Reviews

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

lifeofpie's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

A bit too long. Would have been better if it was a tighter story.

sarakins4's review against another edition

Sometimes the dead could help you fly. 

quoth_chloe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The scariest part of this story was not the ghosts. 

Reading books like this, it can be easy to get caught up in the fictional horror story but this happened, this is real, real kids went through this and probably worse. It’s terrifying. 

bruandthebooks's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

akt1212's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense

5.0

elizabooks's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

biensleepy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

ruinedbyreading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.5

flightyrachel's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring sad tense 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

4.5

What a great read. This is the epitome of a page turner in every sense... Some chapters were so tense and awful that I had to skim read and turn over quickly, but the plot and the wonderful child characters kept me absolutely gripped. I read this 500 page novel in two days! 

This is a very dark book about the abuses of power within a community and specifically within a reform school. The author states that although the novel has a central villain (and he truly is terrible), the actual villain is the system of dehumanisation, embodied in the Jim Crow laws but still resonating today, which allows these abuses to take place. She makes this point very effectively through her plot and characters and it never feels exaggerated or forced. The ghosts are a great addition. I'm not a believer in the supernatural but she sets up a world in which spirits have agency and can interact with the living, and this concept holds up well throughout the novel and is vital to the plot. 

Highly recommend this one. 

joi_love_and_books's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

Ms. Due has given us a true horror masterpiece. While it is fiction, it is rooted in truth and history (look up the Dozier School for Boys and literature dealing with the oppression of Black folks since our forced removal and arrival to the Americas in 1619), Ms.Due does not skimp on the supernatural horror elements that she is known for. This is one of my favs of the year and it is definitely a 5-star read.