Book Review: The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

 

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

576 pages, Hardcover

Published October, 2023 by S&S/Saga Press

 Bram Stoker Award Nominee for Best Novel (2023)

RUSA CODES Reading List Nominee for Horror (2024)

This review might be the first victim of my tightening schedule and lack of time to devote to serious book reviews. Sorry about that. That said... The Reformatory is a masterpiece of historical horror and I don’t think anyone would be shocked if I suggest giving Due the Stoker Award right now. I already had the book on hold from the library when Stephen King took to Twitter and said "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.”

Before that tweet, I was 5th in line of 8 holds. Overnight I was 5th in line of 155 holds, which is just in San Diego. I mean Stephen Graham Jone calling the book of the decade had me but that Uncle Steve effect ain’t no joke, but seriously who doesn’t trust him as a reader? He is not wrong it is hard to put down. I generally read about 120 pages a day on my bus commute (and read 205 of this book in one day) so take that as a sign.

I am overdue to read Tananarive Due, I heard an interview with her about this book, and her story it is as fascinating as the book itself. Also, she teaches Afrofuturism at UCLA and I am dying to take those classes.  I am assuming her students don't know how lucky they are, but maybe they do.

The Reformatory is a historical horror set in the Jim Crow South. As such it has the feeling of many horrific tales of racism and evil of the American past. Many novels of the era that are taught in schools are from white authors and it shows. Due is not the first African-American to use genre to explore this era. Alice Walker and Toni Morrison did not get cast as horror authors but they have written some of the most frightening books ever. Beloved by Morrison is an unabashed ghost story yet it is called literature. The Reformatory is every bit of a work of high art in literature.

Using her family history including an Uncle whose experience was similar to the character Robert Stevens and a Lawyer who was much like Due’s father the novel is both epic and personal. Centered on 12-year-old Robbie Stevens Jr and his sister Gloria.  In their small Florida town, Robbie stands up for his sister is harassed by a teenage white boy, and ends up in a brutal reform school.
 
The school is haunted, and Robbie is one of the young kids who has a talent for seeing these haints as they call them in the book. Robbie ends up investigating supernatural events and making friends with the long-dead victims of the school. For me, the more exciting parts of the novel ended up being Gloria trying to fight the racist system.

The hopelessness of it all is brought into focus on page 159 when Robbie talks to the warden trying to balance the “don’t talk back” attitude with the Warden also saying don’t lie to me. The fight to keep hope against a system that is making it impossible for you is the strength of this powerful work of fiction.

Over 500 pages and it never drags. The historical and character elements come off perfectly so when the moments of horror creepy in these feel more tangible. The relationship between Redbone and Robbie is heartbreaking and perfect, but in a sense that is the best way to describe this novel. Heartbreaking and perfect.