Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

23 reviews

lattelibrarian's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Wow wow wow. It's clear why so many people love this book--and why so many people want it banned. Similar to The Hate U Give, this book shows us how police brutality and gun violence affect young black teens--and black populations in general--disproportionately. 

This was a difficult read, and sitting with it does make me uncomfortable. What I read in here is all true, and I've read it before in news articles, blogs, and books. But reading a book in which you place yourself in the main character's shoes does force you, for the duration of the book, to look directly at the trauma induced. You cannot close out of the tab or change the channel. And you are compelled to keep reading.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, Murder, and Classism

Minor: Alcohol

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Misogyny, Antisemitism, and Fire/Fire injury

_ren's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Violence, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Alcohol

mittens_10's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I liked the book, and I read it in two days, just didn't find anything super duper original about it, and the writing letters to MLK Jr wasn't as big an aspect as I thought it would be. Would definitely recommend reading it though, was still an amazing read. Really made me think.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

solnit_and_sebastian's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Stone's debut is a poignant and powerful YA novel told from the perspective of a Black teenager navigating his senior year of high school. The reader will witness the microaggressions and overt aggressions faced by Justyce and some of his friends as he questions his own identity, biases, and purpose. This novel has important points to make about privilege, profiling, and race in modern America, and deftly weaves these themes into the gripping narrative. The dialogue was enchanting, and the characters were fun to spend time with. I can't wait to read more of Nic Stone's work!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Child death, Death, Hate crime, Police brutality, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism

ghostlyprince's review against another edition

dark emotional informative 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

achay91's review

challenging emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Moderate: Gun violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Blood and Alcohol

blombern's review against another edition

challenging sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Blood, Antisemitism, and Grief

saara_ilona_muu's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The book probably needed another 50 pages, just to try to make the story and the ending make more sense, and not just cut off how it did. 

I don't want to give any spoilers, but I will say that though it was a very tough read, I loved the first 3/4 of the book. Then things just got to the point where I had too many questions about how things were turning out. Like ... when he's surrounded by so many rich people, why weren't they able to hire a better lawyer and get him some coaching... and why was a kid who was so good at debate able to be painted into a corner so thoroughly, and then with all of the character assassination, why was he just able to head north for school anyway with no repercussions in that corner? Just messy.

Despite all of that, the book was still worth reading and gave me a lot to think about.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol

paulabekkerus's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism