A review by elwirax
White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

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

3.0


Change is good. Change is necessary. Change is needed

I don't think YA thrillers/ horrors are for me anymore. Most of the time they end up being a miss and unfortunately White Smoke was no exception.

The pacing and direction were slightly off. The first half was a slow build up and it wasn't until the final quarter where it really started picking up. But just as the story was finally getting interesting it abruptly came to a dissapointing conclusion. As well as this,
Mari was neither bright nor particularly likeable as a character and her relationship with Yousef seemed a bit insta lovey ( although I'm glad it ended up staying a "like" sort of relationship rather than an actual romantic one)

I think the biggest merits in White Smoke were the themes, gentrification, religious deceit and the criminalization of marijuana being some of the most prominent. It was interesting seeing how Jackson portrayed the impact of these aspects on families (especially kids) and close knit communities, particularly the Black community. 

Overall, this was a solid read. There was nothing particularily terrifying about it but the atmosphere was perfectly suited for spooky season and it was a quick read. I appreciate that Jackson stepped out of her comfort zone in terms of genres and I will definitely pick up more of her work in the future.
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