A review by onemorepagecrew
White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

dark mysterious reflective tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

I’m drawn to Tiffany D. Jackson books because the writing is great and there is always a deeper message to glean. White Smoke is YA fiction classified as horror / psychological thriller and it straddled the line between horror and tense thriller. I had both the audio book and the physical book and preferred the audio for the suspenseful moments (doors creaking, etc.).  I saw in her interviews that the author’s goal was to scare readers, and there was one part where she succeeded with me.  I was sitting in the school parking lot for pick-up while listening to the audio book and the car next to me slammed their door right in a tense part – I jumped in my seat. 
 
In this storyline, we meet teenager Marigold and her newly blended family as they are moving from California to a fictional Midwestern city.  Her mom has taken a job that includes a rent-free house as a part of a program to rebuild the neighborhood.  
 
Shortly after moving in, Marigold is noticing odd things about the house, the neighborhood, and the company her mom works for. It’s hard to place if it’s supernatural or someone messing with them and that adds to the suspense.  It reminded me of Turn of the Key (Ruth Ware) and These Toxic Things (Rachel Howzell Hall) with a dash of YA high school & sibling drama.  
 
If it were just about the thriller, I’d have enjoyed it and put it in the “liked not loved” category.  BUT, of course it wasn’t and I am so thankful that YA books exist to help younger readers develop their critical thinking on systemic issues. This book tells the story of a predominantly Black community torn apart by the War on Drugs, then rebuilt by a large development company who took advantage of the legalization of cannabis to open a dispensary while doing nothing to advocate for the release of people incarcerated on cannabis-related charges.  It’s not the focus of the book – it’s first and foremost a thriller – but it’s the undercurrent.  Think YA Jordan Peele, which the author said was her goal. 
 
Overall, this is a solid read that is appropriate for a teenager and enjoyable for an adult, if you don’t mind a few scenes where the teens in the book are living in the awkward self-doubt / questionable decision phase of life. 
 
If you are so inclined, there are organizations fighting for the criminal justice reform and the release of individuals with maximum sentences on minor cannibas charges.  I suggest following @lastprisonerproject or @rootandrebound if you want to learn more and support their missions. 
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