Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

18 reviews

gwenswoons's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Whew. This was an agonizing, devastating, painful read. But the storytelling and the world-building is unlike anything I’ve ever read, I think. My Dad has been obsessed with Tananarive Due for the last several months - reading absolutely every word she’s written - and I read this since it was the first one he read and started telling me about a while ago. It’s astonishing by every measure: gorgeous writing, unflinchingly  in the telling of history, a vivid point of view all the time. Every possible content warning for this - it is a novel about the Jim Crow south, and the violence and terror permeates every moment. If you have the mental space and the fortitude, it is profoundly worth reading. I listened on audio (truly excellent narration by Joniece Abbott-Pratt), and I had to take big breaks and listen to/read lighter stuff - it’s scary and deeply heavy. I kept thinking it was like if Stephen King (à la The Institute, in the most possible parallel to me) seriously knew how to write (literary fiction), had a real reason for telling the story he was telling, was actually able to inhabit other perspectives. This story is loosely based on/inspired by part of Due’s family history, which includes an uncle who was killed at a similar (real/not fictional) institution in Jim Crow Florida. Anyway - I am grateful to have finished this - emotionally wrecked - but will be thinking about it for a long time and hope you will take the time to read this novel or other works of Tananarive Due’s.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

zyxtasaurus's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

kwoz1008's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Cultural appropriation, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cursing, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Medical content

mamaofperfectpayton's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.25

Wow. What a book. It was hard for me to read the first 250 because I have difficulty reading books about injustices during the Jim Crow era. I could only read a few pages at a time for about 4 weeks. But starting around chapter 20… BABY WHEW… the story took a turn and I was on the edge of my seat. The last 50 pages or so felt so real that it seemed like I was there while reading. There is an extremely long list of content warnings, so please beware. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

wylovat's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Police brutality, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and War

gloomypanda's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

brandilovesbooks's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• 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? No

4.25

This book is beautifully written.   It's a story that is going to stick with you.   Although entirely fiction,  the story opens your eyes to the unfairness of the past.

Robbie is sent to a segregated boys reformatory school after he kicks a white boy who had been making inappropriate comments about his sister. 

Just asking about kids who have tried to escape gets Robbie sent to the Fun House, a place for punishment.  

Robbie and Gloria are the main points of view.

Occasionally the warden has a turn with his point of view.   Due does an amazing job creating an evil character who leaves the reader with incredibly visceral reactions. 

I recommend this book to people of every color who need to know what Jim Crow was like.   I also recommend it for people who believe in haints (ghosts).  It is a wonderful story of friendship, sibling relationship,  and family. 

I do have some content warnings-  very detailed description of fire and dying in a fire,  very disturbing look into the thoughts of a sociopath, multiple forms of abuse, violence,  guns and gun violence,  rape,  racial slurs, cursing, death.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

nishtrbg's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

This book truly had me scared and it wasn’t because of the ghosts… iykyk. The story’s dual pov and imagery had me thinking about those characters even when I wasn’t reading. It was heartbreaking, shocking, anger-inducing, and such a needed story. Definitely a 5 star read and one I recommend everyone read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail