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fkshg8465's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
elysianbud's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Tananarive Due writes about some of the worst human behaviour imaginable, but also some of the most beautiful depictions of bravery and friendship: a wedding photo saved, a drawing of friend, a helping hand. Both extremes will make you sob throughout this book. Chapters 32 and 33 in particular almost had me screaming in anguish--I probably would have, if not for the neighbours.
This is a longer book than I typically read but it does not drag for a single moment. This is one of the tightest narratives I've ever read; there's not a word wasted, it's paced perfectly from beginning to end.
I picked this up for the ghosts, so when I realised there was more then just Robert's perspective, I wondered if I would lose interest, as is often the fear with multiple perspective stories. However, Due manages to make both Robert and Grace's narrative tense and terrifying in their own ways, with or without the haints. In fact, the haints aren't even the scary part of this story. The living are the ones to fear, and Due made me shiver with fear and my heart ache in pain with their disgusting behaviour.
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer and Classism
narbine's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Terminal illness, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
theliteraryhooker's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
peachani's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Cancer, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria
bkwrm1317's review against another edition
- 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? No
5.0
Based on a real place, where real young men lost their lives, The Reformatory follows young Robert Stevens, Jr, his sister Gloria, and others who love them in the Jim Crow south after the death of their mother (lost to cancer), and their father’s need to leave after his attempt to unionize workers strikes fear into the pocketbooks of white folks in their community.
Young Robert defends his sister from the untoward advances of a young white man from a former plantation owning family with a swift kick to the knee, but McCormack senior sees the exchange and convinces a judge to send young Robert to the Reformatory, a place reeking of violence and bloodshed, the mysterious deaths of young men behind its barbed wire fences, and more.
What unveils is a story of friendship created under duress, the ghosts haunting the Reformatory impatiently waiting to exact their revenge on the man representing the system of inequity that led to their untimely deaths, and the horrors hiding under the surface in the Funhouse, the shed, and elsewhere at the Reformatory.
Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Gore, and Racial slurs
Minor: Cancer, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Death of parent
outofthepinksky's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Domestic abuse, and Slavery
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
kaiyakaiyo's review
- 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
4.0
the speculative and horror elements wove well with the historical fiction aspects, and I really enjoyed how we got a glimpse into so many minds, even if they weren’t always good minds to be in. the way the narrative flowed from one brain to the other was so smooth and satisfying. gloria and robbie were lovely, if tragic :( such sweet, empathetic children in a world where they can sense even more harm than usual due to their clairvoyance. heartbreaking
I also love love love that the author included books in the authors note that tell the true story of the school this novel is based on; it’s clear that she did a lot of careful, tactful research for this book, and wants us to do the same. this is not a light read by any means, but it is a good one
Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer and Terminal illness