Thank you Katherine Teagan Books, HarperCollins Children’s Books for this eARC via netgalley.

2.5 / 5 stars

Dnf at 70 percent.

This book was quite a frustrating read. While I was intrigued by the haunting and sinister vibe this just was not the book for me. There was so much repetition and focus on drugs and smoking, in my opinion, that was to the extreme at times. This book almost felt like it was two different story types at times. While I did like some of the conversations with these topics it just did not provide as much of an impact due to other inclusion which kind of seemed to offset the other.

I did like the discussion of anxiety but I also feel that it too got lost with some of the other things present in the novel. I also cannot say that I really liked any of these characters much. Overall this book was not something I enjoyed much at all.

Sooo this story had moments of complete terror for me, and anyone who loves a good ghost story should check it out. A Gothic ghost story mixed in with a family drama with a dash of some really good points about redlining and gentrification. That is how I would sum up this new horror novel from one of my favorite YA Thriller authors.

Don't believe I've had the pleasure of reading Tiffany D. Jackson before but glad that has now changed. I'm not a watcher (or reader really) of horror so I've seen/read none of the things this book is billed as. Mari is a teen girl who moves to a new place with her family and they hope it is a fresh start for all of them. But then creepy things start happening in the house. The neighborhood Mari lives in with its abandoned houses in what was once a vibrant community, the laws targeting black people and the corruption makes for interesting reading. The author says the idea for the book was inspired by a trip to Detroit and the urban legends in some neighborhoods there and I could clearly see that in her depiction of Cedarville. Don't want to give a lot away but this book had the right balance of character development, social commentary and creep factor to make it a really enjoyable read for me.

I felt this book was just okay. It was a bit long for the story that it is trying to tell and it didn't really Go There in terms of its message. It felt like it was holding back a little bit. I do think the quick, snappy writing along with the plot summary would be really appealing to reluctant readers, despite its longer page count.

This was such a great read. haunting of hill house meets actual home invasion.
Trigger warnings for bed bugs.

This was a lovely YA Horror novel that blended psychological thrills with current events. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I have read all of Tiffany Jackson's novels, so coming into WHITE SMOKE I knew what to expect — NOTHING! My favorite part about Jackson's writing is the element of surprise in every single book. This one absolutely succeeded my expectation when it comes to her signature surprise ending. It's scary (at least for those of us who never read horror), and definitely a page-turner. The pacing was a little all over the place - I felt like most of the "meat" of the novel takes place in the last quarter. The social commentary (marijuana legalization, gentrification, etc) was fascinating - but we never get closure to the commentary, only to the horror aspect. I found myself wanting a little more character development and specificity. Still, I would read anything Jackson publishes and am already waiting for the next!

“Change is good. Change is necessary. Change is needed.”

Best-selling author Tiffany Jackson returns with a modern take on the classic haunted house story.

Marigold and her newly blended family move from California to the small town of Cedarville for a much-needed fresh start for everyone. Her mother has accepted a new job with the Sterling Foundation that comes with a free home. The newly renovated home on Maple Street sits in between dilapidated houses that are falling apart. The surrounding neighbors are wary of them and Mari’s classmates act off with her too. Mari learns from school that her new home is haunted but quickly dismisses it. Soon, items start to disappear, doors begin to open on their own, and weird smoke starts to appear within the walls. Worst of all, Mari’s stepsister, Piper, keeps talking about an imaginary friend who wants Mari to leave the house.

The novel maintains a chilling atmosphere in a creepy neighborhood from start to finish. The descriptions of the weird smells and bed bugs were so visceral that it left me feeling unsettled at times. The writing is fast-paced and easily readable. In terms of the plot, it was terrifying. You never know what is real or fiction and you are constantly left wondering who to trust. Some questions were left unanswered, possibly deliberately to give the reader a lot to think about.

Marigold is a complex and flawed protagonist and although she makes some questionable choices, you can’t help but root for her. She deals with severe anxiety and phobias so there is a great mental health representation. Each character is fully fleshed out with interesting character and story arcs. Piper was a well written ten-year-old and each of the family members all felt very real. The dynamic between them is explored and how families can struggle with integrating into each other’s family. This goes to show how Jackson is a talented writer in invoking conflicted feelings about characters. Other themes are touched on such as gentrification, criminalization of marijuana users, and systematic racism of the Black community. I haven’t seen these types of themes in a horror book so I thought this was very refreshing. The novel is not your typical ‘haunted house’ story and offers a new take on it.

This is my first book by Tiffany Jackson but it won’t be my last. I look forward to reading her previous and future novels. This is definitely a must-read, not only for the creepy haunted house story but also for the important themes throughout the book.

White Smoke is my first Tiffany D Jackson book — it's atmospheric and haunting, and it kept me entertained the whole way through.

It's not often that I find a young adult mystery/thriller that really captivates my attention. And White Smoke does just that. Tiffany's writing is compelling and is perfectly suited to a mystery/thriller — I'm so curious to pick up her contemporary reads now to see how her writing is for those types of settings.

The characters are enjoyable in this book. Mari is not my favourite character ever, but I think she is totally suited for the main character of this chilling story. She lends herself to spine-chilling, psychologically twisty moments. But sometimes I wanted to ask her why she wasn't catching on to certain aspects of the story, which made it frustrating at times.

I think this is a really intriguing twisty story. As a ghost story/horror/thriller, it works. It hits all of these aspects so well and certainly leads the reader to some spine-tingling moments and some scary moments too. It's one I would certainly recommend to people looking for books perfect for the halloween season.

White Smoke is a chilling, thrilling and gripping YA thriller novel! If your one who likes unanswered questions at the end of your read then this one is for you. Whilst the novel does take a bit to pick up, the climax of the story is epic!!! I cannot wait to read more of Jacksons work!

the perfect spooky read for the season.
I loved everything about this book, so creepy and spooky. I could not put it down.

This was a DNF to me. Too much lead up I think - DNF'd around 55% through. I've heard great things about this author, so this doesn't deter me from her other work!

This book was a wild ride!!!

Awesome first read for me from Tiffany D Jackson. I was captivated by this book and whether I was reading it in bed or at work on my break I was most definitely terrified and looking over my shoulders at times! Very rare I am scared by a book and this got me quite a few times. I LOVED the creepy house setting and the weird town. The characters are what sold me the most. They were layered, fleshed out, and had SO much personality to them (especially humor wise!) The social commentary explores made for an even more complex haunted house read.

The only reason this book didn’t reach a five star rating is due to the ending. It felt super rushed and could’ve benefited from extra pages or pacing more efficiently to reach the ending.

Thank you SO much NetGallery for the ARC. Looking forward to reading many more books by Jackson!

White Smoke combines trauma and horror to create something truly wonderful, exciting and terrifying. It's no wonder this is one of the most popular books of the year; it's well worth the distinction.

TIffany D. Jackson never disappoints. Very rarely am I scared by a book (maybe because I don't read scary things often) but this book had me SPOOKED. Her development of the mood of the book was phenomenal and I stayed up late one night to finish this because i was so freaked out I couldn't go to bed without finding out what happened. The ending was a bit too abrupt for my liking, but that's my only complaint!

I absolutely loved this book! It was creepy and fun and much deeper than it originally seemed! Tiffany D. Jackson never misses.

White Smoke is Tiffany D. Jackson's foray into horror. I've read many of Jackson's previous books, so when I learned she was writing a YA thriller/horror and that it was being promoted as The Haunting of Hill House and Get Out I couldn't wait to read it.

White Smoke follows Marigold as she moves from California to Cedarville with her family. Marigold's mother has a new writing position at the Sterling Foundation, who gives the family a free house to live in. Marigold needs a fresh start, as her life in California was not without troubles. A new house in a new city seems like a perfect opportunity for Marigold, but she quickly realizes that something is off about Cedarville and the new house her family is living in.

White Smoke explores addiction, gentrification, and criminalization. Jackson's use of psychological and paranormal elements really amped up the story and made me feel like I was right there experiencing everything alongside Marigold. There were multiple points throughout the story where I could not stop reading because I had to figure out what was going on!

This book does have its creepy and scary moments, but Jackson's underlying social and political commentary are really what stand out in the end. I've seen a lot of comparisons between White Smoke and Alyssa Cole's When No One Was Watching, which came out in 2020. While I don't necessarily want to compare two books that really stand on their own, both books are excellent explorations of race in the U.S. through the horror genre. I loved both and recommend White Smoke if you also enjoyed When No One is Watching (or vice versa).

At this point, I will read anything Tiffany D. Jackson writes. I love authors who change up their style by writing stories across genres, and White Smoke adds to Jackson's already fantastic blacklist.

I wish I could stand on the rooftops and scream about how much I loved this book and how you should read it ASAP. So instead I will say here that I loved this book and you should read it ASAP.

Great characters, very spooky moments, big twists and reveals, and such important messages. I'm tellin' ya, read it now!

Thank you HarperCollins for the advanced copy!

A powerful and haunting ghost story, and the horrors facing Black Americans in the 21st century. What an ending.

Biggest thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books, Katherine Tegen Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this thrill ride.

Marigold (Mari) is in dire need of a fresh start. Moving across the country from California to the midwest with her mom, brother, new step-dad and step-sister isn't something she's loving, but she knows that "Change is good, Change is necessary. Change is needed." The family is moving into a free house in exchange for her mom accepting a position with a foundation aiming to revamp the neighborhood and its many decrepit homes, The house may be free, but it's also full of creepy middle-of-the-night goings-on that sent chills up my spine. Is the house haunted? Is Mari's step-sister possessed? What is going on???

This book is like Get Out meets Harold and Kumar and I loved every minute of it!