Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

55 reviews

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

outofthepinksky's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

vegan5533's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

An incredible addition to any historical fiction collection.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

ellislawreads'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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent

amberpants's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

There came a point, about a quarter of the way into this book, that I put it down and wasn't sure if I would be able to pick it back up. The moment in the story was overwhelming for me and, though I felt like I owed it to the characters to go on the journey with them, I wasn't sure that my heart could take it. The story is engaging, believable - it is based on things that have happened - and immersive, the last not exactly a positive when dealing with such tragic subject matter, though perhaps necessary. In the end, I did finish the book, completed the journey, and am glad that I did.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Blood, and Abandonment

Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, and Sexual violence

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

Hauntingly beautiful prose yet still direct and plain enough for everyone to access. This book is equal parts historical fiction, horror, and thriller. The paranormal aspect made the story more compelling and without it, it would’ve been just another story about the Jim Crow south and the horrors that occurred there. The characters are brave and heroic and hopeful even when they have no reason to be. This book has the potential to become a classic and should be read widely. 

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Content Warnings

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

mldavis_2015's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Vomit

firedoor11's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

Wonderfully written. It's a dense, heavy novel, but it kept my attention throughout. The suspense at the climax had me physically anxious, even when the characters were literally doing nothing! Brilliantly written!

It is also a social commentary on imprisoning our children, "reform" schools in general, and how systemic racism plays a role in and even drives it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Murder

Minor: Rape

bookscatcoffee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Haunting, both literally and in the true tales related about a horrific place (Dozier), this book is a reckoning.  The writing is clear and the plot moves, but it’s not so fast that the lessons that need to be told about racism, sexism, homophobia, and the million other ways that white supremacy has screwed up America fade.  It is stark and visceral and a great story about terrible things.  Definitely worth reading!  4.5 stars

Historical horror with Black characters

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

courtneyadh's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

5.0

I loved this book and truly could not put it down. But it is very intense. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, Vomit, and Classism