Little late on this, but...this is a brilliant book. Absolutely splendid annd spellbinding. Tananarive Due is extraordinary in how she crafts horror and plot.

Based on the real life Dozier School for Boys, this novel follows two siblings - Gloria and Robert. Things take a tragic turn for the two when Robert is sentenced to Gracetown School for Boys aka the reformatory for defending his sister. The school is also happened to be haunted by ghosts (haints) that Robbie can see. Gloria meanwhile is trying to get all the help she can to get her brother free.

Overall, I liked this one. I do think it was too long though - I think parts could have been condensed or eliminated to make a more captivating narrative overall, especially Gloria’s sections. I also wish the author had committed more to the supernatural or eliminated that. It felt like it was trying to be borderline horror (besides the horrors done to the boys) but never got quite there.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting concept. It was loosely based on a school in Florida. It focused on the atrocities that happened to the incarcerated boys. It also had the point of view of the sister of Robert who was trying to free him from the institution. The story, while long, moved pretty quickly. It was a little too much sci fi for my taste, but I’m glad I read the book.

In The Reformatory by Tananarive Due, the main setting is the Gracetown School for Boys. For a place with so many tragic events tied to it, the name is very plain and unassuming. You would think it’s just a regular, terrible reform school. Oh no, reader. It is so much more nightmarish than a person can imagine.

Robbie Stephens, Jr. kicks a white, wealthy teenager, Lyle McCormack. Lyle was being too forward with Robbie’s sister, Gloria. So Robbie kicked him to make him leave her alone. Unfortunately, defending his sister against Lyle got him sent to The Reformatory.

Robbie and Gloria’s father had left them in Florida. Their mother had passed away not too long before the father’s departure. Life was not going well for the siblings but it was about to get much worse.

Gloria tried so hard to get him out of the place but was met with difficulty at every turn. Robbie was trying to adjust to this awful place. He saw ghosts on a regular basis – some friendly and others not.

The worst human in the book is definitely Warden Fenton J. Haddock. He had the power in this situation so people did what he wanted. No one had the courage to stand up to him. Haddock is a slippery slimeball, which is more kindness than he deserves.

Due is one of the best writers during the last two decades period. Her focus has been Black speculative fiction. I cannot recommend her books enough. When you start one, you won’t be able to put it down.

I created Haddock as an amalgam of a system of violence in children’s incarceration—but the truth is that no one person can explain away the reported events at the Dozier School, or the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children, or the Indigenous “schools” in Canada where so many children were buried. No one person can be blamed for our nation’s current nightmare of mass incarceration. The Reformatory has a central villain, but the actual villain is a system of dehumanization.”
― Tananarive Due, The Reformatory

If you are ready for a great horror novel that is also historical fiction, then you are ready for The Reformatory. Whoever sees themself identifying with the villain, might not be prepared for the ending.

*This review will go live on my website on Wednesday March 13, 2024 at 10:30 AM CST.*

The Reformatory occupies a space in my mind that was previously only occupied by Stephen Graham Jones’ The Only Good Indians – i.e. a space for books that were so gut-wrenching and so intense that it physically ached.

First off, it is worth noting that The Reformatory is based upon true events. Specifically the Dozier School for Boys in Mariana, FL. If you’re unfamiliar with the name, I envy you. Don’t click that hyperlink unless you’re up for learning some truly horrific stuff. The level of evil that school is wrapped up in is truly terrifying. It is important that we not ignore the horrors of reality in order to hopefully arm ourselves to recognize the signs in future, but for real – if you’re not in a headspace for it, I totally understand. Just know that their horrific legacy is still being dealt with to this day. The school remained open until 2011 – despite over 100 years of abuse and wrongful death allegations. To date, we know of nearly 100 deaths that took place at the school. They had their own burial gound…

Sorry for the tangent, but for obvious reasons, it is applicable. The Reformatory gives us a glimpse at how horrific that school/schools like it were. This story is set in 1950 in the fictional town of Gracetown, Florida, and specifically within the Gracetown School for Boys. Robbie’s journey is heartwrenching. He goes from sweet little boy who definitely did not deserve to get into any kind of real trouble for his supposed “crime,” to a haunted child who was forced to reckon with things that even most grown folks couldn’t fathom.

And lest I forget, Robbie’s sister Gloria serves as our second POV in The Reformatory. I know some people struggle to engage with dual narrative stories (sometimes I’m one of you), but I promise – this one is exceptionally well done. They don’t compete at all. I can almost guarantee that you will be equally invested in both sides of the narrative.

Gloria’s tale revolves around her attempts to free Robbie from the Gracetown School for Boys. She begins by trying to work within the confines of the system (because they truly are both good kids). When that fails, her measures begin to become more desperate and less concerned with working within a system that definitely does not have the best interest of her or any other Black person at heart. She is a good sister to Robbie, a good person in general, and she is wonderfully tenacious.

And Robbie needs her help. The terrors of Gracetown School for Boys are seemingly never-ending. Not only does Robbie have to contend with the horrific abuses visited upon his person by those employed by the school, but he also has to deal with terrible acts committed by the other boys in an attempt to lighten their own “punishments” (I bunny-eared because these are not punishments – they are atrocities. They are straight up dehumanizing brutalities). And to top that all off, the place is (understandably) haunted by the many, many boys who were murdered over the years.

Essentially, what you get with The Reformatory is much, much more than the incredible emotional mantle you are required to to carry while reading it. Although it is without a doubt a challenging read, it is absolutely worth it. Because beyond the ghastly circumstances of the story, it is much more than the story of a boy forced to endure a literal house of horrors. It is a story about resilience, love, friendship, strength of character, and retribution. In it’s own way, The Reformatory is absolutely beautiful. Heartbreaking, yes – but also extremely powerful. Tananarive Due is an incredibly talented writer.

Is The Reformatory a masterpiece? I don’t know. I’m just some dork who loves books. But I wouldn’t be surprised to find that in the future, it has become required reading somewhere. Maybe in literature or writing courses? Horror studies? Black History courses? American History courses? I dunno. Like I said, I’m no expert. But it still wouldn’t surprise me to see it pop up in some academic settings.

I think it would be valuable in a creative writing course as well – the plotting and pacing are perfection, and as I’ve mentioned, the story is incredibly powerful. We could all learn several important lessons from The Reformatory both in terms of content and of execution.

A very good but very heavy story. I like that it mixed historical pieces with paranormal horror. It was a nice mix, to break up the real horror (the people running the school) against haints and things that go bump in the night. It was a nice mix and gave a distraction, at times, to the horrors that are based on historical fact. But it's a tough read, one that broke my heart again and again. I loved it but I also found it rough to get through.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this review copy in exchange for an honest opinion. Review has been posted on Amazon.

I was extremely fortunate to receive this dynamic piece of modern storytelling as an ARC and I cannot proclaim enough about it. I have already bought four copies for my library and recommended it as reading in my work circles.

Honestly, this is a masterpiece. The characters, the pacing, all of it gives Ms. Due a rightful position alongside our most beloved science fiction/fantasy/horror writers who are women of color. This is absolutely distinctive.

I requested The Reformatory because I had seen lots of buzz about the book in Instagram, and it sounded like one that I would be interested in.

Robbie is a 12-year-old black boy living in Gracetown, FL in the 1950s. In defense of his sister, he unthinkingly kicks a white boy, which then gets him sent to The Reformatory for 6 months. Rumors swirl around The Reformatory and Warden Haddock, and tragedy follows the boys who get sent there. There are unexplained deaths and disappearances, yet no one has called the warden to account for his actions. Robbie knows the stories are true because he can see the haints (ghosts) who still hover in the building and on the grounds. As Robbie tries to live through the nightmare of his imprisonment, his sister Gloria is facing racial barriers in trying to get Robbie's story heard.

What I liked: I enjoyed both the supernatural terror and the terror of racism of the time. The Reformatory is a scary place, which was sometimes hard to read about, but it kept me interested in the story as well. I was also often just as terrified to read about the blatant racism of the time and the hurdles Gloria had to jump through to even get someone to listen to her side of the story on Robbie's behalf.

What didn't work for me: The book is long. Over 500 pages, it had parts that lulled and didn't move the story along very fast. That was really the only downside for me in the reading experience.

I definitely recommend this book. It was creepy and scary and intriguing. Just grab a snack and make sure you're ready to settle in because it's a long one!

I have been an avid fan of Tananarive Due and her unique take on horror that centers black experiences for years. I was reluctant to read because I was afraid of how gut wrenching it was going to be. This book is difficult to read at times but was beautifully done. I experienced all the emotions and willing experienced it again when I purchased the audiobook. Which made me love the characters more and appreciate Due's dedication to her craft. All the stars and flowers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this amazing ARC.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. I will recommend this title to people that read horror and that don’t read horror. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. I bought my own copy for my personal library.

Wow this book messed me up! So I’m a huge lover of Tananarive Due’s work, I think that she is the author to “go there” in a haunted house or haunting type books, as seen in the Good House, so I’ve been very excited about this new release. It didn’t disappoint! While this was such a different tone and feel from, say the Good House, it was still as haunting, if not more so.

As this takes place in, primarily, a reformatory school for boys and our MC can see haints, we are in constant communication with ghosts and seeing ghosts left and right. To me this was more haunting because of this being set in the Jim Crow South and us experiencing this reformatory school and all that our MC has to experience as a Black man. Further, when we find out the torturous experience other boys have had at this school at the hands of the dead/warden, my heart was racing!

Although this is an extremely tough and bleak read at times, I really really appreciates what Tananarive Due did with this story and I will continue to read everything she publishes!

Gripping, terrifying, touching, important. The story drew me in and had me wanting to read it all in one sitting, but breaks were necessary. The world Tananarive Due creates in The Reformatory is harsh and unflinching, but many of the characters are strong, driven, and willing to do what they have to for justice. This book will stay with me.

This was so spooky and so good. It's a story of family and community standing up for and trying to protect one another in the Jim Crow south and also of a "school" so horrible that I want to say it can't be real, but it was in-fact based on a real place.

This book has ghosts, and while they aren't the good guys necessarily, it's the human monsters that make this book terrifying.

I can see why this was ranked as one of the best books of 2023. Definitely worth the read.

This book takes place in Florida during Jim Crow.

Trigger Warnings: Racism, child abuse, massive amounts of racial slurs, severe violence, sexual abuse

Read this if you like:
Horror
Thrillers
Psych thrillers
History
Ghosts

This book is why I love horror historical fiction! There’s always a message in a jaw dropping way.

There were many times I wanted to put the book down because of the horrible treatment of the children, but the ending gave me peace! 🙌🏾

This book triggered me in so many ways. I went through a wave of emotions. I grabbed my chest a few times. 😅😩 I felt like I was watching a horror movie. I could see it all.

Although this book is not based on a true story it is loosely based on The Dozier School of boys in Marianna, Florida.

I appreciated how the author turned this sad story into an engaging horror. It has encouraged me to research the schools history.

I found myself wincing at Warden Haddock everytime he spoke. I did not like him at all. All of the adults at The Reformatory School were cowards. They irked me.

This story is a reflection of today’s system of mass incarceration and many other things.

The Authors note was very powerful. The author stated, “ not one person can be blamed for our nation’s current nightmare of mass incarceration.”

On a lighter note if I can call it that, 😅
I enjoyed reading little
Robbie’s interactions with the Haints. It was exciting!

Reader Beware!
Read it but it isn’t for the weak!!!

Happy Black History Month! We have come a long way but have so many other issues to conquer!

#thereformatory #horror #psychthriller #thriller #reformatory #school #fiction #jimcrow #blackhistory

I'm a huge horror fan and I loved the idea of this, especially with the author reclaiming the events related to her own ancestor. However, this is only the second book I've tried to read by this author and I find that, for me, her writing just drags. In this case, maybe it would have helped me if there was more focus on the kid instead of his relatives. I still recommend this book, though, because it's important to know about the history of these events.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Tragic, infuriating and tender, this novel was utterly sublime. Steeped in southern history, the power of spirits and the love of family, The Reformatory is one of the best books of 2023.

All Robbie did was stick up for his sister. But in Gracetown, Florida, a black boy standing up to not only a white boy, but the son of the biggest landowner, is a recipe for trouble. Combine the fact that Robbie’s father is a wanted man in Gracetown and you just know things aren’t going to end well for Robbie. The judge says he’s being lenient, sending 12 year old Robbie to the Reformatory for ‘only 6 months,’ but for Robbie and the other boys there, that is an absolute lifetime; for his sister as well. What follows is a searing account of what Robbie and Gloria go through: the degradations and abuse at the Reformatory, the treatment of Gloria in a Jim Crow south.

While this was an incredibly heartbreaking novel, there was a thread of hope throughout which I clung to.

June 1950; Gracetown, Florida. After an altercation with a white boy, twelve year old Robert Stevens Jr. is sentenced for six months to a reformatory school for troubled boys; a haunted institution known for its vengeful spirits and the horrific treatment towards the residents by the staff. Robbie’s family is so desperate to get him home that they reach out to a NAACP lawyer for assistance, hoping for an early release. Set deep in the Jim Crow south, this tragic tale is loosely inspired by true events and is perfect for fans of THE NICKEL BOYS by Colson Whitehead.

I really enjoyed this novel. Wonderful characters, harrowing situations, a touch of the supernatural and an excellent plot highlight this novel. It took me awhile to finish but not because it was slow but because I was savoring the writing. Highly recommended.

Set in Florida during Jim Crow, The Reformatory begins in 1950 Gracetown with 12-year-old Robbie Stephens Jr and his sister Gloria.

One day, Robbie and his sister are walking with Lyle McCormick, the son of a powerful, wealthy landowner. Lyle makes advances toward Gloria and Robbie, wanting to protect his sister in the way only little brothers do, and kicks Lyle. This innocent action leads to Robbie’s arrest. The judge overseeing Robbie’s case, among many others in Gracetown, uses Robbie to get at his father, who is on the run from bogus charges himself. Robbie receives a sentence of six months at a segregated reform school, The Graceland School for Boys.

Robbie has a unique ability to see ghosts or haints, which has been a comfort to him since the death of his mother. Yet, at The Reformatory, his connection with the spirit world instead exposes him to all the atrocities committed at the school. The child haints tortured and killed at The Reformatory surround Robbie, and soon, so are real-life abuses. The Reformatory is a terrifying place where residents are never safe—the slightest step out of line results in beatings, additional incarceration time, and worse. Robbie, along with his two friends, Redbone and Blue, spend every moment just trying to survive.

Due’s approach to exposing the horrors of the Jim Crow South is visceral. She paints a picture so vivid it’s hard to stomach that underneath her historical fiction ghost story is an authentic account of racism and abuse. The Reformatory is a powerful portrait of America’s vitriol and its lasting wounds. I highly recommend this haunting book and delving into the real-life tragedy of so many at the infamous Dozier School for Boys, on which the book is based.