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A review by dragoninwinterfell
White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson was the perfect creepy read to end October with.
This novel intentionally hits the haunted house story beats with a family moving to a new town to live in the mysterious house that is the subject of local urban legends. I love how Jackson had her heroine Mari note this even as those typical conventions are turned on their head as the overall take away is that the true monster is systemic racism.
The strongest elements of this novel are the characters and complex relationships. Mari is an excellent protagonist to follow this horror mystery with. She is a teenager struggling with intense anxiety and drug addiction as well as the divorce of her parents and the blending of her family with a stepfather and sister. With all of that in play, it's actually realistic that she not come to the right conclusion with every clue and that those around her struggle to believe what she says. Even Mari, and therefore the reader, doubts what she's seeing and hearing as they could be impacted by her high anxiety and paranoia or her drug usage.
I particularly appreciated the way Jackson depicted Mari's anxiety since that's something I struggle with too. So, I could relate with many of her coping strategies and the feeling of being triggered. This heightened stakes of the story for me as the tension escalated.
I do think that Jackson pulled some punches. But I can more easily get past that when it comes to a young adult novel than I could with an adult novel. Otherwise, the story, characters, and dynamics were very realistic.
This novel intentionally hits the haunted house story beats with a family moving to a new town to live in the mysterious house that is the subject of local urban legends. I love how Jackson had her heroine Mari note this even as those typical conventions are turned on their head as the overall take away is that the true monster is systemic racism.
The strongest elements of this novel are the characters and complex relationships. Mari is an excellent protagonist to follow this horror mystery with. She is a teenager struggling with intense anxiety and drug addiction as well as the divorce of her parents and the blending of her family with a stepfather and sister. With all of that in play, it's actually realistic that she not come to the right conclusion with every clue and that those around her struggle to believe what she says. Even Mari, and therefore the reader, doubts what she's seeing and hearing as they could be impacted by her high anxiety and paranoia or her drug usage.
I particularly appreciated the way Jackson depicted Mari's anxiety since that's something I struggle with too. So, I could relate with many of her coping strategies and the feeling of being triggered. This heightened stakes of the story for me as the tension escalated.
I do think that Jackson pulled some punches. But I can more easily get past that when it comes to a young adult novel than I could with an adult novel. Otherwise, the story, characters, and dynamics were very realistic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism