Reviews with content warning for Torture - The Reformatory

Tananarive Due is an expert of the genre who continues to outdo herself with every new book. This is her magnum opus, and is worth all of the praise it continues to receive.

The Reformatory is a heart wrenching yet optimistic tale of real life horror. Due has always excelled as a storyteller, and she is particularly strong at balancing the horrors of the real world with the fictional horror elements she masterfully incorporates into her stories. What was so powerful about this book is that it is easily the real world horrors that are more frightening.

The characters in this book are particularly well-written. I found myself instantly falling in love with Robert, Gloria, and their family, while the villain of the book is arguably one of the most wretched I have encountered in a while.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone willing to wrestle with a dark spot in American history, but I would particularly encourage fans of literary and historical fiction to give this book a read, even if horror is not your cup of tea. This is a book I will not forget for a long time. I am grateful for Tananarive’s contributions to the world of horror, and I cannot wait to see what she does next

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kellyung's review

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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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passionyoungwrites's review against another edition

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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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nishtrbg's review

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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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