This has been on the NY Times best seller list for awhile now. I've never read this author's books before.
STORY SUMMARY
It's the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement and it's just starting to reach into the mostly black town of Frenchtown in segregated Tallahassee, Florida.
Elwood Curtis, a high school student who works hard and studies hard, has one desire: to go to college. He's a good boy. He's being raised by his grandmother. He knows he is "as good as anyone" to quote Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. He was abandoned by his parents but his grandmother makes sure he stays on the straight and narrow path.
When he's a senior and about to start local college classes, he is getting a ride with another boy who has stolen a car. Sadly, he ends up in reformatory school as an accomplice to auto theft. His entire future is destroyed.
He is sent to the Nickel Academy which claims to provide "physical, intellectual and moral training" so that the delinquent boys there will become 'honorable and honest men".
However, the reality is that Nickel Academy is not really a safe haven. The staff are sadistic and often beat the boys. They also sexually abuse the boys and corrupt officials just look the other way.
Any boy who resists punishment often "disappears out back".
Elwood is shocked to find out that this is his new reality. He clings to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.
But what happens when Elwood befriends Turner, another juvenile delinquent?
What will be their fate?
MY THOUGHTS
This book was a bit too depressing for me.
And yet, it is an important topic. Very important.
The character development is superb. I just loved Elwood and I felt a certain love for Turner as well.
The main themes are racism and discrimination of course. It seemed that just the African American boys were the ones being abused....all because of the color of their skin. The book points out that most people assumed blacks were dishonest, stupid, and not to be trusted. It actually took me awhile to read this because it was very heavy of a topic.
The importance of friendship also comes out in a big way in this story.
I normally love books about Civil Rights but it was just too sad. Yes, it's based on real life circumstances. And that just makes my blood boil. Shame on us as a nation for allowing this to go on as long as it did.
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17 and older, due to mature content.
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 9.
1 comment:
Just your description of what went on makes me sick. I don't think I could read this and yet as you say it's so important. I just read Hidden Figures and there were things in there that I didn't realize went on and it just made me mad. We are experiencing the repercussions as a nation in Canada with the way we treated First Nations children with the residential schools. It's a huge shameful scar on us a nation that we allowed it to happen and that it went on for so long!
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