Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

197 reviews

marisample's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism

pilicreads's review against another edition

challenging hopeful reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

I found it difficult to WANT to pick up the book and keep reading, mostly in the first half. After the first half, however, things really begin to spiral, and the initial emotion and love you hold for these characters propels you in a panic to keep reading — the panicked hope that they are okay pushes you forward.

Beautiful, haunting, difficult, wrenching, and extremely powerful. To quote The Washington Post, this book “shreds our easy confidence in the triumph of goodness”. I think everyone needs to read this. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

mle11's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Dementia

cattpurrson's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism

jayisreading's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

4.0

Based on the real story of the Dozier School for Boys in Florida during the Jim Crow era, The Nickel Boys was heartbreaking to read, considering the horrors that Black boys faced. Something I really appreciate about Whitehead’s writings is how he shows the lasting reverberations of anti-Blackness in the United States by focusing closely on a specific aspect of the country’s history. Despite the horrors that exist in these pages (and in United States history), I was surprised by the amount of love and resilience that came through. It really made the ending all the more gut-wrenching, especially as you grow a particular fondness for Elwood.

Not that there’s ever a really good headspace to be in when reading such a devastating novel, but I think I could have appreciated this novel more if I had less on my plate while reading it. I felt that I read this in a rush and didn’t get the chance to fully appreciate Whitehead’s efforts. Considering this, I really would like to revisit this novel when I can really put more care into what’s happening.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Alcoholism and Domestic abuse

carlycompton22's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

Poignant look at the perpetration of racism in America through the lens of a boys reform school in Florida during the Jim Crow era. The striking account of the horrors suffered at the school against the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement and precisely placed MLK quotes create a vivid picture of how ideals crash into reality like oil and vinegar. Slightly lower rating because I listened on audiobook and couldn't get used to the narrator's speaking style or keep track of all the characters well so I think I lost some of the impact of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Rape

orizenda's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

The ending hit me like a truck. Like even though you’re somewhat expecting it… you’re not expecting that. at least i wasn’t. knowing nothing about the dozier school other than essentially the fictionalized account of it in the reformatory by tananarive due, my heart was breaking reading this and being forced to realize that the fiction may not be that far from the truth these boys had to live. it’s horrific that this is not so far in our history

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Racial slurs, and Racism

sabrinaleaf's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, and Racism

Minor: Rape

jennswan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

jlfields925's review against another edition

sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, and Murder