White Smoke Book Review

Summary

When Marigold’s mother is offered a fellowship that includes a free house in the up-and-coming town of Cedarville, Marigold is almost as eager as the rest of her blended family for a fresh start, away from her storied past in California. However, all is not well in Cedarville, which has a shady history that reaches closer to home than Marigold could ever imagine. Plus, having to contend with her bratty stepsister, starting a new school and managing her anxiety is no easy task. But what is even more concerning is the escalating paranormal activity in the new house.

With each night becoming more and more terrifying, Marigold begins to suspect something deeper is at play. Little does she know she will uncover more dark secrets about the house and the town of Cedarville than she bargained for.

Review

Haunted houses, spine-chilling horror, and themes around social issues such as gentrification, mass incarceration and insidious corporations all come together in a nuanced and terrifying read. I am such a big Tiffany D. Jackson fan, and White Smoke was another perfect book from her. For the most part, the horror was very paranormal, which is not always something I gravitate towards, but paired perfectly with the psychological thriller aspect of this book. I also really loved how complex this book was, especially in the setup for the ending and the Cedarville conspiracy, which were both built piece by piece throughout the story. My only complaint would be that I wanted more and I am practically begging for an epilogue to find out how everything resolved with the characters! Overall though, this book is a truly haunting book that had my heart-racing, yet also delivered important social themes, as Tiffany D. Jackson always does. I highly recommend White Smoke for anyone looking for a classic haunted house story with depth and a modern twist this spooky season!

Info

• Ages 14 and up
• Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
• 384 pages
• ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Buy local via IndieBound

Until next time,