Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

White smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

21 reviews

trashboatwinter's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Cursing, Stalking, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Drug use, Violence, and Drug abuse

amandalorianxo's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Flickering between 3.25/3.5 stars. This book was definitely encompassing a creepy, spooky vibe from beginning to end. Tiffany Jackson knew how to envelope the reader into a haunted house. Her descriptions were on point as well as having a good use of showing not telling.
I also loved the mc’s name - Marigold sounds lovely although she is not a sunshine character in terms of personality. 
Mari has accepted that her parents are not getting back together. Her mother, in fact, has remarried but to a white man named Alec who has a ten year old white daughter named Piper from his previous marriage. 
Mari and her brother Sam are moving from sunny California to the Midwest, in a neighborhood that has more secrets than they’d like to admit. 
I loved certain parts of the book a lot but sadly, I thought the climax most thrilling parts were all squeezed in the last 20 percent ish of the book. The ending was also not as clear cut as other books. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing

Minor: Drug use, Medical trauma, and Body horror

solenekeleroux's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Blood, Gaslighting, Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, and Racism

Moderate: Murder, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Confinement, and Body horror

kshertz's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

This was a 5 until the ending! It’s a great book that I couldn’t put down. It was mysterious. You can’t tell if the house is haunted or it’s just in the unreliable narrators mind. There’s a corrupt corporation to take into account too. Also a family that doesn’t totally trust each other. Its fantastic and then it just…ends! There’s no resolution. Which is true of life but not how I wanted the book to conclude! So that bums me out but I still highly recommend this book ❤️

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Violence, Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Abandonment, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, and Injury/Injury detail

queenshrike's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Rather slow to start. I feel for Mari more than I like her. There were so many threads here that you could have potentially just made 3 books about each storyline and then connected them.

It ends so abruptly that I can't even really say I finished it. It leaves room for a sequel simply with all the loose ends.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism, Drug use, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism

emily_mh's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-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? No

4.5

I could not put this book down! It was so gripping and fast-paced. Jackson did a superb job at crafting a super tense, atmospheric storyline that was rooted in and explored systemic racism. The MC of the story, Mari, was so dynamic and undergoes really meaningful development. I also liked the focus on sibling relationships. I cannot wait to read more of Jackson’s backlog because this has just solidified to me how much I enjoy her writing. 

I docked a half star because at first the plot is a little directionless, and the ending could have done with a bit more resolution. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Addiction, Racism, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Gore, Classism, Violence, Cursing, Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Blood, and Kidnapping

Minor: Colonisation, Excrement, Sexism, Transphobia, Vomit, Body shaming, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Medical content, Death, Car accident, Murder, Physical abuse, Animal death, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Rape, Child abuse, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Homophobia, Child death, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Gun violence, and Confinement

Graphic warnings for insects, gentrification, imprisonment, anaphylactic shock, divorce Moderate warnings for eye trauma, sleep paralysis, self injury, blackmail, missing loved one Minor warnings for loss of a loved one, bomb, menstruation, theft Use of the ableist s-slur. It is my understanding there is a different culture around this word in the US? But I don't know why it was not edited out in the UK/Commonwealth copy.

mcz_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Blood, and Body horror

aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Racism, and Classism

Minor: Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, and Gaslighting

queergoth_reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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

5.0

I loved this book so so much. I absolutely could not put this down. I ended up reading it in one sitting it was just so good. It gave me very paranormal activity vibes but honestly the ending was so much scarier. Definitely gave me chills. 

Since I can't add it in the content warnings there is definitely a lot of talk of bugs which can definitely be a bit uncomfortable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Mental illness

Moderate: Racism, Body horror, and Drug use

Minor: Child abuse

cbbyles07's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious tense medium-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Blood, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt