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A review by aksmith92
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? No
4.5
The Setup: Tananarive Due's The Reformatory is a fusion of historical fiction and supernatural horror, weaving a tale that is heartbreakingly grounded in reality and eerily otherworldly. Set against the oppressive backdrop of the Jim Crow South in 1950s Florida, the novel plunges readers into the harrowing world of Robrt Stephens Jr., a twelve-year-old Black boy whose life is upended after a minor altercation with a white boy that leads to his unjust sentencing at a brutal, segregated reform school.
From the moment Robert arrives at the reformatory, Due immerses us in a setting as chilling as it is vividly realized - a place where cruelty thrives in plain sight and where the echoes of past school victims linger not just in memory but in spectral form. The institution seems to breathe with malevolence, every shadow a whisper of violence, every creaking floorboard a reminder of those who never left. Yet, amidst this darkness, Robert's spirit flickers with resilience. His experiences are harrowing, but Due's portrayal of his inner world, filled with fear, hope, and the faint stirrings of courage, is nothing short of mesmerizing.
Parallel to Robert's ordeal is the journey of his sister, Gloria, whose fierce love and unyielding determination to save her brother propel the narrative forward. Her path is fraught with dangers, but her unwavering commitment counterbalances the novel's grittier elements. Together, their stories intertwine in a haunting dance of familial love and the pursuit of justice.
What I Loved: Due's prose was lush, lyrical, and devastating. Her words flowed - guiding readers through landscapes rich in sensory detail while never shying away from the brutal truths of America's racial history. Additionally, far from mere embellishments, the supernatural elements amplified the novel's exploration of trauma and memory. The restless spirits that haunted the reformatory were literal ghosts but also metaphors for the inescapable weight of generational injustice. Utilizing the ghosts in the story added a layer of nuance that I highly appreciated.
I couldn't stop reading. The novel was a poignant social commentary and included such immersive storytelling. Due portrayed the injustices of the Jim Crow era well and reminded us that racism forges its lasting nightmares. The subject was dark, but I loved that it was a story about grit, determination, and resilience. While I do feel like it was challenging to read, and anything bad that could happen did in the first 75 percent of this book, Due did offer readers a glimmer of hope, reminding us that even in the darkest places, love and courage can shine through.
This was the second book this year to feature a character so vile I couldn't even "love to hate" him. The Warden was pure evil, and I won't forget him (unfortunately). Despite that, the cast was remarkable, with complex, morally gray characters (and good ones!) that kept me hooked. The masterfully balanced, nuanced character development with an engaging, well-paced plot made this book stand out. It also made me cry (do I put that in the "What I loved" section??).
Why Not Five Stars? I'm torn on this because The Reformatory feels five-star worthy. Still, as many have noted, it's long, possibly to its detriment. I don't mind lengthy books, and much of the extra space seemed intentional for character development and nuance, which I appreciated. But there were moments when it felt stretched, with sections that could have been tighter.
Although I did not let this sway my review because I remembered she was a literal child, Gloria, in particular, tested my patience slightly. Her unwavering belief in the power of truth - while true to her character and reflective of her innocence- had me wanting to yell at the pages when she clung to it despite the brutal reality of the Jim Crow South. Yet, as mentioned, she was a child, and that naivety was intentional and essential to her arc.
Overall, The Reformatory was intense, poignant, and beautifully crafted. I'm eager to see what Due creates next.
***
From the moment Robert arrives at the reformatory, Due immerses us in a setting as chilling as it is vividly realized - a place where cruelty thrives in plain sight and where the echoes of past school victims linger not just in memory but in spectral form. The institution seems to breathe with malevolence, every shadow a whisper of violence, every creaking floorboard a reminder of those who never left. Yet, amidst this darkness, Robert's spirit flickers with resilience. His experiences are harrowing, but Due's portrayal of his inner world, filled with fear, hope, and the faint stirrings of courage, is nothing short of mesmerizing.
Parallel to Robert's ordeal is the journey of his sister, Gloria, whose fierce love and unyielding determination to save her brother propel the narrative forward. Her path is fraught with dangers, but her unwavering commitment counterbalances the novel's grittier elements. Together, their stories intertwine in a haunting dance of familial love and the pursuit of justice.
What I Loved: Due's prose was lush, lyrical, and devastating. Her words flowed - guiding readers through landscapes rich in sensory detail while never shying away from the brutal truths of America's racial history. Additionally, far from mere embellishments, the supernatural elements amplified the novel's exploration of trauma and memory. The restless spirits that haunted the reformatory were literal ghosts but also metaphors for the inescapable weight of generational injustice. Utilizing the ghosts in the story added a layer of nuance that I highly appreciated.
I couldn't stop reading. The novel was a poignant social commentary and included such immersive storytelling. Due portrayed the injustices of the Jim Crow era well and reminded us that racism forges its lasting nightmares. The subject was dark, but I loved that it was a story about grit, determination, and resilience. While I do feel like it was challenging to read, and anything bad that could happen did in the first 75 percent of this book, Due did offer readers a glimmer of hope, reminding us that even in the darkest places, love and courage can shine through.
This was the second book this year to feature a character so vile I couldn't even "love to hate" him. The Warden was pure evil, and I won't forget him (unfortunately). Despite that, the cast was remarkable, with complex, morally gray characters (and good ones!) that kept me hooked. The masterfully balanced, nuanced character development with an engaging, well-paced plot made this book stand out. It also made me cry (do I put that in the "What I loved" section??).
Why Not Five Stars? I'm torn on this because The Reformatory feels five-star worthy. Still, as many have noted, it's long, possibly to its detriment. I don't mind lengthy books, and much of the extra space seemed intentional for character development and nuance, which I appreciated. But there were moments when it felt stretched, with sections that could have been tighter.
Although I did not let this sway my review because I remembered she was a literal child, Gloria, in particular, tested my patience slightly. Her unwavering belief in the power of truth - while true to her character and reflective of her innocence- had me wanting to yell at the pages when she clung to it despite the brutal reality of the Jim Crow South. Yet, as mentioned, she was a child, and that naivety was intentional and essential to her arc.
Overall, The Reformatory was intense, poignant, and beautifully crafted. I'm eager to see what Due creates next.
***
Mama had kept most of her childhood stories locked in her eyes. Mama's stories were unsuited for the ears of children - stories of evil without consequence and pain without cease - the unholy things that happen when God blinks. Or maybe sleeps. Surely God sleeps sometimes, Gloria thought; the evidence of slumber was all around.
Florida's soil is soaked with so much blood, it's a wonder the droplets don't seep between your toes with every step, Mama used to say. Sometimes, when Gloria walked along McCormack Road, she thought she heard whimpers beneath her footsteps. She wondered if blood turned the muddy clay roads in Gracetown the stubborn red-orange color that stained the folded cuffs of her dungarees.
So, when white men argued, they did not say the thing they were arguing about, not like with Papa and his friends shouting over each other on the porch. These white men hid their arguments behind polite words and sneezes.
But Gloria knew that evil isn't plain to they eye. She felt the gooseflesh of premonition across her arms; ugly was just beneath the surface of this place.
Was this all life was? A series of experiences and then someone feeding you as if none of it had ever happened? As if you'd never left any impression on the world?
"I don't b'lieve in 'evil' in most ways," Miz Lottie said. "I believe in the devil, all right, but man don't need no help from Satan to do what folks call 'evil.' Man do evil ev'ry day and call it doin' their job.
Gloria had always found it silly that so much effort went into trying to send humans to space instead of learning how to get along on Earth.
Telling the truth always broke the peace.
If he were labeled a radical, God only knew what could happen to his family. The deputy Gracetown practically had called him a commie on sight.
The Reformatory has a central villain, but the actual villain is a system of dehumanization.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Toxic friendship
Minor: Animal cruelty, Cursing
Rape and sexual assault are not depicted on page, but alluded to, and at one point near the end, alluded to in more detail. It also has to deal with children, so please keep that in mind even if nothing is depicted on page.