Book Review: THE REFORMATORY by Tannarive Due

THE REFORMATORY by Tannarive Due (Saga Press, Simon & Schuster October 31, 2023) Hardcover, 576 pages. 

Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . .

A 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 Five-Star Review On The Goodreads website . . . . .

An extremely powerful novel that I highly recommend to everyone. Be prepared to be saddened, and maybe even tearful, but this is worth the experience. THE REFORMATORY is brilliant historical fiction mixed with supernatural elements (ghosts/haints/spirits) relating the true horror of abuse of non-whites at a 1950's reform school for boys.

Due is very skilled writer and will wring several emotions from you. In the final two sections of the novel she demonstrates a strong ability for suspense/thriller. It's a nail biter that made me worry and fear for the characters.

I'm read this in a group with the HORROR HAVEN community on Goodreads and share my comments/observations here:

JULY 12: I started this morning, and finished Part One (McCormack Road). Very powerful writing. From the synopsis I knew what would happen to Robbie, but I couldn't help worrying for him before I finished Chapter One.

At the tender age of 11 in 1963 my family took a trip from PA to Florida, and I experienced segregation for the first time and had difficulty understanding why "coloreds" weren't allowed to use the same entrances or restrooms as "whites". Due's writing here brought back those memories. I'm happy we are not still living in those times, although more progress needs to be made.

JULY 15: I'm only at Page 123, just finished "The Reformatory" section. While the "haints" aren't necessarily horrifying, they are plenty disturbing - - in my opinion. I agree that the real horror here is the treatment of students/inmates at the school, not too mention the treatment of blacks by the entire state of Florida.

JULY 17: I just finished Part 3, The Funhouse. Now at Page 185.

Despite the not-scary presence of "haints" and the absence of horror elements, this has been an engrossing read for me. The story is sad, but it's excellent in portrayal. I really feel bad for the "inmates" at Grace Manor.

JULY 23: I finished Part 4, The Court this morning. This chapter has some moments of traditional horror, but the true horror is the very real abuse and prejudicial treatment of fellow human beings, all based on skin color. While I grew up in the North in the 1950's (born 1952), I witnessed prejudice against blacks, even among my family members and learned to bite my tongue. Never did I imagine how bad it actually was in the Southern states. 

The more I read here, the more upset I become. Credit Tananarive Due for an authentic, compelling portrayal. This section was the saddest of them all so far.

JULY 23: The horror theme returns in Part 5: Haint Catcher in a creepy way. Then two chapters in there is a twist and a turn that I didn't see coming. That puts Robbie in-between a rock and a hard place. I believe things are beginning to ramp up, even though the ride has been engrossing so far without it.

JULY 25: Finished Part 5: Haint Catcher today. I've been on the fence about whether to classify THE REFORMATORY as full-blown historical fiction and drop it from the horror shelf. Part 5 establishes that this is truly a deft blend of horror and historical fiction. The evidence is all here in this section. Creepy.