Really fantastic read! Never guessed the ending! Great thriller from Tiffany D Jackson. I really enjoyed all of the character development

Tiffany D Jackson never fails to write a thriller that makes me feel on edge while I'm reading it (and it's meant for YA!!). I love the care and research that she always puts into her books and that they're always topical -- I think that's what adds to the creepy-ness for me, is that this is something that definitely could happen to college students who are made to feel isolated and alone.

Tiffany D Jackson's an author that does not disappoint. She definitely evoked emotions from me that had me wanting to shake some characters but, as always, that plot twist it's everything!!!

I can not wait to add this book to my collection!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book!

Wow wow wow. I don’t know why I’m surprised that I couldn’t put this book down; it’s the same with all of Jackson’s books. Her reimagining of true crime is always perfectly done. The characters are 3D. The narrator is someone you want to root for. The setting is *chefs kiss.* The one hard thing for me about this one was the subplot of the one white boy on campus. Not sure why that didn’t land well, but it’s my only real complaint.

I loved the first 60-70% of this book. The last few chapters pissed me off, so I’m on the fence with my overall rating. The main character was so flawed, understandably so, but it gets to a point! I love the setting of the story as a former HBCU student, but there are some undertones to this story that really bothered me. Tiffany D. Jackson does a great job of trying to address them, and in some ways she does, but ehhh, I’m not satisfied. The topic of white folks at HBCUs, hotep mentality, and white saviors are all intertwined and I just needed this book to be longer to better address some of the things. I know this review is all over the place and I’m being a little cagey, but it is a good book and I enjoyed reading it.

Reading this novel was unsettling in the best way. I could not put it down. Tiffany D. Jackson has produced a maniacal masterpiece in The Scammers. Chef's kiss for this young adult psychological thriller. Loved every creepy sentence.

Fantastic book! So many twists and turns that I could never have guessed. This was an emotional rollercoaster. I was SO invested in the characters!

"The Scammer" is a young adult suspense fiction novel by Tiffany D. Jackson. Jordyn is a new student at a prestigious HBCU in DC. She hides her history from her new roommates and tries to fit in. When the older brother of one of her roommates ends up staying with them for awhile, Jordyn and her friends get swept up in his political arguments and begin to follow his every word, despite their better judgement. An interesting take on how charismatic cult leaders prey on people, with added thriller elements, this is a must buy for YA fiction collections.

This book was almost too hard to believe-- you read the synopsis and think "no, I can't imagine this happening. Why would these girls even care about the brother of their roommate?" But as you read, you watch the sinister and sneaky ways Devonte gets close to the girls and how he controls them without them even realizing. I'm sure this is an all too realistic experience for a lot of women and people and the tension & strength of our characters.

Every book by this author I like more and more. A plot twist that came out of nowhere, an interesting main character and antagonist. Needed more differences between the roommates, but otherwise enjoyed the story and the controversial topics it brought up. Finished in one sitting!

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of The Scammer. Tiffany D. Jackson is pretty much a must-read author for me and for many of my students, and The Scammer did not disappoint. Though the characters are a little older than my students, they're still close enough in age to resonate with my older kids, and there isn't anything that raises flags for me in terms of content for high school students.

As I was reading, I knew that the story bloomed from actual events at Sarah Lawrence, but I still felt amazed at how easily people were taken in by the scams of the "villain" in this one. I ended up listening to a podcast about the Sarah Lawrence events, and wow. The Scammer is tame in comparison!

The book also has one of Jackson's signature twists that left me wanting to know what happens after the closing of the book. She just drops a bomb on the readers and moves on, which is fine, but also aggravating!

So, ultimately...

Did I enjoy the characters? Yes. Definitely.
Was I invested in the story? For sure.
Will I remember this one well enough to talk it up when it comes out? 100%

4.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

Let me first say that I LOVE Tiffany Jackson and her books. I push them into the hands of my students at every opportunity and am always eager to read her newest work. That said, The Scammer was kind of a miss for me. I did like the setting of an HBCU and some of the nuanced conversations that led to between various characters. I liked the final twist at the end but wanted a little more--it was revealed and then the book ended pretty quickly. It was a good one and I wanted to be inside Jordyn's mind a little more. For a thriller, nothing really happened until maybe 70% through the book. Readers get well-acquainted with Jordyn, Devonte, and her roommates, but it is a lot of talking and not a lot of action. Devonte was a great villain, but so much of what he was able to get away with seemed pretty far-fetched. As a high school teacher, I don't see a lot of students getting all the way to the end of this, unfortunately. I also think the description of the plot as one that involves a missing girl and the search for her is very misleading. That is a very minor part of the plot. I do think this is a great read for students and readers who enjoy a slower psychological thriller, so don't hesitate to put a copy in your classroom/library if you have those readers!

Jordyn was excited to get out from under her overbearing parents and leave the tragedy in her life behind her. She is eager to enter the HBCU, make new friends and start her life over. She loves her roommates and they love her. College life is all Jordyn expected it to be and more. That is until her roommates brother comes to stay with them after his prison release.

This book had real promise and I was loving it, right up until the very end. I hated the ending. I can’t say more without spoilers but suffice it to say the last 10 pages caused my rating to go from 5 stars to 2.

*I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I was already book talking this book 30 percent of the way through it! I can’t even explain the way the intensity of it made me feel: eyes bulging, wanting to yell “Run” to the characters, and “omg-ing” my way through as I turned the pages. The book was maddening in the best way possible. Tiffany D. Jackson really knows how to make you turn the pages!

I love Tiffany D. Jackson, but this isn't my favorite book she has written. As an HBCU alum, I loved that this book was set at a fictional HBCU. I appreciate the representation! I liked that this book explored themes such as being on your own for the first time, choosing to attend a PWI vs. an HBCU, and grieving the loss of a sibling. I think this book captured a lot of the feelings that come with starting college in a new city and wanting to fit in.

What didn't work for me was the plot twist...it seemed very rushed and came out of nowhere. I think it would have been more interesting if the reader were privy to the information shared in the plot twist at the beginning of the book. Also, the book's description mentions a mystery of a missing roommate, but that is a little misleading. The missing roommate mystery is only a small part of the plot.

Read if you enjoy:
-Upper YA
-Deeper dives into cults
-Books set at an HBCU

This was another phenomenal read by Tiffany D. Jackson. What an emotional rollercoaster! And the twist upon twists were mind blowing. Jordyn is excited to start pre-law, but when her roommate's brother, an ex-convict, moves into their room things start to get complicated. Honestly, being in a crazy situation doesn't seem so when you are living it. But from an outsider's view, it is easy to see the signs. This was a well-paced book that slowly unravels in the greatest of ways instead of unhauling too many things all at once. I also appreciate mental health as a topic that is covered. Fabulous read!!!

First off this story was something else. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster that had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I literally wanted to fight a certain character and slap the stupid out of others. The amount of narcissism exhausted me but its what kept me reading. I was dying to find out what was going to happen next. The plot twist had me intrigued and flabbergasted at the same time. This is a story that will have you thinking hard and talking well after reading it.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC. This review is that of my own.

I just got this book and I devoured it in one day. As with most Tiffany Jackson books, this one is similar to recent headlines.

Jordyn is one of four roommates at an HBCU that are just meeting during their freshman year. She gives up an offer to go to Yale in lieu of attending an HBCU by choice to get away from the memory of her brother. Vanessa's brother Devonte ends up coming to visit and seems to never leave. As an older figure they look up to him because he had a lot of experience in the music industry, as well as life experience. He seems to make a connection with each of them, until Jordyn starts to get a little suspicious of his true intentions. He seems to involve himself in business of hers that she never told him.
Although this is a YA book, I still enjoyed the story, and how the storylines played out. Thank you to #Harperscollins for this #arc.

Tiffany D. Jackson has done it again! The Scammer is one of those books that I'll keep thinking about. I felt so many emotions while reading, and I can totally see the inspiration for the story in Jackson's plot. However, Jackson takes that inspiration and makes it relevant for a completely different group and, as you would expect, adds her own unique twist to it. I will definitely add this title to my high school library.

This one was good—but not quite great. The pacing felt uneven at times: there were moments that dragged, and others where I was left wanting a bit more depth or clarity. Still, the core message hit hard. This is a story rooted in a very real, very frightening scenario, and I think it’s especially valuable for young adults heading off to college. The themes of manipulation, trust, and vulnerability make it an important read—even if it wasn’t my personal favorite from Tiffany D. Jackson.