Reviews tagging 'Grief'

White smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

9 reviews

torihbu's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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

4.0

this was an action-packed thrill from start to finish. there were multiple plots going on at once (some more developed than others), but between all of it, i never got confused. i thought the gentrification subplot was a bit under-developed—there's only so much you can fit in 350ish words. but the main character's PTS/anxiety subplot and the main "haunting" of the book were extremely well-written, well-paced, and compelling. everything totals up to present the horrors of reality. just when you think you know what's going to happen next, you'll be surprised by this book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, Bullying, Grief, Cursing, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Alcohol, Racism, Vomit, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Hate crime

achay91's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Drug use, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

Minor: Toxic relationship

amandadevoursbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

OK, of all the TDJ books this is my least favorite so far, and I still really liked it. Marigold's family moved across the country to escape Mari's past addictions. Mari struggles with her mental health, her new school, her creepy house, and her bratty step sister. The tale gradually unfolds, and by the end of the book,  I was breathless.  

What did I like? I loved the themes of family, community, gentrification, monstrosity, mental health, and friendship.

What did I not like? The depiction of weed, like the MC fiends for it. I've never met someone like this. it makes sense later as you find out more but

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Confinement, Drug use, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Addiction

Gentrification

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Confinement, Classism, Child death, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Hate crime, Torture, Murder, Death, Vomit, Abandonment, Addiction, Stalking, Gun violence, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Medical content, Drug abuse, Cursing, Police brutality, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

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

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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

brookey8888's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

2.5

I sadly did not enjoy this one as much as I was hoping. I do have to say that the discussions in this are good and very important and I enjoyed those. I did enjoy the plot of this book and the family dynamics I do have to say nothing really creepy started happening until about 60% of the way through so that was kind of a bummer I didn’t see something coming so that was cool and I do have to say the last 15% I really liked.  I just found this to be boring at first and I know she’s an addict and I know weed helped her with her anxiety but hearing about it every other sentence was driving me crazy. I really liked Sammy as a character as well. He was probably my favorite part of the book. I think I also didn’t like this because the main character was very unlikable at times and that was hard like I understood her side of things but it was just too much of at times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Addiction, Classism, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Bullying, Racism, and Violence

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

challenging 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

3.5

Creepy. Upsetting. Real. This book is about a haunted house in a community that has been destroyed by greed, power, classism and racism. My heart was in my throat several times. Great YA horror story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Gaslighting, Murder, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Racism, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Addiction, and Panic attacks/disorders

lovestory26's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny informative 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Racism, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Blood, Grief, and Vomit

caseythereader's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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

4.25

 - I've seen a lot of reviews call WHITE SMOKE the YA version of WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING, and I do think that's mostly accurate, but it's also more than that. For one, it was way more creepy and terrifying!
- I loved that Mari wasn't a picture-perfect protagonist (you know I love prickly women and girls), but also that at the same time she was kind of just misunderstood by the adults in her life.
- I don't want to spoil anything, but the way Jackson incorporated real life injustices into the plot was masterful. I hope it gets young kids to read more about it and get involved in righting those wrongs. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Drug abuse, Drug use, Kidnapping, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Minor: Pedophilia