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A review by annamickreads
White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson
5.0
I was on edge the ENTIRE time I read this book, which is definitely what the book was meant to do, but talk about a heart-racing head pounding anxiety-inducing experience!!! Fans of R.L. Stine (who also left a really cool blurb on the cover!!) and Goosebumps will definitely enjoy "White Smoke."
There were so many aspects this book touched on that I appreciated so just to name a few while they're fresh in my mind: casual use of marijuana, which I never see in YA books when typically that's the first time young people are experimenting with its use, NOT TO MENTION marijuana as a way to soothe anxiety; dealing with addiction especially at such a young age; gentrification of the suburbs; blended families; mental health issues related to paranoia; complicated sibling relationships, and so much more.
Marigold was incredibly relatable and if I suspected my stepsister were possessed by a demon, I, too, would react exactly the same way she did. While we don't have the same degree of anxiety, her struggling to find a coping mechanism that works while also continuously having to face off against her deepest fears (whether subconsciously, or, one time, very literally) really put into perspective how it feels sometimes when the anxiety becomes all-consuming.
I wish I had a younger brother as fun as Sammy and I also think Yusef and Mari's gardening club competition is something I would watch endless re-runs of on TV. HGTV, get on that, stat!
There were so many aspects this book touched on that I appreciated so just to name a few while they're fresh in my mind: casual use of marijuana, which I never see in YA books when typically that's the first time young people are experimenting with its use, NOT TO MENTION marijuana as a way to soothe anxiety; dealing with addiction especially at such a young age; gentrification of the suburbs; blended families; mental health issues related to paranoia; complicated sibling relationships, and so much more.
Marigold was incredibly relatable and if I suspected my stepsister were possessed by a demon, I, too, would react exactly the same way she did. While we don't have the same degree of anxiety, her struggling to find a coping mechanism that works while also continuously having to face off against her deepest fears (whether subconsciously, or, one time, very literally) really put into perspective how it feels sometimes when the anxiety becomes all-consuming.
I wish I had a younger brother as fun as Sammy and I also think Yusef and Mari's gardening club competition is something I would watch endless re-runs of on TV. HGTV, get on that, stat!