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4.56 AVERAGE
4.56 AVERAGE
mysterious
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:
Complicated
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
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
stunning. set in Jim Crow Florida, the true horrors of this book are unsurprisingly the racist atrocities that have occurred (and continue to occur all around the world), but Due never falls into the trap of writing misery/trauma porn. was surprised to find the novel split between two main storylines, but Gloria's portions felt essential to grounding the story in reality and the wider struggle beyond Robert's deeply unjust, inhumane treatment. every awful thing is balanced out by the love that the Stephens family and their community have for each other, lending this harrowing tale a wonderfully hopeful tint that points towards the progress that has thankfully been made over time, even if we still have a long way go.
past present and future, Black lives matter!
past present and future, Black lives matter!
dark
emotional
inspiring
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:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due is #historicalfiction and #paranormalfiction that takes place at the Gracetown School for Boys in 1950’s Florida. (Gracetown is based on the Dozier School for Boys.) Robbie, a 12-year-old black boy, kicks the son of a racist land owner and finds himself sentenced to Gracetown. He tries to survive by keeping his head down and making friends, but the restless spirits of former tenants/victims won’t leave him alone. Once the corrupt warden finds out about Robbie’s strengths in seeing the spirits that harass him, he uses the boy to capture and exterminate them. But one of the most menacing spirits wants to use Robbie to avenge his death. In my opinion… there’s a lot going on here. The author handles the reality of the Jim Crow south and racism within the prison/reform systems while weaving a paranormal fictional account of a vulnerable victim. And since the setting and background are realistic, the characters are written to seem equally as real. Then, there’s the while eerie, mystical element that makes the story interesting and compelling. It’s a masterful interweaving that creates a great novel. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booksbooksbooks #book #books #booklover #booknerdforlife #bookrecommendations #bookrecs #bookrec #bookreview #bookaddict #read #readmorebooks #readmore #reading #readingtime
dark
emotional
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:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced