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kaylee_misch 's review for:
The Reformatory
by Tananarive Due
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book. Wow wow wow. Where do I even begin? This is definitely a 5-star novel, and I don’t even know how I would categorize it other than true genuine literature; calling it simply historical fiction (or horror or even magical realism) just doesn’t seem like enough to capture everything this book delivers.
I was at odds with this book in the best way the whole time I read it because it is a masterclass in creating emotional turmoil for the reader. I felt like I needed to pace myself to process the very heavy subject matter but I also felt like I could not bear to put the book down. I loved how detailed and real the characters were, but then I often felt sick over how real the characters were. I felt grateful knowing this story was fiction but I felt infuriated knowing it was fiction rooted in very real and thoroughly researched history. I was always nervous about what was going to happen next but I also couldn’t get my eyes to stop skipping ahead in the pages because I couldn’t wait to find out what was about to happen next. There were times when I was shocked because I didn’t see the plot coming, there were times when I knew where it was headed and I still felt outraged. There were times when I felt my heart racing in my own body along with the characters. There were times when I had to just set my face in my hands and take in what I just read and everything I was feeling. I know I will be thinking about this book and the story it told for a long, long time.
Tananarive Due, you have written something in The Reformatory that unmasks a hidden history we all need to recognize, that honors those we all need to remember, and that highlights wrongs we all need to right. If this book was a labor of love for you, it certainly shows, and it certainly leaves a lasting mark on those who read it.
I was at odds with this book in the best way the whole time I read it because it is a masterclass in creating emotional turmoil for the reader. I felt like I needed to pace myself to process the very heavy subject matter but I also felt like I could not bear to put the book down. I loved how detailed and real the characters were, but then I often felt sick over how real the characters were. I felt grateful knowing this story was fiction but I felt infuriated knowing it was fiction rooted in very real and thoroughly researched history. I was always nervous about what was going to happen next but I also couldn’t get my eyes to stop skipping ahead in the pages because I couldn’t wait to find out what was about to happen next. There were times when I was shocked because I didn’t see the plot coming, there were times when I knew where it was headed and I still felt outraged. There were times when I felt my heart racing in my own body along with the characters. There were times when I had to just set my face in my hands and take in what I just read and everything I was feeling. I know I will be thinking about this book and the story it told for a long, long time.
Tananarive Due, you have written something in The Reformatory that unmasks a hidden history we all need to recognize, that honors those we all need to remember, and that highlights wrongs we all need to right. If this book was a labor of love for you, it certainly shows, and it certainly leaves a lasting mark on those who read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Classism