What a beautiful, terrible and grief riddled historical horror. I knew this would fill me with so many tears, reading with a pain in my heart, knowing that although fictionalised, this was based on an actual time in history, an actual place that existed- well that made this horror the most important book to be read.
The writing is gorgeous, and so easy to grip your imagination and bury yourself in that I found myself not wanting to put it down because Robert Stephens story was so important to me that I wanted to read it all at once.
Robert Stephens has already lost his mother to cancer and his father has been run out of town when he defends his sister by kicking the older, bigger white kid that is pawing at his big sister. After getting a beating from the boy's father Robert and his sister Gloria was thinking the matter was dealt with, until he was arrested and sentance to 6 months at the Reformatory. Robert is uncanny and sees the terrible fates of the boys from the past everywhere and it's not long before he finds out first hand how cruel and unjust life for boys like him are.
If you liked the film The Devil's Backbone, you'll love this book. And if you love grief horror, and ghost stories this is going to be your next read. Just make sure you have something to catch your tears.

Set in Jim Crow era Florida, The Reformatory by Tananarive Due tells the haunting tale of Robert Stephens Jr, a twelve-year-old boy who is sent to the fictional Gracetown School for Boys, based on the infamous Dozier School for Boys.

Sent to the school for kicking a wealthy landowner’s son after he makes unwanted advances towards his older sister, Gloria.
Following the death of his mother, Robert Stephens Jr lives with his sister Gloria whilst his father, framed for the rape of a local white woman has relocated to a secret address in Chicago. Deemed as a threat to society, mainly due to the fact that his father, Robert Stephens Sr was a black man who dared to attempt to unionize the local workers in the town, Robert Jr is sentenced to six months at the school. Immediately upon entering Gracetown School, the horrors of the establishment are thrust to the fore, both supernatural and real. It seems that Robert Jr is susceptible to the presence of ghosts and he sees and feels the spirits of the dead.

However, it is not the dead that provide the worst horrors, it is the living. Thrust into a brutal regime, Robert meets the Superintendent of the school, Warden Haddock. The sociopath that revels in the torture of the boys sent there.

Haddock is a truly odious individual who not only delights in the whipping and torturing of the boys, but also has much darker insidious side to him that is an open secret.

Navigating the ever-present dangers that are put in his way at each moment, Robert soon finds himself as a pawn between the two opposing factions, Haddock and the ghosts (called Haints in the book, a southern American phrase referring to the supernatural).

Throughout the book the ghosts that Robert sees are terrifying as they have the injuries that they sided with, such as knives in their back, parts of limbs missing and are able to alter their forms so that they are parodies of people.

Meanwhile, in the outside, Gloria is experiencing the terror of the system as she attempts to secure the release of her brother from the school. She attempts to obtain the services of a lawyer from a visiting NAACP lawyer in the hope that his sentence can be rescinded.

In addition to this, Gloria comes up against the Klan as they are intent on catching her father.
Throughout the book, the terror is palpable, but generally not from the supernatural elements (although it does have its moments). One of the worst scenes in the book occurs when Gloria and her elderly Godmother, Ms Lottie travels to a neighbouring town and they come up against the local police. Throughout the whole scene, you read with bated breath until the outcome of the ordeal.

The Reformatory is a moving and tough read as the horror of the situation becomes more and more desperate. However, it is the situation and the system that are the true horrors of the book.

As an introduction to Tananarive Due’s work, this is excellent place to start as it showcases her writing admirably, highlighting the treatment of southern African Americans and how the system continually marginalised and brutalised large sections of society and continues to do so today. In addition to this, it shows her capabilities as a horror writer to evoke terror in the writing. At times this reminded me of both Stephen King and Susan Hill in her ability to provoke atmospheric writing.

This was a magnificent and strange piece of writing, not at all what I was expecting but all the better for it. In many ways it's got parallels with Colson Whitehead's THE NICKEL BOYS, in so far as it concerns a boy who's unjustly sent to a brutal reform school, but Tananarive Due twists things off in a more supernatural direction. Much of the book focuses on the protagonist's experience of the 'haints' at the Reformatory, each of them a visible emblem of the horrors perpetrated there, and the literal realisation of these horrors is a real strength for the book.

Structurally it's really effective, alternating between the story of Robert and his sister Gloria's desperate attempts to free him from his incarceration (in which she is thwarted at every turn by a multitude of systemic injustices). Due depicts all of this in a way that maintains a terrific pace and intensity. It rarely feels like a preachy book: while the messages are hardly subtle, they are secondary to telling a good story, and one that's full of surprises. It all comes together in a visceral, shocking conclusion that I found deeply satisfying.

I suspect there will be some people who find the Reformatory disappointing in that it rarely feels spine-chilling. It's not that kind of horror novel, not really. Instead you'll get something more thoughtful and powerful, that finds visceral horrors in systemic injustice and in conveniently forgotten history. It's quite an achievement, and one that I hope will find a wide audience.

I worry that I won't be able to write a review that does this book justice. From the amount of times I stopped breathing whilst reading The Reformatory I'm surprised I even survived! Tanarive Due has long been on my list of authors to check out and this was the first title I picked up.

Initially I was wary of starting this 600 pager, but I flew through it across three evenings, you just can't put this down- every page is neccessary.

Set in Jim Crow Florida, The Reformatory is based on the true story of The Dozier School for boys making the subject matter the heaviest, most uncomfortable I've ever encountered in a horror story.
From the first page to the last my heart lived in my throat and my stomach churned at the truth within the fiction. Even without the supernatural plot The Reformatory is absolutely terrifying.

Racism, violence, child and sexual abuse are all explicit in this novel, forcing the reader to confront what life really was in 1950s Marianna and what people did just to survive it- and therein lies the real horror.

In a time where every action is scrutinised and a single misstep can mean imprisonment or death, Due shows us beneath the facades of each character to their naked truths.
This book is a heart sinker, we're given tiny glimmers of hope with a very small handful of sympathetic characters, only to be snatched away when nothing they can (or are willing to) do is enough. Only Gloria has enough courage to fight for Robbie, for her family, for justice.

Gloria's self sacrificing behaviour in pursuit of freeing her wrongfully convicted younger brother is so powerful, I found her story just as engaging as Robbie's. I invested in both the characters and their community immediately and suffered the tension of their plight.

Due sets such a detailed scene I could almost feel the close heat of the south, the eyes of the neighbourhood watching, picture The Reformatory itself from the corn fields to the kitchen and of course, the Warden's funhouse.

The Warden is an incomparable villain, never have I read such a visceral evil and I cannot conceive of the strength it took Due to create his perspective.
To know the lawless, unchecked behaviour at The Reformatory is historically accurate pierces the heart.
The haints/ghosts themselves are a different type of scare. Although gruesomely depicted, they have more of a melancholy, haunting tone and a justifiable intent that left me sympathetic.

The Reformatory is a gut punch of emotion, an important story I will recommend to any reader that can stomach the content.

•1950, Florida
•Deep South Horror
•TW: Brutality against Children, Racism, Injustice


There is nothing more dreadful than human brutality and wickedness. Twelve year old Robbie Stephens was sent to Reformatory called the Gracetown School for kicking Lyle McCormack. While he has a gift or ability to see ghosts or talk to them. The boy has such a painful past, first he lost his mother and his father left him and Gloria. They are learning to survive their own. Despite all the efforts, Gloria couldn’t save her brother from all that happened with him. The truth of the Reformatory is shocking and horrendous. The book kept me at the edge of my seat. I felt Robbie’s pain and the fear. I felt the characters were so unkind and terrifying. The ending was heartbreaking. The vibe of the book is gloomy and depressing.

Thank you Titan Books, Author, and Netgalley.

The Reformatory is a tense historical horror novel about a boy sent to a reform school in 1950s Florida. Robert Stephens Jr is twelve and living with his older sister Gloria when a momentary fight with a rich White boy results in a judge sending him to The Gracetown School For Boys, a segregated reform school that is haunted by the many boys who have died there. Robert can see these ghosts, and he must use that power to survive, even when the ghosts have their own motivations and the school governor wants to stop these spirits who could reveal his horrifying actions.

This is very much a horror novel when a lot of the horror is the horrifying reality of reform schools and the system that sends children there, making it charged with a sense of fear that isn't just due to ghosts. The supernatural element is then woven into that in a very effective way, a reminder that there are lingering traces of terrible things happening, and that ghosts might most haunt those who deserve it. There's a lot of historical and political stuff particularly in the earlier two thirds of the novel, which cuts a lot between focusing on Robert and on his sister Gloria trying to fight for justice for him. The narrative holds back on Robert's story for a while, giving small amounts whilst showing Gloria's attempts to free him, and then as it draws towards its conclusion, you see a lot more of the horrors of the reform school close up.

Long and intense at times, The Reformatory keeps you on the edge of your seat whilst combining events based on real historical ones (there's an afterword going into this) with a supernatural edge.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐮𝐞
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫
𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫: Releases 31st October 👻
𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘭𝘺
𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟒 ⭐️

This story will stay with me for a long time. A beautifully written yet harrowing read that made me uncomfortable.

Based on the real Dozier School for Boys in Florida, thankfully closed in 2011.

The author had a relative that died at the school so came this imaginative, horrific story.

I connected with the characters as I felt so sorry for them, I wanted to give them hugs and protect them. The paranormal elements in this gave me chills.

It did take a while to read as I found it a very heavy read and I can’t say I enjoyed reading it due to the subject matter, however it is a powerful book about dehumanisation.

Thank you to @netgalley and @titanbooks for this Arc!

Perfect read for Halloween

I requested this book after seeing a few online friends had also requested it and were so excited to read it. I couldn't be more grateful that I was given the pleasure of reading this book. The book as a whole made me feel so many emotions throughout, and the hard work and research that went into the writing really shone through. Although it is a work of fiction, it's unfortunately easy to imagine the horrors within the book happening in the real world, which I think makes it all the more emotional and harrowing to read. However, I think reading this book and others like it is so important for us to never forget how so many people were treated, and are still treated to this day.

Let me start by saying that this is one of the hardest books I have ever read. I can't believe that this powerful story is based on on an actual school.
Twelve year old Robert Stephens Jnr is sent to Gracetown School for boys for six months for kicking a white boy. As soon as he arrives he is brutally indoctrinated into the rules. This is a school of horrors, where the worst of the worst work. Can Robbie and the other boys stay alive? With the help of others he must escape. This story is heart breaking, horrific in places but it was a compelling read. I was completely immersed in the tale that was unfolding and I was rooting for Robbie all the way. This is one very talented and very brave author and I highly recommend this book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the Arc in return for an honest review.

The reformatory by Tananarive Due is a brutal but beautiful horror/historical fiction book.
Set in Florida during the Jim Crow era it is a tale of two halves as we follow Robert Stephens a 12 year old boy sentenced to serve time at a reform school (based on the infamous Dozier School for Boys) and his older sister Gloria who is working tirelessly to seek justice for him.
This is classed as horror and there are supernatural elements but it goes without saying that the true horror here comes from the racial injustice and the horrific treatment of the incarcerated children.
There may not be many moments of light in this book, but when they come they are truly beautiful. The family relationships and the unlikely friendships that are formed feel so real. The writing is atmospheric and the characters are richly drawn.
This is a long story but it is incredibly immersive. Raw and realistic without feeling exploitative, this story is extremely harrowing but I would certainly recommend it to those who can handle it.
This story will stay with me for a very long time.
Thank you to the author, Titan Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this amazing story.

An amazing novel that was inspired by the author discovering she had a great uncle who disappeared at the infamous Dozier School for Boys. Starting with her Uncle as inspiration, and adding a supernatural story line (which turns out no where as scary as the racism pictured) Due makes this story her own.
When young Robert kicks a rich man's son in the leg he gets sent to the Reformatory for 6 months, and quickly learns the gruesome history of the place due to visions of the dead that includes how they died. Knowing that the six month sentence might easily be extended, Robert has no choice but to escape, but will the dead help or hinder?
3.5 Stars

This is the first horror novel I’ve read where I put it down and thought… ‘that was a really great book.’

Set in the 1950’s in Jim Crow Florida, twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens Jnr is sentenced to six months at The Gracetown School for boys, a reformatory renowned for horrific abuse, murder and of course, ghosts. Within the first couple of chapters you understand that this isn’t going to be your typical scary book, but instead a historical fiction centred on the racism and atrocities during this era of the American South.

When Robbie arrives at the reformatory, he discovers that 30 years earlier there was a fire that killed 25 boys. It is those 25 boys who Robbie is eventually able to see and communicate with.

The racism and abuse in this book made my skin absolutely crawl - you quickly realise the ghosts were never intended to be thing that scared you.

This book was incredibly well written and I found myself gripped from beginning to end. It was told with sensitivity whilst maintaining a sense of rawness that I think sometimes lacks in horrors. The author never shied away from the realities of this time and while that could be confronting, it was also what made this book so powerful.. It was dark, creepy and at times difficult to read but a fantastic book regardless.

If you like spooky (but not too spooky), historical fictions and powerful themes, this is one you should definitely be picking up.

This is a book of two halves and even though the supernatural element does not really kick in until the second half, the first part of the story is no less terrifying. In fact it’s possibly even more so. I was in constant fear for our main characters as hate and ignorance was spewed towards them from the start.

The author does such a wonderful job of breathing life into the characters with her words. Their personalities are so big that you grow to care for and in some cases despise them. It’s a very character driven story and although the events unfold slowly, it’s engrossing, immersive and the pace flows so evenly. Tananarive Due’s writing is captivating and beautiful and I drank in every word.

I’d recommend this book to:
Everyone. It’s a harrowing but fantastically written tale - do not miss out on this one!

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

Historical Fiction with Horror 💀 📚

This book is loosely based on the tragic Dozier School for Boys, where boys were abused and some murdered. It is set in 1950s Florida and centers on the Stephen’s, a black family. Robert and Gloria, grieving the loss of their mother from cancer and their father's departure to Chicago, face a harrowing journey. Robert ends up making a mistake one day which results in him been forced to go to The Reformatory (The Dozier School), revealing the darkest side of humanity. The book also weaves in a supernatural twist that cleverly enhances the story. It explores themes of grief from the very beginning, it is hard hitting and it sheds light on the dark history of these 'schools.' The emotional ending, especially the author's note, brought me to tears. Despite its length, I was completely absorbed, and it never felt like a 570-page book. Highly recommend, this is definitely one of my favourites of the year.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is out 31/10/23.

A harrowing and raw reminder of a past in America that needs to never be forgotten.

I won’t lie and say this book was an enjoyable read because it wasn’t, it was however incredible. The subject matter in this novel and the many dark paths it goes down are a very hard read to stomach.
There were times when I had to put this book down because of the subject matter but I commend the author for not shying away from the truth of this particular time in our not so long ago past.

Subject matter aside, this book is a thoroughly well researched historical fiction with a very interesting and creepy paranormal element mixed in. When reading you this book you constantly feel like you are on a knifes edge, trepidation following you as you turn each page. The characters sear into you and so the connection you build with them makes the peril they find themselves in so much for tantamount and scary.

I personally loved the added paranormal aspect to this book and thought it was implemented into the story really well. There are many moments in here that will give you chills for people looking for a spooky read.

Overall The Reformatory is a beautifully written book about a truly horrible story. There is a lot of darkness in this novel and not a lot of light but it does shine on a history that is so important to focus on and never forget. It is haunting and will stay with you for a long time after reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in return for my honest review

This is a beautifully written book full of heart which deals with such important topics. I found it heartbreaking at times while also being engrossing and haunting
It’s quite long but not a word is wasted and it makes you want to keep turning the pages
Overall I really enjoyed this