The Nickel Boys, Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Nickel Boys.

How did the reading go for you this week? I couldn't believe how quickly the story turned for Elwood. It was so incredibly sad that he had so much promise and excitement, and then it was all taken away by a completely innocent decision. 

What did you think about the book starting the way it did? It was definitely a really somber start. It's crazy to imagine that all of that violence and all of the horrible things were happening at the school and no one knew. It seemed like an open secret that was incredibly heartbreaking. The fact that the story is based on a real place makes the story even more somber. You can read more about the real school that inspired the book here. 

What did you think of Elwood at the beginning of the book? He seemed like such a nice young man. I felt like I was rooting for him immediately. He definitely had a commitment to justice, to his own detriment, making sure kids didn't steal from the shop he worked at and going to the protests. It was admirable that he stuck so firmly to what he believed, even when it meant that he got punished. 

I absolutely could not believe it when the car he was hitchhiking in ended up being a stolen car. That was so incredibly unfair that he was punished for being in it. I'm sure no one believed that he didn't play a part in the theft. It was so hard to read about him heading to the Nickel Academy when he should have been going to college classes. It was all so sad. 

What were your first impressions of Nickel Academy? When Elwood was first getting a tour, it seemed like it might not be that bad of a place, but as soon as he went to his first class and it was a joke, I knew the school wasn't what it seemed. At the end of this first section, Elwood tries to stand up to bullies but is then punished more harshly than the bullies are. I had a really hard time imagining the whipping machine that was used against Elwood in the "White House." I can't even imagine how someone came up with the idea to create something like that. And, I really can't imagine how someone could use it against a young person. The leaders of the school were so heartless. It just made me sick to read about it. How do you think this punishment is going to affect Elwood? Will it change his commitment to justice? Do you think he will be able to work his way up in the school and will be able to leave? 

What do you think is going to happen in the next section? Do you think Elwood will be punished again? How is he going to navigate his way through the school? 

Before you go, check out this video of author, Colson Whitehead, talking about his books and his writing process. What was your favorite part of the video? 

We'll read through chapter 12 for next week! I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the book in the comments.