The Nickel Boys, Week 4

Welcome to Week 4 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Nickel Boys.

What did you think of the end of the book? Were you surprised by the ending? I was shocked. 

At the beginning of this section, "Elwood" bumps into a guy he knew from school named Chickie. Did that encounter make you wonder if things with Elwood weren't really what they seemed? It was a weird interaction, but I didn't guess that Elwood was anything other than what he seemed. I thought that he just wanted to leave Nickel Academy behind and didn't want to associate with anyone from the school. He really created quite the business for himself. It was nice to read that he was so successful when it seems like many of the boys that graduated from the school were not. I was curious to find out how Elwood left the school since he believed that he had escaped, but Chickie didn't seem to remember that. I wanted to know more about how he was able to leave the school. 

I wasn't surprised, once the narrative moved back to the past, that Elwood was determined to find justice and wanted to tell what was really happening at Nickel. He had shown throughout the story that he was committed to doing what was right, even when it hurt him. But, I was sick to my stomach thinking that he would get caught. Were you surprised when Turner agreed to be the one to pass off the letter? It was surprising when Elwood was taken to the White House that they didn't kill him straight away. I would have thought they they would have wanted to be rid of him. I couldn't believe that Elwood tried to have a positive attitude while he was locked away in the jail cell. He was so good and really tried to make a difference in the world. 

Were you surprised when Turner came to break him out? Was there any part of you that thought that both boys would make it to safety? How surprised were you when you realized that the survivor was really Turner, and he had just assumed Elwood's identity? I was so surprised. I was just sick with how the story ended for Elwood. He deserved so much more than he got. He was an innocent boy with a heart for justice and equality, and he was shot down like a dog. It was so, so sad and so hard to read. 

At the end of the book, Turner finally confesses to his wife that he used to go to Nickel and that his name was really Jack Turner. So many pieces fell in to place for her once she realized what kind of past Turner had. I really can't believe he was able to keep all of that a secret. It was such a huge thing, and I can understand how he would want to move on and not talk about it anymore, but it had to affect every part of his life. I was glad that Turner decided he was going to speak up about the school at the end. I think that was a good way to honor Elwood's memory. I hope he was able to move Elwood to a proper grave. It was sad that Elwood's grandmother died so soon after Elwood. I bet she was just heartbroken. In the end, Turner ends up in the same hotel where the story starts with Elwood. Why do you think Colson Whitehead chose to end the story that way? 

How did you feel after you finished reading? Are you sad that there are real people who had to experience the horrors of places like Nickel? That was what made this book extra hard to read. I kept remembering that it was based on a real place and that real people had to experience horrors like the book described. Did you enjoy reading this book, even though it was sad and hard to read in spots? Would you recommend it to others? If you liked this book and are interested to read or watch similar titles, check out this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list!

Before you go, check out the video below to find out more about the school that inspired the book. Do you blame Whitehead for not wanting to visit the site of the school? 

Thanks for following along this month! Make sure to leave a comment to let me know what you thought of the book! Next month, we're reading The Last Thing He Told Me. I hope you'll join us again next month!