Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

141 reviews

j_e_n_n's review against another edition

adventurous 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Rape

thebookshelfblossom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book… wow. I’m not sure I breathed for the last 20% while I listened. It’s set in northern FL in 1950, when Robbie, a young Black boy, is sentenced to 6 months at a segregated reform school. You think the ghosts, or “haints,” Robbie sees are what will spook you, but you learn that what’s flesh and blood is much more sinister. 

The audiobook is fantastic. I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy the singular narrator with dual POVs, but I did. This isn’t my normal genre, but I’m glad I branched out. Due does an incredible job immersing you in the surroundings. 

If you enjoy historical fiction, and want to try one that is ghosts this spooky season, give this one a try. But PLEASE check all TW. Some really horrific themes are on page. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

sofipitch's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

This was great, the horror comes not from the ghosts but the real life institutions and cruelty that existed/still persist today. My only complaint would be it is a little long, sometimes I wondered if a character who's pov was given really added much to the story, but I tend to not like many povs so that's maybe a me thing. This should have won the dragon award for horror

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Hate crime, Racism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Pedophilia and Racial slurs

adiajamille's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful sad tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Murder

keenanmaree's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Blood, Dementia, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

bmurrscott's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

archaicrobin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

The Reformatory is one of the best books I’ve read this year and one of Due’s best, which is hard tos ay because all of her books are phenomenal. 

 Steeped in history and her own personal family trauma is a tale of a young boy in the south sent to a horrific “school” for boys and his journey to find freedom with help from the spirits who refuse to leave without justice.

This story is heart wrenching and horrifying, made all the more painful because it’s based on a real place where real boys were tortured, raped, abused and murdered. I highly recommend looking at triggers before starting this one just to be safe, because it’s brutal. While spirits and the supernatural are paramount to this story, the true terror is in the lack of humanity and completely disgusting and historically true displays of racism. 

This story was phenomenal but so hard to get through, there were several times I had to put this down and just decompress because it weighed so heavy on my heart. Books like this are some of the most importantly literature in my eyes, especially at a time right now where racism and bigotry are being paraded around as political candidates. 

10/10 everyone should read if you can handle it.  I will be thinking about Robert, his family, the boys left behind, and the message of this novel for a very long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

lcg527's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Gun violence and Rape

faithemt'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

5.0

important look at Florida in the horrible jim crow days......and a particular school....

full review is here:

https://goldintheclouds-faith.blogspot.com/2024/08/2024-book-review-34the-reformatory.html

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Classism

merirobie's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Racism, Terminal illness, Grief, and Murder