I am confused on what this book wanted/is supposed to be. I understand the Carrie aspect, but mostly because the book makes that almost overwhelmingly obvious. It was honestly hard to push past and read long enough to fully discover what actually set this apart from Carrie other than the racial aspects. The writing didn't help. It felt as dated as Carrie would if published unchanged in this modern landscape and the teenagers didn't feel genuine at all, a common issue I'm finding in recent YA horrors/thrillers.

As someone who has enjoyed Tiffany D. Jackson since her debut, this feels like the perfect encompassment of all the writing talent that she has. I can not wait to see where she goes from here because it can only be up.

This fast-paced thriller is a re-take on Stephen King's classic, "Carrie", but with a plot twist. The main character, Maddy, is a high-school student in a southern town and she lives in fear of her classmates discovering that she is biracial. As the story begins, the school is preparing for their traditional segregated school proms but end up, through a series of tense racial events, hosting their first integrated prom. ( I was shocked to read that some U.S. towns still hold segregated proms!?!)

Although the story is horror and suspense, Jackson does an outstanding job of tackling racism, white complacency, child abuse, violence, and bullying (TW on all of these topics as they are explored in depth). An explosive read from start to finish and one that is sure to spark conversations around racism, micro-aggressions, bullying, and abuse.

Thanks to Tiffany D. Jackson, NetGalley, and HarperCollins Children's Books, Katherine Tegen Books for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to @hccfrenzy for introducing me to Tiffany D Jackson through her 2021 title White Smoke, and for further promoting her newest title The Weight of Blood. I had a digital advance copy of this book, but needed a finished copy to join its friends (Jackson's other works) on my shelf.

Springville residents are often asked what exactly happened on Prom Night, and the only thing that is certain is that Maddy did it. But how could a teenager kill the majority of the senior class and a huge number of town residents? No one is exactly sure about that...

White Smoke was my introduction to the genre of YA horror, I was incredibly creeped out throughout the majority of the novel. The Weight of Blood takes on a different aspect of horror, and I am here for it. I've heard this is a Carrie retelling, but I haven't read Carrie so I don't have a comparison there.

I love Maddy and the way we saw her come into herself as the story progressed.

I am also incredible impressed with the way Jackson tackles huge issues, racism, child neglect/abuse, bullying in a way that is easy to understand and pinpoint.

If I wasn't sure before, Jackson is now 100% an auto buy author of mine.

Tiffany D. Jackson just gave us another thrilling horror book for teens, and it slaps! While this book is inspired by Stephen King's Carrie, Jackson takes the story in a completely different direction. It's an amazing book that is sure to have readers on the edge of their seats.

I was astounded by this book and think that everyone should read it. I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review, but also went out and bought my own copy since I love this story so much. I think there is a lot to be said about how ingrained racism is in our every day societies, and how there are many different types of racism and ignorance that goes along with it. This book does a wonderful job of getting the point across that silence is complicit at times, and unless you're being actively anti-racist, you could be part of the problem. Extremely well-written and a great conversation starter. I can't wait to discuss this with my local book club.

The plot of this novel is an interesting way to approach racial issues, particularly in small southern towns. Although from the south, I was surprised that this town still had a segregated prom, but I'm sure there are still places out there that do.

I did not know going into this book that it was a retelling of Carrie, but figured it out right away. Unlike Carrie White, I liked that Maddy Washington did have some frame of reference for pop culture, even if it was from Leave It to Beaver or Roman Holiday. The other updates were also clever and worked well. While the main characters were all common teen character tropes (the mean girl, the conflicted athlete, the popular girl hiding her poverty, the plucky activist teacher, etc), these are traits most of us have dealt with in high school. They work to make the story familiar and approachability, drawing you in until things start going sideways.

And although this is a young adult novel with lots to say about race relations, it is also very much a horror story, not for the sensitive reader.

** Thank you to Netgallery and Harper Collins for a free copy for review. All my opinions are my own.**
And Tiffany Jackson does it again. I tried to listen to Weight of Blood on audio - but soon realized how uncomfortable I was, and that it either needed to be a DNF or a format change. I tried the format change, and reading it thru ebook was much better than thru audio.

The audio narrator does something to you, and I know this is a mix of thriller and horror and I literally could not handle it thru audio. It made me feel on edge a lot of the time. I feel like I could take my time more with the ebook, and could read a page or two and step back.

Now, Jackson is one of the few authors who writes thrillers and horrors that I can read. It isn't the usual genre for me.

And I think it's absolutely brilliant. I never know how to rate her books, because they're brilliant but they're also distressing. The endings are always something that there is some closure but there is still a open ending and you're hoping for the best but in the world's that Jackson creates, they're never the best type of world or story you would want to be in.

Maddy's story ruined me. I still feel a bit numb by it but I feel like it might be a fave of mine, besides Mondays Not Coming.

Read it. I am gunna jump back into Grown once more and see if I can finish it this time.

This was horrifyingly wonderful. The writing is phenomenal and the story telling is amazing. The truths about racism and microaggression weaved into the novel are the reason to read. You have to read in between the lines. The magical realism and cliff hanger at the end is amazing!! I think I know who Maddy is, do you?

At its core, The Weight of Blood is not only an adaptation of, but a love letter to, Stephen King’s Carrie. This is evident on every page, even down to the podcast and newspaper excerpts included in each chapter (and others have disagreed with me, but I personally adored them and thought they added a lot to the story). But The Weight of Blood manages to stand on its own as a story rather than simply a retelling. And in my opinion, it may just be better than its source material. It makes a lot of sense to take Carrie, a story about bullying, and reimagine it through a racial lens. After all, oftentimes the kids who get bullied (especially those in predominantly white schools) are bullied because they are not white (among other reasons, most of them tied to marginalization in some way). This added layer to the story provides great commentary on racism, colorism, and white privilege not present in the original, and for that reason, I think it’s an improvement.

The characters in The Weight of Blood have clear ties to their predecessors in Carrie, but that’s not to say they’re exact duplicates, and, in fact, they are anything but that. Tiffany D. Jackson has modernized them in a very effective way. Maddy is both compelling and easy to root for; I think Carrie herself would be proud that her legacy lives on in Maddy. The fact that Maddy is so easy to love made me very happy that her ending was left ambiguous (and leaned toward her survival). She deserves peace after what she went through. This is also notable for being the first version of this story (the original novel included) that has gotten me to care about Tommy Ross, or Kendrick Scott, in this case. Like Maddy, Kenny is very compelling and easy to root for. He’s not the bland boyfriend that Tommy Ross is in the original novel. He’s smart and kind and plays an active role in the plot rather than just being a bystander. It is for that reason that I think the romance between him and Maddy works (and why I don’t think it would have worked in the original story).

The one thing I think that Carrie does better, and that I missed in The Weight of Blood, was the slowburn. In Carrie, you know from the beginning that the story ends in some disastrous event, and that Carrie is at the center of it, but you never quite know what that event is until it happens. In The Weight of Blood, it is stated from the beginning that the event was a massacre on prom night, and that “Maddy did it” (a phrase that’s repeated throughout the novel). I assume most people reading The Weight of Blood are at least a little familiar with Carrie, and therefore, the ending comes as no surprise. But I did miss the ambiguity because that made the payoff at the end even more satisfying.

Ultimately, The Weight of Blood is both a brilliant reimagining and a brilliant story in its own right. I’m excited for future generations to grow up with this version of Carrie, and I hope it’s as successful as its predecessor was. It certainly deserves to be. 4.5/5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher, HCC Frenzy and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Maddy Washington has always been bullied at her high school in a small Georgia town. But when a sudden rainstorm reveals her to be biracial – something she has been forced to hide by her white father – things go completely downhill. After a video of Maddy being bullied is leaked and goes viral, exposing the racist roots of the school and town, the student leaders devise a plan to change their image by hosting the school’s very first integrated prom. Kenny, the school’s star quarterback, is convinced by his popular girlfriend to ask Maddy to prom and Maddy is hopeful that things might still turn around for her. Some of the students aren’t done with her yet though and they plot a cruel prank for prom night. But Maddy has one more secret she is still hiding that will make prom a bloody night none of them will ever forget.

When I first came across this title a couple of months ago, I nearly skipped it as I do with most horror novels, but then I noticed who the author was and took a second look. I enjoyed White Smoke last year and it was such an interesting read that I knew I had to give this book a try, especially as the premise made me so curious. I keep saying I won’t pick up horror themed novels, but I might have to make an exception for this author’s books, because they’re fast becoming books I can’t resist picking up. I’ve never read Stephen King’s Carrie, but I do have a general idea of the story, and this book is a pretty close retelling of it, albeit with a more modern setting, bringing in the themes of bullying and racism.

I liked the way it was narrated, switching between present day, a crime podcast called ‘Maddy Did It’, and past, in 2014 Springfield as the events occur told from multiple POVs. The buildup throughout the story was seriously epic. We know from the synopsis that something major happens at prom, and the author has done such an amazing job at building the tension and setting the scene, showing the days leading up to prom from different perspectives, and it really kept me at the edge of my seat.

The major critique I have for this book is that there really should have been content warnings right at the beginning for bullying, racism and abuse, and to an extent for the graphic violence and death, though the latter two are more expected in this genre. This book is targeted at a YA audience, but it managed to shock me as an adult reader and several scenes were actually very disturbing. It would have been good to have some advance warning and know what to expect even if they weren’t directly triggering for me.

Overall, The Weight of Blood was an interesting read – certainly an atmospheric one, and that shocking conclusion does not disappoint! As for the ending, I rather liked the way things were left. It wasn’t all wrapped up neatly and there were a good many questions left unanswered, but it was realistic and I appreciated that a lot. This is definitely one book to add to your TBRs this Halloween! Highly recommended!

This was another good horror entry by this author and I like her work. Definitely a good read and another wonderful book by her and I really liked it!

Okay, so, there’s a bit of a spoiler here if ya wanna avoid it. Not a big one and it may not even make sense out of context. But here goes: please please please let me believe that the two of them are comfy in SC!!! I gotta believe!!!
So, this is an amazing book. I mean, I don’t love scary books, but I love love love scary books by Tiffany Jackson! Something about the writing. About the characters. About the way they come together and are so dexterously moved through a story that just freaking rivets me! It’s so good. So good. 💜💜💜📚

4.5 - 5 stars

Tiffany D. Jackson writes DANN good stories!!!

This retelling of Carrie is incredible. Full of twists and turns, it’s a dark, bloody, and breathtaking story about race, and belonging? and the ways we act in front of other people. A magic born from rage and pain, trauma and heartache, and a “Carrie” whose pain and alienation is impacted by her race — this was a fresh and fascinating loving retelling of King’s classic horror tale - but more modern and relevant. Jackson’s trademark twists and turns leave you desperately turning the pages, needing to know what happens next. This story was chilling and unforgettable - Tiffany D. Jackson never lets me down!

Characters: 4/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was the perfect book to kick off Spooktober! The Weight of Blood is a Carrie-inspired mystery about Maddy, who has been hiding the fact that she is biracial from everyone in her town, at the behest of her father. This year, the school decides to host its first integrated prom, and Maddy is nominated for prom queen. She starts to believe she will finally begin to live a normal life. But Maddy has one more secret, and it will cost the town their lives.

I had such a good time with this book. It started off a bit slow, but things started getting hearted around the 40% mark. This story was so unique and interesting. I loved how we got the perspectives of characters like Maddy and Kenny, our “heroes,” but also bystanders like Wendy and villains like Jules. It made the book feel complete, to see what all sides of the story were thinking.

The racial commentary in this book was shocking, to say the least. As someone who is not Black and lives in a town with almost no Black people, I don’t ever witness situations like the ones portrayed in this book firsthand. That is why it is incredibly important, not just for me but for everybody, to read books about lives and experiences that are different from our own.

The reason this book wasn’t a five star read is that I felt it lacked a big plot twist at the end. There are multiple shocking moments throughout the book, but I was expecting to be wowed by the ending after all that incredible buildup.

As I mentioned at the beginning, the Weight of Blood is the spooky season read I didn’t know I needed. I’m very late in getting to this ARC, but the positive side of that is if you’re interested in this book, you don’t have to wait because it’s out now!

Scheduled to post 10/6/22.

THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD completely shattered me. I don't know how else to say it. Trigger warnings for sooooooo many racist acts of violence against Black people. There are so many in here. Jackson has a preface to what she's addressing in this book, so it's all laid out. And holy crap, is it rough. 

To level set, and I'm going to bare my ass here. I've never seen Carrie. Or read it. *runs away*

Of course, I know the story. It's hard not to. I don't think I was really missing anything in not having read/seen the source material. Jackson laid all that out loud and clear. What happens to Maddy is a f*cking tragedy. There are elements of creepiness to what's happening to her when her powers manifest, but it's so, so, so sad what happens to her. Through no fault of her own.

The genius of THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD is not only in portraying Maddy, but in Jackson's complete and total ability to lay the various shades of racism bare in the likes of people like Jules and Wendy. Jules is easy, even though it was gross being in her head. That's the kind of racism people expect out of racists. Wendy is more insidious, the "but I'm dating a Black guy so I can't be racist" racist. More commonly, the "I have a black friend so I can't be racist" racist. Where Jules speaks more bluntly (often trying to cover her racism with IT'S JUST A JOKE when it doesn't land the way she anticipates), Wendy is more coded, but if you know what to look for, you can see the nuance of her language. A lot of us and them, those people, I don't see color, that kind of thing. Not to even mention Wendy using Kenny as her football-playing meal ticket to a better life, supporting him because she assumes he'll return the favor and support her. It's what she deserves, of course.

There are a lot of things that I have no business commenting on in this book because I am a white woman, like Kenny's dad basically saying dating the white girl will open more doors for him than dating the Black girl. Or how Maddy's dad basically beat, tortured, and terrorized the Black out of her in an attempt to "give her a better life" because she is white passing. And then all the little things threaded throughout the story, like the secondary plot of Kenny's sister and her Black Student Union coupled with their dad's obvious dislike of those activities, or Kenny's struggles with his complicity in propping up his white friends' racism with his silence and failing to come to the aid of his fellow Black students.

THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD is a horror novel, but not in the bucket of blood (in this case paint) and slaughter that you'd think in a Carrie retelling. The horror is in everything that builds to that moment. Is the climax rough and gruesome? Absolutely. Jackson does not hold back in the gore there. But watching the dominoes fall into place, for me, was far more horrifying. You can see where the story is going and, as that white person, I was holding out hope that the white people would come to their senses. Some did, when push came to shove. But others didn't, and even in the face of all their wrongs coming to bite them in the ass, they just doubled down and hated harder. That was hard to read.

Honestly, required reading, especially for white people. It just laid so many things bare and it was so telling and so unapologetically, brutally realistic in its telling that I couldn't look away. I felt exposed, no matter how reformed I think I am. I saw all the good intentions and jokes and whataboutisms that I've tried to shake off for years coupled with a side of the story that I've never even considered (primarily pale privilege for Black people and the impact that can have on a person, among so many other things). THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD gave me a hangover. Yeah, it's a horror novel. But it's so much more than that, and I hope it gets treated that way.

5

The Weight of Blood is a Carrie retelling, but it's also so much more than that. Maddy checks the weather three times every morning before she leaves the house. So when she is outside for gym class and the clouds start to turn grey, Maddy starts to panic. She must avoid the rain at all costs, because she cannot get her hair wet. Unfortunately, on this particular day, she is caught of guard and is in a rainstorm. Her hair gets wet, and her secret is revealed.

Maddy was always a target, but now that her secret is out the Bullying is much, much worse. As I said, this is a Carrie retelling and I found it was basically spot on with the actions and I absolutely loved everything about it. This is probably my favorite horror book for 2022. I was absolutely obsessed while reading The Weight of Blood, this is definitely a must read for everyone. Highly recommend

Tiffany D. Jackson is such a fantastic author. I have never been disappointed by one of her books! I didn't really know what this book was about before going into it (as I have finally realized I will like whatever she writes). This story had a unique premise and I liked the podcast format combined with the story of Maddy. Another excellent YA horror book.

I was nervous going into this one because Carrie is my least favorite Stephen King- I read it pretty shortly after the Parkland tragedy & had a difficult time empathizing with the protagonist/sequence of events- especially with King’s somewhat detached writing style… but this was excellent.

This book was both more & less distressing than I anticipated. On one hand, the depictions of racism & bullying were deeply horrifying…. On the other hand the additional depth made it easier to connect & empathize with the protagonist.

Thank you so much @netgalley & @katherinetegenbooks for the eArc!

3.75 stars

All in all, I feel like Jackson did well with her retelling of Carrie and didn't disappoint. I hope it gets made into a movie! I know some racists will have a problem with this modern "Carrie" being Black, but the complexity of race really adds to the story of Carrie and Jackson does a great job with the themes.

The characters felt really believable, albeit frustrating at times. I don't know how I feel about the whole "Maddy did it" show and news snippets and whatnot being incorporated throughout. I think I could've done with or without it.

My main critique is I wanted a bit more from the climax. The whole book leads up to and teases the massacre of Prom Night, but when it comes to the bloodiest part, we only get a secondhand account in the form of a long paragraph. I wanted detail and a few pages at least. If this were a movie, which is how I picture books often in my head, that part would've been the craziest, most dramatic, gory, and cinematic part.

All in all, I'm satisfied with the ending and enjoyed reading this book!