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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“I need to smoke I need to smoke I need to smoke.”
Tiffany D. Jackson can do no wrong in my eyes. Everything she writes is always beautifully written, captivating with an unexpected plot twist that will leave your mouth agape.
This is the 6th book that I’ve read from her.
It was a one sitting read, the voice actor did a great job & the storyline was relatable & easy to keep up with.
Although this isn’t my favorite TDJ novel, it is one that is well worth the read.
Tiffany D. Jackson can do no wrong in my eyes. Everything she writes is always beautifully written, captivating with an unexpected plot twist that will leave your mouth agape.
This is the 6th book that I’ve read from her.
It was a one sitting read, the voice actor did a great job & the storyline was relatable & easy to keep up with.
Although this isn’t my favorite TDJ novel, it is one that is well worth the read.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Really spooky and the twist gives me chills!!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — A Fantastic, Creepy Ride
Tiffany D. Jackson knows how to crawl under your skin, and White Smoke is proof. This isn’t your jump-scare, haunted-house popcorn read—it’s a slow, simmering unease that seeps in like that foul smell Mari can’t escape.
What Works:
•Atmosphere: Every page hums with dread, making you second-guess if the terror is supernatural or psychological.
•Family Drama: Blended family tension adds extra weight to the haunting—sometimes the people inside the house feel scarier than what lurks in the walls.
•Social Commentary: Jackson threads in sharp, real-world issues that give the chills more depth than your typical YA thriller.
The Bottom Line: White Smoke is moody, tense, and unsettling—in the best way. If you like your YA horror with brains, bite, and a few goosebumps, this one’s worth the read.
Tiffany D. Jackson knows how to crawl under your skin, and White Smoke is proof. This isn’t your jump-scare, haunted-house popcorn read—it’s a slow, simmering unease that seeps in like that foul smell Mari can’t escape.
What Works:
•Atmosphere: Every page hums with dread, making you second-guess if the terror is supernatural or psychological.
•Family Drama: Blended family tension adds extra weight to the haunting—sometimes the people inside the house feel scarier than what lurks in the walls.
•Social Commentary: Jackson threads in sharp, real-world issues that give the chills more depth than your typical YA thriller.
The Bottom Line: White Smoke is moody, tense, and unsettling—in the best way. If you like your YA horror with brains, bite, and a few goosebumps, this one’s worth the read.
White Smoke is good. It’s well written, and Marigold’s anxiety is really palpable. I found it a bit boring early on because I wasn’t as invested in her friendships, but that’s really personal preference. I also thought the writing could’ve been a bit more complicated, as it stands it’s a book that could be easily understood by a middle schooler, which isn’t a bad thing at all, but it’s just not my preference.
I also found myself wanting more descriptions of Mari’s emotions. Her anxiety about bedbugs was so gripping and real and I wish some of that was felt with her other emotions because it was just so fantastic.
I also thought the characters besides Mari had some really strange reactions at times, specifically when [SPOILERS HERE] everyone’s stuff but Piper and Alec’s gets smashed. The mom didn’t question them about that? Why did no one else comment on this? That’s insane to me! [END SPOILERS].
There was also a few moments that were never fully explained, like someone knowing something they shouldn’t, but it’s pretty minor and doesn’t really take away from the overall plot.
Once it hits the climax, the book is absolutely incredible. It grips you like nothing else, and I think it was masterfully written. I absolutely couldn’t look away and I loved every second. It really felt like it flew by when the earlier parts seemed to drag for me.
It does, however, end kind of abruptly. The most major things are resolved, but there’s a lot of minor stuff that isn’t wrapped up, and some parts that are really crucial that I wish had been addressed. The choice to end where it did just felt so strange to me, like there was a final chapter that was cut off or something.
All in all, it’s absolutely a good book and one I’d recommend, but not my personal favorite. It doesn’t wrap up super neatly, but the climax is so good that it kind of makes up for that and makes you forget all the details that have slipped through unaddressed. I cannot stress enough that it is absolutely worth your time to read, it just isn’t perfect.
I also found myself wanting more descriptions of Mari’s emotions. Her anxiety about bedbugs was so gripping and real and I wish some of that was felt with her other emotions because it was just so fantastic.
I also thought the characters besides Mari had some really strange reactions at times, specifically when [SPOILERS HERE] everyone’s stuff but Piper and Alec’s gets smashed. The mom didn’t question them about that? Why did no one else comment on this? That’s insane to me! [END SPOILERS].
There was also a few moments that were never fully explained, like someone knowing something they shouldn’t, but it’s pretty minor and doesn’t really take away from the overall plot.
Once it hits the climax, the book is absolutely incredible. It grips you like nothing else, and I think it was masterfully written. I absolutely couldn’t look away and I loved every second. It really felt like it flew by when the earlier parts seemed to drag for me.
It does, however, end kind of abruptly. The most major things are resolved, but there’s a lot of minor stuff that isn’t wrapped up, and some parts that are really crucial that I wish had been addressed. The choice to end where it did just felt so strange to me, like there was a final chapter that was cut off or something.
All in all, it’s absolutely a good book and one I’d recommend, but not my personal favorite. It doesn’t wrap up super neatly, but the climax is so good that it kind of makes up for that and makes you forget all the details that have slipped through unaddressed. I cannot stress enough that it is absolutely worth your time to read, it just isn’t perfect.
challenging
mysterious
reflective
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
White Smoke was a slow burn. I had tried a couple of times to get into it and felt it a little lackluster to start but once I hit maybe the 50 page range, I was so intrigued. The author did a phenomenal job of introducing points of interest without immediately divulging every bit of backstory so it kept my interest piqued, and when you finally learned everything (like the details with the ex) it was more satisfying. She treated us like Mari treated Erika and Yusef at first and waited a bit to fully open up. I do love that the ending is jam-packed with excitement and I think the problems laid out in the book come to a good resolution, but man, I want to see what Mari could accomplish with the knowledge she gained.
I think the hyper fixation on bedbugs and the craving for weed was written in a way that people dealing with anxiety can relate to and I’m happy both plot lines were included as they were used as tools quite beautifully.
This was my first Tiffany D Jackson book and I’m already eager to read more.
I think the hyper fixation on bedbugs and the craving for weed was written in a way that people dealing with anxiety can relate to and I’m happy both plot lines were included as they were used as tools quite beautifully.
This was my first Tiffany D Jackson book and I’m already eager to read more.
It was a little slow at first and not as scary as I thought it would be, but very well written! A great read!
The majority of this book hit at a 4/5 stars, but the ending was lackluster, bumping it down to 3 or 3.5 stars.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was absolutely utterly stupid. The writing was disjointed. Yusef’s dialogue/ accent was so forced it literally made me cringe while reading. I didn’t understand the point of Marigold being afraid of bed bugs and addicted to weed. It did nothing to further the plot of the book. Erika going to jail was so random. The sterling foundation pissed me off because she didn’t even have Marigold confront them in any meaningful way. They should honestly just take this book out of print because it was 373 pages of nothing.