Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

64 reviews

bookzombiee19's review

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Hate crime

leslielikesthings's review

dark emotional mysterious 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Child abuse, Violence, Child death, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Torture, Death of parent, and Hate crime

Minor: Lesbophobia, Antisemitism, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Rape

kellyung's review

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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Hate crime, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Child abuse, Blood, Child death, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, and Gun violence

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

passionyoungwrites's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

“I don’t believe in evil in most ways. I believe in the devil alright. But Man don’t need help from Satan to do what folks call evil. Men do evil everyday and call it doing their job.”

🏫 

Honestly, the mixture of historical fiction, and horror made this read an enjoyable one. Though, I feel the author caressed many relevant topics to ensure us that not much has changed for Black folk in regards to the “system”. Not much has changed of white “privilege” and even then in 1950 - many people of the white race only felt they could do so much to help in their own way with fear that their own lives would be torn apart. 

🏫 

A twelve year old sent to a prison alternative, with limited family / community support, and relying on his sister for a solution. A town ran by corrupt officials, Klan, and a section black neighbors whose well-being are in jeopardy due to “attempting” to change a verdict. Ghosts of the past, showing their struggles and truths of the ones who wronged while at The Reformatory to the little ones of Gracetown. 

🏫 

The truth of this story was heartfelt, though, I was glad to see that there will always be rebels standing for what’s right - even if it meant risking everything you know and have. 

This is a must read and a fav already. And the narrator for the audio was 🔥!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Hate crime, and Classism

Moderate: Violence, Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Bullying, Child death, Classism, and Physical abuse

Minor: Rape, Torture, and Murder

confidentleeme's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

WOW! WOW! If you want to read a book to stir up some feelings.. THAT is thee one! The horror literally is how Black males are treated. When I say this book gave me so much anxiety!! And only anxiety bc we know the feelings that surround being Black in this country. Ms. Due did a great job transporting us to the Jim Crow era. Will I read this again? Likely not bc it is HEAVY! But if you have the space for it, I highly recommend

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Hate crime, Racism, Child abuse, Gaslighting, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence

nishtrbg's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

This book truly had me scared and it wasn’t because of the ghosts… iykyk. The story’s dual pov and imagery had me thinking about those characters even when I wasn’t reading. It was heartbreaking, shocking, anger-inducing, and such a needed story. Definitely a 5 star read and one I recommend everyone read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and Hate crime

mondovertigo's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Animal death, Violence, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Sexual violence, Racism, Hate crime, Grief, Domestic abuse, Death, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Child death, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Rape, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault

Minor: War

estruch's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Pedophilia, Torture, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Hate crime, and Child death

Moderate: Cancer, Misogyny, and Rape

Minor: Slavery and War

d0505's review

adventurous challenging dark hopeful informative mysterious sad 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Racism, and Hate crime

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Pedophilia and Rape

I

starbabe2529's review

challenging dark 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

5.0

Book 12 of 101: Author Spotlight- Tananarive Due. 

This book was absolutely a 10 out of 10! It was 100 out of 10! I want to read everything Tananarive Due has ever written! I was admittedly very intimated by The Reformatory at first because of the size but I chose it for the author spotlight because I have a fascination with true crime and I have heard all about Dozier School for Boys. Then I found out just how deeply Tananarive Due's ties with that school went. This book is dripping with emotion, soaked with grief and rage and fear. I cried so hard I couldn't see the pages. The horror not only of the ghosts and the dead but of what the living can do to each other was so absolutely bone chilling that I think I need to read Legends and Lattes now to cleanse my palette. I love this book and I hate that the world made it possible for it to be written. I hope that Robert Stephens family found some sort of peace in even a small part of his story being told. I hope that he knows he isn't forgotten. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Racial slurs, and Child death

Moderate: Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Gun violence

Minor: Death of parent, Slavery, Confinement, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Rape