Scan barcode
A review by author_d_r_oestreicher
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
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
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due is set in 1950, Jim Crow Florida. Twelve-year-old Robert Stephens, Jr. defends his older sister Gloria from the unwanted advance of white Lyle McCormack. For kicking Lyle, he is sentenced to Gracetown School for Boys—a brutal place run by the psychopath Fenton Haddock. The brutality of the Jim Crow South is balanced by the nice people that Robert meets and the haints (ghosts) that befriend him. A novel about the United States in the 1950s, and well worth reading.
For my extended notes: https://1book42day.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-reformatory-by-tananarive-due.html
“As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Antisemitism, and Death of parent
Magic realism