Challenge Corner discussion

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.

**This BOTM thread will be open until February 5th @ Midnight (in your time zone)**

Starting this today!

Got sidetracked. Starting this one now.

End of chapter 4 (view spoiler)[ I wish Mr. Lowman could help him somehow. I’ve read about the Dozier school this is based on so I know it’s going to be a hard read (hide spoiler)]

End of chapter 7 (view spoiler)[ I’m already getting anxiety and I know the worst hasn’t even started (hide spoiler)]

End of chapter 10 (view spoiler)[ I’m glad Lyle didn’t rape her. (hide spoiler)]

End of chapter 13 (view spoiler)[ Well the first visit to “The Funhouse” was awful. Imma have trouble with this one. (hide spoiler)]

End of chapter 16 (view spoiler)[ So now they have gone from seeing ghosts to seeing the future to explain storylines. (The fires with Ghosts and now the Ruby McCollum story with seeing the future). It just seems lazy to me. Find another way to work it into the story. This has so much potential but adding this bizarre paranormal aspect makes it hokey. (hide spoiler)]

End of chapter 22 (view spoiler)[ I wondered if Blue was a haint. I didn’t think about him dying in the fire. Seemed like he would have smelled like smoke. I’m struggling with a lot of this storyline because it all fits just conveniently enough to move the story along. Too convenient. (hide spoiler)]

End of chapter 31 (view spoiler)[ I have a bad feeling of the next part being named “Boot Hill” That was the cemetery at the Dozier School and the cemetery in the book as well. I wondered why she changed the name of everything except that. (hide spoiler)]

End of chapter 38 - I can’t tell if I hate this book or kinda like it. It’s taking forever for me to read it.

Finished! FINALLY. While it took 2 and half days to read, it seemed like it took a lot longer. I will have process before I can write a review. Right now, I’m at 3 stars. That may change. 😂