Super Short Summary

In Tananarive Due's historical horror novel The Reformatory, 12-year-old Robert "Robbie" Stephens, Jr. is sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys, haunted by ghosts or "haints." His ability to sense these spirits makes him valuable to the brutal superintendent, Fenton Haddock, who seeks to hide the institution's dark history. Meanwhile, Robbie's sister, Gloria, tirelessly works to secure his release. The novel includes themes of racism within the American criminal justice system, the struggle to reconcile the past with the present, and the power of community. It features depictions of violence, abuse, and offensive language.