From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin comes a standalone spin-off novel, written in prose and letters-in-verse, about a thirteen-year-old girl navigating cancer, family challenges, and newfound friendship--and discovering hope in the most unexpected places. "Absolutely incredible--I read it in one sitting and finished in tears. Stone shows so much care and nuance here. Dasia will stay with me forever." --Andrea Beatriz Arango, author of Newbery Honor book Iveliz Explains it All "Unflinching, fearless, and strikingly original." --Soman Chainani, author of the bestselling School for Good and Evil series and Young World After nineteen days of "induction chemotherapy," Dasia Monae Riley knows no one else should be in her hospital room . . .
But there she is: Jameson "Jimmy" Jeffs. Another cancer patient who's seemingly everything Dasia is not: rich, well cared for, and a smidge
childish (in Dasia's opinion).
However, Dasia soon discovers that their commonalities go beyond a random, incurable disease . . . like older brothers who are gone, baby brothers who need them, and struggles with friends at school.
As Dasia and Jimmy chat, Dasia's memories unfold in the unsent "letters" (read: poems) Dasia wrote to her incarcerated older brother. And over the course of one life-changing night, two girls who are at their lowest fight to keep each other uplifted. When you hit rock bottom, what does it take to survive and allow yourself to hope again?
In a standalone spin-off to the Dear Martin series,
New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone delivers a heart-wrenching story of resilience, connection, and the fight to stay alive.
Author: Nic Stone
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Published: 10/06/2026
Pages: 192
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.63lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.72w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9798217229307
Audience: Ages 9-12
Review Citation(s): Kirkus Reviews 08/01/2026
School Library Journal 08/01/2026 pg. 82
Booklist 09/01/2026
Publishers Weekly 09/28/2026
Horn Book Magazine 11/01/2026 pg. 80
About the Author
Nic Stone is the author of many novels, including the #1 New York Times bestseller Dear Martin, its New York Times bestselling sequel Dear Justyce, and the final national bestselling installment Dear Manny, a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection and a CBC Kids Top Ten Favorite in the 9th-12th grade category. She also penned the young adult titles Odd One Out, an NPR Best Book and an ALA Rainbow Book Top Ten; Jackpot, the YALSA Quick Pick selection that takes a searing look at economic inequality; and Chaos Theory, a Southern Book Prize finalist and a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection. Her middle-grade novels include Clean Getaway, a New York Times bestseller, and Fast Pitch, a YALSA Quick Pick selection. Nic lives in Atlanta and will continue to write the books she feels are missing.
