Dear Justyce

Dear Justyce by Nic Stone was published in 2020 as a sequel to her first novel, the New York Times bestseller Dear Martin. Like its predecessor, Dear Justyce is a work of contemporary fiction that takes place in modern America. Following the success of Dear Martin, author Nic Stone was contacted by two young men who asked Stone to write a story about someone who reflected their reality—someone who did not go to a nice school and had no hope for the future or guidance in life. Dear Justyce tells the story of how poverty, lack of adult guidance, and systemic oppression can affect young, vulnerable people like the main character, Quan. This guide is based on the e-book of the Crown Books imprint by Random House Children’s Books.

Plot Summary

Dear Justyce tells the story of Quan Banks, a high school senior who is currently in prison for allegedly shooting and killing a police officer. Quan, a childhood friend of Justyce McAllister (the main character in Dear Martin), writes letters to Justyce revealing details about his life, his family, and the events leading up to the night of the shooting. Quan also uses these letters as a form of therapy to reflect on the factors that led to him sitting in this prison cell.

The story is told through a blend of flashbacks, letters, and “snapshots.” When Quan is a child, his father is arrested for selling drugs, and Quan is traumatized by the event. In his father’s absence, Quan tries to be well behaved and devote himself to his family and his schoolwork, but he struggles to fight the obstacles in his home life. No matter what Quan does, he doesn’t feel like he is good enough. He thinks that people expect the worst of him, including his own mother (“Mama”) and her abusive boyfriend. Quan decides to stop trying to prove them wrong.

Quan falls into a life of crime, starting with small thefts. He is arrested for stealing a deck of cards, and at the police station, he meets Trey, who becomes Quan’s literal partner in crime. On Quan’s fourth arrest, he is sent to a juvenile detention center. Quan notices a huge difference between how he was sentenced as a young Black man and how a young white man was sentenced for a far more violent crime. For the first time, he sees the systemic disadvantages that he has in life compared to his white peers. Once Quan is out of juvenile detention, he meets Martel, a weapons dealer who runs the Black Jihad gang. Angry and seeking mentorship and community, Quan joins the gang.

Quan’s home life worsens, and he finally tells Trey about how Dwight, Mama’s boyfriend, has been abusing Mama and terrorizing his children. Dwight is mysteriously killed, although Quan knows that his death is a result of Quan confiding in Trey. Quan begins to feel trapped and indebted to the Black Jihad and doesn’t see a way out. One night, police are called to Martel’s house for a noise complaint. One of the officers refuses to lower his weapon, and Quan, along with three other members of the gang, draws his weapon in self-defense. The officer is shot and killed. In the present day, Quan, who has been writing to Justyce, sits in a prison cell facing a life sentence. Although Quan reveals that he was not the one who committed the murder, he refuses to tell Justyce who did.

In the present day, Quan begins to discover the benefits of mentorship and education through Dr. Dray, or “Doc.” Quan also starts counseling to address his post-traumatic stress disorder and panic attacks associated with the night of the shooting. Quan begins to realize that he has all of the tools to be successful in life, including adults who believe in him and want to guide him. Meanwhile, Justyce decides to help prove Quan’s innocence. He reaches out to the district attorney, recruits a new, better lawyer for Quan, and makes sure Quan won’t fall back in with the Black Jihad or Martel after he is released.

After an investigation, a ballistic test confirms that the bullet that killed the officer does not match the weapon that was found with Quan’s fingerprints on it. Although Quan confessed to the murder, Quan’s new attorney and Justyce are able to prove that the confession was coerced, and the court agrees to throw it out. Quan’s new plea of “not guilty” is accepted, and he is free to go. For the first time in his life, Quan has a group of people who believe in him and want to invest in him, and his future is a wide open opportunity to be the very best version of himself. He is given a second chance at life and chooses to embrace this opportunity.