Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

62 reviews

kwims's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Rape

kyrstin_p1989's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense 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

4.5

Hauntingly beautiful prose yet still direct and plain enough for everyone to access. This book is equal parts historical fiction, horror, and thriller. The paranormal aspect made the story more compelling and without it, it would’ve been just another story about the Jim Crow south and the horrors that occurred there. The characters are brave and heroic and hopeful even when they have no reason to be. This book has the potential to become a classic and should be read widely. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

kaiyakaiyo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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? No

4.0

this is one of those books I can’t call “enjoyable” because  frfr it had me sweating and my stomach in knots the whole time. that being said, it was a gripping, sad, informative read. the pacing is surprisingly fast for a book this large, and the plot was very neat.

the speculative and horror elements wove well with the historical fiction aspects, and I really enjoyed how we got a glimpse into so many minds, even if they weren’t always good minds to be in. the way the narrative flowed from one brain to the other was so smooth and satisfying. gloria and robbie were lovely, if tragic :( such sweet, empathetic children in a world where they can sense even more harm than usual due to their clairvoyance. heartbreaking

I also love love love that the author included books in the authors note that tell the true story of the school this novel is based on; it’s clear that she did a lot of careful, tactful research for this book, and wants us to do the same. this is not a light read by any means, but it is a good one 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Death of parent

Minor: Cancer and Terminal illness

thrillofthepage's review

challenging dark emotional tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

hughesie's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gun violence, Sexual assault, Slavery, Antisemitism, and Sexual harassment

gwenswoons's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Whew. This was an agonizing, devastating, painful read. But the storytelling and the world-building is unlike anything I’ve ever read, I think. My Dad has been obsessed with Tananarive Due for the last several months - reading absolutely every word she’s written - and I read this since it was the first one he read and started telling me about a while ago. It’s astonishing by every measure: gorgeous writing, unflinchingly  in the telling of history, a vivid point of view all the time. Every possible content warning for this - it is a novel about the Jim Crow south, and the violence and terror permeates every moment. If you have the mental space and the fortitude, it is profoundly worth reading. I listened on audio (truly excellent narration by Joniece Abbott-Pratt), and I had to take big breaks and listen to/read lighter stuff - it’s scary and deeply heavy. I kept thinking it was like if Stephen King (à la The Institute, in the most possible parallel to me) seriously knew how to write (literary fiction), had a real reason for telling the story he was telling, was actually able to inhabit other perspectives. This story is loosely based on/inspired by part of Due’s family history, which includes an uncle who was killed at a similar (real/not fictional) institution in Jim Crow Florida. Anyway - I am grateful to have finished this - emotionally wrecked - but will be thinking about it for a long time and hope you will take the time to read this novel or other works of Tananarive Due’s.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

amberjackonski's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

author_d_r_oestreicher's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

 

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due is set in 1950, Jim Crow Florida. Twelve-year-old Robert Stephens, Jr. defends his older sister Gloria from the unwanted advance of white Lyle McCormack. For kicking Lyle, he is sentenced to Gracetown School for Boys—a brutal place run by the psychopath Fenton Haddock. The brutality of the Jim Crow South is balanced by the nice people that Robert meets and the haints (ghosts) that befriend him. A novel about the United States in the 1950s, and well worth reading. 

 

For my extended notes: https://1book42day.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-reformatory-by-tananarive-due.html 

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Check out https://amazon.com/shop/influencer-20171115075 for book recommendations. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Antisemitism, and Death of parent

Magic realism

hausedgerton's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Found this book to be completely different than what I thought I was getting into—and I am so glad it was. The characters, story, and the accurate depiction of Jim Crow South amazing. Was a book I could not put down and would recommend to everyone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Sexual violence, and Violence

delilahblues's review

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award this year and I definitely see why. This is not my first experience with Due, so it wasn’t surprising for this book to be so good. I love the writing style as well as the story itself.
The story is about a young man who is sent to a boys school for a minor crime. Once there, he begins to see ghosts and finds out about the dark history of the school. It is a duel perspective book with most of the story told between the young boy and his older sister who is willing to do whatever it takes to rescue her brother. 
I’m not typically a fan of multiple perspectives in books bc they can often be disjointed, but Due’s writing style makes it easier to follow. 
All in all, I cannot recommend this book (or really *any* of her books) enough. This book is hyped for a reason. Be sure to check trigger warnings before diving in though! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail