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brewdy_reader's review against another edition
- 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
Pub Date • 31 October 2023
Thank you to @sagapressbooks for gifting me a finished review copy.
TLDR; just read this one. Fast paced and riveting; a perfect blend of multi-genre, whether you like thrillers, ghost stories, or historical fiction. Based upon the true story of the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys, where many atrocities took place.
This book, like Vampires of Del Norte, was nominated for GoodReads best Horror of 2023, which honestly made me put off reading either of them until 2024. And like Vampires, after reading it, The Reformatory is not one I would have classified as horror. I’m having to rethink what is categorized as horror and where the line is between horror and thriller and “just a story that has spirits, ghosts, or other paranormal types”. But I digress.
Set in post-antebellum Florida, being “free” is only a generation removed from slavery. Freedom does not mean equality under the Jim Crow laws where segregation is pervasive. In a town where children can still hear whispers of spirits from the past, Robbie (“Robert Stephen Jones Jr.) is shipped off to a reform school for juvenile delinquents after kicking a white boy who assaulted his sister. The Graceland School for Boys is a chamber of terrors and injustice for boys of all colors, but especially his. I laughed and I cried and was fully engrossed for the whole read until the very end. This gets my highest rating.
TW: Child Abuse, Racism, Death, Rape (off page), Murder, Assault, Arson
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Minor: Rape
archaicrobin'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
Steeped in history and her own personal family trauma is a tale of a young boy in the south sent to a horrific “school” for boys and his journey to find freedom with help from the spirits who refuse to leave without justice.
This story is heart wrenching and horrifying, made all the more painful because it’s based on a real place where real boys were tortured, raped, abused and murdered. I highly recommend looking at triggers before starting this one just to be safe, because it’s brutal. While spirits and the supernatural are paramount to this story, the true terror is in the lack of humanity and completely disgusting and historically true displays of racism.
This story was phenomenal but so hard to get through, there were several times I had to put this down and just decompress because it weighed so heavy on my heart. Books like this are some of the most importantly literature in my eyes, especially at a time right now where racism and bigotry are being paraded around as political candidates.
10/10 everyone should read if you can handle it. I will be thinking about Robert, his family, the boys left behind, and the message of this novel for a very long time.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
missdeaddoll's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
mackenzienoelle'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
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Terminal illness, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Blood, and Police brutality
faithemt'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
full review is here:
https://goldintheclouds-faith.blogspot.com/2024/08/2024-book-review-34the-reformatory.html
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
kurumipanda'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
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
twobooksonenerd'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, Racial slurs, Racism, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, and Death of parent
nikki_saulnier's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Torture, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
ladykatka's review against another edition
- 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
I am not sure who I could recommend it to since this is not a feel good story at all but I will recommend to anyone who might read it.
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Death of parent
alyssatuininga'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
4.0
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