Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - The Reformatory

Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

139 reviews

swiftpool's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I’ve never cried - no, weeped - as much reading as I did with this book. I cried so hard I thought I might puke, or never stop crying. The plot might have ghosts, but it’s not them that did the real haunting. The characters felt like something from a real book. I can’t explain how moving this book is, but I can say it’s very difficult from most historical fiction I’ve read. It has a point, not just a plot. It’s not just trauma written for the sake of it. It was written with a purpose, based on real people and places that also affected the author and her family. I recommend reading the acknowledgments to learn more about the authors ties to the dozier school and more nonfiction information on it. It’s not an easy read but I think it’s an important read, especially for those who find nonfiction harder to read but want an insight into Americas real history.

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kwims's review against another edition

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challenging emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

after reading "The Good House," Tananarive Due is an author I will automatically read. The way that she writes people as being the horrors that exist is out of this world, but this book was really that. I had to stop reading a few times because of how horrifying some of the events were, and it was not lost on me that the horrors in this book were really systems and the people knowingly abetting them, and the people abetting them by simply not doing anything. The last ten or so chapters had me white knuckling my iPad, I was so scared about what would happen and I cried at the end in relief but also mourning the pain and violence that had impacted so many of the characters in this story. TLDR: having a haunted house is a privilege when living under white supremacy is a normal occurrence and constant horror for so many people, even today.

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hellishpelican's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Utterly devastating but beautiful novel shining light on racism in the South in the 1950's. I loved this. The expertly intertwined ghost story was a lovely bonus and added a great dimension to the story without making it unserious.

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joybeljera's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This story kept me reading whenever I could — on the treadmill, in car rides, in bed til 1 AM and took my breath away with its depiction of the horrors of racism + juvenile incarceration alongside the unshakeable love of family/the people you’ve chosen as your family. Plus there are ghosts and gore. The characters are burned in my mind. This is a story I won’t forget.

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vix682's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is my first Tananarive Due book but it can't be my last. This was such a hauntingly, powerful book. It's a real horror story of schools that exist and have existed in this world. It doesn't shy away from racial atrocities but also builds these strong black characters. Robbie and Gloria overcome so much on their own and grow up in such a short span of time. I'm relieved to see these two reunited and move towards a promising future.

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