Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

176 reviews

bexgil's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Murder, Suicide, Blood, Death of parent, Racism, and Bullying

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Gore, and Emotional abuse

pagesofplatypus's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

5.0

The Weight of Blood is an incredible paranormal Black horror entry. Much like Carrie, The Weight of Blood centers around teenage Maddy, who has always been quiet and ostracized by her peers, until one very bloody prom. Told in alternating perspectives from leading up to fateful prom to seven years after, The Weight of Blood will have readers engrossed in what really happened that night as they piece together everything from podcast interview transcripts and the unfolding narrative itself.

Themes of anti-Black racism, the systemic anti-Black sentiment still heavily prevalent in many small towns, and complicity are all deftly explored as students and Maddy's town react to Maddy's previously kept secret and the increasingly glaring spotlight cast onto their town as news platforms catch wind of the numerous and very public incidents of racism against Maddy.

Particularly chilling is Maddy's long endured suffering at the hands of her zealous and very much stuck in the 50s father who sets up a prayer closet filled with photos of white 50s and 60s actresses and does everything he can to hide Maddy's Blackness.

Another one of my favorite aspects of The Weight of Blood is the dynamoc between sibling Kendrick "Kenny," the token star Black football player who has also had to live up to everyone else's expectations and his sister Kali who serves him some much needed truths.

Lastly, the last 20% of The Weight of Blood goes deliciously, full throttle horror with plenty of tension and gore. I also kind of like the ambiguous ending for this, despite not typically being a fan of open endings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Violence, Physical abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Hate crime, and Racism

Moderate: Death of parent, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

priscillarobock's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide, Police brutality, Child death, Suicide, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, and Death of parent

linoswalt's review against another edition

dark 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

3.75

If you liked Carrie, you’ll love this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Bullying, Death, and Child abuse

Moderate: Blood, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Emotional abuse

thisisemily's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

The Weight of Blood is a modern re-telling of Carrie centered around systemic racism and the impact that these outdated and backwoods values have on the youth of our nation.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Violence, Racial slurs, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Gun violence, Gore, Police brutality, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Classism

kristensreading's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Police brutality, Blood, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Racial slurs

regaliaofchaos's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Police brutality, Violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Hate crime, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Gore

anaheeta's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This was an incredible book! I LITERALLY could not stop reading. I am now a fan of Tiffany D. Jackson’s writing. 

Full review coming. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Murder, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Cultural appropriation, Blood, Abandonment, Confinement, and Body shaming

modernmatilda's review against another edition

emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Carrie by Stephen King is one of my favorites; I'm fascinated by all of the differences between the book, the movies, the musical, and so on. Not to mention the gore and utter chokehold that Carrie in her final stage has on me. I was excited to start The Weight of Blood, with a fresh take on the trauma Maddy/"Carrie" endures. I think this book would make an excellent selection for book discussion groups who would be able to discuss race, belonging, guilt, obligations, first love, parental control, and so much more. I loved listening to the cast of multiple narrators. I do wish the scare/gore/haunting factor of the book would have been dialed up; it felt incredibly soft and the climax was borderline boring (where was the fire? the death? the scary factor?). I would recommend this book! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Death, Police brutality, and Toxic friendship

snowiceblackfruit77's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Misogyny, Child abuse, Blood, Abandonment, Cursing, Murder, Bullying, Death of parent, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Racism, Animal death, Body horror, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, and Vomit