goodkaren 's review for:

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

5.0

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The Reformatory by Tananarive Due is #historicalfiction and #paranormalfiction that takes place at the Gracetown School for Boys in 1950’s Florida. (Gracetown is based on the Dozier School for Boys.) Robbie, a 12-year-old black boy, kicks the son of a racist land owner and finds himself sentenced to Gracetown. He tries to survive by keeping his head down and making friends, but the restless spirits of former tenants/victims won’t leave him alone. Once the corrupt warden finds out about Robbie’s strengths in seeing the spirits that harass him, he uses the boy to capture and exterminate them. But one of the most menacing spirits wants to use Robbie to avenge his death. In my opinion… there’s a lot going on here. The author handles the reality of the Jim Crow south and racism within the prison/reform systems while weaving a paranormal fictional account of a vulnerable victim. And since the setting and background are realistic, the characters are written to seem equally as real. Then, there’s the while eerie, mystical element that makes the story interesting and compelling. It’s a masterful interweaving that creates a great novel. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booksbooksbooks #book #books #booklover #booknerdforlife #bookrecommendations #bookrecs #bookrec #bookreview #bookaddict #read #readmorebooks #readmore #reading #readingtime