Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

113 reviews

alyssatuininga's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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? No

4.0

 This book is a rough read- racism, child sexual abuse, torture death, and extreme graphic descriptions of child physical abuse. I struggled getting through this book because every time I picked it up this dread washed over me and I had a pit in my stomach. It is eloquently written- raw and heartbreaking. The characters feel realistic, deep, and honest. I learned a great deal about justice and the NAACP in Florida in the 1950s.  In the long run, I am glad that I read it but it was a rough ride. 

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Content Warnings

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

jaedia's review

challenging dark emotional tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Classism

shaanananaaa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Rape

rachaelcandoit's review against another edition

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? No

5.0

This book was devastating and haunting. Beautifully written. I loved both Robbie and Gloria's narratives throughout. I think that everything with the haints was incredibly well done. 

This book definitely kept me in my toes. I started this book as part of my Summerween and it was the only book I read that had me feeling genuinely tense and on the edge of my seat. I really liked how it ended + I don't think there could've been a better way to wrap up everything. 

I'm glad I picked this book up! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

crystalap's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, and Murder

pkatrinaanne's review against another edition

I may go back. It’s not what I expected, and it’s tough enough material that I definitely need to be in the mood to tackle the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, and Death of parent

fkshg8465's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-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? Yes

5.0

This book was long but so so so worth every minute spent on it. Every word was purposeful. Every character well developed. Every scene useful. In this sense, it reminded me of the economical beauty that was the movie Monster. Execution was flawless for that movie, as was this book. Possibly the only thing that would’ve either made it even better or maybe might’ve moved it from perfect to over the top would’ve been if Thurgood Marshall or Zora Neale Hurston made an actual appearance in the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

marc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Police brutality, and Murder

elysianbud's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

One of the best books I have ever read. 

Tananarive Due writes about some of the worst human behaviour imaginable, but also some of the most beautiful depictions of bravery and friendship: a wedding photo saved, a drawing of friend, a helping hand. Both extremes will make you sob throughout this book. Chapters 32 and 33 in particular almost had me screaming in anguish--I probably would have, if not for the neighbours. 

This is a longer book than I typically read but it does not drag for a single moment. This is one of the tightest narratives I've ever read; there's not a word wasted, it's paced perfectly from beginning to end. 

I picked this up for the ghosts, so when I realised there was more then just Robert's perspective, I wondered if I would lose interest, as is often the fear with multiple perspective stories. However, Due manages to make both Robert and Grace's narrative tense and terrifying in their own ways, with or without the haints. In fact, the haints aren't even the scary part of this story. The living are the ones to fear, and Due made me shiver with fear and my heart ache in pain with their disgusting behaviour. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer and Classism

theliteraryhooker's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This is the most emotionally invested I've been in a book in a long while. I found myself angry, wishing I could reach through the pages to intervene on Robbie's behalf. The last third or so had me feeling so tense, I could barely sit still while reading. A fantastically written novel with an important message woven throughout an extremely compelling plot. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury