This book is not for the faint of heart. It contains real world problems and lots of foul language, but should you read it you could come out with a new understanding of the world we live in. Dear Martin by Nic Stone is a good read for anyone who wants a better understanding of what some people go through on a day to day basis. Justyce has very close relationships like his best friend Manny and SJ. He grows a little bit apart from them both when SJ turns away from him and his best friend sides with one of his other “friends”. In the end he becomes closer than before with Manny before his death and when he and SJ finally start dating. 

In the beginning of the book we meet Justyce, A young African-American teenager, he is very smart and on the track to Yale. Justyce has 2 best friends, SJ, who is his debate partner and Manny his best friend. “Okay, I’ll bite. In my opinion, yes: we have reached full equality when it comes to race.”(23)  This moment is important because it is the line of dialogue that ignites a rather important argument. We see Justyce try to stay out of this argument But Jared (One of Manny’s friends) and SJ argue about equality in America. Manny tries to stay out of it too but also is dragged in and used as an example. After school that day Justyce goes and talks to his mother about the argument at school and what happened to him with the police and she says “You ever consider that maybe you not supposed to ‘fit’? People that make history rarely do.”(36) This moment is important because she is right. We know a lot of people who made their mark that didn’t fit in as children or adults and are now idols for many. We shouldn’t worry about fitting in as much as leaving a lasting mark on life.

Even though things seem to be getting better after Justyce talks to his mom, he quickly realizes he is very wrong. His debate team goes to the championship and things take a turn. “She avoided me for the rest of the night, and then wouldn’t talk to me on the car ride back to school” (82) He tried to kiss SJ after they won the debate championship and she turned away, even though the narrator and Manny both talk about how obvious her feelings for him are, so Justyce is very confused and frustrated. After the debate championship he goes to Jared’s birthday party and after Jared makes some remarks Justyce puts him and one of his friends on the floor and when Manny takes their side he says“Man, Don’t even say nothing to me right now” (93) Justyce is yelling at manny after he took Jared’s side in an argument over race after a long dreadful day and he’s already on edge and these remarks send him over the top he sees that two of his relationships are now closed off.

After a while of not talking to his friends he talks to Manny again who admits he was wrong and apologizes. They make plans to go hiking together but when the day comes something changes when Manny asks if they can drive for a bit first. They get into an argument with an off duty police officer over music volume and before Justyce can end the argument the officer pulls a gun on them and shoots them “ He’s gone. Never did anything to anyone, and now Manny’s gone. I can’t do this anymore.”(124) He feels like what happened was unjustified and that Manny was a good person and a great friend pushing him to do good things and that this is a terrible thing. After Justyce got out of the hospital he goes and sees Manny’s parents who talk and have dinner with him and give him a gift. “We intended to give this to Emmanuel for his eighteenth birthday….I have no doubt he’d want you to have it under these circumstances, so we’d be honored if you’d receive it in his stead.” Justyce would become closer with Manny’s family and with SJ after Manny’s death by getting Manny’s great grandfather’s watch and beginning to date SJ. 

When I started this book I had no clue how it would go but the way it sets up the relationships Justyce has is perfect. It is a sad book but sheds more light on problems we have today. Many teens today are treated the same way as Justyce just because of skin color and he is a prime example of how to make the best of it and the worst of it. Justyce was profiled almost the entire time and he never did anything wrong other than putting Jared and his friend on the floor, but even that was provoked and he’d been on edge all day. Justyce has very important relationships and losing one of the most important ones was detrimental to how he would see other people and the rest of the world.