The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson: ARC Book Review

^{This is a spoiler-free review.}

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

^{Expected publication September 6th, 2022 by Katherine Tegen Books.}

My rating:

New York Times bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson ramps up the horror and tackles America’s history and legacy of racism in this suspenseful YA novel following a biracial teenager as her Georgia high school hosts its first integrated prom.

When Springville residents—at least the ones still alive—are questioned about what happened on prom night, they all have the same explanation . . . Maddy did it.

An outcast at her small-town Georgia high school, Madison Washington has always been a teasing target for bullies. And she’s dealt with it because she has more pressing problems to manage. Until the morning a surprise rainstorm reveals her most closely kept secret: Maddy is biracial. She has been passing for white her entire life at the behest of her fanatical white father, Thomas Washington.

After a viral bullying video pulls back the curtain on Springville High’s racist roots, student leaders come up with a plan to change their image: host the school’s first integrated prom as a show of unity. The popular white class president convinces her Black superstar quarterback boyfriend to ask Maddy to be his date, leaving Maddy wondering if it’s possible to have a normal life.

But some of her classmates aren’t done with her just yet. And what they don’t know is that Maddy still has another secret . . . one that will cost them all their lives.

^{Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.}

If you’re a fan of Carrie, then have I got a new book recommendation for you! Based on Carrie and a very real news article that reported on a small town in the states that continued to hold segregated proms into the 2010s, The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson brings the classic paranormal horror story into the 21st century with a fresh take that introduces some relevant themes including racism, poverty, and social media to the well-known tale.

I have to admit, this book was a little different than I anticipated. It followed Carrie a lot closer than I expected going into it. I don’t know why, because from the get-go between the synopsis and the cover art, I should have assumed as much. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Unfortunately, for me anyways, this was a bit of a drawback from the novel, because I was hoping for more “novelty” I guess (see what I did there? 😉).

I also wish we could have gotten more time with Maddy’s character. I did find her character a little annoying. But I think that was mainly because there was so much potential for her character development, yet it felt like her progress was a little rushed and not as drawn out as I would have liked it to be. The climax and ending were incredible though! I LOVED where her character went, I just wished we could have seen more of how she got there.

One thing I absolutely adored was the addition of the podcast segments. Maybe I’m biased as a big fan of true crime podcasts, but I thought this part was a very fun, super contemporary addition to the story. And very believable! You can definitely bet there would be a podcast (if not multiple) about this story were it to happen in the real world. I listened to this book on audio, and the way this was done there was really great. I genuinely felt like I was listening to one of my podcasts! The other media communications were great too. I liked how they played into the story as it unfolded.

Fans of modern takes on classic novels and horror stories alike will enjoy Jackson’s latest release. While it can get a little slow in the middle, the climax of this book is not one to miss! And as to be expected, Jackson knows how to stick her landings. The finale of this novel is the perfect place to finish this story. And as much as I would have liked to see where the story went from there, I knew it was the right place to leave those characters.

Have you read The Weight of Blood?

What did you think of it?

Let me know!