4.5.

Another hard-hitting read from Nic Stone. This is a powerful read for such a short read. It is admittedly not as impactful as Dear Martin, but it is effective in its own way.

The use of Quan as the protagonist is interesting and unique. Though it is a little sunnier and "convenient" in the way things turn out compared to average reality, the examination of the young, black male experience from an incarcerated POV is interesting and well done. This narration is incredibly emotional and lays bare the way the system is stacked against certain individuals from the start.

The writing style is comfortable and well-crafted. The voice of Quan feels very authentic, both in terms of age and maturity/educational level. Not all authors can manage this and it really does work to engage the reader. The structure of the read is interesting and the use of letters as well as internal reflection and external narration give a good well-rounded picture of Quan's experience. However, the tendency toward stunted, prose-like interjections was distracting. I assume these pieces were intended to slow the flow and attract attention, but they were somewhat awkward.

I highly recommend reading this immediately after Dear Martin. The transition between the first book and this one is rough. Unless you have very recently read Dear Martin, it is easy to forget the specifics. This leads to a decent amount of confusion because important information from the first novel is not reintroduced fully. There were several times that I found myself lost in what was going on and had to jog my memory about what happened in the first installment.

Though not a necessary follow-up, this short novel does present an important point-of-view and information that highlights the need for improvements in social justice. It's a well crafted work and has a definite place in bringing the possibilities of the sometimes prejudiced black male experience to light.