e-Audio, 20:51:42
Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt
Release Date: October 31, 2023
Published by: HarperTeen
Read from: November 17-19, 2023
Stand-alone
Source: Netgalley (I received a copy of this audiobook from Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)
TW: Racism, Child Abuse, Racial Slurs, Rape, Child Death, Sexual Violence, Pedophilia, Confinement, Sexual assault
For Readers Interested In: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, AdultA gripping, page-turning novel set in Jim Crow Florida that follows Robert Stephens Jr. as he’s sent to a segregated reform school that is a chamber of terrors where he sees the horrors of racism and injustice, for the living, and the dead.
Gracetown, Florida
June 1950
Twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr., is sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys, a reformatory, for kicking the son of the largest landowner in town in defense of his older sister, Gloria. So begins Robbie’s journey further into the terrors of the Jim Crow South and the very real horror of the school they call The Reformatory.
Robbie has a talent for seeing ghosts, or haints. But what was once a comfort to him after the loss of his mother has become a window to the truth of what happens at the reformatory. Boys forced to work to remediate their so-called crimes have gone missing, but the haints Robbie sees hint at worse things. Through his friends Redbone and Blue, Robbie is learning not just the rules but how to survive. Meanwhile, Gloria is rallying every family member and connection in Florida to find a way to get Robbie out before it’s too late.
The Reformatory is a haunting work of historical fiction written as only American Book Award–winning author Tananarive Due could, by piecing together the life of the relative her family never spoke of and bringing his tragedy and those of so many others at the infamous Dozier School for Boys to the light in this riveting novel.
*MY THOUGHTS*
I was so nervous to read this. Y’all know I’m not a historical fiction person, but I’ve been trying to ease myself into it by reading genres I do like within historical fiction. I hate to see the way they treated us back in those times, even though it was a sign of the times. So I only read historical fiction written by people of color. And although this has some hard times, I did really enjoy this. Not at all what I thought it was going to be, but so good in the best way.
Ok so the best thing about this book is the adventure that the author takes you on. I don’t think I’ve read a book that actually felt like I was watching a movie in a long time. My heart was RACING and I legit could not stop reading. I don’t think I’ve ever been that into a historical fiction book lol Due wrote this book that had me thinking I was in there with the characters! I mean like when they were running I was exhausted because I was thinking I was running and so on. This book is a workout lol It The writing style had me staying up till 3 am because I needed to get to the end. I could not imagine trying to wait and see what happened in the middle of an ending like that lol
I will say tho, even tho the writing style was immaculate, it did get a little slow in the middle. I did feel that some of it could have been cut for a little smoother transistion into the school. I know it was setting the stage for it to be the gross place that it was and to show all the things happening there, but it felt a little like filler. BUT it was amazing in terms of world building. I just think she went a little heavy on it without saying who or what that person was.
The characters felt hella real to me too. Other than the world, the characters felt hella real. I can’t imagine the scare that his sister was going through while trying to get him out. And I can’t imagine the scare he was going through having to be in that place. I was terrified for them, and it was at that point I had to remind myself that they were characters and I just had to finish the book to help them.
As a horror book, it wasn’t exactly scary. It’s just been called that because of the haints. And these ones aren’t exactly scary, just out for revenge. There is some description of the haints where they look mutilated or look like a gross zombie, but for the most part I didn’t think it was too gruesome or too scary. I’d also classify this as a thriller, because it had my heart going until the end. I have to admit, I also was a little worried for a minute there. I can’t say why, but just know I was like sweating, thinking how are they going to stop THIS? Just know when I say I was awake till 3am I meant it.
I also had no idea that there were real schools like this. I mean I’m sure they did, but my brain never sat and thought about them. So I also listened to the author’s note and went to find more information on some. And listen if you thought the book was heartbreaking, nothing prepared me for the information that I found out or the interviews that have come forward. And although this wasn’t based on any particular real person, I cannot lie and say I don’t think this story is too far fetched. The things that happened at these places were atrocious and I can’t imagine that there’s not some haints out there looking to exact some revenge. This story is fiction, but I could see this happening in real life. Haints and all.
This book had me on the edge of my seat! I learned something more about how terrible history is and I read a bomb ass book in the process. It was a little slow but once it picked up it was hard to stop reading.
Overall, I give this
I rounded down on Goodreads and gave it a 4. I gave it a 4.25 on Storygraph.