Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

48 reviews

clemmatine's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• 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: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Slavery

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

blacksphinx's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

If this book doesn't win the 2023 Stoker, I will riot. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Torture, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Gun violence, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Vomit

Minor: Antisemitism and War

kathykat's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-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

0.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Torture, Violence, and Murder

Historical fiction about post-slavery work/labor camp in which mostly black children were held against their will in a de facto continuation of slavery.

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: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

cassroberts89's review

challenging 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

4.75

This was an incredibly difficult read. Due’s character development and story telling is absolutely perfect. I felt completely immersed in Gloria and Robert’s world, horrifying as it was. While I feel the book as a whole is just a tad long, I really can’t think of what could possibly be omitted or condensed without detracting from the story. Go into this book with the expectation that you will be horrified, saddened, angered, and that you will spend a lot of time with these characters. The warmth between the siblings and the strength and hope they embody absolutely saves the reading experience, though.

This book was an ARC received as a Goodreads giveaway, and all opinions are completely my own.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, and Violence

mondovertigo's review against another edition

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

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Minor: War

grimdark_dad's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism