Dear Justyce

Dear Justyce is a compelling novel told from the point of view of Quan Banks. His story is told through letters, flashbacks to his childhood, and chapters explaining his current situation.

Quan had a rough childhood and an abusive stepfather, and his family didn’t have enough money to live comfortably either. Sometimes he and his siblings would go hungry. Quan didn’t like seeing his siblings starve so he resorted to stealing food. Quan tried to be a good kid but either he was never believed in or he was told that he could never live up to expectations. When Quan got a higher than expected grade on a test due to studying hard, he was accused of cheating. Fast forward about a decade and Quan, now in his late teens, has been charged with the murder of a police officer. Through letters to his old friend Justyce, we see more pieces of the story.

Dear Justyce is a powerful novel that spreads a very important message. There are kids and teenagers like Quan who have been wrongly incarcerated, had terrible childhoods, been mistreated, and/or weren’t raised in a positive environment. The book provides an enlightening insight into Quan’s life, as for around 250 pages I saw his life from his own perspective. I would recommend this novel to people around age 14 and up due to the more mature topics and some language issues. I would definitely advise reading this if you are interested in social justice issues.