A review by morethanmylupus
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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
This is such a heavy book. It's based around a real juvenile reformatory school (the Dozier School for Boys) in Florida. This true history is highlighted in the traumas detailed in the book, which makes this book even more painful to read. Due underscores this history with magical realism elements. Sometimes, I find these to detract from the story but here they serve to further highlight the atrocities these poor children were subjected to over the years. It's a real-world example of the conclusions of the Stanford Prison Experiments.

Please check the trigger warnings on this one, there are a number of disturbing scenes.
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