Dear Martin
"Powerful, wrenching.” –JOHN GREEN, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Turtles All the Way Down "Raw and gripping." –JASON REYNOLDS, New York Times bestselling coauthor of All American Boys "A must-read!” –ANGIE THOMAS, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers as she boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning #1 New York Times bestselling debut, a William C. Morris Award Finalist. Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out. Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Mann
Themes & atmosphere
What you might want to know about Dear Martin
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Ivy League-bound Atlanta high schooler Justyce McAllister is profiled and roughly cuffed by an off-duty cop. He starts writing a journal of letters to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that becomes the spine of the novel.
Nic Stone has written two main books: Dear Martin and Dear Justyce, a companion novel. Both can be read on their own, though Dear Justyce features a side character introduced in Dear Martin.
Yes. Dear Martin has been challenged and removed from some American school libraries, primarily for its handling of police violence, racism, and language. It remains widely taught in classrooms that engage with race and current events.
Dear Martin was written by Nic Stone, published in 2017 by Crown Books for Young Readers.
Dear Martin is 224 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Dear Martin takes most readers 3 to 5 hours to finish.
Dear Martin is a standalone novel by Nic Stone, not part of a series.
Dear Martin is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.