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A review by annreadsabook
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Torture, Child death, and Forced institutionalization