Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

18 reviews

sarafinley's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Racism, Blood, Body horror, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Violence

greywolfheir's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Hate crime, Racism, Cursing, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Classism, Kidnapping, and Medical content

Minor: Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, and Bullying

maregred's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Racism, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use

Minor: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, and Death

caughtbetweenpages's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Not my favorite Tiffany D Jackson book, but still really, really good! Setting Marigold up as an unreliable narrator was an excellent decision in terms of adding to the sense of dread throughout the novel, not only because you couldn't tell whether the horror elements/the supernatural was in her head or real until closer to the end of the story. The looming, constant presence of a darkness both internal and external kept the suspense up throughout, and made me genuinely worried for this child who is regularly ignored or disbelieved by the adults in her life. I wish that some of the interpersonal character relationships were treated differently; I don't think this story needed a romance element, and that in fact it detracted from page space that could better have been spent developing Mari's familial bonds with her siblings (esp. with Piper; I feel like we should've known more about that from the jump), and that the complicated and sometimes shitty way Mari treats all her friends would've been betrayal enough in Yousef's eyes without adding in the element of "he has a crush on her and feels used and betrayed". The twist of the

Spoiler

rich white folks planning to take over the town, push out the Black population, and use the citizens themselves to burn down a neighborhood to make the takeover easier

felt incredibly real, and I loved the ending note of the story was one of taking action against it. This story was about Mari surviving. What comes after is a different story, one that may be even more fraught. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Body horror, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Racism and Classism

turtleycool's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Why is it called “White Smoke“? Abrupt ending, an emotionally unintelligent protagonist, unsatisfactory resolution. Can be a thrilling read though. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Gaslighting, Body horror, Bullying, Racism, and Mental illness

lovealwaysadi's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Drug use, Gore, Addiction, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Body horror, and Classism

Moderate: Hate crime, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

Minor: Confinement, Alcohol, Excrement, Racism, and Grief

hollyk's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

WHAT WAS THAT ENDING???????

The ending felt a little messy and several threads were not tied up or even given a hint at what could potentially happen.

Really good though, creepy, and horror-filled. This book also tackles addiction, so be warned if that is a trigger for you

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Religious bigotry

trashboatwinter's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Stalking, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Drug use, Violence, and Drug abuse

amandalorianxo's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Flickering between 3.25/3.5 stars. This book was definitely encompassing a creepy, spooky vibe from beginning to end. Tiffany Jackson knew how to envelope the reader into a haunted house. Her descriptions were on point as well as having a good use of showing not telling.
I also loved the mc’s name - Marigold sounds lovely although she is not a sunshine character in terms of personality. 
Mari has accepted that her parents are not getting back together. Her mother, in fact, has remarried but to a white man named Alec who has a ten year old white daughter named Piper from his previous marriage. 
Mari and her brother Sam are moving from sunny California to the Midwest, in a neighborhood that has more secrets than they’d like to admit. 
I loved certain parts of the book a lot but sadly, I thought the climax most thrilling parts were all squeezed in the last 20 percent ish of the book. The ending was also not as clear cut as other books. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing

Minor: Drug use, Medical trauma, and Body horror

solenekeleroux's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Blood, Gaslighting, Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, and Racism

Moderate: Murder, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Confinement, and Body horror