The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Winner and a New York Times Notable Book
Winner of the Bram Stoker Award and the Shirley Jackson Award
“You’re in for a treat. The Reformatory is one of those books you can’t put down. Tananarive Due hit it out of the park.” —Stephen King

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.

Real talk, this one wasn't for me. I can recognize that the story was well written and that Due really did her homework with that one but I never really got into it. I'm not a fan of ghost stories in general or of lengthy stories so I knew going in the the odds were stacked against it. It's a good book I was just really not the audience for it.

Adding “The Reformatory” by Tananarive Due to my list of completed reads for 2024 brings me a sense of accomplishment. Despite missing its initial surge of popularity in 2023, the book's omnipresence in book-related YouTube videos compelled me to dive in, and I'm grateful for the experience. However, it seems I'm in the minority with my opinions, as the book has garnered high praise from many other readers.

Initially, I attributed my slow progress through the novel to its intense subject matter, particularly the stark depiction of life within The Gracetown School for Boys. Set in 1950s Jim Crow Florida, this institution serves more as a prison for young boys like Robbie Stephens, a 12-year-old black child sentenced after a confrontation with the son of a wealthy white landowner. Robbie's ability to perceive “haints” (ghosts) adds an intriguing supernatural element to the narrative, offering a tantalizing introduction to Due's storytelling style.

While certain aspects of the book were enjoyable, I found myself grappling with segments that felt overly laden with exposition, longing for a tighter narrative structure. The inclusion of chapters focusing on Gloria, while perhaps intended to enrich the plot, only served to slow the pace without contributing significantly to the overall story.

Despite expectations set by quotes from horror authors adorning the cover, “The Reformatory” didn't quite deliver the anticipated thrill. This discrepancy left me somewhat disappointed, craving a more pronounced horror element throughout the narrative. However, I remain intrigued by Due's ability to intertwine tough social issues with supernatural elements, and I'm open to exploring more of her works in the future.

Although the book fell short of being a home run for me, I found solace in its satisfying conclusion and appreciated the author's recommendations for further exploration of historical context through other media. Ultimately, while “The Reformatory” didn't fully meet my expectations, its blend of challenging themes and supernatural intrigue still leaves a lasting impression