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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
Well, dear reader, I'm sufficiently terrified. What an unbelievably well-done book. It touches on social justice as well as scaring the bejeezus out of you. Pick this up on Halloween.
This was a really good haunted house story right in the midst of spooky season. I liked the ending and didn’t see it coming (although maybe could have guessed it if I was trying harder to predict it). I also think it dealt with addiction well without being the only thing the book was hinging on.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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:
Complicated
Let me start by saying I just finished the novel, so I’m still processing—but wow, what a ride! YA isn’t typically one of my go-to genres, but I do love horror, psychological thrillers, and historical fiction. So when I saw this book described as The Haunting of Hill House meets Get Out, I knew I had to check it out.
From the opening pages, I was hooked. The characters felt fully developed, the dialogue rang true, and the spooky atmosphere was immersive. The tension builds fast and doesn’t let up—the first two-thirds had me on the edge of my seat. The haunted house descriptions, especially the nighttime scenes, were genuinely chilling. Listening to it as an audiobook only intensified the eerie vibe and made the experience even more gripping.
That said, I found the climax a little underwhelming and somewhat confusing. Without giving too much away, I can say I appreciated the twist for what it meant, but the way it was executed felt like a jarring turn from the path the story had been building. Still, overall, this was a thrilling and memorable read
From the opening pages, I was hooked. The characters felt fully developed, the dialogue rang true, and the spooky atmosphere was immersive. The tension builds fast and doesn’t let up—the first two-thirds had me on the edge of my seat. The haunted house descriptions, especially the nighttime scenes, were genuinely chilling. Listening to it as an audiobook only intensified the eerie vibe and made the experience even more gripping.
That said, I found the climax a little underwhelming and somewhat confusing. Without giving too much away, I can say I appreciated the twist for what it meant, but the way it was executed felt like a jarring turn from the path the story had been building. Still, overall, this was a thrilling and memorable read
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Could have been higher but that ending....
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
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
I loved her other book, The Weight of Blood, so I had high hopes for White Smoke. But, it didn't have the same impact. The story moved extremely slow and didnt pick up until 60% and even then it wasn't the thriller I was expecting.
Whew...Tiffany D. Jackson knows how to write a twisty, suspenseful, chilling story. She kept me guessing all the way to the end. I was stunned by how everything unfolded and the author left me wanting more.
Marigold and her family relocate to a new city in part to help Mari get some distance from some troubles back home. The new house is haunted, and the community has many secrets. Mari is haunted by her past and harboring her own secrets. She's also struggling to accept her mother's new husband and his 10-year old daughter. The story touches on mental health, drug addiction, blended and interracial family dynamics, the effects of criminalizing marijuana has on a community, and other sinister ways a Black community is terrorized.
I really enjoyed this story and I liked Mari. However, I found the other characters to be underdeveloped. I didn't want the story to end because I was deeply pulled into the action, but also there were many threads that weren't tied up. I need to know what's going to happen in the aftermath of all the things...
Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for the gifted copy through the Goodreads Giveaway program.
Marigold and her family relocate to a new city in part to help Mari get some distance from some troubles back home. The new house is haunted, and the community has many secrets. Mari is haunted by her past and harboring her own secrets. She's also struggling to accept her mother's new husband and his 10-year old daughter. The story touches on mental health, drug addiction, blended and interracial family dynamics, the effects of criminalizing marijuana has on a community, and other sinister ways a Black community is terrorized.
I really enjoyed this story and I liked Mari. However, I found the other characters to be underdeveloped. I didn't want the story to end because I was deeply pulled into the action, but also there were many threads that weren't tied up. I need to know what's going to happen in the aftermath of all the things...
Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for the gifted copy through the Goodreads Giveaway program.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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