Tiffany D. Jackson

The Weight of Blood

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. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection! 

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.

black girl carrie retelling? yes, but if you just focus on that you miss so much more! the examination of racism and privilege is there for you! you have the town trying to preserve a way of life that only benefits half of them. you have maddy and her daddy, a white man with a black child who is so supremely racist. there’s kenny and his sister, how she constantly fights against the otherness and kenny and his complicity in it and just so much more. This was a reread and it was just great as the first read!

K.K. Jane

I wish I had liked this book more than I did. I think I read the original Carrie but I can't remember so it's hard to know if things I disliked were borrowed from the original or were changes. The premise is very interesting and breathes new life into the Carrie story, renamed Maddie in this book. I wish we had spent more of the book in Maddie's head but I think the author was trying to build out the worldbuilding to explain the racist underpinnings of the different characters. It was easy to get through even though it was kind of corny at certain points. I did really enjoy the NPR perspectives. I thought it was a really fun way to modernize the story.  I think this book is technially YA so I won't fault it for its more juvenile parts but many moments made my eyes roll. I do wish Julie had died tbh felt like it kinda sucked the stakes out of the plot. (maybe the main bully didn't die in the original Carrie) Wish I had read it around Halloween or something. Would be an interesting premise for a movie remake.

Liyah 🤎

Tiffany could write a book about cheese and I’ll eat it up

🥔

Nova ♡

tori 👻

Jasper 

The Weight of Blood is a brutal look into racism against Black Americans in the South set through the lens of Stephen King's Carrie. It hits many important social topics such as microaggressions, being a bystander vs being complicit, and police brutality, as well as focusing on the ways that family and religion can affect these issues within racism. 

Conceptually, I thought this book was amazing. The message is clear and put across very well. Carrie is one of my favorite Stephen King stories, and I do believe this is a good homage to it while also being a compelling and interesting story in its own right. 

My problem with this book is its execution. Maddy, our titular Carrie character, did not feel like the book's main focus due to the shifting POVs and the podcast format pulling us out of the events as they occurred. I felt like I never got to get into Maddy's head or a real look at her emotions and character growth. I felt like I only ever got to learn about Maddy through the lens of the other characters, which is fine, but I would've preferred more one-on-one time with the main character. 

Overall, this was a very eye-opening and emotional read, and I think Tiffany D. Jackson is a phenomenal writer and handled a story with such a big fan base with grace while also adding important social commentary and updating it for the current age.

The Weight of Blood has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.

Nik ✨

I never knew I needed a Carrie retelling rooted in good ol Southern racism til now. From the beginning, this book upset me in all the right ways. The depiction of racism, prejudice, and bullying was very accurate to the point where it made my skin crawl. I would definitely make sure you’re in the right headspace for this kind of book, but when you are, it’s PHENOMENAL. At no point was I bored or underwhelmed. The hardship that Maddy faced was enough to make me root for her in the end, which made me question stuff about myself. I would recommend this 10/10 times.

cloud

i personally think jules got off too easy. perfect book otherwise. all retellings should be done like this.

Derek Graf

abby .˚｡⋆ ༊ .˚｡⋆

<spoiler>it really doesn’t make any sense that jules didn’t die. if anyone deserved it, it was her wtf 😭</spoiler>

4 stars - TLDR: I had no idea what this was about apart from it being written my Tiffany D Jackson (which is enough for me lmao) and that it’s horror. I quickly realised that this is a Carrie retelling. The story was well told, issues were addressed in a great matter and the characters were… interesting.

Long(er) review: I’ve debated a lot on whether to gives this either a 3,5 star or 4 star rating but lawd, Tiffany D Jackson knows how to bring out emotion. Characters were well written and thought out, storyline is great and the issues were addressed just so well. So 4 stars it is.

What was laughable was Jules losing her arm and STILL remaining racist af, blaming everything on Maddy.

I’d have loved if it went more into Maddy’s mom and Maddy’s background, bcs it was mentioned that Maddy has ancestry from Ghana and Haiti, insinuating that Maddy’s power comes from both. Instead, we were inside the minds of racists and their motivations.

The ending was open so we do not know what happened to pivotal characters. I feel like we did need a clear ending and adding a little more to the Carrie retelling would have been great bcs apart from racism & the fmc being Black, there wasn’t much changed, but that’s just me tho.

Overall, Tiffany D Jackson did her thing with this book, I enjoyed reading it and I found myself wanting to know what happened next so bad. Can’t wait to read her other books!

Joy KBA

4 stars - TLDR: I had no idea what this was about apart from it being written my Tiffany D Jackson (which is enough for me lmao) and that it’s horror. I quickly realised that this is a Carrie retelling. The story was well told, issues were addressed in a great matter and the characters were… interesting.

Long(er) review: I’ve debated a lot on whether to gives this either a 3,5 star or 4 star rating but lawd, Tiffany D Jackson knows how to bring out emotion. Characters were well written and thought out, storyline is great and the issues were addressed just so well. So 4 stars it is.

What was laughable was Jules losing her arm and STILL remaining racist af, blaming everything on Maddy.

I’d have loved if it went more into Maddy’s mom and Maddy’s background, bcs it was mentioned that Maddy has ancestry from Ghana and Haiti, insinuating that Maddy’s power comes from both. Instead, we were inside the minds of racists and their motivations.

The ending was open so we do not know what happened to pivotal characters. I feel like we did need a clear ending and adding a little more to the Carrie retelling would have been great bcs apart from racism & the fmc being Black, there wasn’t much changed, but that’s just me tho.

Overall, Tiffany D Jackson did her thing with this book, I enjoyed reading it and I found myself wanting to know what happened next so bad. Can’t wait to read her other books!

fatru tamzil

This was absolutely amazing and blow my mind yet it did give me an unsatisfied feelings. I love Carrie, and I love this also, but I wish we knew more of Maddy's mom and her thoughts.

I loved the story, but the writing didn’t always flow well, which occasionally snapped me out of the moment. The latter half of the novel made up for it, though. Would love a sequel! 

chelsea

I love this book and I think that topic of Race and Abuse was done perfectly, My only complaint might be the Love between Maddie and Kenny it was kinda fast but considering Madison’s life i understand her for rushing. I do recommend 

Eupho

Melissa Palmer

This book is much like Stephen King's book Carrie, but throws in some social justice theme in for good measure. Maddy is passing for a white girl. She has powers to move things with her mind. Her southern town is finally having an integrated prom but this probably won't end well for Maddy. This was a good read.

This is my Second Tiffany D.Jackson Book and Honestly this one felt like it could have been a movie, I will admit that I’m not a horror book fan at all but this one kept my griped and intrigued right from the off and I had to binge the last 10 chapters in one sitting just to find out what happened – It’s such a Powerful book that shines a Spotlight on racism.

When a high school decides to have a joint prom instead of segregated ones in a supposed show of racial solidarity, the deep divide between black and white surfaces in a terrifyingly ugly way. What transpires over the course of the book is a Mixed Media plot with a Podcast interview along with transcripts from news reports and interviews along the way look at the events of the night and the days building up to it.

The characters were complex and incredibly well written Tiffany draws attention to the casual racism that is laughed off as a joke in the local high school, whilst also showing that a clear sense of white superiority underpins these interactions and underlying racial hierarchy is present at all levels within the community. Alongside all of this is also of a story of a sheltered girl hoping to find acceptance and love. However, within this girl lies a dark power and when her rage and fury come forth, blood and terror follow. As prom night descends into chaos a clear line between black and white is scorched on the ground.

This is an eye-opening, thought-provoking exploration of racism. There are some interesting telekinesis/witchcraft/fire wielding stuff in there too. I loved how Jackson broke up the text with podcast scenes, news clippings, and book excerpts AFTER the events of that night. I would highly recommend picking this one up.

Ian Brakspear

This is my Second Tiffany D.Jackson Book and Honestly this one felt like it could have been a movie, I will admit that I’m not a horror book fan at all but this one kept my griped and intrigued right from the off and I had to binge the last 10 chapters in one sitting just to find out what happened – It’s such a Powerful book that shines a Spotlight on racism.

 

When a high school decides to have a joint prom instead of segregated ones in a supposed show of racial solidarity, the deep divide between black and white surfaces in a terrifyingly ugly way. What transpires over the course of the book is a Mixed Media plot with a Podcast interview along with transcripts from news reports and interviews along the way look at the events of the night and the days building up to it.

 

The characters were complex and incredibly well written Tiffany draws attention to the casual racism that is laughed off as a joke in the local high school, whilst also showing that a clear sense of white superiority underpins these interactions and underlying racial hierarchy is present at all levels within the community. Alongside all of this is also of a story of a sheltered girl hoping to find acceptance and love. However, within this girl lies a dark power and when her rage and fury come forth, blood and terror follow. As prom night descends into chaos a clear line between black and white is scorched on the ground.

 

This is an eye-opening, thought-provoking exploration of racism. There are some interesting telekinesis/witchcraft/fire wielding stuff in there too. I loved how Jackson broke up the text with podcast scenes, news clippings, and book excerpts AFTER the events of that night. I would highly recommend picking this one up.

Alexis Donahue

I was not as into this read as I anticipated. I enjoyed some of the discussion regarding race... however, I felt like Maddy and Kendrick fell in love WAYY too quickly without really having spent much time together. Kind of odd to kill people and burn down the town over such a short-lived "romance".

I've had this on my radar for so long, and I'm kicking myself for not picking it up sooner. Everything about it-- from the characters to the pacing to the social commentary--is incredibly well-done. There are so many moments that are uncomfortable to read but so important to discuss. Jackson wasn't afraid to hold up a mirror to society, and it was so powerful. I knew going into this that it was a reimagining of Carrie, so I had a feeling about how the story would play out, but it was still so compelling. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for it all to go down, and it was perfect. It's a heavier (and infuriating) read, but I loved every second of it.

Heather Harrington

Every moment I had a free second, I was picking this book back up. It honors Carrie in away that doesn’t constantly remind you of Carrie while you’re reading it.

The way the book speaks about racism, societal classes, religion, etc. throughout - especially through the eyes of high schoolers existing in a community still fueled on ignorance & arrogance - is so extremely well done. The whole book overall was extremely well done (and addictive as all get out because I finished it a little over 12 hours 😅). 

I hope Maddy ends up living her best life on the beach looking at the stars ✨

samantha lias

Every moment I had a free second, I was picking this book back up. It honors Carrie in away that doesn’t constantly remind you of Carrie while you’re reading it.

The way the book speaks about racism, societal classes, religion, etc. throughout - especially through the eyes of high schoolers existing in a community still fueled on ignorance & arrogance - is so extremely well done. The whole book overall was extremely well done (and addictive as all get out because I finished it a little over 12 hours 😅). 

I hope Maddy ends up living her best life on the beach looking at the stars ✨

Such a gripping story! Could hardly put this down. I was on the edge of my seat dying to know how this book would end and it did NOT disappoint! Hoping to pick up more works by Tiffany D. Jackson because I just loved this.

Angie Van Sprang

Y’all this book was such a good book. It’s so reminiscent of Carrie. I hate the way both Carrie and Maddy were treated in both stories. Maddy didn’t deserve the treatment at all. She was told to be something she wasn’t so she wouldn’t get noticed and treated awfully. She’s mixed and her father wanted her to be more of her white side than her African American side. It was misguided and honestly dumb. Her father is a fully religious man and he thought he could pray her powers away and believed it would work by raising her the way he did. It didn’t btw. The kids at school found out she was mixed and that’s when she started getting more attention and she was treated awfully. Things snowballed from there. The only characters I really liked were Maddy, Kali, Kenny, and Wendy (sort of. She was a little selfish. Idk if she genuinely felt the way she felt sometimes). I really hope Maddy and Kenny got their happy ever after and Maddy is happy. She deserves the best things after how she got treated. She didn’t deserve that kind of treatment, no one did in that book. The ones that did are the ones who decided to be jerks to her and anyone that are POC. 

Kaitlyn Grooms

Alexa M

This was pretty middle ground for me. The writing fell a little flat and I felt like I wasn’t able to get fully into the story. The “Carrie”-ness of it all didn’t work too well for me. But I love TDJ and she will forever be an auto-buy author for me!