by Nic Stone
First published 2025
Justyce McAllister excels academically and has his sights on prestigious universities, but a police officer still puts him in handcuffs. He has left his tough neighborhood behind, yet he faces contempt from his old friends and mockery from his new privileged classmates. Searching for guidance, Justyce turns to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s teachings and begins writing journal entries addressed to the civil rights leader. He questions whether King's philosophy of nonviolence still applies to his world. One day, Justyce drives with his best friend Manny. They roll down the windows and blast their music loud, which angers a white off-duty police officer in a nearby car. The confrontation escalates quickly. Words are exchanged, then gunshots ring out. Both young men find themselves targeted in the violence that follows. When the media covers the incident, Justyce becomes the one facing public scrutiny and blame.
Genres: fiction, american-fiction, african-american, contemporary, young-adult, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: United States
Period: 21st Century
240 pages · Paperback · Vintage Español
Content warnings: racism, violence