A review by galaxiesofbooks
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

this was my first book by Tananarive Due and i can proudly and finally say this was my first favourite book of 2024 after such a long time!! y’all i finally found my new favourite 😭 i honestly can’t recommend it enough, this book was everything i didn’t know i needed.

the characters of this book were so fleshed out and i felt for all of them throughout the book, especially for Robert Stephens Jr. and Redbone. i couldn’t EVER imagine myself going through what they went through and in general i feel for all the black people from back in the day and nowadays for having to deal with unfairness and racism from the society. it was honestly heartbreaking to read about and i was so mad throughout the book for how they were treated by other people.

these characters and real life people went and are going through hell and my heart breaks for them…

the writing style may seem a bit dense for some, but please don’t be discouraged. the story is absolutely beautiful and in the end, my eyes went misty, it was so moving! i honestly wouldn’t change anything about this book, not even the length of it which is nearly 600 pages. each and every chapter was important. i did like Robert’s POV a tad bit more than Gloria’s, his sister’s, but i completely understand that her POV was absolutely 100% necessary. it was important to know what went on whilst Robbie was at the Gracetown school for boys.

the plot was 10/10. at the end, my heart was racing for Robert and i actually, for once, felt on the edge of my seat when reading a book. i haven’t felt like that in a long time and it says a lot. 😭

the things that happened at the school were… just unthinkable. this is the horror of it—shit like this happens and used to happen in real life. honestly i just wanna hug each and every black person in the world. y’all are the bravest and strongest people ever. 🖤

i HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend reading this, that goes without saying.