It's hard to rate this book or even synthesize it, the writing grows like mildew in the shower, slowly insidiously with rising heat. Vuong's incredible attention to detail, evocative imagery and gorgeous display of human pathos can sometimes make the book overwhelming but in the best way.

I wanted to like it, but I thought the characters had way too much dialogue. Nothing was left to the reader's imagination. It felt more like a movie script. The strongest point was the plot but even that felt like a maudlin teen drama. Slightly disappointed because the concept was promising.

Whitehead is a master of the black male teen experience (Sag Harbor) and here he returns in full force.. Nickel Boys is full of deftly pulled historical details, weaving between fact and fiction as it takes the reader through the swampy, racist horror lands of Southern Florida.

I wanted to like this book more than I did, given that I’ve always liked David Sedaris’s comic, offbeat observations on life, liberty and the pursuit of self care. And while certain essays were beautiful, like the ones about his sister’s death, mother’s overdose and relationship with his father, others felt like they were just included to meet a word limit. Maybe reducing the quantity of essays and focusing on quality would work better.