RaveSouthern Literary ReviewColson Whitehead once more proves the sheer power of his talent with The Nickel Boys...a heartbreaking, chilling story ... In The Nickel Boys, Whitehead avoids detailed depictions of graphic violence, which makes the story more bearable yet more haunting. He leaves it to the readers to imagine the worst beatings, some resulting in death. This is not a story for the weak stomach or the fainthearted. Nonetheless, this book is so important that it should be read and understood in a primal way so that no one allows a school like this to ever flourish again ... Whitehead can nail a scene, an emotion, and a character in a few sharp words ... Whitehead spares readers too many of the brutal details, but does not spare readers from the impact of such beatings on the psyche of the tortured youths ... As a cautionary tale, Nickel Boys excels. This is a book that should be required reading.
