Reviews with content warning for Forced institutionalization - The Reformatory

“I don’t believe in evil in most ways. I believe in the devil alright. But Man don’t need help from Satan to do what folks call evil. Men do evil everyday and call it doing their job.”

🏫

Honestly, the mixture of historical fiction, and horror made this read an enjoyable one. Though, I feel the author caressed many relevant topics to ensure us that not much has changed for Black folk in regards to the “system”. Not much has changed of white “privilege” and even then in 1950 - many people of the white race only felt they could do so much to help in their own way with fear that their own lives would be torn apart.

🏫

A twelve year old sent to a prison alternative, with limited family / community support, and relying on his sister for a solution. A town ran by corrupt officials, Klan, and a section black neighbors whose well-being are in jeopardy due to “attempting” to change a verdict. Ghosts of the past, showing their struggles and truths of the ones who wronged while at The Reformatory to the little ones of Gracetown.

🏫

The truth of this story was heartfelt, though, I was glad to see that there will always be rebels standing for what’s right - even if it meant risking everything you know and have.

This is a must read and a fav already. And the narrator for the audio was 🔥!!

Content Warnings

nishtrbg's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

This book truly had me scared and it wasn’t because of the ghosts… iykyk. The story’s dual pov and imagery had me thinking about those characters even when I wasn’t reading. It was heartbreaking, shocking, anger-inducing, and such a needed story. Definitely a 5 star read and one I recommend everyone read!

Content Warnings

mondovertigo's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

estruch's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

shay43geek's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

mafaichney's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

janatropper's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful slow-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

If you're looking for a scary story, you've come to the right place.

This is a scary story, yes, but it's also a story of familial love, a historical fiction haunted with real horrors of the "good old days," and somehow, a map for finding a spring of hope in a desert. This is a slow burn read with dread woven into the very fabric of its premise, and sharp twists of the knife throughout.

Tananarive Due has done her due (sorry) diligence in research: the book is sprinkled with cameos of and references to real people from the time period, both her own family members and public figures such as Ruby McCollum and NAACP president Harry Moore. Grounding this story in a shared past makes the genre elements all the closer to home. This is no alternate universe - it's very much ours.

The influence of Stephen King is clear here - even a near quote from Pet Sematary (you'll know it when you see it) - but this is no imitation. Where Stephen is king, Tananarive is the empress: yes, like King, she has memorable characters, efficient world-building, and a well-paced plot, but along with all this, she lets the narrative breathe. She lets her characters explore every avenue of escaping their fates and builds tension with every page by methodically shutting them down one at a time - in the dead of night among the spirits of half-burned corpses, in the broad daylight of a public road, in the chambers of a racist judge whose exploitation of loopholes and shield of privilege allows for state-sanctioned kidnapping, assault, and murder.

There are rare moments to catch one's breath. And in those moments of hope and occasionally even joy, a reader can almost forget the looming danger over nearly every character. Almost.

The theme that resonated with me on my first read was the exploration of power dynamics across identities: color, gender, ability, age, and even living status. Who creates the systems, who enforces the systems to benefit from the aura of privilege, who has inherits power, who earns it, and who could have it if only they knew the strength of their numbers.

This book may be one you read once, its words rooted deeply into your soul. It may be one you reread again in different seasons of your life to see which ghosts still haunt you. There is only one way to find out.

Content Warnings

grimdark_dad's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

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