A classic Tiffany Jackson novel with a bit of horror mixed in - in other words, even more creepy, and mind-blowing than usual! I loved this book.

Jackson always creates interesting characters and Mari is no different. We don't know how much to trust her because of her history of anxiety and drug use, but ultimately we are still rooting for her.

At times the plot in this one was a bit confusing because there were so many elements to keep track of with the personal history of the characters, as well as the history of the town. I think this will be one I'll reread and catch on to even more - and don't get me wrong, I will love every second of the reread as well!

I recently read Blackout by Jackson and others, and it blows my mind how she can write cute, innocent YA love stories AND turn out these amazing creepy, psychological YA thrillers too. Jackson is an amazing talent and I'll read anything she writes!

Tiffany D. Jackson does it again! This is a book I will definitely need to purchase multiple copies of because my students are going to love it. They are always asking for mysteries/thrillers/horror novels and this one has elements of all without being too mature for them.

White Smoke by Tiffany D, Jackson is not your run of the mill YA thriller. It will keep you up at night as a page turner with its interesting and creepy story line and intriguing cast of characters. But beneath the surface lies something even more sinister, even more evil. That’s the systemic racism that has permeated our society for generations and how it wrecks havoc on communities for the benefit of those who are threatened, greedy, and want to control.

I enjoyed this book and thought it had a good lesson to teach in its pages. The things we afraid of aren’t just unrealistic boogeymen and ghosts we can’t see but real life monsters that are the very men and women who try to destroy us, our families, and our communities to get what they want because they feel they are owed it more than others. Humans can be terrifying creatures but also compassionate, loving, and understanding and the author brings this all to light.

Thanks to Netgalley, publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Read this alone, at night, with the lights on! Spooky YA about Marigold, her mom and brother, and the blended family they have formed with her stepfather and his daughter. The community the family moves to is a bit like The Monsters are due on Maple Street I love everything that Tiffany D. Jackson writes. This is no exception. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the eARC of this novel. 3.5/5 stars.

Okay, I should know by now to expect the unexpected when I read Jackson's work. Like, I knew the synopsis is all "oh this is based on get out" and "it's a haunted house" but if I had pearls I would have been clutching them. I don't do horror in general. I've been slowly getting better about thriller. But good god, I was terrified but also could not put it down. I do not watch horror films, but I managed to survive this...and literally read it in one sitting.

Jackson's works have always been AMAZING but this just....wasn't it. It was really well developed....and then the development DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE. Mari finds out all this conniving information about the town -- hence the Get Out inspiration -- but nothing happens. The novel literally ends in media res. Yeah yeah the haunting gets figured out <spoiler> you know, like the fact that it was just casually an old woman and her creepy son living in the basement of the house to scare the neighborhood to set everything on fire and also you know this old woman befriends a 10 year old and almost kills another kid with an allergy. totally not creepy at all </spoiler> but it just....it wasn't polished like her work normally is. There's this whole underlying plot (which honestly is a better plot than the whole haunted house one) and it just...doesn't go anywhere.

It was fine. 3.5/5 stars because I literally read it in one sitting, but for it being Tiffany Jackson, I was left unsatisfied.

Mari suffers from extreme anxiety and self medicates to cope. After an accidental OD, her family looks to make a new life away from California. Her family, Mom, step-dad Alec, brother Sammy, step- little sister Piper and dog Buddy all move to a mansion in Cedarville. Her mother had won a prize that allowed them to move into the house for free. The area is unusual- half of the houses are run-down, boarded up and burned, half are old-fashioned but livable and occupied by families of color. The school has older technology, there are few males there and three large, privately owned penitentiaries where people get long prison sentences for seemingly minor offenses. This mansion is part of a philanthropic board’s (The Foundation) attempt to gentrify and repopulate the half empty town. The mansion is also said to be haunted by a Ms. Suga, as Mari later finds out. Ms. Suga, owned a bakery and her husband and children owned all of the houses on this block. She and her youngest son, Jon-Jon, were both killed in a fire as part of mob justice.
Mari is soon confronted with strange noises, flickering lights, missing items, disgusting smells and a mysterious basement. Are they living in a haunted house after all?
I was completely TERRIFIED during parts of this book. The suspense really builds and although I did guess part of what was happening, the ending took me by surprise. What a great book!

Tiffany D. Jackson is such a great author that I expected this book to be good--and it was! I often feel that first person narration is overused but in this case it was the perfect device to build suspense and show just how much the spookiness in the new house and the circumstances of her family life were effecting Mari. I liked the slow reveal of her background which kept the reader guessing just as much as the house/town weirdness did.

What I didn't like was Mari's obsession with marijuana. I have nothing against the stuff, it just felt obsessive and over done. However, that's only a small complaint within an otherwise great story. I was drawn in quickly and captivated until the very end. This was a wonderful horror debut.

The book is definitely creepy and would appeal to a wide audience of teens, but honestly, the prevalent weed use/obsession especially makes me uncomfortable and reluctant to put it on the shelf of my conservative school library.

Tiffany Jackson is already the Queen of YA Pschological Thrillers. You might as well add Horror to her name as well. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I really started to believe I was seeing and hearing things in my own house. That's how engrossed I was in the book. Everyone better pre-order because this book is sure to sell out.

Marigold and her blended family leave the sunshine of "it never rains in" California for the mercurial mid-west where her mom wins a writers in residency contest, which not only provides the family with free housing, but a offers her family an opportunity at a new life. Reluctant yet resigned Marigold is trying to embrace this new life, hopeful that her personal demons won't follow her. Yet the life she and her family encounter once they arrive in Cederville is not one she is expecting, from deserted neighbors to disappearing household items, Mari is unsure if it is all in her head or if something just ain't right. Plagued by the past and fearful of the future, Mari is unsure what will do her in first her past personal demons or the demons which she thinks haunt her house? I guarantee that you will stay up all night trying to find out.

I really enjoyed White Smoke, I must admit as a horror lover I was skeptical that Ms. Jackson could pull off the haunted house horror trope, since she is known for writing mysteries, but I was pleasantly surprised that she absolutely did. She utilized all the satisfying tropes of this horror subgenre in an enjoyable yet eerie fashion, told from the fresh perspective of a young Black female protagonist. In my opinion, Mari is a flawed yet likable character who will quickly intrigue readers, she is truly the heart of the story, as she navigates her anxieties, adjusting to her new blended family, and living a house where things go bump in the night. Ms. Jackson does a fantastic job with this haunted house thriller.

White Smoke was an amazing book. Filled with horror and speculation, I was low key scared and excited about what the next page brought, and it exceeded my expectations. I loved every part of this book, and can’t wait until it’s out there to buy. I need the physical copy. As soon as possible. #WhiteSmoke #NetGalley

This book kept me on my toes! I was trying to figure out what was going on and it started to make sense after 60 percent of the way and I started to see where it was going. A total trip.
The ending though! How dare they! I need to find out what happens next! I don't want to say too much as not to ruin it but just go into it blind.
Also, this town is weird.

I was really excited to read this book. The plot seemed intriguing and I was drawn in by the beautiful, award-winning author who also shares a love for The Twilight Zone. I am a big fan of YA books, and while I don't typically read horror ones, this one seemed to be just the right amount of creepy mystery to entice me. Also, the main character has one of my favorite girl names, also love gardening and oils and the cover is gorgeous, so what could go wrong, right?

Wrong....this book really didn't live up to its potential for me. First of all, it has a lot of bad language in it. More than I want to read, and certainly more than I would want a teenager consuming. Also, there is huge focus on drugs. The main character constantly is complaining about trying to find another hit. She wonders why her parents don't trust her, but she OD'ed on drugs previously, so I think the answer is pretty obvious. They genuinely care and worry about her and her addiction. She also has an obsession with bedbugs and calls it anxiety, though I think it is pretty obvious that she is struggling with OCD. I understand how debilitating this can be, but do not think taking drugs in order to zone out is the answer or should be seen as harmless, whether it is legal or not. The real issue is that she was not properly diagnosed and on the needed medication. Though, I suppose that would have made for a much shorter book, however, I really don't feel like the content of this was teenager appropriate. There are no sex, or even kissing, scenes, but the language and drug content is mature. There are also parts of the book where the protagonist is growing meth and gets high at a party.

I thought the characters were interesting, but I thought their development was a bit lacking. The pacing of the story felt really off to me as well, and the ending was so abrupt and awkward. The writing itself was good though, so I was really disappointed that the book, in general, fell short. I am hoping that some of the author's other work is better since I added her other books to my reading list prior to actually reading this book.

I found myself waking up in the middle of the night and thinking about the happenings of White Smoke. I was glued the entire time and I enjoyed the development of the characters throughout this novel.
I will pick up and read anything Tiffany D. Jackson writes. Her books always pack a punch and this one was no exception.

Kudos again to Ms. Jackson! Another stellar page turner…this one in the horror genre. While being thoroughly creeped out the entire read, this book also touched upon gentrification and unscrupulous politics and social issues. Amazing how this author can tie so much into such a great story.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“‘I have anxiety.’ is a full and complete statement. I don’t have to explain the what and why to you.”

White Smoke is a contemporary horror novel about Marigold who is running from her past right into a terrifying town and a new set of issues in her life. This novel covers a large amount of content (albeit not all directly) in a small amount of time. Overall, this was a thoroughly average read for me.

Starting with the good! White Smoke does a fantastic job capturing the details of the setting and creating an atmosphere of fear, abandonment, discomfort, prejudice, uneasiness, and more. Every time Marigold began having an anxiety/panic attack, the writing became discordant, rapid, and uncomfortable. I could feel my own anxiety rising in tune with the way Marigold's was written and that is a genuinely true skill from Tiffany Jackson. There was a really good mix between paranormal elements and true-life “horror” throughout the novel.

In addition to this, White smoke really takes a broad look at the criminalization of marijuana and how it affects people of color and their families, especially in reference to that criminalization in the time of legalization. In a way, this felt like an entirely separate plot and didn’t fit perfectly into the horror narrative (although it started to come together), but is an important discussion nonetheless.

Now for the less than great aspects of the novel. The pacing was a little awkward. It felt really repetitive during the horror scenes and I was neglecting to see where things would change, and that didn’t really happen til the end. Then once we’re there -- the novel completely ends. The climax to resolution is so fast, close together, and exceptionally abrupt. In fact, it ends right in the middle of an action scene. There is no closure, no additional information, etc. It feels like an unfinished novel or at least one that should have a sequel. It was really disappointing and soured most of the story for me.

In addition to this, there is a lot of fear-mongering around weed in this book. While I don’t condone the underage use of marijuana and understand the lens of criminalization in primarily Black communities that was used, I was disappointed that the character was treated like a cocaine addict for using marijuana as a solution for her anxiety. For many, many people, marijuana is a legitimate treatment for anxiety and panic disorders. This book seemingly paints anyone who uses marijuana with the same brush as someone who is addicted to a more dangerous drug. This is not a great perspective to perpetrate for teenagers as the usage becomes legalized around the nation and readers may be noticing their family members partaking for medical needs.

Character development was also a little lacking and laughable at times. The mother and stepfather were almost clueless when it came to their children, were never present, and had very one-dimensional personalities.

Overall, there were some really great themes in here about social justice issues and the horror aspects were creepy all the way throughout the work. It could have been done better overall and the ending is disappointing, but it was a solid, average read, that I would recommend people to read at least once.

We'll be issuing a small review for this book in WAYWARD Magazine (medium.com/wayward-magazine), where we look at horror novels through the lens of diversity and social justice. We're a small magazine (about 1k reads per post) and mostly function as a side project for several journalists and musicians who commit their time free of charge -- so you only need to take this so seriously.

That said, while we praised some of the discussion about gentrification, mass incarceration, and white flight -- we all felt that we couldn't in good conscience recommend the novel because of some glaring issues with right-wing propaganda. A key plot-point pushes the dangerous myth of fentanyl-laced marijuana, a story which has been thoroughly debunked -- pushed only by the Trump administration and hardline right-wing groups as a justification for police violence against minorities (see: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/danvergano/marijuana-laced-fentanyl-myth). We give the author the benefit of the doubt based on the rest of the novel, but will still likely write a full-length feature debunking the plot-point. If corrections are made to the novel before print, please feel free to e-mail me personally at kvanantw@gmail.com and I will update the story/review accordingly.

I want y'all to know I started this before bed, fully intending on reading just a few chapters, and then stayed up until 1:30 in the morning to finish.

I literally could not put it down.

If you want a creepy mystery, this book has it all.

- A blended family with lots of tensions who is moving to this new town for REASONS.
- Their new house happens to be located right smack dab in the middle of a burnt up, run-down neighborhood that has been through some hard times. (understatement)
- The narrator is a young woman who has had a history of addiction and anxiety issues and YOU know she's reliable, but no one else seems to believe her.
- GHOSTS (maybe)
- A menacing community leader.
- A little girl who is honestly one of the eeriest things about this book.
- So much backstory between the main protagonists and the town's origins and downfall.
- A surprising ending that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Highly recommend this read. But do yourself a favor and do not read before bed.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I am currently scolding myself for not reading more of Jackson's books in the past, because I adore her writing style, but I can assure you, that will change now that I have read this book.

I haven't read many good horror novels, but this one was so well done. It gave me the creeps in the best way. I could definitely see this becoming a movie. It has so much potential for the screen.

I loved the plot. It was so well thought out. I loved the mixing of past, conspiracy, and supernatural in this. Many horror novels only pick one, but Jackson did all three, and she did it well.

I also really really liked the characters. Something I tend to see in horror novels is that it will end up being very plot heavy, and there won't be enough focus on the characters to actually sympathize with them, but this one was very different. I loved all of the characters so much, and I got very attached to them. I especially liked Mari as a protagonist. I loved seeing her personality, and I loved her character development. She was very well written and very dynamic.

Overall, this is one of my new favorites. The writing hooked me from the note before the book even started. I read this entire book in a couple of hours because I couldn't put it down. Absolutely loved it.

Tiffany D. Jackson does it again! White Smoke is genius.
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The description says it is Get Out meets House on Haunted Hill, and I don’t think there’s a better comparison. Just like all Tiffany D. Jackson novels, the plot is complex and has a multitude of storylines going at once.
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This story follows Marigold and her family as they relocate their lives for an opportunity of a lifetime. Marigold’s mom is going to be an artist resident for an up and coming town. But this new town has a lot of secrets.
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Marigold is recovering from a drug dependency, dealing with leaving her hometown, her parents getting divorce, and her new “evil” step dad and sister. But there is more evil in their new house than just pesky little Piper.
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Things start missing. Doors start opening by themselves…. except one door… to the basement. The room the owner of their new house tells them is off limits.
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Marigold struggles to get people to believe her because her family thinks she is using drugs again.
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This novel discusses the issue with mass incarceration in private prisons for something as small as an ounce of weed. This novel discusses escaping mental health crises and developing drug dependencies to feel normal. This novel discusses the backstory of rioting and how it is most of the time the only way people are heard.
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If you want a story about issues with social justice but also want a ghost tale, White Smoke is for you.
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“‘I have anxiety.’ is a full and complete statement. I don’t have to explain the what and why to you.”