Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

198 reviews

greatblueshark's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I haven’t had a book that I haven’t want to put down during the last couple hours in months. At first, it felt a bit long because the page size felt daunting, but then you are given a book with a few POVs that flow well imo, and a story that keeps moving.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Torture

Moderate: Confinement, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape

mmccombs's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Probably one of the most devastating books I’ve read in a long time. For it being a fairly long and incredibly heavy book, I still found myself flying through each chapter. The character work, especially for Robbie and Gloria (and for many side characters) was phenomenally done. We spent enough time with them both to fully understand their motivations, dreams, fears, and love for each other, so when we raced towards the conclusion it felt immensely satisfying. I loved how this book combined historical fiction, horror, and ghost stories, it wasn’t just one thing and made for an immersive and heart-wrenching journey.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Cancer and Police brutality

ikennas_league's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Murder

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

brewdy_reader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious medium-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

Historical Fiction • Paranormal • Thriller 
Pub Date • 31 October 2023

Thank you to @sagapressbooks for gifting me a finished review copy.

TLDR; just read this one. Fast paced and riveting; a perfect blend of multi-genre, whether you like thrillers, ghost stories, or historical fiction. Based upon the true story of the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys, where many atrocities took place.

This book, like Vampires of Del Norte, was nominated for GoodReads best Horror of 2023, which honestly made me put off reading either of them until 2024. And like Vampires, after reading it, The Reformatory is not one I would have classified as horror. I’m having to rethink what is categorized as horror and where the line is between horror and thriller and “just a story that has spirits, ghosts, or other paranormal types”. But I digress. 

Set in post-antebellum Florida, being “free” is only a generation removed from slavery. Freedom does not mean equality under the Jim Crow laws where segregation is pervasive. In a town where children can still hear whispers of spirits from the past, Robbie (“Robert Stephen Jones Jr.) is shipped off to a reform school for juvenile delinquents after kicking a white boy who assaulted his sister. The Graceland School for Boys is a chamber of terrors and injustice for boys of all colors, but especially his. I laughed and I cried and was fully engrossed for the whole read until the very end. This gets my highest rating.

TW: Child Abuse, Racism, Death, Rape (off page), Murder, Assault, Arson

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Minor: Rape

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