a powerful debut novel, exploring important subjects including race, class, police brutality & privilege. Highly recommend.

But not only that but it also delves into such topics as toxic masculinity and gangs. This novel is raw, and at times honestly hard to read. The story is so relevant as to discussions that are happening right now and what is happening.

I can’t wait to read more from Nic in the future.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for inviting me to be part of the blog tour.

Check out the rest of the DEAR MARTIN blog tour!