Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

62 reviews

theliteraryhooker's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This is the most emotionally invested I've been in a book in a long while. I found myself angry, wishing I could reach through the pages to intervene on Robbie's behalf. The last third or so had me feeling so tense, I could barely sit still while reading. A fantastically written novel with an important message woven throughout an extremely compelling plot. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Racism, Death of parent, Death, Rape, Racial slurs, Cancer, Murder, Violence, Child abuse, Grief, Hate crime, and Physical abuse

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Police brutality, Self harm, Sexual assault, Bullying, Cancer, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Hate crime, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Gaslighting, Sexism, Vomit, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Confinement, Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Rape

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