Author: Nic Stone

Wow.
Just… wow.

It’s not often a book comes along and slaps you in the face so hard that you feel the world turning. Stone manages to do that while leaving you upset and, to quote my students, “woke.”

The book originally caught my attention after hearing it was banned in school libraries. So, naturally, I had to pick it up right away. Anytime a book is banned, you know there is something uncomfortable in there based on a reality they don’t want to face.

In this case, we have a story about racial profiling. A young, black Justyce is wrongfully arrested after attempting to prevent his grossly inebriated girlfriend from driving. This event spirals as his eyes open to the ways racial discrimination still overtly plays out in society. This ultimately leads him to write letters to and try and act like Martin (MLK Jr.).

The writing is intense, the plot is fresh and the characters are real.

After putting it down, I immediately wanted a classroom set and told every teacher in my department about it. Budgetary constraints prevent me from doing so in the meantime, but you can be assured I’ll be working towards getting this in my room. It’s a doorway to see the world that many refuse to believe is real.