Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

60 reviews

peachani's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This is my first Due book, and I don't think I could have chosen better. I annotated the heck out of this book; the writing was so good that there were so many sentences, paragraphs - whole pages, even - that I never want to forget. I appreciate the sensitivity with which the author handed a real and truly harrowing experience. She described the horrors in a way that was complete, but not exploitative or gratuitous. I think some of her other books are more straightforward horror (this was plenty scary, don't get me wrong) and I am a chicken, but I plan to read her entire oeuvre. I know I'll find works that will entertain and transform me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Blood, Cancer, and Torture

Minor: Dysphoria, Grief, Misogyny, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Rape, Vomit, and Gore

outofthepinksky's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Cursing, Death of parent, Misogyny, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Pedophilia, and Vomit

Minor: Domestic abuse, Slavery, Cancer, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

qqjj's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Body horror, Bullying, Gaslighting, Grief, Stalking, Rape, Terminal illness, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Death, Slavery, Sexual assault, Classism, Gore, Violence, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Blood, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Gun violence, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Torture

jkar7's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but it's not really my style. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Hate crime, Slavery, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Death of parent

vix682's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

This is my first Tananarive Due book but it can't be my last. This was such a hauntingly, powerful book. It's a real horror story of schools that exist and have existed in this world. It doesn't shy away from racial atrocities but also builds these strong black characters. Robbie and Gloria overcome so much on their own and grow up in such a short span of time. I'm relieved to see these two reunited and move towards a promising future.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Child abuse, Hate crime, and Racial slurs

vegan5533's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

An incredible addition to any historical fiction collection.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Gore, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Rape, Blood, Bullying, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Torture, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Child death, and Gaslighting

bookended's review against another edition

dark emotional

4.5

4.5/5
Thank you to Saga Press, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster, for the free e-copy of this book!

Please be warned the triggers in this read include: racial slurs, abuse, extreme violence , racism.. 

The storytelling in this read was beyond words and left me speechless from start to end. The Reformatory takes place in 1950's Gracetown, Florida, following both Gloria and Robert (Robbie) Stephens, when Robert found himself being sent to a Boy's School (which is led by THE MOST disgusting man) after an incident with his neighbor. 

This was a horrific, heart-dropping, stomach-turning read, that was written so well. And knowing that this read was inspired by true events from Tananarive Due's family history made it that much more memorable.  Historical Fiction at its finest.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Racism, Child abuse, Child death, Hate crime, Death of parent, and Sexual assault

racheltheripper'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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Murder, Hate crime, Torture, Child death, Body horror, Blood, Grief, Gore, Racism, Racial slurs, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Death of parent

kaiyakaiyo's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective 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

4.0

this is one of those books I can’t call “enjoyable” because  frfr it had me sweating and my stomach in knots the whole time. that being said, it was a gripping, sad, informative read. the pacing is surprisingly fast for a book this large, and the plot was very neat.

the speculative and horror elements wove well with the historical fiction aspects, and I really enjoyed how we got a glimpse into so many minds, even if they weren’t always good minds to be in. the way the narrative flowed from one brain to the other was so smooth and satisfying. gloria and robbie were lovely, if tragic :( such sweet, empathetic children in a world where they can sense even more harm than usual due to their clairvoyance. heartbreaking

I also love love love that the author included books in the authors note that tell the true story of the school this novel is based on; it’s clear that she did a lot of careful, tactful research for this book, and wants us to do the same. this is not a light read by any means, but it is a good one 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Racial slurs, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Child abuse, Grief, Torture, Hate crime, and Gun violence

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Child death, Death of parent, and Child abuse

Minor: Cancer and Terminal illness

melle_bello's review against another edition

dark emotional informative 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: Sexual assault, Slavery, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Hate crime, Racism, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Rape, Pedophilia, and Sexual harassment