Dear Martin
 Stone in 2017 | |
| Author | Nic Stone |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Crown Books for Young Readers |
Publication date | October 17, 2017 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 224 |
| ISBN | 978-1101939499 |
| Followed by | Dear Justyce |
Dear Martin is a young adult novel by Nic Stone. It is Stone's debut novel, written as a reaction to the murder of Jordan Davis.[1] The book appeared as #4 on New York Times bestseller.[2]
Development and publication
Stone began writing the book after a series of racially-charge events, including the 2012 murder of Jordan Davis, a 17-year-old who was killed by man who shot several rounds into a car of teenagers over a dispute about loud rap music, and the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown.[1][3] Stone was also inspired to write the book for her sons.[3] Stone sold her book as a proposal, resulting in her writing and researching simultaneously over an eight-week period to develop a draft.[4] Stone described the experience as "excruciating" and stated that she was not interested in repeating it.[4]
Dear Martin has been published and translated in Germany, Brazil, Indonesia, The Netherlands, UK, Turkey, and Romania.[5]
Plot
Dear Martin follows Justyce McCallister, a high school student living in Atlanta and attending a predominantly white preparatory high school on a scholarship.[1][4][6] Justyce is thrown to the ground and handcuffed by a white police officer.[1] After the incident, Justyce attempts to make sense of life as a black teenager in the current political climate and begins writing letters to the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, asking himself, "What would Dr. King do if he were alive today?".[4][1]
Reception
Awards
Dear Martin was a 2017 finalist for the William C. Morris award.[7] The book received a starred review from Booklist.[8]
In February 2020, two years after it was first published, Dear Martin again hit the New York Times bestseller list, as the #1 Young Adult Paperback.[9]
Sequel
Stone wrote a sequel, Dear Justyce, which was published in October 2020.[10] The book is about an incarcerated teen, Quan, who is on trial for murder charges.[3] Quan first appears in Dear Martin as the cousin of Justyce's best friend.[3] Stone was not planning on writing a sequel, however, she was encouraged by her publisher, and decided to write a book about a "black boy that everybody is afraid of."[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e Green, Adrienne (2017-11-01). "The Teen Protagonist Writing Letters to Dr. King". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
- ^ "Young Adult Hardcover Books - Best Sellers - November 5, 2017 - The New York Times". Retrieved 2018-11-11.
- ^ a b c d e February 20, George Nelson |; 2019 (2019-02-20). "'Dear Martin' Author Shares Her Story With Students". Business Journal Daily. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
{{cite web}}:|last2=has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d Foley, Maddy (December 14, 2017). "How This Author Is Challenging The YA Status Quo With Her #BlackLivesMatter Novel". Bustle. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ "DEAR MARTIN - The Deborah Harris Agency". www.thedeborahharrisagency.com. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
- ^ DEAR MARTIN by Nic Stone | Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ SKUENN (2012-02-27). "Morris Award". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Retrieved 2018-11-11.
- ^ "booklist dear martin - Google Search". www.google.de. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
- ^ "Young Adult Paperback Books - Best Sellers - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
- ^ Perryman, Holland (January 3, 2021). "Review: 'Dear Justyce,' sequel to bestseller 'Dear Martin,' delivers harrowing tale of injustice". The Post and Courier. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
