Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

221 reviews

faulknerd865's review against another edition

too graphic and depressing for me - I think it was just wrong book at the wrong time. I might come back to it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

globetrotta's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Violence, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Child abuse, and Confinement

schwertfeger49's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, and Racism

babieyunie's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Police brutality, Bullying, Torture, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Violence, Racism, and Confinement

Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Addiction, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, and Sexual harassment

silverrose187's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, and Slavery

rmammana's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Racism

annreadsabook's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I pretty much finished THE NICKEL BOYS in one sitting and can certainly see why this book won the Pulitzer Prize; this is a deeply provocative and powerful novel that commands the reader: “Don’t look away.”

Based on the real-life Dozier School, a self-proclaimed “reform school” that in reality traumatized, brutalized, and even killed scores of young boys for its century-long existence, THE NICKEL BOYS follows a young Black boy named Elwood who is carted off to the infamous Nickel Academy for a crime he never committed. During his time at the “Academy,” Elwood is confronted head-on with the harsh realities of race and a thinly-veiled carceral system.

Although this book is quite short at under 250 pages, Whitehead is able to craft a gut-wrenching narrative that promises to stay with readers long after they’ve closed the book. THE NICKEL BOYS is a novel that considers the importance of remembrance; the depth of unspeakable, state-inflicted traumas; and how we can ever think to move forward. Since I knew this would be a very heavy book to get through, I had been putting off reading it for quite some time, but I’m glad I finally sat down and contended with this amazing, harrowing novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Torture, Child death, and Forced institutionalization

marycollins's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Sexual assault

aegireads's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, and Child abuse

notesseton's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, and Racism