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anjnryn 's review for:
The Reformatory
by Tananarive Due
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Nothing but praise for Due’s harrowing but insightful novel. I think her personal connection to the story really shines in the narrative.
The writing style is probably my favorite of all the horror novels I have read so far—I do tend to “read aloud” in my head and the pauses in dialogue to reflect thought was one of my favorite aspects of the writing. It felt easy to read but not in a juvenile way. Maybe the subject matter made it so. The jumps between characters and time also seemed very organic and well thought out.
With regards to the story itself, there are really 2 major aspects to it: one we hear from Robert and some true supernatural horror and terrifying ordeals of the boys of the Reformatory; the second aspect is Gloria’s attempts to free her brother from injustice. Both are horrific in their own ways, Robert’s story in a more traditional sense and Gloria’s in a more psychological sense. The cast of characters we meet are described and developed very thoroughly, leaving little to the imagination—which, in my opinion, was important given the intricacies and seriousness of the story.
I found myself thinking near the end “oh the progress of events seems a little predictable” but at the same time, I wondered if the ending would actually end the way I was predicting! Considering the nature of the topics covered in this book, I realized the ending could go either way and honestly, I would have been okay with if it didn’t end the way it did (but still very happy with the ending as is!).
Overall, this was such a gripping tale. I really could not put the book down once I got through the first few introductory chapters (which were admittedly the slowest). It did not take as long as I expected to read and even though the length seems daunting I would argue there was no stagnation in the progression of the story. I also think every single part that was included is and was necessary. The praise given for this book, in my view, is very well deserved.
The writing style is probably my favorite of all the horror novels I have read so far—I do tend to “read aloud” in my head and the pauses in dialogue to reflect thought was one of my favorite aspects of the writing. It felt easy to read but not in a juvenile way. Maybe the subject matter made it so. The jumps between characters and time also seemed very organic and well thought out.
With regards to the story itself, there are really 2 major aspects to it: one we hear from Robert and some true supernatural horror and terrifying ordeals of the boys of the Reformatory; the second aspect is Gloria’s attempts to free her brother from injustice. Both are horrific in their own ways, Robert’s story in a more traditional sense and Gloria’s in a more psychological sense. The cast of characters we meet are described and developed very thoroughly, leaving little to the imagination—which, in my opinion, was important given the intricacies and seriousness of the story.
I found myself thinking near the end “oh the progress of events seems a little predictable” but at the same time, I wondered if the ending would actually end the way I was predicting! Considering the nature of the topics covered in this book, I realized the ending could go either way and honestly, I would have been okay with if it didn’t end the way it did (but still very happy with the ending as is!).
Overall, this was such a gripping tale. I really could not put the book down once I got through the first few introductory chapters (which were admittedly the slowest). It did not take as long as I expected to read and even though the length seems daunting I would argue there was no stagnation in the progression of the story. I also think every single part that was included is and was necessary. The praise given for this book, in my view, is very well deserved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Colonisation
Minor: Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, War