The Reformatory

A Novel

By: Tananarive Due

Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt

*Los Angeles Times Book Prize Winner * New York Times Notable Book * Locus Award Finalist * Winner of the Bram Stoker Award and the Shirley Jackson Award *

“You’re in for a treat...one of those books you can’t put down...Due hit it out of the park.” —Stephen King

A gripping “masterpiece” (Joe Hill, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fireman) 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.

©2023 Tananarive Due (P)2023 Simon & Schuster Audio

Critic reviews

"Narrator Joniece Abbot-Prat voices Gloria’s strength and despair alongside her chilling performance of Robbie’s terror." (Matthew Galloway)

“…Set during the Jim Crow era and inspired by the real-life Florida School for Boys in Marianna, The Reformatory is a terrifying, nerve-wracking novel, steeped in ugly truths about racism and American history. Narrator Joniece Abbott-Pratt manages to heighten the considerable tension with her heartfelt interpretations of the shifting, powerful emotions of Robert and Gloria: their anguish, fear, longing, sorrow, and, eventually, furious determination. She never lets you forget that they’re children facing the unthinkable, like so many children before them…Abbott-Pratt’s precise vocal inflections also bring to life the secondary characters, among them Redbone, a boy who befriends Robert at the school; Boone, a corrupt prison guard obsessed with haints; Miss Lottie, the elderly church lady who doesn’t leave home after dark without her pistol; and the warden himself, whose soul is a murderous black hole. It’s a tour de force performance, a worthy enhancement to Due’s vision.” (Connie Ogle)

What a Great Read

This book I waited so long for it to finally release.

It was so very good. Absolutely heartbreaking but knowing though the story is fictional the author did have family in the reformatory and she based most of her story off that.

Robert was sent to this reformatory basically because he was black. The reformatory most kids end up being killed. Due to his gift of seeing ghosts of boys killed there and his sister he plans an escape.

Definitely got emotional at the end.
Then the authors notes bringing up Indigenous children’s schools in Canada really got me emotional as that hits close to home.

Long but great read. I highly recommend. The author was great but also the narrator was exceptional!
Overall great listen/read

This book should be required reading

Read this book. We need to remember what happened to these children and families. It is IMPERATIVE that we NEVER forget.

Highly Recommend

"Prepare to be gripped by an icy tale that will leave you breathless. 'The Reformatory' is a chilling masterpiece that effortlessly keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. With its spine-tingling narrative and expertly crafted suspense, this is a must-read for any fan of the genre. Dive into its dark corridors and twisted secrets, but beware: once you start, you won't be able to put it down. Highly recommended for those who crave a bone-chilling thrill!"

OUTSTANDING! Heart wrenching and heroic.

This story is riveting. I could hardly sleep, work, or eat until I finished it. What a skilled and gifted author Due is! She is a MASTER of suspense. Her characters are so well developed that you cannot help but love, pity, or hate them.

This narrator deserves an award! An absolutely stellar performance! Wow. She brought this story to life! I can only imagine how proud and grateful Ms. Due must be.

This book goes in my list of all time favorites.

Great Narration! Great Book!

The narrator was able to change her voices to reflect the different characters. This book was scary in that it reflects the horrors of our past treatment of others. In the end, I found myself cheering for the characters.

Chilling Masterpiece

Best read of the year. This author is fabulous. A different type of ghost story.

Thriller that Didn't Disappoint

Another great work by Ms Due. I've been a fan since the '90s. The story was compelling and kept my attention from start to finish. The narrator was excellent and her performance allowed me lose myself in the story. I was almost sad to reach the end. I've recommended it to my friends and family.

Good book

Wow!!! I did not expect to like this book at all but I really enjoyed listening.

OUTSTANDING!!!

The story itself is captivating but the addition of the narrator catapulted the story into the stratosphere!! Ms Due ALWAYS delivers and I shall continue to be a lifelong reader of her works!! To the narrator- they have gained a new admirer and I will look for other stories narrated by them. BRAVO overall!

AMAZING!

To Ms Due, THANK YOU for writing this extraordinary novel. I have reviewed hundreds of novels; this is the first time I’ve left a review that had to contain a “Thank You” to the author. I am sincerely grateful. The book is so good, I want to kick people who gave it a 4 star review. By the way- if you don’t have a reason to take off a star: just Don’t. This book is so intriguing, well acted, and so well produced, that there is nothing at all wrong with it. It’s wonderful. I couldn’t stop listening - I lost sleep! I had to force myself to go to bed and stop for the night. It’s historical, creepy, scary, and intriguing… heart wrenching, loving, everything. My only complaint is that I’d never heard of it. It should be on every “Best of” list in every type of fiction. Enjoy!