Book Review: The Reformatory
May 12, 2025
The Reformatory is a heartbreaking tale with a supernatural twist about the very real horrors inflicted on Black boys at a juvenile prison in 1950's Florida. The novel is based on the true story of the Dozier School for Boys that was also the inspiration of the recent Pulitzer-winning novel, Nickel Boys (also excellent).
This novel is a story of racial injustice in the American South. It's the story of horrific child abuse at the hands of the government. From that perspective, it's not a book for the faint of heart, but Due couches some of the worst scenes in a supernatural ghost story that keeps the narrative moving forward.
I loved the writing, the characters, and the pacing. Hated the story, but that's not Due's fault. The hatred and injustice that Americans can perpetrate in the name of bigotry are scarier than any made-up monster.