chelseawilliams03's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
steph1225's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lazygal's review against another edition
5.0
First of all: WOW.
Justyce is the "good kid", a nearly lifelong friend of Quan's, ending up pre-law at Yale instead of in jail, in a gang or dead. Quan, on the other hand, is in jail after having been part of a gang of sorts. Quan writes to Justyce from his cell, detailing his life in jail and showing an intelligence level that might surprise those who put him there. We learn how his family disintegrated, how his only goal was to keep his younger brother and sister safe and well fed. And then there's the gang. And then jail. Going further would be a spoiler.
I can't wait to share this with my students and other readers. The writing is so powerful, and Quan's voice is so surprisingly alive and not completely beaten down by his circumstances. If this doesn't end up on awards lists I'll be shocked.
eARC provided by publisher.
Justyce is the "good kid", a nearly lifelong friend of Quan's, ending up pre-law at Yale instead of in jail, in a gang or dead. Quan, on the other hand, is in jail after having been part of a gang of sorts. Quan writes to Justyce from his cell, detailing his life in jail and showing an intelligence level that might surprise those who put him there. We learn how his family disintegrated, how his only goal was to keep his younger brother and sister safe and well fed. And then there's the gang. And then jail. Going further would be a spoiler.
I can't wait to share this with my students and other readers. The writing is so powerful, and Quan's voice is so surprisingly alive and not completely beaten down by his circumstances. If this doesn't end up on awards lists I'll be shocked.
eARC provided by publisher.
snyds_'s review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book so much more than the first in the series, Dear Martin. Quan is my favorite character from any book I’ve read this year. His story, unfortunately has more truth behind it than fiction - which Stone acknowledges in the another’s note at the end. There are so many young people - especially people of color - incarcerated because the system is broken. Assumptions are made, consequences are given, and these kids are rarely given a chance to succeed. These are stories that are rarely told. I did not want to put this book down. Stone’s writing felt so sincere and gave an honest look into how unfairly the system treats people of color. This is absolutely a book that everyone needs to read. This story, like so many others, deserves to be told.
acvanman's review against another edition
5.0
So good. Even better than Dear Martin.
Reading the author’s note at the end broke my heart though. If you have a chance to do better and be better for kids like Quan in an injustice world, do it.
Reading the author’s note at the end broke my heart though. If you have a chance to do better and be better for kids like Quan in an injustice world, do it.
suzannedix's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the author's notes and really understood Stone's passion for telling the other story: the one where the kid doesn't end up in college but instead in jail.
A book we all should read about how one decision and then another and then another can alter the trajectory of our lives. The middle school librarian in me cringed at all the profanity because it makes it ever so much harder to widely recommend but this is too important and too timely to not promote.
Grades 7 and up.
A book we all should read about how one decision and then another and then another can alter the trajectory of our lives. The middle school librarian in me cringed at all the profanity because it makes it ever so much harder to widely recommend but this is too important and too timely to not promote.
Grades 7 and up.
jennms_qkw's review against another edition
5.0
This is a companion to Dear Martin, from POV of a cousin of a friend of Justyce's. The intersections of race, sexism, criminal justice, mental health and more are all handled deftly and heartily. I wonder how many more books we will get to read in this series.
m_marling's review against another edition
5.0
Nic Stone is one of those authors who I know won’t disappoint. I know (from her interviews, introduction, and author’s note) that she wrote this book for the Quans in the world, but it’s also an incredible gift for people like me who need to better understand the Quans of the world, to better understand how some people have different choices than others, and just how much circumstance can change those choices.