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Horror is a genre that disturbs many people. At the same time, many are drawn to it and want more. That’s exactly what it’s supposed to do. Over the last few years, I have been reading a lot of horror books, more intentionally Black horror. Although it’s not a new genre, it has commanded popular and critical attention, bringing it into American mainstream like never before.
Tananarive Due has been a remarkable voice in Black speculative fiction for decades, best known for her supernatural suspense and mystery novels and short stories, including Ghost Summer: Stories, My Soul to Keep, Blood Colony, The Living Blood and The Good House. Her writing has been included in Jordan Peele’s recent anthology Out There Screaming, as well as other anthology collections. The Miami native has received the American Book Award, an NAACP Image Award, and a British Fantasy Award.
Due’s recent work, The Reformatory, takes place in Florida during Jim Crow, so that alone should warn you about the triggers this book has: racism, child abuse, massive amounts of racial slurs, severe violence, just to name a few. She brings us a terrifying ghost story, some very dark history, and a story that is terrifyingly relevant today.
Robbie, Gloria, and the boys at the Reformatory were so innocent, and what happens in the book just strips that innocence from them time and again. But even as some parts are extremely hard to read, Due’s writing style is engaging and the plot is a page-turner. You won’t be disappointed whether you’re here for the ghost story or the history. It’s horrifying, yet well-done.
The Reformatory is based on the true story of the Dozier School for Boys in Florida. Due dedicates the book to Robert Stephens, her great-uncle who died there in 1937 when he was just fifteen years old. The story begins in Gracetown, Florida, in 1950 with 12-year-old Robbie Stephens Jr. and his sister Gloria. Robbie is sentenced to six months at Gracetown School for Boys, a reformatory school, after kicking Lyle, the son of Red McCormick (a powerful landowner in town), after Lyle tried to make advances towards Robbie’s sister. After Robbie is arrested and sentenced, Gloria realizes that this is all a set up to destroy Robbie and her family and tries to act quickly to save him.
When Robbie arrives to the Reformatory, he starts seeing the horrors that were rumored to be true. Robbie has the ability to see ghosts (or in this case, they’re called haints) and sees the torture that they endured. It is not long before Robbie witnesses these horrors for himself.
While at the Reformatory, Robbie’s ability to see ghosts turns into a window to see the truth of what really happens there. Boys forced to work to remediate their crimes have gone missing without a trace, but the ghosts have shown Robbie what happened to them. While he is learning how to survive, his sister Gloria is rallying everyone she knows and trying every possible thing she can to get Robbie out of the reformatory before it’s too late.
I had a huge mix of emotions while reading this book. Yes, it’s a ghost story, but the horror really came from Jim Crow South being portrayed so explicitly. Books like The Reformatory are powerful reminders that we have to always remember this happened. There are a lot of triggers. At times, it was difficult to even read, struggling with the graphic depictions of violence against children. I was in constant fear for the main characters.
Due lets the characters explore every avenue of escaping their fates and builds tension with every page by shutting them down one at a time — in the dead of night among the spirits of half-burned corpses, in the broad daylight of a public road, in the chambers of a racist judge whose shield of privilege allows for state-sanctioned kidnapping, assault, and murder.
That being said, I believe Due’s purpose is to make the reader uncomfortable since it’s based on a horrifying true story. Due’s storytelling is bar none; it’s one of the strongest depictions of this horrendous time period in American history. I am shocked at how fast I read this book — at nearly 600 pages. Don’t be intimidated by the length because the story flows quite fast. The author truly needed this amount of content to accurately characterize and strengthen the story.
The truth is, most of what we consider to be classic horror was created for us. The genre is inundated by white male gatekeeping that most entertainment is subject to. I believe that part of horror’s attraction is its charge to invent and create. However, the unfortunate outcome of this gatekeeping is that it gives us limited freedom to access that imagination.
The thing with horror is that we are able to pick up a book such as this and experience fear without actually having to face it. No matter how horrified you are or how difficult it is to get through, the genre feels acceptable because it’s not actually happening to us. We can stop reading and turn away.
For Black readers, horror doesn’t have to extend far. Have you ever been the only Black woman at your job or the only Black family in your neighborhood? Have you ever been Black or Brown and pulled over by the police? This is horror, too. Unfortunately, we can’t turn away.
The Reformatory is the too-real fear of being in a Black body, a trauma that is always present and never lets us go. Just like towards the end of the book when Robbie is safe with his sister: “The Reformatory was the Hell from Pastor Jenkin’s sermons, hidden at the edge of Gracetown while people drove their cars and played with their children and ate ice cream cones on Main Street… so normal and everyday, with Hell so close by.”
This made me reflect on how we go about our daily lives, knowing that evil lurks between the everyday normal that we see. The theme that resonated with me was the exploration of power dynamics: color, gender, ability, age, and even living status. Who creates the systems, who enforces the systems to benefit from privilege, who inherits power, who earns it, and who could have it if only they knew the strength of their numbers? It’s deplorable that the Dozier school was allowed to stay open for over 100 years.
I give this book a 5/5 stars. The Reformatory is a beautifully written book about a truly horrible story. There is a lot of darkness but it does shine light on a history that is so important to focus on and never forget. It is haunting and will stay with you for a long time after reading.
The Reformatory is available October 31, 2023, wherever books are sold.
Horror is a genre that disturbs many people. At the same time, many are drawn to it and want more. That’s exactly what it’s supposed to do. Over the last few years, I have been reading a lot of horror books, more intentionally Black horror. Although it’s not a new genre, it has commanded popular and critical attention, bringing it into American mainstream like never before.
Tananarive Due has been a remarkable voice in Black speculative fiction for decades, best known for her supernatural suspense and mystery novels and short stories, including Ghost Summer: Stories, My Soul to Keep, Blood Colony, The Living Blood and The Good House. Her writing has been included in Jordan Peele’s recent anthology Out There Screaming, as well as other anthology collections. The Miami native has received the American Book Award, an NAACP Image Award, and a British Fantasy Award.
Due’s recent work, The Reformatory, takes place in Florida during Jim Crow, so that alone should warn you about the triggers this book has: racism, child abuse, massive amounts of racial slurs, severe violence, just to name a few. She brings us a terrifying ghost story, some very dark history, and a story that is terrifyingly relevant today.
Robbie, Gloria, and the boys at the Reformatory were so innocent, and what happens in the book just strips that innocence from them time and again. But even as some parts are extremely hard to read, Due’s writing style is engaging and the plot is a page-turner. You won’t be disappointed whether you’re here for the ghost story or the history. It’s horrifying, yet well-done.
The Reformatory is based on the true story of the Dozier School for Boys in Florida. Due dedicates the book to Robert Stephens, her great-uncle who died there in 1937 when he was just fifteen years old. The story begins in Gracetown, Florida, in 1950 with 12-year-old Robbie Stephens Jr. and his sister Gloria. Robbie is sentenced to six months at Gracetown School for Boys, a reformatory school, after kicking Lyle, the son of Red McCormick (a powerful landowner in town), after Lyle tried to make advances towards Robbie’s sister. After Robbie is arrested and sentenced, Gloria realizes that this is all a set up to destroy Robbie and her family and tries to act quickly to save him.
When Robbie arrives to the Reformatory, he starts seeing the horrors that were rumored to be true. Robbie has the ability to see ghosts (or in this case, they’re called haints) and sees the torture that they endured. It is not long before Robbie witnesses these horrors for himself.
While at the Reformatory, Robbie’s ability to see ghosts turns into a window to see the truth of what really happens there. Boys forced to work to remediate their crimes have gone missing without a trace, but the ghosts have shown Robbie what happened to them. While he is learning how to survive, his sister Gloria is rallying everyone she knows and trying every possible thing she can to get Robbie out of the reformatory before it’s too late.
I had a huge mix of emotions while reading this book. Yes, it’s a ghost story, but the horror really came from Jim Crow South being portrayed so explicitly. Books like The Reformatory are powerful reminders that we have to always remember this happened. There are a lot of triggers. At times, it was difficult to even read, struggling with the graphic depictions of violence against children. I was in constant fear for the main characters.
Due lets the characters explore every avenue of escaping their fates and builds tension with every page by shutting them down one at a time — in the dead of night among the spirits of half-burned corpses, in the broad daylight of a public road, in the chambers of a racist judge whose shield of privilege allows for state-sanctioned kidnapping, assault, and murder.
That being said, I believe Due’s purpose is to make the reader uncomfortable since it’s based on a horrifying true story. Due’s storytelling is bar none; it’s one of the strongest depictions of this horrendous time period in American history. I am shocked at how fast I read this book — at nearly 600 pages. Don’t be intimidated by the length because the story flows quite fast. The author truly needed this amount of content to accurately characterize and strengthen the story.
The truth is, most of what we consider to be classic horror was created for us. The genre is inundated by white male gatekeeping that most entertainment is subject to. I believe that part of horror’s attraction is its charge to invent and create. However, the unfortunate outcome of this gatekeeping is that it gives us limited freedom to access that imagination.
The thing with horror is that we are able to pick up a book such as this and experience fear without actually having to face it. No matter how horrified you are or how difficult it is to get through, the genre feels acceptable because it’s not actually happening to us. We can stop reading and turn away.
For Black readers, horror doesn’t have to extend far. Have you ever been the only Black woman at your job or the only Black family in your neighborhood? Have you ever been Black or Brown and pulled over by the police? This is horror, too. Unfortunately, we can’t turn away.
The Reformatory is the too-real fear of being in a Black body, a trauma that is always present and never lets us go. Just like towards the end of the book when Robbie is safe with his sister: “The Reformatory was the Hell from Pastor Jenkin’s sermons, hidden at the edge of Gracetown while people drove their cars and played with their children and ate ice cream cones on Main Street… so normal and everyday, with Hell so close by.”
This made me reflect on how we go about our daily lives, knowing that evil lurks between the everyday normal that we see. The theme that resonated with me was the exploration of power dynamics: color, gender, ability, age, and even living status. Who creates the systems, who enforces the systems to benefit from privilege, who inherits power, who earns it, and who could have it if only they knew the strength of their numbers? It’s deplorable that the Dozier school was allowed to stay open for over 100 years.
I give this book a 5/5 stars. The Reformatory is a beautifully written book about a truly horrible story. There is a lot of darkness but it does shine light on a history that is so important to focus on and never forget. It is haunting and will stay with you for a long time after reading.
The Reformatory is available October 31, 2023, wherever books are sold.
In 2013, three inspiring visionaries Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi created a Black-centered political movement project called #BlackLivesMatter. It was in response to the acquittal of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman.
Black Lives Matter (BLM) grew into a global network with more than 40 chapters. Members organized and built local power to intervene when state violence occurred in Black communities. They’ve not only been a voice but a much-needed response to significant gaps in movement and leadership.
In recent years, there have been troublesome worries about the controversies and dysfunction that have rocked the movement. New ramifications over a legal battle have raised serious questions about the fundraising piece of the movement. There also are fears that the best years could be behind BLM at a time when racism is being normalized by far-right Republicans at a rapid pace. There are questions about whether this could be the beginning of the end.
After 10 years, about half of U.S. adults say they support the BLM movement, according to the Pew Research Center. Three years ago, following the murder of George Floyd, two-thirds expressed support for the movement. Of Black adults, 81 percent say they support the movement, compared with 63 percent of Asian adults, 61 percent of Hispanic adults, and 42 percent of white adults. White adults are more likely to describe the movement as divisive and dangerous, and the least likely to describe it as empowering.
Transformative national change has proven to be fleeting. We have been faced with inflation, reduced public safety, wars, the overturn of Roe v. Wade. All of these things, while critical, have taken over the atmosphere, and support for BLM has diminished. While police reform and federal voter protection both failed to pass the Senate, the founders of Black Lives Matter have been drawn into controversies about how they handled money. Worse, there are allegations that they mismanaged millions of dollars after having purchased (in cash) a $6 million home in Southern California with donated funds.
The purchase was not reported, and BLM’s leadership had hoped to keep the house’s existence a secret. Documents, emails, and other communications about the 6,500 square foot property as well as day-to-day operation suggest that it was handled in ways that blurred boundaries between the charity and private companies owned by some of the leaders. It creates the impression that money donated to the cause of racial justice has been spent in ways that benefited the leaders of Black Lives Matter personally.
Black Lives Matter is a decentralized movement that pushes for racial justice and an end of police brutality. It’s also a collection of individual organizations. One of those organizations is the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, a nonprofit registered with the Internal Revenue Service. Until recently, it served as the main fundraising piece of BLM and accepted the majority of donations to the movement and distributed that money to activists working in dozens of official chapters.
Patrisse Cullors stepped down from her leadership role with the foundation, and a new board of directors, most of them more experienced in helping manage large nonprofits, stepped in. They had a different vision for BLM and pushed forward with implementing it. Not everyone was happy about the change, so new chapters of BLM were started to form Black Lives Matter Grassroots. The result? A legal battle in Los Angeles Superior Court. BLM Grassroots sued the BLM foundation, focusing on Bowers, and alleging misrepresentation, mismanagement, and financial malfeasance. But in late June of this year, a judge dismissed the lawsuit, resolving nothing and leaving BLM Grassroots and the BLM foundation more or less permanently at odds, as an appeal could take years.
Now BLM Grassroots has registered with the IRS as a nonprofit, too — and has started accepting donations. Both organizations stake a claim to being the real Black Lives Matter.
Black liberation is about dismantling racist, oppressive systems that were built to suppress Black people and keep them from flourishing. With that being said, Black liberation never dies. The notion of Blackness is more than just a reference to skin color but can be applied to all people of color who have a history of oppression.
Black organizations seem to always be critiqued more closely and more harshly. It speaks to how deeply embedded anti-Blackness is within the culture of the United States. While hashtags with people’s names have become symbols of the Black Lives Matter movement, one key fact drives it — Black people are about three times more likely than white people to be killed by police when they are unarmed and not attacking, and as in the case of Trayvon Martin with whom this all started, and are more likely to be profiled because of race.
I believe we’ve all reached a point where we don’t expect much from America; it has a deep capacity for change but a superficial desire for it. James Baldwin said in his essay “Journey to Atlanta” from the book Notes of a Native Son, “…wise desire not to be betrayed by too much hoping.” This generation are the ones who most believe that change is not only possible but imminent, only to have America retreat. As the fullness of Black Lives Matter hangs in the balance, we can only hope they will not do the same.
This is a mostly spoiler-free review of The Apothecary Diaries. The first three episodes debuted Saturday, October 21 on Crunchyroll.
The first three episodes of Crunchyroll’s newest historical sensation The Apothecary Diaries adapts a popular light novel and manga series with ease and much flair. This anime adaptation pushes the envelope for solving mysteries while complicating court politics in a drama with a whole cast of colorful characters. The series centers on Maomao, who lives an ordinary life with her apothecary father. She loves to collect herbs for medicines, conduct experiments and mostly keep to herself. Life is simple but ordinary. She’s content. It is not until one day where she’s taken away and sold as a servant to the emperor’s palace. It is there that she realizes that her life has changed.
As Maomao keeps her head down and makes sure that her work as a maid is done in the rear palace, a palace dedicated to the emperor’s consorts, his heirs and those who serve them. It is a place where no men with the exception of the emperor, his kin and eunuchs are allowed to be. It also ends up being a dangerous place where a low-ranking maid as herself is expendable, as she could lose her life as she has no connections or nobility to fall back on. This place, whether she knows it or not, will become not just her home for the near future but also a breeding place for violence, despair yet also friends and her found family away from home.
Episode One: “MaoMao”
This first episode of The Apothecary Diaries does a fine job in not only establishing Maomao’s character but also the often-precarious station of women living in the rear palace. She observes for every consort there are maids and servants at different classes: low, mid and high-ranking girls and women. Earlier on MaoMao demonstrates how difficult it is for some of the young women there: She is befriended by another young maid who requires her help in reading wooden tablets for laundry duties location, because she is illiterate. While our protagonist can read, it is something she keeps to herself as it will only be a boon to those who kidnapped her and only make her workload bigger, which she does not want. She is set on not standing out and making herself a target in any way. All her plans fall by the wayside when one of the imperial heirs fall ill, Maomao decides to step in and get involved!
This first episode of The Apothecary Diaries also introduces another important character: Jinshi, a very handsome and important eunuch who navigates the rear palace with ease. With the palace awash in rumors of a curse because of the emperor’s infant heirs falling sick, he sets out to investigate. Tensions are high with not just the highest consorts of the emperor, their babies in poor health, but also their factions in the palace.
The dark wave of ill health and rumors persist, and Maomao’s involvement manages to do good for one party–at least. The end of episode one takes an emotional turn that focuses on a more realistic reason for those targeted, rather than a curse. This first episode also demonstrates the harsh reality for those, especially women, not just in the palace who adhere to beautification and society standards with a huge risk to their bodies.
Episode Two: “Chilly Apothecary”
Episode two of The Apothecary Diaries work on the detective a la mystery solving element that was promised not just in the trailer but in the promotion of the series, thankfully. Maomao also learns that not all promotions are equal–her new assignment brings her closer to the heart of the rear palace but also closer to harassment and danger. Countless other girls in the palace would love the opportunity to cozy up to one of the emperor’s most beloved consorts and yet our little apothecary’s knowledge of medicine is too important to pass up as some important people in the place have noticed. Poison being used is throughout the country and some answers are needed.
The fun parts of Episode two of The Apothecary Diaries start with building on the hilarious dynamic of Jinshi and Maomao. He thinks he has our little apothecary figured out and his attempts to bend her to his will, misfire in epic fashion. Her reactions to his attempts to seduce her like others instead bring much entertainment to those around them. Maomao also meets her newest coworkers under her new mistress with some misunderstandings hanging in the air until they get to know her better.
Maomao is keen on keeping her head on her shoulders, stepping cautiously as she knows she is an outsider in a more elite location of the palace. As the episode nears its end, viewers will learn a bit more about Jinshi’s clever placement in the palace and how valuable Maomao’s insight becomes as a servant, strange as she is. Also, a fun experiment by our apothecary cements this new, shiny anime series–one with a great balance of comedic and serious–as one to keep watching!
Episode Three: “The Unsettling Matter of the Spirit”
Episode three of The Apothecary Diaries builds more on the detective a la mystery solving element from episode two but within the palace invoking a more supernatural twist, given the episode name. The newest rumor around involves a spirit, and as more and more servants, eunuchs, and concubines hear word of it, it grows in power. Rumors carry weight as do ghost stories, and Maomao is given assistance as she is tasked with her newest palace news. Viewers will start to see the relationships she is slowly building with others like the palace doctor and Jinshi’s assistant.
The best parts of episode three of The Apothecary Diaries are when the gears in Maomao’s head are working on what she’s observed and what info she’s been given regarding the “ghost” in question. From surprising others with her knowledge of flowers and how they influence the world around them to taking advantage of place gossip: her little apothecary’s wit is as sharp as her intuition on this case. It is here viewers will learn of a certain part of the code that Maomao and, by extension, her father lived by as low-ranking civilians in the land that is not to be missed. Words are powerful and an assumption can be the tool or execution to make or break another’s life.
Maomao comes to learn that the greatest lesson behind this whole ordeal is the cleverness of women when attempting to gain back their agency in a world that sees them only as objects. The big reveal in this episode is a story within a story layered with meaning that speaks of hopeful and happy endings that are faithfully hard earned and necessary to watch. Not all battles are fought on the battlefield or even by soldiers. People of all genders, classes, and walks of life work with what they have and outsmarting those who hold your freedom and what you hold dear is easier said than done.
“The Apothecary Diaries contains multitudes; bringing drama, humor, heart and mystery that deserves every minute you emotionally invest in watching.”
Verdict
The Apothecary Diaries does a great job in its first episode’s outing in establishing the narrative and major players of this new series and how Maomao is key to it all. I LOVE Crunchyroll’s approach of dropping the first three or so episodes in this series, like how I came to watch Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End that also was released this month. Both series are newer adaptations that are not to be missed. Having a few episodes available on the ready on release day can give hesitant viewers a fuller look and depth in both respective anime series. For fans who were already onboard, getting more episodes is just an added treat!
The Apothecary Diaries is filled with strong personalities and unique relationships within the cast of major and supporting characters. From the elaborate place setting of the many locations of the rear palace to all the detailed fashion seen in every episode, TOHO animation STUDIO and OLM really brought their A-game to make this series stand out. This makes me grateful as I think back on the trailer for the series where viewers only saw glimpses of future events where Maomao shines. As a whole, the series is a polished animated offering pulling together a consistent musical score that compliments the action on screen along with a well-paced story. The Apothecary Diaries contains multitudes as a new series bringing drama, humor, and heart, and it deserves every minute you emotionally invest in watching.
I love the balance of comedy and seriousness which feels like it was adapted well from the series light novel and manga versions. One moment I am chuckling at Maomao and Jinshi’s antics with their chibi versions of themselves on screen (Maomao with her cat ears as always) and then I’m in awe with how well they work together solving these intriguing medical mysteries! For Maomao, a young woman whose curiosity is only matched by her wit and her unwavering sense of justice, she’s sure to be a welcome addition to Fall Anime Season’s lineup for fans looking for a new series to sink their teeth into. The vibes are right with The Apothecary Diaries as a fresh new series that is sure to pull anime fans new and old.
The Apothecary Diaries
Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she’s sold as a lowly servant to the emperor’s palace, but she wasn’t meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she’s making a name for herself solving medical mysteries!
Premiered on Crunchyroll
Saturday, October 21, 2023 at 11:15 AM PT
Based on the Novel Series Written by
Natsu Hyuga
Director and Series Composition by
Norihiro Naganuma
Character Design by
Touko Shino
Art Direction by
Katsumi Takao
Editing by
Daisuke Imai
Music by
Arisa Okehazama
Kevin Penkin
Satoru Kousaki
Animation Studio
TOHO animation STUDIO and OLM
Japanese Voice Cast
Aoi Yuki as Maomao
Takeo Otsuka as Jinshi
Katsuyuki Konishi as Gaoshun
Atsumi Tanezaki as Gyokuyou
Yui Ishikawa as Lihua
Hina Kino as Lishu
Yuhko Kaida as Ah-Duo
Megumi Han as Meimei
Ami Koshimizu as Pairin
Hiroki Nanami as Joka
Kimiko Saito as Madam
Hiroshi Yanaka as Luomen
Kenji Akabane as Lihaku
Misaki Kuno as Xiaolan
Mitsuaki Kanuka as Quack Doctor
Sumi Shimamoto as Narrator
Opening Song Performed by
Ryoku Oushoku Shakai
Ending Song Performed by
Aina The End
Cover image: ©Hyuganatsu, Imagica Infos / The Apothecary Diaries Project
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