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A review by serendipitysbooks
Dear Justyce by Nic Stone
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.25
With Dear Justyce Nic Stone has done it again and produced another hard hitting book looking at the iniquities of the “justice” system and their affect on Black youth.
Quan had a tough time growing up - seeing his father being violently arrested, an abusive stepfather, lack of financial and food security. But he did his best to do well in school, keep his siblings safe and generally be a good kid. But hunger led to shoplifting, led to joining a gang, led to a dead policeman and a weapon with Quan’s fingerprints on it, led to Quan (a boy who loved to read and was in an advanced math class) being in jail awaiting trial and a possible life sentence. Through letters written to his childhood friend Justyce, who is now studying at Yale, and a series of flashbacks we watch Quan’s life slowly unravelling and see how the system fails him and many others like him. His despair and lack of faith in the system - police, lawyers, judges and the rest - to do the right thing, look for the truth - is palpable and heartbreaking. And completely understandable.
Quan is lucky since there are people within the system and outside of it who have the skills and desire to go to bat for him. What’s indefensible is that so many like him do not, and are therefore likely to be denied justice.
If you are up for a tough read, one that will make you rage against the system and then inspire you to act Dear Justyce would be a perfect pick.
Quan had a tough time growing up - seeing his father being violently arrested, an abusive stepfather, lack of financial and food security. But he did his best to do well in school, keep his siblings safe and generally be a good kid. But hunger led to shoplifting, led to joining a gang, led to a dead policeman and a weapon with Quan’s fingerprints on it, led to Quan (a boy who loved to read and was in an advanced math class) being in jail awaiting trial and a possible life sentence. Through letters written to his childhood friend Justyce, who is now studying at Yale, and a series of flashbacks we watch Quan’s life slowly unravelling and see how the system fails him and many others like him. His despair and lack of faith in the system - police, lawyers, judges and the rest - to do the right thing, look for the truth - is palpable and heartbreaking. And completely understandable.
Quan is lucky since there are people within the system and outside of it who have the skills and desire to go to bat for him. What’s indefensible is that so many like him do not, and are therefore likely to be denied justice.
If you are up for a tough read, one that will make you rage against the system and then inspire you to act Dear Justyce would be a perfect pick.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Panic attacks/disorders