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A review by veronica214
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Well researched historical horror novel. A lot of characters, but they are all so unique it's easy to keep track. Tananarive Due does a great job making the story atmospheric while building a sense of foreboding.
This is based on the Dozier School for Boys located in Mariana, FL, which ran from 1900-2011. Many boys died there from abusive disciplinary actions that went too far. One survivor reports to have had 135 lashes. After two years of forensic investigations of the burials on the shuttered property, the surviving victims of the school were given a total of $20 million dollars through a bill passed by a former FL governor.
This is a tough read, but Due makes sure to remind us that these boys were children, and they did have a playful innocent side which surely surfaced from time to time at the reformatory. It provides some comic relief in the moment, but ultimately your heart aches remembering that these atrocities were happening to children.
This is based on the Dozier School for Boys located in Mariana, FL, which ran from 1900-2011. Many boys died there from abusive disciplinary actions that went too far. One survivor reports to have had 135 lashes. After two years of forensic investigations of the burials on the shuttered property, the surviving victims of the school were given a total of $20 million dollars through a bill passed by a former FL governor.
This is a tough read, but Due makes sure to remind us that these boys were children, and they did have a playful innocent side which surely surfaced from time to time at the reformatory. It provides some comic relief in the moment, but ultimately your heart aches remembering that these atrocities were happening to children.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Bullying and Racial slurs
Minor: Cancer and Death of parent