Sad tale. I don't even know where to begin...The parents/familes of these boys, schools, societies, laws.... What stories like these mostly tell me is that as societies, we really don't like children. I really don't see how oversight of institutions can protect the abused, somehow, the folks responsible for preventing the abuse, get caught up in helping to perpetuate it in the long run. Just a really sad tale. Well, researched and well written.

Excellent. Read it in one sitting. Being a native Floridian, and frequent visitor to the North Florida area, this book was especially interesting. I first heard about the Dozier School from a spot on NPR, and thought it would make a great book. So glad Dr. Murray took it upon herself to write so eloquently about a place with such a tragic history.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I've heard of the Dozier school for boys before some time ago. I was very interested to read this book. The story is truly appalling and based on the stories of former students, I do believe that some murders happened there as well as physical and sexual abuse, slavery, and neglect. That said, this book, while interesting was not full of information the average person can't just track down on the internet. I wish the first hand accounts had dug a littler deeper to reveal more personal information. The book also included these weird little definitions for certain words, common words even. I found that very distracting and completely not necessary. With that I felt confused by what age group this book is intended to target. Even young adult readers would probably be familiar with the terms used with definitions here and the subject matter makes it hard to believe the book was intended for pre-teens. Still it is really an intriguing story. If you aren't familiar at all with the story of abuse at the Dozier School, you will probably be interested in reading this book.

I had never heard of this horrific event in our history. So many children and teens brutalized unimaginably by those whose care they had been entrusted to. So many who are still alive and must live with these heinous memories. Difficult to read.

*My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book via Net Galley.

If you hesitate to read this book fearing that it will only be a regurgitation of news stories about the incidents that took place, put your fears aside. There is a lot of old information, but a generous portion of new facts as well.

A factual summary of the horrors that occurred at the Dozier School for Boys in Florida from 1900 all the way through 2011, sadly. There are many eye witness accounts and stories from actual survivors which are so very sad. The cruel treatment of the residents of this school which mostly included orphans, boys who had gotten in trouble, truants and others who just had bad luck, included severe beatings, rapes, psychological and physical torture and poor treatment in all areas including nutrition healthcare. All in all the place sounds like a total nightmare. The book also follows the investigation and the forensics team that uncovered the cemetery where at least 55 young men were buried over the years. Interesting and sad story all around. Information was ell-written, researched and presented. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A tragic and heartbreaking exposé on the abuse young boys suffered at a school for juvenile reform for over 100 years until it's closing. Interviews with the survivors, as well as some men who worked at the school, help to flesh out the author's rather hurried timeline. I would have loved to hear more about the daily lives of the boys at the school or the history of juvenile reform in America or about how Dozier changed from decade to decade, but as evidenced by the novel's short length (120 pages including all the references) it felt like there just wasn't enough time to sit with the survivor's stories and really learn from this tragedy.

A special thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE DOZIER SCHOOL FOR BOYS by Elizabeth A Murray in exchange for my honest review.***

60 Minutes devoted a segment to the Dozier school years ago, so when I saw Dr Elizabeth Murray’s book, I knew I had to read it. Dozier was one of the first reform schools in the USA, beforehand juvenile and adult criminals had been housed together. The lofty theory of Dozier, educating and training wayward boys (and some girls in the beginning) never came to fruition. What developed over the years is the stuff of nightmares: beatings, sexual abuse, forced labor, malnutrition, lack of education and medical care among other horrors including murder. Murray takes readers through the opening in 1900 to the closing in 2011 and the investigations that continued afterward.

THE DOZIER SCHOOL FOR BOYS was a tough read for me, an adult who has read a number of graphic stories of abuse fact and fiction. While Murray’s writing sticks to factual and doesn’t attempt to evoke emotion, the descriptions may be a little much for sensitive readers. I’m glad Murray included the real life accounts of the brutality, anything less would have minimized the horrors at Dozier.

The reason I didn’t give THE DOZIER SCHOOL FOR BOYS five stars is because I’m not certain who the audience is. Clearly written for young adults with explanations that wouldn’t be found in adult nonfiction, I’m unsure which young adults would seek out this book unless as research for a paper. I don’t see many teens reading THE DOZIER SCHOOL FOR BOYS for pleasure but can imagine it as a history subtext for advanced students.