Reviews - The Reformatory | The StoryGraph

6.58k reviews for:

The Reformatory

Tananarive Due

4.56 AVERAGE

mdedloff's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

sonia007's review against another edition

5.0

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: No

“I don’t b’lieve in ‘evil’ in most ways,” Miz Lottie said. “I believe in the devil, all right, but man don’t need no help from Satan to do what folks call ‘evil.’ Man do evil ev’ry day and call it doin’ their job.”

I was anxious from page 8-565. This book was so powerful and really brought to life how horrible racism was in the 1950’s. Although racism had never truly gone way, but this was the time period of the story. Anyone who wasn’t white was walking on eggshells surrounded in fire.

“Florida’s soil is soaked with so much blood, it’s a wonder the droplets don’t seep between your toes with every step.”

Robbie and Gloria are fighting for their lives to resolve past injustices. Injustices so awful that they are literally haunting people. You can really feel the need for community during these horrifying times and it’s a relief to see some people come through for them, sometimes at a price.

Due write writes about some of the unspeakable horrors people had gone through without making it gory. Her writing style was very easy to comprehend (although a lot of very tough scenes to get through) and felt true to the times. It helped transport me to the past and kept me holding my breath. I had literal nightmares after finishing this book. I look forward to more novels by Due.

mrsfought's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

honeymonster's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This is about a young black boy sent to a reformatory in the Jim Crow south, and the horrors there. Between the evil warden and the ghosts everywhere, can young Robert survive? It's also about the hopelessness of trying to get a relative out of such a place, again in the Jim Crow south.

This novel is fucking harrowing. It sure as hell didn't need the ghosts to be terrifying. It's also very well-written, at least.