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pagesofplatypus's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
snowiceblackfruit77's review against another edition
- 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
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
secretofmusing's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Absolutely brilliant with more depth to the story than the original. This story is told from the third perspective through multiple POVs, podcast transcripts and court/investigation documents.
Quotes from The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson
“Chew on grief for breakfast, devour aches for lunch, inhale life’s acid, let it burn the costume he has forced upon you.” Pg. 226
““I don’t hear anything. No one’s laughing. She spun to Brady. Why aren’t they laughing?”” Pg. 328 - her ridiculous expectation that it would be a funny joke makes me want to rip my hair out. Fucking psychopath.
“She had no idea her body was morphing to accommodate an erupting savage madness.” Pg. 335
Graphic: Racism, Animal death, Bullying, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Mass/school shootings, Violence, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Blood, and Religious bigotry
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racism, Murder, Blood, Gore, Death, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Bullying, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Violence, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Child death, Car accident, Gun violence, Grief, Sexism, Misogyny, Infidelity, and Death of parent
Minor: Slavery, Sexual content, Cancer, Vomit, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, and Animal death
itsheyfay's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Gore, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Violence, Ableism, Blood, Toxic friendship, Murder, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Gun violence, Police brutality, Abandonment, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Animal death
nerdinthelibrary's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Bullying, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Violence and Police brutality
Minor: Animal death
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
“You, my child, were created in a hurricane, leaving destruction in your wake. You, as they say, are a storm with skin. Death and rebirth will follow you everywhere. How can one man who knows nothing of the weight of blood tame you? For wherever you go, there you are.”
➽ The Weight of Blood was a compelling Horror book full of intrigue and paranormal powers! I've never seen Carrie (though I know what it's about), but I could definitely feel the same vibes in this book. The story is about Maddy, a biracial teen who has hidden her identity because of her white, racist father. When it comes out that she has a black mother, Maddy is viciously bullied by both her peers and her furious father. The video of her bullying goes viral, so the school is forced to host its first integrated prom ... but it ends in disaster and everyone blames Maddy. I loved that the book was told in a mixed-media format. There were interviews, newspaper articles and podcasts about what happened at prom, but we slowly found out how it could even get this far. The story does a great job of exploring racism and racist microaggressions in school and how some traditions like prom are still segregated.
➽ Through it all Maddy grapples with new emerging powers and Kendrick, the school's black quarterback who's supposed to go to prom with her. I loved the supernatural twist, as Maddy felt something inside her welling up ... a strange power that had been there all along. She was such a compelling character and I loved her taking back some agency, as she's been continuously abused by her father for years. Maddy is meek and shy because her father restricted her life with his religious bigotry. She doesn't have any friends, but Kendrick is kind of pushed to get closer to her. His popular white girlfriend thinks herself a savior, so she rents him out to Maddy for the prom, so their school's scandal is brushed under the rug. Kendrick is in a difficult position, as he's used as the token popular black guy and begins to realize how much casual racism he has to ignore from his own friends. The situation with Maddy brings a lot of issues to a boiling point and I loved how intense the story got!
Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Racism, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Death, Gore, Murder, Police brutality, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Abandonment, Animal death, and Slavery
augustinedreams's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Police brutality, Domestic abuse, Gore, Murder, Racial slurs, Violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, and Hate crime
Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny, Gun violence, Cursing, and Alcohol
wrensreadingroom's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Alcohol, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Racism, Car accident, Child abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Violence, Sexual content, and Vomit
pandact's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
The plot is almost like
The universe sings to meeee!
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Police brutality, Racism, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Hate crime, and Child death
Moderate: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Animal death, Death of parent, Classism, Outing, Mass/school shootings, Grief, Car accident, and Body shaming
Minor: Ableism