Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

83 reviews

faithemt'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? Yes

5.0

important look at Florida in the horrible jim crow days......and a particular school....

full review is here:

https://goldintheclouds-faith.blogspot.com/2024/08/2024-book-review-34the-reformatory.html

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Classism

etpreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Rape

iellv's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

4.75

When I tell you I screamed over a timestamp.

What do I even say? I want to rate this 5 stars, I really do. This was extremely well thought out and well-written. Personally, I thought the pacing was almost perfect (I didn’t think it was too slow. Honestly I kind of wished this book was a bit longer), and I loved how seemingly different Robbie’s and Gloria’s chapters were in tone, but they all showed the fear, frustration, sorrow, and rage that made up the siblings’ shared suffering. No matter that they were both so far apart from one another. I’m only rating this 4.75 because I would have loved a longer ending! There was so much to cover in this book; I desperately needed a breather at the end. There were also more details I’d hoped to encounter, but that might just be because I have a general preference for very reflective books. 

I am also not 100% sold on the decision to make Haddock THE villain to the point where all others paled in comparison. Personally I would have liked to know more about the neighbors, but I also understand that there was no way Tananarive could have included that without ruining the pacing of this book. Though I am surprised that Loehmann just fell off. I don’t think he could have helped any other way besides securing that slot for Gloria and Miz Lottie, but I thought it was funny that he just fell off and readers would likely completely forget about him, as I did.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, and Vomit

kurumipanda's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Confinement, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism

alyssatuininga's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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

4.0

 This book is a rough read- racism, child sexual abuse, torture death, and extreme graphic descriptions of child physical abuse. I struggled getting through this book because every time I picked it up this dread washed over me and I had a pit in my stomach. It is eloquently written- raw and heartbreaking. The characters feel realistic, deep, and honest. I learned a great deal about justice and the NAACP in Florida in the 1950s.  In the long run, I am glad that I read it but it was a rough ride. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

jaedia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Classism

ghostly_gabby's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Police brutality

crystalap's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, and Murder

pkatrinaanne's review against another edition

I may go back. It’s not what I expected, and it’s tough enough material that I definitely need to be in the mood to tackle the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, and Death of parent

elysianbud's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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? N/A

5.0

One of the best books I have ever read. 

Tananarive Due writes about some of the worst human behaviour imaginable, but also some of the most beautiful depictions of bravery and friendship: a wedding photo saved, a drawing of friend, a helping hand. Both extremes will make you sob throughout this book. Chapters 32 and 33 in particular almost had me screaming in anguish--I probably would have, if not for the neighbours. 

This is a longer book than I typically read but it does not drag for a single moment. This is one of the tightest narratives I've ever read; there's not a word wasted, it's paced perfectly from beginning to end. 

I picked this up for the ghosts, so when I realised there was more then just Robert's perspective, I wondered if I would lose interest, as is often the fear with multiple perspective stories. However, Due manages to make both Robert and Grace's narrative tense and terrifying in their own ways, with or without the haints. In fact, the haints aren't even the scary part of this story. The living are the ones to fear, and Due made me shiver with fear and my heart ache in pain with their disgusting behaviour. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer and Classism