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eclipse799's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
orizenda's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
danahh's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Racism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer, Racial slurs, Rape, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
30something_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I did not know what to expect out of this since Historical Fiction is not typically a genre I gravitate towards but, damn. What a masterful blend of history and paranormal. A chilling tale that, although fictional, brings to light the real horrors of the Jim Crow era in the South.
I can't stop thinking about this one line-
And of course Haddock had never hit Colonel. Haddock couldn't train his bloodhound the way he trained the boys.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, and Police brutality
Moderate: Slavery and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
ambroserr's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
The places she takes us are genuinely terrifying. While there is, of course, a "bad guy" that our young protagonists face, the monster underneath everything, curdling the town around them, is a system. And this novel does an amazing job of communicating just how frightening and oppressive the world can become if the weight of that system turns against you.
While the story is fictional, it feels deeply researched and historical, and reminded me a bit of The Handmaid's Tale; an amalgam of real-world cruelties that is all too realistic. There were also shades of To Kill A Mockingbird in the legal details, but that falls away fairly early on, when the courts of Gracetown seem offended that Gloria would dare contest her brother's "light" sentence. Her side of the story, while still tinged with the supernatural, is about her bravery, determination, and resilience as she navigates the dangers of the Jim Crow South while trying to free her brother. There are ghosts and premonitions for her, too, but it quickly becomes clear to her that the mundane failures of bureaucracy and the prejudices she unwittingly stirs are more immediately threatening.
Robbie's side of things is more classically haunted, as he immediately discovers the reformatory to be awash in spirits. The mechanics of the haints as Due describes them are fascinating, and the stories they reveal are terrible. Robbie manages to find some friends early on, and does his best to dodge trouble from ghosts and the living alike, but soon collides with patently unfair systems and is made to bear the consequences. His ability to communicate with spirits becomes a rickety shield against violence, but entangles him with larger forces who have their own ends.
The later chapters of this book featured some of the most tense, thrilling, dread-filled fiction I can remember reading. Unlike most ghost stories, the terror is human, and just behind, enabled and tacitly approved by structures of racial and political power. It's frankly terrifying, and the stakes feel incredibly high due to this real world grounding. Robbie and Gloria go through many harrowing things, and rise to the occasion largely because there is no one there to help, so they must become their own heroes. They rely on each other, and on the spiritual support of those who went before them, and all of it is barely enough to keep going. The overall effect of it is almost tangible, and feels like a vivid and realistic emotional portrayal of the profoundly brave things done by Black Americans to survive and escape racial violence. I won't forget that feeling anytime soon.
Graphic: Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Gore, Violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pedophilia and Sexual assault
zyxtasaurus's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
siobhanward's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Racism, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Racial slurs and Death of parent
albernikolauras's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
This was just an excellent story, intertwining the real life horrors of schools like this one that were scattered all over the US and the supernatural haunts that might grace a place that holds so much trauma. Due builds the atmosphere and carries such tension through the entire book. My only minor complaint was that it felt a bit long, but it didn't drag.
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, and Rape
melchncookies's review against another edition
- 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
Yes, this novel explores the horrors of the schools for boys, especially in the Deep South, but it also explores the lengths that Black families had to go to remain intact. While fiction, the author notes that Robbie is based on a relative that died at a boy’s school and other aspects of this book were based on truth.
I couldn’t put this down. I’ll be thinking about it for years I think.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Cancer, Pedophilia, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty and Rape
rorikae's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
When he kicks the son of a prominent landowner while defending his sister, Robert Stevens Jr. is sentenced to six months at the local reformatory school for boys. When he arrives at the school, he finds it is a place of terror where the head of the school rules over the boys with fear and intimidation. Robbie finds two friends, Redbone and Blue, who help him better understand the school and the truth of his situation. While his sister Gloria tries to get him freed from the school, Robbie searches for a way to escape while dealing with the terrors that haunt the grounds.
Due does an exceptional job of creating slowly creeping horror that is centered on the characters and their personal situations. She instantly makes you care for Robbie and his family and then puts him in a harrowing situation that slowly ramps up and grows more distressing. Based loosely on a relative who attended a reformatory school, Due mixes the real history of the horrors committed at these institutions with Robbie’s fictionalized story. What results is a deeply moving story that demonstrates the cruelty and racism that permeated these types of institutions. Due also does a great job of only hinting at some of the worst things that happen at the institution while still bringing the hairs up on the back of your neck. A horrifying story with a deeply heartfelt core, please read the Reformatory.
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence