_The Reformatory_ perfectly blends historical fiction with horror. Set in the Jim Crow South, it follows siblings Robbie and Gloria as they fight to keep their family together. After a minor altercation with the son of a white landowner, Robbie is sent to the Gracetown School for Boys. Here he endures abuse from staff and is haunted by the young souls who never left the reformatory grounds, while Gloria fights on the outside to free her brother. It keeps the reader enthralled and hoping that the siblings can escape to a better future together.

WOW! I couldn't put this down! A haunting ghost story unlike anything I have ever read. This book will haunt you long after you finish reading it.

Based on a real place and the life of her uncle, Tananarive Due’s The Reformatory is haunting, sometimes brutal, and will stay with you for awhile..

Robert is unjustly sent to the notorious reformatory for boys where he not only meets unspeakable cruelty, but also the horror of ghosts of the past.

Don’t be put out off by the size of this one. The story flies by and there’s not a boring moment. I did not read the synopsis and was pleasantly surprised when the supernatural aspect was introduced. I loved the meld of real history and supernatural. Of course knowing the content, be aware that it is a difficult read as there’s some graphic descriptions of child abuse. This was based on a real place, so it is also an important read.

“Florida’s soil is soaked with so much blood it’s a wonder the droplets don’t seep between your toes with every step.”

The Reformatory comes out 10/31.

I was particularly interested in this novel because I know of the Dozier School for boys and live near it. At the end of the school’s reign I remember hearing of the terror and injustices that ensued for the boys who lived there. That alone was horrific. This story represents that terror and is very well written. It is not a story that I will soon forget.
Many thanks to Gallery Books and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I liked this book. But what was lacking for me was the horror vibes. This book focused more on the historical fiction aspects than horror. So I was left a little disappointed. But I still liked the over all story.

This book is GRIPPING! I couldn't put it down. It is a nuanced look at the Jim Crow era that is not overwhelming, preaching, or bludgeoning. As a white person, this perspective is something I appreciated reading. I believe that it took Due ten years to write this book and I think that definitely shows in the expertly crafted prose, the nuanced characters, and the compelling plot.

After reading the description of this title, I was eager to jump straight into it.

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due was just as I was hoping.
It was brutal and unrelenting. A captivating novel about injustice, racism and, ultimately, about hope.
A stunning historical fiction story with some supernatural elements that touches the subject of racial and social injustice.
A remarkable story. This book stuck with me long after I finished reading it.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Gallery/Saga Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I've been a fan of the work of Tananarive Due for a long time, and this book is no exception. It tells the story of two Black, teenaged siblings in the 1950's trying to get by in a world so actually horrifying that the ghosts aren't that bad. This was a page turner, and I was never sure what would happen next. Highly recommend, for spooky season and any season.

Beautiful and heartbreaking. I was already a big fan of Tananarive Due, and I anticipate that this book will gain her a flood of new readers. Well done!

Many. many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books and, of course, Ms. Due for this ARC. It’s my pleasure to provide my honest and unbiased opinion.
#NetGalley #GalleryBooks #TheReformatory #TananariveDue
Author: The Reformatory
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: October 31, 2023
Trigger Warnings: Strong racism themes, graphic and repeated child abuse including an infant, painful injustice, heavy violence

This frightening and powerful novel has, thus far, been the very best book of the year for me!
It’s just about perfect.
The Reformatory tells the story of 12 year old Robbie Stephens and his sister, Gloria during the Jim Crow era. They’ve lost their mother to cancer and their father is in Chicago, trying to escape those who don’t appreciate his quest for equality. When Robbie kicks the white son of a rich and influential family to defend his sister, he’s arrested and sentenced to six months at the reformatory. At the sinister boarding school for boys, ghosts, or haints, are the least of his troubles.
This amazing book is equal parts terrifying, heart-breaking, and touching. The authors’ gift for characters stand up to any writer working, including Stephen King himself. Due’s characters, much like King’s, are compelling and may as well be my neighbors, friends, or even foes. The character of the Superintendent is immediately more foreboding than any of the haints. The characters are the heart of this story. They are an important and powerful reminder that people like this and events like this really happened. Forget the ghosts, the true horror of this book is the hint of reality. Having said that, I LOVED the ghost story aspect. The ghosts were delightfully spooky and unpredictable.
The trigger warnings are plentiful in this story. It’s incredibly difficult, even to a seasoned horror fan like me, to read through the brutal child abuse that takes place during the events of this book.
This book is an extremely effective ghost story and a brilliant and devastating example of historical fiction that will always remain relavent. Thank you to the author, for this masterpiece. It will remain very close to my heart. I know I will read it again and its effect will be no less haunting, nor the journey any less rewarding.

Riveting. Terrifying. Beautiful. Haunting. I cannot pinpoint my exact feelings on this novel because I am still reeling from it.

Such a heartbreaking, but wonderful novel. This author has always been on my radar and she outdid herself with this one..it's a long story, but definitely worth the time.. based on real events.

A staggeringly powerful book that gripped me on every page. Though it is a ghost story, the horror comes from the true history of the horrific treatment of boys, especially Black boys, in “schools” like the one in The Reformatory. I don’t know when I’ve cared as deeply about any book characters as I did about Robert and Gloria and the friends who try to help them achieve their desperate goal of freedom and family. Due’s writing had my heart racing and breaking and soaring throughout.

THE REFORMATORY: a blistering, bleak, yet heartfelt and hopeful tale of heartbreak, haints and the ugliness of racism.

Whenever horror and historical fiction mix, in my view, the results are bound to be at the very least intriguing. I am a sucker for both genres for the very distinct atmosphere that they create. And when I heard that Ms. Tananarive Due, one of the most acclaimed African-American novelists of all time, had an upcoming novel about a haunted reformatory, I knew I had to read this book.
And am I ever glad that I did. This is definitely one for the ages.
THE REFORMATORY tells the story of Robbie Stephens Jr, an African-American boy, who lost his mother, and is sentenced to six months in a reformatory for having defended his sister from the advances of Lyle McCormack, one of the richest landowners in his area, with a kick. He discovers the harrowing secrets and mysteries of the infamous Gracetown School for Boys, including a fire that claimed 25 lives years before, and the horrific abuse these boys, both black and white, suffer at the hands of the staff. His sister Gloria, embarks on a journey to save her brother from that place of horrors before it is too late. His father, Robert Stephens Junior, is in Chicago, trying to galvanize a movement for the rights of Black people, and dealing with his own troubled past.
Now that I think about it, I have always wondered what horror novel to recommend to someone who is not a fan of horror by any means, but loves a gripping, emotional story. THIS. IS. IT. Look no further. THE REFORMATORY does a STELLAR job with the atmosphere, both on the horror and the historical fiction aspects. The iconic figure of lawyer Thurgood Marshall is referenced, like a backbone of the family's hope, the terror of the KKK is felt throughout, the Jim Crow South's gnarly, oppressive presence looms. This is a masterpiece. There are graphic scenes and harsh language in the book, especially slurs, but, of course, the realism is heightened by these choices. The superintendent of the Reformatory, a vile specimen known by the name of Fenton Haddock, is one of the sickest, most demented and depraved villains ever to "grace" the pages of a horror book, the very embodiment of the ugly times he has the privilege of enjoying a position of power in. How he uses that position of power with Robert, I will leave the reader discover.
To me, THE REFORMATORY is proof that there ARE beautiful stories about ugly times, and that resilience always defeats racism. Great, great novel, highly recommended. Ten stars out of five, will deffo be buying it too.

REVIEW COPY

Prepare yourself for a stunning read. Settle in with a strong drink that you will hopefully remember to sip; a towel to sop the tears that will run down your face and leave yourself plenty of time...like a couple of days to immerse yourself in this horrifying novel of injustice in 1950 Jim Crow Florida.

This book reads as true even though it's a novelization. The way the Black people were treated should surprise no thinking person not born in that time. Boys were sent to this Reformatory for sins real and imagined, Black and Caucasian.

We follow the life of one 12 year old boy sent to THE REFORMATORY for six months. He has the ability to see ghosts and the story really explodes from there.

Due has amazing storytelling abilities and tied everything together brilliantly. I do have just one question for her, but it's a minor one. Maybe if she's ever in Raleigh we can do coffee.

Meantime, make sure you buy this book of the year. It's a doozy.

This is not only a great read, it is also a hard read that brings to life an incredibly difficult part of Florida history. This is a must read for anybody who wants to learn more about life during Jim Crow.

"A blood sickness. Too much killing and dying. Too many restless spirits. Angry spirits. You think ghosts walk in the summer in ev'ry town? [...] Maybe it's a curse on us - a town named for Grace that don't act like no godly place."

The most chilling tales often emerge from the shadows of our own lives. Such is the case with "The Reformatory," drawing its inspiration from Florida's Dozier School for Boys. This institution, operational for over a century, shuttered its doors when the actual horrors within could no longer be concealed – stories replete with brutality, agony, maltreatment, and even murder. Moving to Orlando from Brazil in 2015, I vividly recall encountering news about the shocking revelations of unearthed remains and the harrowing testimonies of witnesses. Nothing eclipses the dread inherent in reality itself.

Tananarive Due dedicates this novel to her uncle, one of the school's victims, infusing the very essence of terror into "The Reformatory." It reminds me of Guillermo del Toro's "The Devil's Backbone" - how supernatural horror is used as a means to discuss natural, real, and human horror. Reading this book was an arduous journey, for the knowledge that Robbie's tribulations mirrored the fate of numerous boys, if not worse, weighed heavily. The era and backdrop exuded an unsettling authenticity, evoking the sensation of engaging with a historical chronicle akin to "Their Eyes Were Watching God" or "Sula." Due possesses a remarkable talent for immersing readers within the narrative, the historical epoch, and the psyche of the characters. This gift, however discomforting, renders the tale an ideal choice for aficionados of horror.

This was fantastic. I haven't read anything else from this author, but I certainly can't wait to now. This story was super lyrical and atmospheric--a really compelling blend of horror and historical fiction. The setting and characters were super well-realized. The foreboding, evil tone in the book really heightened the reading experience, too, and I think the author fantastically portrayed the tone born from the Jim Crow era south. I loved all of the characters--they're all compassionately portrayed and are a stark juxtaposition against the tone of the story (but in a way that is really interesting). I was so invested in this story, and the characters, that I flew through this in nearly one sitting. This is an amazing story, and I cannot wait to both have my own physical copy of this and get copies in at the library. Stunning.

This is my first book from this author, but it will certainly not be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed this dark, lyrical combination of horror and historical fiction. The author's writing is lyrical and often profound as she takes a terrifying story and paces it with perfection, with tones of action and a lurking, evil atmosphere born in the Jim Crow South. The characters are lovingly and compassionately portrayed. I was totally hooked by page two because I was so invested in them, and I was totally terrified by page ten as the deep sense of evil foreboding took hold and wouldn't let go. I totally loved this book and can't wait to recommend it to my library patrons when it comes out in October.