Published by Simon & Schuster Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, Mystery
Format: Audiobook
“Sometimes human places, create inhuman monsters.” – Stephen King
Gracetown, Florida -June 1950
The true horror of this book is what happens at the Gracetown School for Boys, a Reformatory where terror await. A place where twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr., is sentenced after defending his sister, Gloria, from the son of a wealthy man in town. Robbie has seen haints (ghosts) throughout his young life. Seeing them never bothered him until he arrived at the reformatory, a place where boys were worked hard, and sent to the ‘funhouse’ for breaking the “rules” and sometimes disappeared. Robbie is scared and lonely when he arrives, but soon makes friends with Redbone and Blue. They tell him how to survive and follow the rules. Haints are present at the reformatory, but the true horror lies with the leadership. The horrors endured are horrific, brutal, and sadistic.
Gloria tries her best to get Robbie out of the school for boys. She is desperate to help her brother get out of the notorious reformatory. She is courageous and tenacious. She is determined to never give up until her brother is free.
Descriptive, well written, atmospheric, haunting, and gripping. The Reformatory is the perfect blending of historical fiction and horror. There is a sense of foreboding and unease flowing throughout the book.
I listened to the audiobook and Tananarive Due’s writing along with the narrator depicted the fear and desperation of the characters who are up against power, evil, inhumanity, and viciousness. I worried for both Gloria and Robbie throughout the book. I was on the edge of my seat fearing the worst but holding onto hope as they were both coming up against the worst the Jim Crow South had to offer. I found this book to be gripping, heart wrenching and well written.
*The author had a relative who was in the infamous Florida Dozier School for boys.
Gripping, haunting, and hard to read at times.