A review by probablyjenna
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

5.0

If there is one book I can influence you to add to your TBR, let it be this ghosty historical fic masterpiece from Tananarive Due. This is an absolute tour de force. Due could have given us a great ghost story or a thoughtful piece of historical fiction, but she instead combined those two concepts and created an absolutely remarkable story of grief and struggle that takes place in the Jim Crow south. 

I love when I finish a book and my first thought is that I’ve never read anything else quite like it, and that’s exactly how it felt upon finishing The Reformatory. There were so many layers to the story, and with a less careful hand that could have become overwhelming, but Due is clearly an expert; I felt like I was getting multiple books in one, but they all fit together seamlessly. When I finished one part, I was equally excited and anxious to begin the next. It’s hard to explain just how well constructed this novel is; you really just need to experience it.

My heart broke a million times over for Gloria and Robbie. I immediately missed them both after finishing the novel; their voices were distinct and real to me, and I still find myself thinking about them even though I finished this book mid November.

And to know me as a reader is to know I love a good author’s note, so of course, I have to mention Due’s. The Reformatory, while a work of fiction, has a lot of basis in true history.

I could honestly rave all day, but all you need to do is pick this up and read the first few page: you’ll get it. Due is certainly an author to watch, and I cannot wait to read whatever she comes up with next.