Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys
And Whitehead knocks it out of the park again. In his latest novel (following up the multiple-award-winning Underground Railroad), the focus is on a young black boy in the early 60s, whose promising future is derailed by bad luck and systemic racism. And then he’s sent to an ungodly reform school—loosely based on a real place—where, in the present day, a group of archaeologists have found a secret graveyard full of young boys. Much of the novel takes place in Tallahassee; it is always a little weird to read about a place where you’ve lived, but as far as I’m concerned, Whitehead nailed it. Obviously parts of the novel are beyond grim, but the writing and narrative voice made me eager to keep reading. I just thought this was excellent, in a gut-punch sort of way. A.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in July.
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