Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

39 reviews

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

etpreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Rape

iellv's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

4.75

When I tell you I screamed over a timestamp.

What do I even say? I want to rate this 5 stars, I really do. This was extremely well thought out and well-written. Personally, I thought the pacing was almost perfect (I didn’t think it was too slow. Honestly I kind of wished this book was a bit longer), and I loved how seemingly different Robbie’s and Gloria’s chapters were in tone, but they all showed the fear, frustration, sorrow, and rage that made up the siblings’ shared suffering. No matter that they were both so far apart from one another. I’m only rating this 4.75 because I would have loved a longer ending! There was so much to cover in this book; I desperately needed a breather at the end. There were also more details I’d hoped to encounter, but that might just be because I have a general preference for very reflective books. 

I am also not 100% sold on the decision to make Haddock THE villain to the point where all others paled in comparison. Personally I would have liked to know more about the neighbors, but I also understand that there was no way Tananarive could have included that without ruining the pacing of this book. Though I am surprised that Loehmann just fell off. I don’t think he could have helped any other way besides securing that slot for Gloria and Miz Lottie, but I thought it was funny that he just fell off and readers would likely completely forget about him, as I did.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, and Vomit

jaedia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Classism

rachaelcandoit's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

This book was devastating and haunting. Beautifully written. I loved both Robbie and Gloria's narratives throughout. I think that everything with the haints was incredibly well done. 

This book definitely kept me in my toes. I started this book as part of my Summerween and it was the only book I read that had me feeling genuinely tense and on the edge of my seat. I really liked how it ended + I don't think there could've been a better way to wrap up everything. 

I'm glad I picked this book up! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

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

rachelsonnet's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

One of the top three books of the year for me. This was a random pick from a library shelf and I tore through it in two days. I understand why it was categorized as horror but it read to me like historical fiction. Multiple times I stopped reading to look up people and events mentioned in the book. 

The writing made Robert’s and Gloria’s world so vivid. My heart was furiously racing through most of the book. I felt very connected to all the characters and I wanted them all to make it out so badly. 

This book artfully shows the horror of the Jim Crow laws, the KKK, and the over incarceration of black youth. Unchecked power corrupts absolutely and turning a blind eye to injustice perpetuates it. 

The reliance on community, hope, god, and song shone through the darkness of this novel. The effects of  the unjust deaths ripple through time. This book should be required reading. Not only is our nation’s history a disgrace, so is our present. Reformatory schools(now called wilderness therapy or boot camp) operate with little oversight and need to be abolished.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Body horror and Slavery

Minor: Antisemitism

jill_holly's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective 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

Wow, what an incredible book. I didn't have many expectations going in, but if I had, they were exceeded. I read the last 25% in one sitting, leaning forward in my chair with my heart pounding. This book was deeply emotional, intense, and thought-provoking. I won't be forgetting it anytime soon. Not just reflective of schools like this that existed in the American south; it had reverberations of Canadian residential schools too. Chilling, mesmerizing and important. One of my favourite books of the year! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racism, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Sexual harassment

peachmoni's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

This is my first Due book, and I don't think I could have chosen better. I annotated the heck out of this book; the writing was so good that there were so many sentences, paragraphs - whole pages, even - that I never want to forget. I appreciate the sensitivity with which the author handed a real and truly harrowing experience. She described the horrors in a way that was complete, but not exploitative or gratuitous. I think some of her other books are more straightforward horror (this was plenty scary, don't get me wrong) and I am a chicken, but I plan to read her entire oeuvre. I know I'll find works that will entertain and transform me. 

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Content Warnings

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

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