Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

28 reviews

swamp_witch27's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Torture

Moderate: Body horror, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery

Intense but phenomenal read

lisainher30s's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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WOW. I had not heard about this book until it won Aarvark's BOTY award so I decided it must be worth investigating and I'm so glad I did. An absolutely incredible read blending the horrors of 1900-1950 Southern racism, abuse and murder with subsequest paranormal activities and a family's quest to escape all of it and also help the souls of those stuck in the realm of revenge and justice. A tough read at times yes, but in ways, a necessary one for anyone who (I can't believe I even have to say this) doesn't think racism is like...a good thing and that it should be criminally prosecuted?? Beautifully written, very complex characters from the protagnosits to the villians - highly recommended. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail

brittgeorge's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail

steffyleedee's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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What an amazing tale! By halfway through I couldn't get enough. Disturbing and scary and jaw dropping. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Racism, Torture, Murder

Moderate: Sexism

michelle_my_belle's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Animal cruelty

wonderlantis's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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: Yes

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This will surely not be the last Tananarive Due book I read. I was already crying just within the first few chapters, and the intense emotional upheaval the last page elicited I haven’t felt in many many years from a book. Her writing is so deeply emotionally descriptive that you become quickly attached to the characters she has created. Your heart races with theirs, breaks with theirs, and swells with hope as theirs do. She also has such an art of conveying vibrant exact imagery without being overly verbose. A skill that very few writers have honed to this level and it comes off effortless. I see that the overwhelming consensus on here is that this is a “medium paced” book, but I have to strongly disagree. It’s a somewhat long book, but to me it’s pretty fast paced. Something is always happening in the story and it will keep you from wanting to put it down. Please check your content warnings if necessary to do so because this is a very very heavy book, but if you’re able to stomach it please do read this! Although this is a fictional account, it reflects the trauma and abuse that so many young boys suffered in this and other reformatory schools across our country. Reading the author’s note at the end adds such a bittersweet undertone to the book too. Through years of work writing this book, Tananarive has helped release her long gone relative, and all the boys who suffered like him, from the jar of history.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Gaslighting

Moderate: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Minor: Antisemitism

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Medical content, Death of parent, Sexual harassment

Minor: Animal death, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Slavery, Antisemitism, Lesbophobia

Rape/CSA mentioned repeatedly, but no explicit scenes.

polkadotteapott's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark emotional 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: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Sexual harassment

Minor: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Dementia

kendra_seymour's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

stephanieanneauthor's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional 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: Complicated

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I love a horror book that can wreck me, and this one did just that. Even without the supernatural elements at play, the mere setting (both time and place) are enough to fill the story with tension and discomfort. Even better, this book is beautifully written. It is worth the hype and I NEED more books by Due in my collection now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Confinement, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Outing, Alcohol, Sexual harassment

Minor: Domestic abuse, Slavery, Classism

This book takes place in Jim Crow America, so that plays a huge part in the horror that occurs.