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hayleyvem's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
ashsparrow's review against another edition
- 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? No
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Abandonment, and Alcohol
carojust's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Colson Whitehead writes beautiful characters, ones that you love and mourn as if you've known them. While their time in an abusive, corrupt, and terrifying reform school is somber reading, Whitehead offers moments of hope through Elwood's friendships, and a peak into his future. There are repetitive themes, but I believe purposefully so, to reiterate the lasting trauma of a "prison within a prison" created by generations of racial violence, discrimination and hatred. Assaults and murders that escape justice for lifetimes. Poignantly, the characters talk about the free world and their world at Nickel, how there was no fence that kept them imprisoned.
I grew up in Tallahassee, and it was my first time reading a book set in my hometown and the Florida panhandle.
Give this a read if you're interested in Black history, plot twists, and characters you can root for.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
serenitypickle3's review against another edition
Graphic: Child abuse and Physical abuse
Moderate: Racism and Blood
mle11's review against another edition
5.0
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
penhaligon's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
sophiabee3's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Vomit
gotnoculture's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Kidnapping, and Abandonment
banned_book's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
tigertheory's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Xenophobia, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Excrement, Death of parent, and War