The Nickel Boys is a short, but impactful read. While the story is fiction, it is heavily influenced by reform schools (more specifically the Dozier School for Boys) and their horrific practices. The novel follows Elwood Curtis, a young, academically gifted black teenager who suddenly finds himself sentenced to do time at Nickel Academy. Through Elwood's eyes, the reader experiences the horrors that take place at the school. Halfway through the book, Whitehead, the author, makes the decision to tell the story through alternating timelines documenting Elwood's final days at the school and more of a present-day narration. I can't give any more of a summary because it would spoil the poignant story Whitehead has crafted. As the 2020 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction, I knew that I had to read this book. I urge you to add this one to your reading list and experience this novel as well.