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A review by ashliesydel
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
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? N/A
5.0
The tears I cried while reading this were no joke. I had felt like this combined A Time to Kill, Holes, Shawshank, Ghost Ship, and Till. The author then enhanced all the devastation, uneasiness, historical violence, frustration, and fear by 1,000.
Robbie is a 12-year-old boy who is arrested and sent to a boy's reformatory that is haunted by the ghosts of he dead. This story is not for the weak and the horror comes from the actions of man more than the dead.
His 17-year-old sister Gloria had to learn a lot of hard truths in regard to the lack of rights in a Jim Crow south and how the legal system works against them. Several times she's reminded that her brother being sent away for a completely innocent act is a blessing or kindness. And several times I wanted to scream and cry because it really was.
The fact that this tween could have been un-alived really did show progress considering the time and the deaths of thousands of others at the hands of White America during that time period.
Despite being a work of fiction, this book is filled with several historical truths that show the ugliness of mankind.
Content warnings - racism, political corruption, physical assault of minors, implied sexual assault to minors, graphic violence, death of minors
Highly Recommend, this one will stay with you for a long time
Robbie is a 12-year-old boy who is arrested and sent to a boy's reformatory that is haunted by the ghosts of he dead. This story is not for the weak and the horror comes from the actions of man more than the dead.
His 17-year-old sister Gloria had to learn a lot of hard truths in regard to the lack of rights in a Jim Crow south and how the legal system works against them. Several times she's reminded that her brother being sent away for a completely innocent act is a blessing or kindness. And several times I wanted to scream and cry because it really was.
The fact that this tween could have been un-alived really did show progress considering the time and the deaths of thousands of others at the hands of White America during that time period.
Despite being a work of fiction, this book is filled with several historical truths that show the ugliness of mankind.
Content warnings - racism, political corruption, physical assault of minors, implied sexual assault to minors, graphic violence, death of minors
Highly Recommend, this one will stay with you for a long time