Hi all!

Welcome back to the book club! In April & May, we read The Reformatory by Tananarive Due for The You’ll Read Too Bookclub! Spoilers ahead!

Quick Reminder: This month we are reading ‘The House of Last Resort’ by Christopher Golden.

Today I’m going to give a quick plot summary, plus my overall star/scare-factor ratings. Then I will share the discussion topics and trivia questions. Please include all of your answers and opinions down below. I want to know exactly what you thought. I’ll also leave the answers to the trivia questions at the very bottom of the post. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

THE REFORMATORY BY TANANARIVE DUE – MAY 2024

PLOT SUMMARY

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. 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.

OVERALL STAR RATING 

I gave this book 5/5 stars! I think it will be my favourite read of 2024. I was sobbing by the end. It took me on a journey that felt so real (for obvious reasons), leaving me breathless after each chapter. The tension was so high, I was terrified for what came next. I needed Robbie and Gloria to succeed in their individual missions. 

OVERALL SCARE-FACTOR RATING 

I gave it a scare-factor rating of 5/5. It is not ‘paranormal’ scary. The terror comes from the horrors of reality. It is profoundly disturbing knowing how truly evil mankind can be. This is a very difficult story to read. Not comprehensively, but in how confronting it can be. Don’t be fooled into thinking this type of mistreatment doesn’t occur anymore.

DISCUSSION TOPICS 

1.) Despite being a work of fiction, why is this story such an important one?

The author mentions at the end that this story was based on true events. We cannot deny schools like this existed (and perhaps still do in certain parts of the world). Tananarive doesn’t hold back in The Reformatory. She details just how low people will go in positions of power. Whilst the racism is extreme and overt in this novel, it doesn’t change the fact that the world is still rife with it.

2.) What do you imagine happened to the Reformatory and those left behind once Robert reached Chicago?

I would like to believe the entire school was shut down and all the boys were released back to their families. I would also hope it would be a beacon of change to prevent new establishments like this forming. In terms of the spiritual side, I like to imagine the haints passing over in peace, knowing there is nothing left to haunt. 

3.) Did you guess the twist regarding Blue? Discuss. 

I’m not going to lie; I picked up on it every quickly. Something felt off after Blue locked the boys in the freezer. It was apparent he was a ghost when Robbie was first being taken to The Funhouse, but he wasn’t expected to join them. Blue was just ignored by Boone. An excellent twist.

TRIVIA QUESTIONS 

Easy: What term was used to describe spirits in this book? 

Medium: What was Blue’s real name?

Hard: What was Haddock’s first name? 

I hope you enjoyed the book club discussion. As mentioned above, share all of your thoughts in the comments below! If you have any feedback/suggestions to improve the book club, please let me know. I look forward to talking to you all next month! Thanks for reading!

Peace & Love xoxo

TRIVIA ANSWERS: Easy: Haints. Medium: Kendall Sweeting. Hard: Fenton.