A short life of the author
Nic Stone (born 1985) is an American young adult author whose debut novel Dear Martin (2017) became one of the most important YA books of the late 2010s — a timely, emotionally direct narrative about a Black teenager grappling with racial profiling and police violence that resonated deeply with young readers and became a staple of school curricula nationwide.
Life and Career
Stone grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, studied psychology at Spelman College, and worked in teen mentoring before turning to fiction. Her background in psychology and youth work gave her fiction an authenticity in depicting teen voice and experience that distinguished it from more didactic treatments of racial issues.
Dear Martin (2017) followed Justyce McAllister, a Black prep-school student who, after being handcuffed by police while helping a friend, begins writing letters to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as he tries to reconcile King’s philosophy of nonviolence with the reality of being Black in America. The novel was praised for its accessibility, its emotional honesty, and its refusal to offer easy answers.
Odd One Out (2018) explored LGBTQ+ identity and interracial friendship. Jackpot (2019) addressed class and economic inequality. Dear Justyce (2020) was a companion novel to Dear Martin, following a different character’s experience within the juvenile justice system.
Stone has also written middle-grade fiction, including the Clean Getaway (2020) road-trip novel about a boy and his grandmother traveling through the civil-rights South.
Key Works
- Dear Martin (2017)
- Odd One Out (2018)
- Dear Justyce (2020)
- Clean Getaway (2020)
Collecting Stone
Dear Martin first edition (Crown Books for Young Readers, 2017) is the key collectible, bringing $30–$60 in fine condition. The book’s use in schools has created steady institutional demand. Early printings are becoming scarce. Signed copies are available at book festivals and school visits. Stone is one of the defining YA voices of her generation.