I'll read anything Tiffany D. Jackson writes. Her writing is so smart and fresh. Her stories ALWAYS surprise me, but in a good way. I think her books are great to read in the classroom. Students will love them and there is great discussion to be had of the underlying themes she works into her work.

The pacing of the novel started weirdly slow for a TDJ novel but, without surprise, the action kicked into high gear and didn't stop, even at the end. The novel has so many striking horror elements that my students have loved so far. Mixed with the commentary on racism and gentrification, I really liked this book a great deal. I would NOT read it before bed, though!

I had so do so much hope for this book. I was loving it until about the 70% mark (I can’t explain why I didn’t love it without spoiling the book, but the ending was a big “no” for me).

I give it points because the writing was good/spooky for most of the book. But then it got completely un-scary for me, and that was really upsetting (given the description of the book).

This is my second book by Tiffany D Jackson and I loved it as much as the first! It's creepy, cozy, and perfect for the spooky season!

I will start my review by saying that I am not a fan of horror or really anything scary., but I was willing to try this because I love Tiffany D. Jackson. Marigold and her newly blended family move from California to Cedarville, a midwestern city with a dark history. Marigold is trying to escape her own dark past and Cedarville is the fresh start her whole family needs. While their new house is newly renovated it is surrounded by dilapidated houses. Their house has its own problems: household items disappear, doors open and close on their own, voices can be heard in the walls, and there is a foul smell that seeps through the vents. Is this just Mari's past coming back or is it Cedarvilles' own past haunting the family?

As with all her books, Tiffany D. Jackson keeps you on the edge of your seat right up until the end and turns the world on its head a few times. It is amazing to me that in a horror book the most horrific thing is the real-life was that systematic and institutional racism is able to destroy whole communities. It is far more terrifying than ghosts living in the walls (although that was pretty scary too). This is a definite recommendation for me, especially around Halloween!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!

This was my first foray into a Tiffany D. Jackson book. I had heard many things about her books and their twists and turns, so I had high expectations (possibly too high, honestly).

Without spoiling anything about the plot, I did really enjoy this one. I am a wimp, so at first I tried to limit my reading of this book to the day time, but I was so sucked in by the pacing and the plot that I ended up reading most of it in one day, even after it got dark.

I really enjoyed the references to The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street (one of the best episodes of The Twilight Zone), and it's one of the few books I've read that has been compared to Get Out that actually reminded me of Get Out.

I did think the ending was a little too rushed and I felt it was slightly unresolved, but overall it was great and I enjoyed it a lot and the reading experience was a lot of fun!

I just finished Tiffany D. Jackson's latest book, White Smoke, and holy cow! This is a haunted house novel meets Get Out thriller. Marigold and her family move to a new town for a fresh start. Their new house is completely refinished and free, thanks to her mom's new artist residency. However, not everything is as great as it seems to be! Marigold quickly realizes that someone...or something...doesn't want her family in that house.

I am definitely NOT a scary movie fan, but I really enjoyed this book!! It was creepy enough to get my heart racing, and keep the lights on at night! It is definitely a creepy read to get you into the spooky season mood! I think what I liked best about it is that it's a haunted house story, but also has some psychological thriller elements as well that add depth! If you like creepy stories, this one's for you!

I’m starting to feel like Tiffany Jackson new title should be Infamous Cliff Hanger Book Slayer. She definitely slayed this book right here White Smoke and she left me with SO MANY QUESTIONS. Just like how she had me with Allegedly and Grown. I get so invested in these characters where I just want to know how their stories end or what happens next. I swear Tiffany loves to give us some torture. White Smoke is pretty much about a family who gets this amazing opportunity and they get a free house. Who wouldn’t jump on that! Where do I sign at?! But this house comes with a few unwanted guests and the new town have a few secrets. This book definitely need to go from the pages to the big screen it is that entertaining and a must read.

Discovering new authors (well new to me) is always fun; reading a genre I wouldn’t otherwise be interested in, is also an intriguing experience.

After reading “White Smoke” by Tiffany Jackson, I was yet again left with mixed feelings.

This young adult horror read opens with an introduction to the Anderson-Green family. This blended family is moving to a new town, where their mother has been given an art residency.
Marigold Green is the main protagonist, along with her mother, stepfather, brother Sam and stepsister Piper.

The preface of this book had me hooked, the eerie beginning set the tone for the mysterious happening that would take place throughout the book.
Marigold is suffering from a past which resulted in a trauma induced phobia of bed bugs (shudders!) and recovering from substance abuse.

As the family arrives at their new home in Cedarville, they encounter a wary construction crew, a basement no one wants to enter, a home on a mysterious street and a town that has unfriendly people.

Tiffany Jackson does a great job of keeping her audience captivated.

Though slow to start (other than the preface), the pace picks up and the tension can be felt throughout.
The fear builds well into the plot.
The suspense is weaved in at the right places.

As the story progresses, we encounter family tension, shady characters, and the underlying themes of gentrification, mental health, and medicinal weed use.

So, what went wrong? The vague and abrupt ending! Perhaps the author has planned a sequel but for now the story feels unresolved.

“White Smoke” is a psychologically chilling and interesting read.

THE LADY CHOOSES VIOLENCE!

Jackson delivers another stunning conclusion and leaves readers reeling with her latest thriller and first Horror novel, WHITE SMOKE. Tiffany D. Jackson is not a stranger to mind-altering plots, heart-stopping twists, or to approaching critical topics through the lens of young adult literature.

In fact, it is through this lens of approachability that Jackson is able to facilitate layered conversations with her reader regarding the ostracization of marijuana users, gentrification, the art of red lining, and more.

The content of this novel will be jarring for some, so pay attention to content warnings. However, issues should not be shied away from but embraced to create a larger sense of acceptance and true dialogue regarding solutions to societal ills.

I thoroughly enjoy Jackson's writing and she is an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Tiffany D. Jackson is one of the best writers out there today. Her books are compelling and suspenseful, while also delivering hard social truths.

Pick up a Jackson title today, you will not be disappointed.

Dude wtf. I really thought for a majority of this book it was going to be a full 5 stars but the last 15% was just so disappointing. I understand the message of this book but damn it could have gone so many different ways.

Any book written by Tiffany D. Jackson is an instant-read for me. White Smoke was the perfect book to read in October. It was bone-chilling and heart-pounding. I am not a fan of scary movies or books but again, it's Tiffany D. Jackson!

White Smoke gripped me from the first page and did not let go. I am still shook after reading this book. I couldn't imagine moving into a house with an other worldly stench, things going bump in the night, and items disappearing. I appreciated how Ms. Jackson captured substance abuse and mental health issues with such rawness from Marigold's perspective. There is no way to really discuss this book without spoilers so all I will say is, Read this book!

Had a great time moderating the panel with Tiffany at SLJ Teen Live! This was a really wonderful read, not that I'm surprised given the author :-)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this title!

Wow! I'm still reeling from the adrenaline of this read. Tiffany D. Jackson, you wrote a horror masterpiece! One of my top reads of the year.

This book managed to be creepy, thrilling, tense, and thought-provoking. Jackson crafted a fantastic fiction book that also managed to explore themes of gentrification, criminalization of marijuana and black communities, addiction, and mental health. The synopsis is accurate when it compares this one to both <i>The Haunting of Hill House</i> and <i>Get Out</i>.

I really enjoyed the characters in this one. Mari seemed like a realistic teenager who has been through some tough stuff and is still figuring things out. Sammy is the best little brother character, and Piper is written SO SO well - I love how we ended with her. My favorite character, though, has to be Yusef. He was the support that Mari needed when moving to a new city, and he just seemed like the sweetest friend. I enjoyed the underlying "will they/won't they" with Yusef and Mari throughout the book, especially as it didn't take away from the purpose and point of the book.

There were some twists and turns in the last quarter of the book that were brilliant, in my opinion. I cannot recommend this one enough - especially during spooky season!

Tiffany Jackson's books always hit hard with the themes. This one deals with the problems of gentrification and the harm done by the criminalization of marijuana. Mix in the possibility of living in a house that is haunted, a little sister that seems off, and a past that seems to relentlessly follow and you have a solid spooky season read.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Moving to Cedarville isn't the worst thing that has ever happened to Mari- though she isn't entirely thrilled about it. Her mom's job with the Sterling Foundation comes with a free place to live- something her family really needs right now. The renovated home is surrounded by a much more rundown neighborhood and by neighbors who are suspicious of the Sterling Foundation and Mari's family. When Mari starts smelling an odd odor, notices things going missing, and hears voices, she begins to wonder if ghosts might be real and what other secrets the house may hold.

Tiffany D. Jackson is one of my favorite authors. White Smoke is no exception to the talent I expect from her. Mari and the other characters of the story are well-written and compelling. The mystery of the house and of the town were unexpected and unpredictable. These qualities are exactly why I look forward to Jackson's books. Often I can predict what will happen fairly early in a book, but that is never the case with her. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers with real-world issues woven through the text.

I featured this book as a Book of the Day spotlight and included it in my weekly roundup and monthly post of new releases on my Black Fiction Addiction platforms.

A new home. A fresh start. This is what Marigold and her family wished for when they moved from California into the new neighborhood of Maplewood. The houses on her new street are old and derelict except for the one they are moving into. Change is good; change is necessary is what Marigold tells herself as she fights her personal demons until she notices there may be real demons in the basement. Slowly things disappear and her sister begins to act strangely. Is the house haunted? After her brother is nearly killed and her dog is rushed to the hospital, Marigold faces her fears and uncovers the secrets of the town and her neighborhood vowing to save this community which she has grown to love.

This is an interesting horror story which I believe will grab young adults’ interest, but it has a slow start. The ending pulls you in with a nail biting pace, but will the reader make it to the end of the story to experience this?

Rating: 4⭐️

Thank you to HCC Frenzy for sending me an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: addiction, recovering addict, mention of overdosing, marijuana addiction, arson, murder by fire, bug phobia, anxiety attacks, anaphylactic allergic reaction, kidnapping and being bound by ropes

White Smoke follows Marigold, who is a recovering addict, as she tries to run from the demons from her past, as well as fighting the ones that are haunting her and her family.

I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about this novel and about how scary it is. Now I’m a scaredy cat when it comes to scary things so I was expecting to be terrified to read this at night. That wasn’t the case though. I didn’t think this book was scary at all. It was more of a thriller. There were some intense moments the characters faced in the haunted house that had me on the edge of my seat out of curiosity.

Besides focusing on the ghosts in the house, this book really focused on Mari’s recovering addiction to marijuana. After overdosing in California, her mother made the decision that the family need a fresh start so they moved because of her work. I understand why Jackson made such a big deal over Mari’s addiction and sobriety, but as someone who isn’t into using that type of recreational drug, I felt that it was a little excessive. Drug addictions are very important and need to be addressed so the victim can be helped, but I think this was just a lot of mention of her needing a quick hit and things like that.
She also mentions her bedbug phobia a lot, but that’s where her anxiety stems from so it’s understandable.

I still really enjoyed this book though. I liked the characters and how they grew as a family throughout the book. And the setting was interesting. This whole book kind of reminded me of the Halloween movie, Monster House. Might just be me though.

Overall this is a fun book to read at Halloween time, it’s just not overly scary.