Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

46 reviews

caseythereader's review against another edition

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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

dark emotional informative tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

mamaofperfectpayton's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.25

Wow. What a book. It was hard for me to read the first 250 because I have difficulty reading books about injustices during the Jim Crow era. I could only read a few pages at a time for about 4 weeks. But starting around chapter 20… BABY WHEW… the story took a turn and I was on the edge of my seat. The last 50 pages or so felt so real that it seemed like I was there while reading. There is an extremely long list of content warnings, so please beware. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Police brutality, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Bullying, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Sexual assault

janeadventures's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Slavery, Blood, Racial slurs, Child death, and Racism

wylovat's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

becandbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

5.0

 An incredibly personal, gut-wrenching, and transportative story inspired by the real-life horrors of Dozier School for Boys, The Reformatory drew me in from the beginning. Going into it, I knew I was settling into a disturbing tale. Still, I wasn't prepared to become so deeply invested in the narrative—not just the story of Robert and Grace but also the tale of the institution itself.

Rooted in a time after the abolition of slavery, when ingrained racism was rampant in the lives of Americans in the South, The Reformatory begins with this racism landing young Robert Jr in the Gracetown School for Boys. It is a place where every day is a fight for survival, and the trauma of the past does not stay buried in the ground. The plot then unfolds into a rich and encompassing story, lingering with ghosts and a fierce fight for justice.

The knowledge that these ghosts, whether real or not, have a place in history is chilling. The incorporation of subtle glimpses of possible story paths through the paranormal is done beautifully. Tananarive Due has crafted a story that will both grip and haunt readers from beginning to end.

Readers considering this story should be aware that it is by absolutely no means a light read. Review the trigger warnings if you are not comfortable with graphic and disturbing content. However, beneath all the horrendous aspects is a brilliantly written story that deserves immense praise. 

 

becandbooks.com ‧ the storygraph ‧ trigger warning database ‧ more links

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Child death, Racism, Torture, Racial slurs, and Child abuse

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Blood, Bullying, and Sexism

Minor: Sexual harassment, Slavery, and Vomit

→ trigger warnings: racism (including slurs & racial profiling), slavery mentioned, lynching mentioned, hate crimes, fire, incarceration (main theme), toxic masculinity, misogyny, bullying, child abuse, child death & murder, rape discussed, blood & injury depiction, sexual harassment, lashings, emesis/vomiting, stabbing & knife violence recounted, death from dog attack discussed, dead bodies discussed, gun violence

ktdakotareads's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

callunavulgaris's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense 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

I wish I was in a book club to discuss all the imagery & themes. Truly, Tananarive Due’s work should be required high school reading. Will likely be one of my favorite reads this year.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Blood, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Racial slurs, Rape, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Hate crime, Racism, Xenophobia, and Police brutality

brandilovesbooks's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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? No

4.25

This book is beautifully written.   It's a story that is going to stick with you.   Although entirely fiction,  the story opens your eyes to the unfairness of the past.

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.

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Content Warnings

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

deepcurvesahead's review against another edition

dark inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Rape