A review by valandthegianttbr
White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
i was so hooked by this book!!!! i def recommend the audiobook to really *experience* it, i was so scared & tense the whole time omg
i got spooky eerie “haunting of hill house” vibes — which is super high praise as a hill house stan
i LOOOOVED the combination of classic horror themes (family looking for a new start in a rundown town, old house that’s definitely haunted, hella creepy kid) with real social issues (gentrification, the war on drugs, disproportionate incarceration of Black men). it was done soooo well & added so much depth to the story without making it feel like “too much”
on the other hand, the weed subplot & the absolute audacity of microaggressing ass alec *were* too much for me & i def was exhausted with these two aspects by the end. the ending reveal was also a little disappointing for me, but the way the story ended?! with no epilogue?! my mouth was AGAPE
idk if i can ever go back to basic white scary stories after seeing so many great examples of this (ofc from bipoc creators, s/o to absolute kings jordan peele & stephen graham jones)
what a phenomenal read & audiobook experience, i am fully in spooky szn mode & ready to read tiffany d jackson’s entire backlist now
i got spooky eerie “haunting of hill house” vibes — which is super high praise as a hill house stan
i LOOOOVED the combination of classic horror themes (family looking for a new start in a rundown town, old house that’s definitely haunted, hella creepy kid) with real social issues (gentrification, the war on drugs, disproportionate incarceration of Black men). it was done soooo well & added so much depth to the story without making it feel like “too much”
on the other hand, the weed subplot & the absolute audacity of microaggressing ass alec *were* too much for me & i def was exhausted with these two aspects by the end. the ending reveal was also a little disappointing for me, but the way the story ended?! with no epilogue?! my mouth was AGAPE
idk if i can ever go back to basic white scary stories after seeing so many great examples of this (ofc from bipoc creators, s/o to absolute kings jordan peele & stephen graham jones)
what a phenomenal read & audiobook experience, i am fully in spooky szn mode & ready to read tiffany d jackson’s entire backlist now