A review by strange
Dear Martin by Nic Stone

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective 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

3.25

This book had a lot of good things to say, and I think it did a very good job of exploring these topics, especially towards readers who may have been a bit naïve towards the subjects at play (this book is YA, and therefore targeted towards teens still learning about how race plays into our society). But everything that wasn't social commentary was... unremarkable. The romance and love triangle felt unnecessary, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were something added in later on in order to make the book more marketable as a more conventional YA Contemporary. The rest of the book  makes up for it, but every time romance came into play it felt more like a dramatic teen show than the insightful novel it had proven itself to be. That, and the fact that I think it could have been a bit longer and more drawn out, is what brings down the star rating for me a bit. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings