White Smoke By Tiffany D. Jackson Source Received from the publisher
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on September 14, 2021
Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Rating:
The Haunting of Hill House meets Get Out in this chilling YA psychological thriller and modern take on the classic haunted house story from New York Times bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson!
Marigold is running from ghosts. The phantoms of her old life keep haunting her, but a move with her newly blended family from their small California beach town to the embattled Midwestern city of Cedarville might be the fresh start she needs. Her mom has accepted a new job with the Sterling Foundation that comes with a free house, one that Mari now has to share with her bratty ten-year-old stepsister, Piper.
The renovated picture-perfect home on Maple Street, sitting between dilapidated houses, surrounded by wary neighbors has its . . . secrets. That’s only half the problem: household items vanish, doors open on their own, lights turn off, shadows walk past rooms, voices can be heard in the walls, and there’s a foul smell seeping through the vents only Mari seems to notice. Worse: Piper keeps talking about a friend who wants Mari gone.
But “running from ghosts” is just a metaphor, right?
As the house closes in, Mari learns that the danger isn’t limited to Maple Street. Cedarville has its secrets, too. And secrets always find their way through the cracks.
I’m a Tiffany D. Jackson fan, and a YA horror fan, so as soon as I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it!
This book was so good and creepy! I love a good haunted house story, and White Smoke totally delivered on the spooky haunted house vibes. And I loved the way it connected to a story of neighbourhood and gentrification.
Mari’s family struggles and anxiety and OCD added more layers to the character and story, and my heart went out to her when the adults in her life didn’t seem to believe what she was telling them. It all leads to a tense, gripping ending and I couldn’t put the book down.
Recommended for your fall reading!
