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This story broke my heart and then put it roughly back together. The Jim Crow south is such a baffling time period to me. To see another human as less than, I will never understand. Colson Whitehead has written a harrowing and heartbreaking story that will stay with me forever.
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0ReplyThis novel has been on just about every 2019 best books of the year list. Whitehead's first book was so inventive and thought provoking that I could not wait to dig into this one.
This novel is based on the true story of a reform school in Florida that operated for one hundred and eleven years and robbed children of their childhood innocence.
Elwood is sent to, The Nickel Academy, after he has allegedly stolen a car.
He is sent to this reform school to help him become more disciplined and to pay for his crimes.
Unfortunately, Elwood quickly realizes that the punishments given don't fit the crimes and Whitehead takes us along on the brutal journey with him.
I listened to this one on audiobook and found myself needing to detach from the story because of the disturbing violence inflicted on these boys.
It may have been a mistaken to rely on an audiobook for this one.
Whitehead's novel jumps to different timelines and most of the second half left me confused because of the disjointed timeline.
I will continue to read anything Whitehead writes. He is a powerful storyteller and I can't wait to see what he teaches me next.
Want to learn more about the school this book was inspired by? Check out this piece.4 out of 5 Stars
If you like The Nickel Boys, you might like these titles:
The Book of Harlan
Girls Burn Brighter
Darktown0 0ReplyI suppose I have a rather unpopular opinion, but this book really wasn’t it for me. Don’t get me wrong, the story’s subject is definitely important and interesting. The story itself just really didn’t engage me. Half of the time I barely had an idea what was actually going on. I also had to reread a lot of sentences because I didn’t absorb what I just read.
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- If I'm crying NOOOO by the epilogue and sobbing at the acknowledgements then you know you should read it.0 0Reply
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The plot twist is why it gets 3 stars. This book was slow and all over the place. It kind of makes sense why in the end, but I was waiting for the book to end. I feel like I didn’t get the full understanding of the book.
0 0ReplyColson Whitehead’s Underground Railroad was my introduction to the author’s work. That book is a phenomenal read. The Nickel Boys is just as phenomenal. Although the tale is only 208 pages long it holds the readers attention throughout. This is the story of a bright young promising boy named Elwood Curtis who after hitchhiking on his way to class gets fingered as an accomplice. He is sent straight to a place called Nickle Academy. An all boys school where their form of discipline is basically torture. Elwood does his best to adjust , holds on to hope that his grandmother can find a way to get him out of that place.
It’s been a while since a story really broke my heart. The Nickle Boys definitely did especially the ending. Also, I learned that Colson Whitehead was inspired to write this story after hearing about a place called The Dozier School for Boys. That was the most heartbreaking part. I’m glad that I decided to pick up a copy of this novella. I was so hooked on this story reading it every night before bed. It is worth 5 out of five stars in my opinion. A true masterpiece.0 0Reply- It's difficult to review a book like The Nickel Boys and try to untangle my feelings toward the subject matter from my thoughts on the writing and structure of the novel. The Nickel Boys is an important piece of literature in presenting a fictionalized account of a school similar to the Dozier school and the government-sanctioned mistreatment of children in the name of being reformed. The fact that the real Dozier school was only recently closed in the 2000s is almost incomprehensible. In the novel, Whitehead shows how when given the chance, those in power will use that power to oppress and take advantage of others, despite Elwood's internalization of Dr. King's 'meet hate with love' mentality. It is a bleak but honest summary of the treatment of black Americans that I think all white Americans should read and reflect on. I also appreciate the ways in which Whitehead alludes to and describes the violence the boys face. It never feels exploitative of their pain, but instead tells you enough to know what they endure while keeping their experiences as the focus, not the actual acts of violence.
With that said, the narrative structure of the novel was sometimes disorienting. The prologue and epilogue provide a good framework for centering the story on not just the experiences of the boys at Nickel and the society around them turning a blind eye to they mistreatment, but to more of a present-day reflection on how that experience continues to impact the men and society's continuation to silence black voices. However, the flashbacks in Part 3 were almost distracting. While they strengthen the payoff of the final chapter, I don't know if they service the flow of the novel as a whole. I also found myself confused at times when the narrative would shift within chapters to include small notes or stories about different characters. Going back and forth took me out of the story at times and made it challenging to settle back in.
Did I enjoy this book? not particularly, but I don't think I'm supposed to. Definitely worth reading, and hopefully other's aren't as bothered by the structure and pacing as me.0 0Reply Opened my eyes to the horrors that happened at the Dozier School for Boys, but what interest I had at the beginning waned. Had me thinking I’d like to dig into some non-fiction about the school instead. (I did finish the book though!)
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