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rorikae's review against another edition
- 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
When he kicks the son of a prominent landowner while defending his sister, Robert Stevens Jr. is sentenced to six months at the local reformatory school for boys. When he arrives at the school, he finds it is a place of terror where the head of the school rules over the boys with fear and intimidation. Robbie finds two friends, Redbone and Blue, who help him better understand the school and the truth of his situation. While his sister Gloria tries to get him freed from the school, Robbie searches for a way to escape while dealing with the terrors that haunt the grounds.
Due does an exceptional job of creating slowly creeping horror that is centered on the characters and their personal situations. She instantly makes you care for Robbie and his family and then puts him in a harrowing situation that slowly ramps up and grows more distressing. Based loosely on a relative who attended a reformatory school, Due mixes the real history of the horrors committed at these institutions with Robbie’s fictionalized story. What results is a deeply moving story that demonstrates the cruelty and racism that permeated these types of institutions. Due also does a great job of only hinting at some of the worst things that happen at the institution while still bringing the hairs up on the back of your neck. A horrifying story with a deeply heartfelt core, please read the Reformatory.
Graphic: Child death, Hate crime, Racism, Torture, Violence, Body horror, Racial slurs, Blood, Child abuse, Gore, Murder, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence
caseythereader's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Racism, Child death, Racial slurs, Violence, Confinement, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Medical content, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Murder, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Rape and Slavery
Minor: Antisemitism
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Racial slurs, Murder, Death, Child death, Torture, Violence, Racism, Gore, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Sexual violence and Death of parent
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Suicide
jjsbookcase's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Racial slurs, Slavery, Child death, Violence, Racism, Child abuse, and Gore
wylovat's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Bullying, Child death, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Confinement, Hate crime, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Racial slurs, Police brutality, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Death of parent, Rape, Sexism, and War
randilefevre12's review against another edition
- 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? No
5.0
Graphic: Slavery, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Child death, and Child abuse
Moderate: Rape, War, and Sexual harassment
ktdakotareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Grief, Body horror, Racism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Murder, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death, Bullying, Gun violence, and Torture
Minor: Sexual assault
brandilovesbooks's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.25
Robbie is sent to a segregated boys reformatory school after he kicks a white boy who had been making inappropriate comments about his sister.
Just asking about kids who have tried to escape gets Robbie sent to the Fun House, a place for punishment.
Robbie and Gloria are the main points of view.
Occasionally the warden has a turn with his point of view. Due does an amazing job creating an evil character who leaves the reader with incredibly visceral reactions.
I recommend this book to people of every color who need to know what Jim Crow was like. I also recommend it for people who believe in haints (ghosts). It is a wonderful story of friendship, sibling relationship, and family.
I do have some content warnings- very detailed description of fire and dying in a fire, very disturbing look into the thoughts of a sociopath, multiple forms of abuse, violence, guns and gun violence, rape, racial slurs, cursing, death.
Graphic: Blood, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Child abuse, Racism, Child death, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Rape, Pedophilia, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Murder, Violence, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Gun violence, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, and Sexual harassment