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.

I'll be recommending this everywhere - it's as much a solid book of historical fiction as it is horror, and Due's research and family knowledges shines through all over. Very tense, more because of the human monsters than the haints! The ending was completely satisfying and a perfect capstone.

Twelve-year-old Robert made a split-second decision to protect his sister, and he ended up getting unfairly sentenced to six months in a reformatory school for boys in 1930s Florida. Beyond the threats of other boys and violent adults, he'll also have to face the haints of boys that died on the school's campus. Can Robert's sister bring him home before it's too late?

This is a truly fantastic historical horror novel inspired by Tananarive Due's own family in the Jim Crow South. It's a haunting story with danger lurking in every corner, both from humans and the paranormal. There's a cinematic quality to Due's writing that makes it really jump off the page. This is a must-read for horror fans.

Tananarive Due's writing is yet again magic - she has a true gift for original stories that stay with you long after you've finished. Her short stories are magnificent, unique and often haunting ,and this novel is no different.

Some books are just hard to read. Not because they are poorly written or uninteresting. Books like this one are difficult for readers due to their intensity and unsettling content. This book takes place in Jim Crow south and discusses some of the ugly reality that occurred at the time. Part ghost story, part historical fiction, it’s worth a read.

I completely forgot to take notes while reading this book. I became totally obsessed with finishing it. I'm not sure I can adequately express the emotional, traumatic gift that this book is to readers. It's one that'll stay with you long after.

This book broke my heart about a dozen times.

In The Reformatory, Tananarive Due brings us a terrifying ghost story, some very dark history, and a book that is scarily relevant today.

Robbie, Gloria and the boys at the reformatory were so innocent and what happens in the book just strips that innocence from them time and again. But even as some parts are extremely hard to read, Due’s writing style is engaging, the plot exciting, and our reformatory so chilling that I simply could not look away. If I hadn’t had to work, this would have been a one sitting read!

Those of you who are here for the ghost story will not be disappointed – this book will have you on edge. And if you’re here for the history? It’s horrifying and very well done.

A perfect read!

• ARC via Publisher

Thank you to net valley and Gallery/Saga for the advanced digital review copy.

The Reformatory draws you in from the start.. Tananarive Due drew inspiration from her own family ,"by piecing together the life of the relative her family never spoke of".

Set in 1950 in Gracetown, Florida The Reformatory centers around 12-year-old Robbie Stephens Jr. Robbie is sentenced to a reformatory called the Gracetown School for Boys, for kicking the son of the largest landowner in towns son while defending his sister Gloria.

Robbie has a special ability to see ghosts. After his mother passed away his ability was a comfort to him but while at the reformatory it has turned into a window to see the truth of what truly happens there. Boys forced to work to remediate their crimes have gone missing without a trace but the ghosts have shown Robbie what happened to them.

While Robbie is learning to survive, Glory is rallying everyone she knows and trying every way she can to get Robbie out of the reformatory before it's too late.

The Reformatory is based on the true story of the Dozier School for Boys. The book centers on systematic racism with a supernatural twist. The writing is nothing short of superb. Tananarive Due did an amazing job telling the story of one of the most horrific atrocities to a modern audience. The Reformatory is one book that I will not be forgetting anytime soon.

The Reformatory is a very difficult read to get through. Even a lifelong horror reader like myself, I struggled through the graphic depictions of violence against children. Of course, the author's purpose is to make the reader uncomfortable since it's based on a horrifying true story. But be warned going into this one, if this is something triggering to you then I highly advise not picking this one up.

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due will be available on October 31. Many thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the gifted copy!

“Sometimes the dead could help you fly.”

After the death of his mother and being left behind by his father, 12 year old Robert Stephens is wrongly sentenced to time at a boys reformatory school in Florida to teach him a lesson. Set in the Jim Crow era, Robert experiences the true horrors of the living and the dead while serving his sentence. Everyone that grew up in town knows about some of the terrible things being done but but it’s never been enough to get the school shut down. Through pain, suffering and horrors no person should ever have to endure, Robert risks everything along with his sister, Gloria, to find freedom, escape the South and bring Justice to the poor souls that lost their lives while serving time at the school.

This book hits close to home bc I grew up in Blountstown, FL which is 30 mins from Marianna where some of these true horrors happened to young boys at the Dozier School for Boys. It was heartbreaking to the point where I had to set this book down and step away for a while due to scenes in “the Funhouse”. The spook factor is definitely present in the story, in fact I jumped a few times while reading when my house creaked! 😂 Overall, it’s a 5/5!!