This book is absolutely, bloody brilliant. It's such a great, nuanced twist on a modern classic (that makes it even better than the original, honestly). I couldn't stop listening to Maddy's story. Your heart just breaks for her and for those who have to deal with the types of bullies she faces every day, both at school and at home.

This Carrie retelling is everything I would expect it to be coming from Tiffany D. Jackson: horrific, thought-provoking, and gloriously unapologetic. After reading the author's note prior to cracking open the actual book, I felt like the tone was set, as it should be, for what the journey ahead would be. If you've read Stephen King's first novel, then you'll have a good idea of what to expect here. In fact, my only slight criticism is that there isn't really any unexpected twist here as The Weight of Blood stays on par with its predecessor, but perhaps that is how the author intended it to be read. Regardless, another excellent read from the queen herself, and I hope to see her write more in the horror genre in the future.

The book opens with a devastating accident and a survivor covered in blood limping home. The opening is a report from a 2014 event that ruptured the town. Researchers are discussing the events before the accident to try to understand what happened. The non-linear timeline moves back and forth between events before the accident and the research discussion. Maddy is the focus of everything that happened. She’s been forced by her father to hide her African American roots because he’s white and their community is extremely racist. One day she’s running in gym class when rain starts to fall. Her perfectly and intentionally straightened hair goes into its natural Afro state. Gossip starts, bullies taunt and her dad whips her for revealing her secret. The town has kept somewhat segregated and still holds a white prom separate from a black prom. After a “bullying Maddy” video goes viral, some students want to prove that the town isn’t racist by holding one prom, all inclusive. After a horrible joke and an even worse prank, Maddy’s true powers come out, practically decimating the town.
Extremely similar to Stephen King’s Carrie but with added racism. 4 stars.

Ethnicity:
Mostly white with black minority
Violence:
R for Father beating Maddy with a belt, baton beating skull, bloody mist, man shooting himself with gun, explosion, body parts missing and bodies scattered.
language:
R for 100+ swears, including 35 f-bombs.
Mature content:
PG-13, alllusion of sex with no details
Liles/dislikes:
Kenny fell in love with Maddy too conveniently and easily. Maddy’s so powerful but she stands by doing nothing, holding Kenny’s hand the entire time, while Officer Ross beats Kenny with his baton.
Also, the comment made that lumps all American citizens into people that don’t understand or are dumb is rude but partially true: “Comprehension is key, and that hasn’t exactly been mastered by the citizens of this country”. Overgeneralization but that does show the high extent of racism in the book's community.
The build up of suspense was what I liked the most.

Oh my god. I picked this book up to read because I love Tiffany D. Jackson's (as well as Stephen King's) work, but it was even better than I anticipated. Her retelling of King's Carrie went beyond the ordinary girl with telekinesis who finally stands up to (albeit violently) her mother and the school. Instead Jackson wraps issues of racism into the book to make it really rich and a book I could not put down!

This was not my favorite book by this author, but it's not my least favorite either. This book has a lot of dark undertones and reminds me so much of Stephen King's Carrie. Of course the author put her own twist on it, which I loved. The cover of this book is stunning, and it was one of the things that drew me in at first.

Maddy's character development was on point. She is brought up by her abusive white father to believe that being black is a bad thing--a flaw. When Maddy's secret is revealed at school, she is bullied even more than she was prior to when everyone thought she was white, which only fuels Maddy's rage and eventual wrath.

The culminating event of the book is the prom, which is integrated for this first time, stirring up a lot of mixed views from students. The ending was executed wonderfully and was truly the highlight of the book. This is where Maddy finally gets her revenge!

This would be a great October read to kick off the spooky season and invite a bit of YA horror into your TBR.
Special thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC digital copy. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.

I was invested in the characters and their lives much more than the supernatural aspect. Unfortunately, I was not as satisfied with the ending as I’d hoped… although I do understand the author’s decision to keep some suspense remaining.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 out of respect for the author and the fact that she is a favorite of the students in our high school.

"Tiffany D. Jackson returns with another brilliantly conceptualized novel, turning to horror in her latest book The Weight of Blood. A contemporary retelling of the classic horror novel Carrie, Tiffany D. Jackson reconceptualizes Stephen King’s original story in The Weight of Blood to center a biracial protagonist treated as an outcast in a racist town hosting its first interracial prom."

[excerpt from full review, available at https://www.theyoungfolks.com/books/166920/the-weight-of-blood-review-tiffany-d-jackson-turns-to-horror-to-unveil-the-insidious-nature-of-racism-in-her-carrie-retelling/)

Hot damn, this was the best. I honestly will say it was my top ten books of the year!! I hope Stephen King is proud of this retelling with a twist. I have got to get this book in our library for my students to read. They are going to love it! Madison is a teenager in a racial town (yes, this is not the 60s but the 2000s). The town is backward. She checks the weather three times daily and keeps to herself. Yet, one unsuspected rainstorm in the south (like we all know that happens) ruins everything for her. Madison is a force to be reckoned with, which is damn good! Man, it is hard to write this review because I want to write so much more, and I feel it will give so much away. I liked how we see struggle of Kenny throughout the story. It felt genuine and honest. My heart broke for Kenny because I see why his father pushed him, but no one ever honestly asked what he wanted. Where the ending leaves us, I hope there could be a sequel to this story. I want more; I want more about it all!
When Mr. Bernstein asked Kenny about his paper, that pissed me off big time. Like you think because Kenny is black, he can't write as well as his fellow white friends? Kenny held his stuff well because I think I would have snapped a bit on that teacher. Yet, I guess when you live in a backward town, that is just what they believe.
The whole thing that happened between Kenny and Madison had me going OMG!!! Loved it.
My few favorite parts besides the whole thing!
With what happens to Mrs. Morgan, I am not going to lie. I wondered why she got to go out like that. I was not expecting it, but I LOVED it. The way it was detailed was on point!
"Proverbs 21:23 "Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble." I really like this quote. I think a lot of people I know could benefit to learn this and understand it.
"John Lewis said, 'Get into trouble, necessary trouble,' for your voice to be heard."

I love it when a book makes you continue to think about it long after you turn the last page. The latest from Tiffany D. Jackson is that type of book. A revamped telling of Stephen King's Carrie with a twist. The main character, Maddy, is someone you can't help but root for. Even her anger was justified, although it didn't end well for others. The story handled perfectly the racial injustice and how it affects the teenagers in different ways for both the black and white students. The situation was presented in such a way that you could relate and/or feel empathy with almost all the characters.

The ending was thrilling with a twist you don't see coming, but makes perfect sense. Like all good books, it leaves you wanting more. A throughly enjoyable and entertaining read!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital review copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Queen of Horror has done it again! I read this book and finished it in two days. I’m actually ready to do a re-read in October just for fun.

What Jackson does so well with this book is illustrate the different racial archetypes that exist in American society. She also lays out how racism continues to effect and construct itself in each new generation. Part of the inspiration for The Weight of Blood comes from the segregated proms of which the most recent documented one occurred in 2013.

Layers Of Fear
The layers of fear that Jackson builds into her characters, especially Maddy and Kenny is so intriguing. Each character has depth because of the tension between their actions and choices that others easily judge them for and the reasons why they act that way based on real fears connected to social backlash.

Unfortunately, it is often not too much of a stretch to find the horror element in the African American experience. In particular, the act of Passing — when someone Black or a POC presents themselves as a White person — has a special kind of horror attached to it. It is a terrifying mask to wear. One wrong move and your entire status as a human being changes. Add a crazy, racist father and heartless teens in addition to the more well-known horror of racism and you have the perfect storm which is The Weight of Blood.

Masks Of Fear
Masks are definitely a theme in The Weight of Blood. Everyone is wearing some type of social disguise. And those disguises seem to get peeled away painfully and slowly like the aftermath of a sunburn. As the characters change and grow they have to decide whether they want to keep their masks, create new ones or leave them all behind.

Speaking Of Fear…
I just need to take a brief moment…very brief to avoid spoilers… but Maddy and her hair! Between the rain and the straightening comb, those scenes had me tense in my seat reading them. Number one rule for Black girls with natural hair is DO NOT GET IT WET once it’s been done. For obvious reasons this goes double for Maddy. But when you think about the extra element that she avoids water, as in she tries not to shower as often as she should, to make her hair last as long as possible, it is so sad.

After everything Maddy went through to keep her hair straight, can you really blame her…
The other component: her creepy daddy and that hot comb. Honestly, that has to be one of the more tense and scary scenes in the book. When Maddy’s father puts on his apron, gets the hot comb ready and gets out the grease…mannnnnnnn those scenes had me rubbing my own scalp in sympathy.

Final Thoughts
This was a brilliant twist on Stephen King’s Carrie. It incorporates the devastation of racism as the main horror element and it fits perfectly. Should you read this? Yes x infinity.

God, I loved this book so much. It completely gripped me straight from page one and just did not let me go. I haven't been this pulled into a story like this in a while. I did not want to stop reading at all. I really loved how this was told and that it was dual timeline (kind of). I loved seeing the podcast, book, and testimonies alongside the narrative of what was actually happening. It made things quite interesting. I've always thought that it was interesting how different people tell the story of what happened and even if they're just "stating facts" their internal biases still shine through. The fact that this book deals so much with racism makes this even more interesting. I also liked how this book never hide what happened but the whole tension in this book is in trying to figure it what caused things to happen. I also really liked our cast of characters. Most of them weren't super likeable but it was interesting to read from their perspective and it really helped round out the story. It's also just a really intense read and I just think this book was absolutely fantastic. I'm actually having a hard time discussing my thoughts on this book, just in case that wasn't obvious. Just know that I thought this book was just so good and I would recommend everyone read it (if you can handle reading about the content warnings as those are really intense so definitely be aware of that).

I'm speechless, I can't believe how many layers there are to this book. The characters are so flawed YET likeable. In true Tiffany D. Jackson fashion, there are several twists and turns within the story. Who is the true "bad" guy? Who is the true "hero?" Is there a hero? Great book that I will recommend to students to read.

This was a great retelling of Carrie that examined racial issues in a small town. I was immediately drawn in by the writing and the way the POV shifted to tell different sides of the story that enhanced the "fear" but also drew on the obvious racist elements that were residing in that town. It was a cleverly crafted retelling.

Tiffany is one of my favorite authors. I always look forward to her new releases and none of them have ever disappointed me.

I'm not a Carrie fan (or of that author), but I knew I would like this book. I liked the MC (my fave) and felt the tension building up to prom.

The only thing that annoyed me was the fate of Jules (she deserved death more than anyone). I also wish there could have been an epilogue, but I see why there wasn't considering the mystery behind her story.

I’ve never read a Tiffany D Jackson book that hasn’t rocked the floor beneath my feet. This one was deep, raw, emotionally intense. I loved the Carrie vibes, and the ending.
The layout of the book (partially transcripts/police records and real-time scenes) worked well. I think the voice was young for my personal preference…the issues touched upon in the novel are so heavy and necessary to engage. I am glad that there’s a book geared for younger teens to read.
Definitely recommend this title.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC version of this book! Opinions are my own.

Tiffany Jackson continues to write gripping, through-provoking novels centered on relevant issues of racism, classism, and just being a teenager. The Weight of Blood is a modern retelling of Stephen King's Carrie taking place in a small southern town that masquerades as inclusive while still holding segregated proms. Maddy is a bullied high school student who passes as white her entire life until she gets caught in the rain and her hair outs her. This revel starts a chain reaction of events that leads to the destruction of virtually the entire town. Jackson does a spectacular job of highlighting the very real racism and elitism that still exists in many part of our country and the lies we tell ourselves to make us feel better our own biases. Just like her previous books, Jackson will draw you in from the first page and keep you rapt until the very end. Thank you to Harper Collins Children's Books for the advanced copy.

A retelling of Carrie set in a racist Southern town. With a little bit of witchcraft and a whole lot of social commentary.

I really enjoyed this. Tiffany D. Jackson is a Queen of the YA genre for a reason - she excels at getting into the good, the bad, and the ugly of a teenager’s mind. You really come to feel bad for Maddy, our bullied MC who's hiding a few dark secrets, but Jackson also gives us a glimpse into the minds of the bullies themselves. Everyone’s got issues.

I thought the framing of the NPR interviews & and the periodic mixed media elements were fitting and kept the pace pretty quick. Even though I got a larger and larger pit in my stomach the deeper I went in, this was a fast and engaging read.

An homage to Stephen King's Carrie written like a Jordan Peele film, "The Weight of Blood" is a social thriller about a high school's first integrated prom and the systematic racism in a town and how it affects it young inhabitants.

"The Weight of Blood" tells the story of Maddy a misunderstood racial mixed girl that may be a witch, and her classmates: Jules the bullying yet popular rich girl, Wendy, her best friend and girlfriend to Kenny, the star athlete, who is just trying to please everyone. using flashback to 2014 of the events that led up to the prom and a podcast over a decade later the story goes back and forth between the real events and what the podcasters believed happened on the fateful night,

I highly recommend Tiffany Jackson to my students all the time and once we purchase several copies of this title, I will without a doubt recommend this book to all students! From reluctant readers to those that are elevated in their thinking -as this books as several layers to unravel!

This suspenseful YA thriller explores America's history of racism through the compelling story of Maddy, a biracial teen navigating bullying and her school's first integrated prom. This book has prose that sings and genuine scares, building atmospheric horror and claustrophobic tension until its explosive finale. Not to be missed!

Wow this book was so much more than I was expecting, in the best way possible. Tiffany D Jackson is easily on of my favourite authors and this book was no exception.

I loved the podcast aspect of the book and the switching timelines, it kept me invested and turning the pages. The conversations about racism, colourist, and privilege were seamlessly incorporated and made for a profound and thrilling read. There are some horrifying scenes of racism so TW! But honestly this added to the horror of the book, it was something that could happen in real life but was also so horrifying and really well written. It makes you angry in the best way possible.

The characters and character growth was something I really enjoyed. I think everyones feelings throughout the book felt real and relatable. Jackson has a way of immersing you into the story and never letting you go.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC.