Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

12 reviews

penhaligon's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Having also read Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad, going in I knew it’d be intense, and I knew it’d be worth it.

First, I found the writing style very interesting in The Nickel Boys. Much like the environment and happenings in the book, the writing style was not flowery or flowing. At times it was curt, it was precise, it would cut a sentence into two or three short ones. Very contrary to what I normally read and enjoy, it really made me stop, literally, multiple times to make me focus on the “why” of the styling chosen, which I think made things more impactful for me; at times I even reread to see if there was a hidden meaning of intent. It wasn’t so much that it was difficult or confusing, but more so gave me pause.

The tale itself is sad: full stop. Sure there are moments of positivity, of hope and optimism. But ultimately, it is a tragic, yet necessary, fictional telling of the worst of humanity. And being fiction, it is easy to understand and digest. I will say the ending threw me - I guessed it a bit before the Epilogue, but not early enough that it spoiled anything. And honestly it makes me want to reread it to see if I can pick out the context clues which were sprinkled along the way.

Can definitely understand why this won a Pulitzer. Definitely recommend. I finished it in ~6 hours over two days.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Racism, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Homophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Rape, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, and Bullying

lilaypad's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

This book tore me apart. 5 stars, but i can't recommend this if you're looking for a fun book. While i was able to read this book in a day, the journey it took me in was one that seemed to last a lifetime. Such a sad and devastating read- in the way that you know that there is no happy ending, but hope for it anyway. Besides the absolute raw depiction of racism and injustice for black people, young black men specifically, the book is so well written. The pace, the description, the characterization (and lack-thereof), the tone, and everything else made for an immersive story. If your headspace is ready for the brutal honesty of the past of so many Americans', then Colson Whitehead can take you there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Suicide, Violence, Child death, Murder, Medical trauma, Racism, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, and Pedophilia

sophiabee3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Murder, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Classism, Grief, Gore, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Cursing, Death, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Hate crime, and Police brutality

Minor: Vomit

blissfullyhannah's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.25

fuck this book. 👍

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Cursing, Sexual violence, Torture, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Racial slurs, Gore, and Sexual assault

gotnoculture's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Child abuse, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Death, Hate crime, Violence, Murder, Torture, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Blood, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Medical content, Sexual assault, Grief, and Addiction

Minor: Homophobia, Kidnapping, and Abandonment

banned_book's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Slavery, Rape, Racial slurs, Grief, Emotional abuse, Child death, Violence, Confinement, Classism, Blood, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Murder, Hate crime, Death, Racism, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Forced institutionalization

lizreaderhold's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Abandonment, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Slavery, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Colonisation, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Torture, and Xenophobia

helloiloveyellow's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Torture

jessalex610's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.5

Apparently this only took me two days to finish, but it felt so much longer than that. This is a hard hard read. Whitehead has such a good way with words and Griff’s story will always stick with me. There’s just something about the way he painted the scene, described the surroundings, the desperation for a second chance. Oh i’m gonna cry again.  It’s a fictional story, but the inspiration is all too real. The Dozier School, the horrid, putrid racism of Jim Crow, the corrupt predators in power who help keep each other in power. To think that similar stories actually exist in real life…it’s almost too much to think about. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

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