Reviews tagging 'War'

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

12 reviews

thepixiediaries's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: War

zephyrlestrange's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

I have been haunted the entire time reading this, and I suspect forever after. I don't think I'll ever find the words that this is essential reading for everyone, I don't think I'll find the words that people need to sit in the discomfort, pain and anguish, that this is a horror story but it is not fantasy by any stretch of the imagination. 

The horror is that this happened, the DNA of these horrors is still alive in people, and we cannot look away.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Violence, and Police brutality

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Xenophobia, and War

sararayes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Torture

Moderate: Pedophilia and Rape

Minor: Vomit and War

flying_monkeys's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Blood, Antisemitism, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Animal death, Alcohol, and War

fkshg8465's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious sad 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? Yes

5.0

This book was long but so so so worth every minute spent on it. Every word was purposeful. Every character well developed. Every scene useful. In this sense, it reminded me of the economical beauty that was the movie Monster. Execution was flawless for that movie, as was this book. Possibly the only thing that would’ve either made it even better or maybe might’ve moved it from perfect to over the top would’ve been if Thurgood Marshall or Zora Neale Hurston made an actual appearance in the story.

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Content Warnings

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

nineinchnails's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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

i genuinely really loved this and it feels weird to say about a book that touches on such dark topics. this felt more like historical fiction than horror at some parts which may be partly responsible for me enjoying this so much. the focus on the cruelty and abuse that occurred at gracetown school for boys (a fictional school/prison modelled after real reform schools that existed at that time, like florida’s dozier school for boys) overshadowed the traditional horror elements at play here almost to the point of obscuring them. the former felt much, much scarier. 

i don’t usually mention these, but i really recommend reading the dedication, author’s note, and acknowledgments, as they gave context that made the novel feel even more meaningful. this book gave me similar feelings to “mornings in jenin” by susan abulhawa. this was over 500 pages so it was a long read (from what i remember about horrors) but it was because it was so bleak and heavy rather than it feeling like a slog. not a sentence of this felt wasted and i highly recommend giving this a read, even if it’s not a novel you would typically gravitate towards. everyone has something to learn from this book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Torture, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Antisemitism

Minor: Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Slavery, and War

Apartheid, Jim crow, and Segregation

eclipse799's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

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

randilefevre12's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape, Sexual harassment, and War

blacksphinx's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

5.0

If this book doesn't win the 2023 Stoker, I will riot. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Torture, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Gun violence, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Vomit

Minor: Antisemitism and War