A review by hamletseinquieta
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

challenging dark emotional 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

This book was truly painful at times, and exciting, and so emotional. I am glad to have read it. I don’t recommend reading at night as it truly holds up to the horror genre. It plays with haunting in many iterations.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury

This is a rough read at times but Due is very careful to never get too specific or detailed, so it’s not as awful or indulgent as a lot of books out there. The authors always centers the victims/survivors. There’s just a lot of allusions to it.