White Smoke audiobook

"Change is good. Change is necessary. Change is needed."The author chose violence when she decided to end that book without an epilogue. 😂 Just kidding, but holy abrupt and I-need-a-sequel ending. I'm so glad I was able to chat with a friend about all things White Smoke, and I highly recommend you find a support buddy to do the same. I've come to think of Tiffany D. Jackson as a modern classic author; her books aren't stuffy literature, but her thematic content is timeless, necessary, and beyond important. Her writing style is accessible and welcoming, but she doesn't shy away from the hard facts and preaches the truth with the unabashed confidence that we need more of in this world. I don't want to really get into the specific plot here, but there are themes of gentrification, criminalization and ostracism of marijuana users, and the specific targeting of Black people in these intertwined topics. Side note: if you have a phobia involving bed bugs, this book IS NOT for you. *shudders* Final verdict: Tiffany Jackson has done it again! Highly recommended, especially for spooky season. *Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.

Really enjoyed this one! I’m a sucker for a good haunted house story and this definitely delivered. I loved all the creepy scenes in this house! 👀 Tiffany D. Jackson never misses! Reading vlog with more thoughts: https://youtu.be/rv-TLDKUE80

4 stars! I thought this book was utterly fantastic! I’ve seen so many 3 star reviews I was worried I wouldn’t like this one, but it exceeded my expectations!White Smoke is about teenager Marigold who moves from California to the Midwest with her mother, brother, stepfather and stepsister. As a part of an agreement with a foundation, they get to move into a newly restored home for free as long as a family member contributes to the town in an artistic way. But while their home is fixed, their entire neighborhood is filled with dilapidated buildings and eerily empty of other people. And strange things keep happening in the house.I really enjoyed this book so much, I first heard about it in a webinar the author spoke in and had been dying to read it ever since. And then the book released and so many of the reviews were meh, I got worried, but luckily I liked it more than most people did. I thought there were so many wonderful nuances to this book that I didn’t quite connect at the beginning of the book, and then as the book went on it made perfect sense. Subjects such as gentrification, wrongfully imprisoned, weed, lack of male boys in the high school, etc. But it all worked together really well into the story and was all completely plausible which I loved.This book was also so deliciously creepy! Perfect for that spooky/horror feel you are looking for. And it was creepy without being gory which I very much appreciated. There was a lot of suspense and I thought the payoff was great based on the buildup. I will say, I wanted a bit more from the ending. I won’t go into details but I almost want a second book or at least a follow up epilogue so I can get some dang answers! I have many! My first book by Ms. Jackson and I adored it. I am ready to read her backlist now, this book was so good!

I'm thinking 4 stars, but likely would've been 5 had the ending not been so abrupt. I was absolutely terrified and freaked out for several hours last night 😂 full review/live reactions coming on my channel on Monday!

(y'all, there's a literal site for I'vebeentraumatizedbyTiffanyD.Jackson. It's like a therapy circle and I'm so in)I have done it again. Done something so stupid, thoughtless, moronic and foolish, that I'm left breathless whilst staring at my imbecilic self.I have read another Tiffany D. Jackson book.Rating: 👻👻👻👻👻 4.8(I'll tell a couple of truths and maybe a lot of lies. But are they actually truths? Or are all of them simply lies?)And well, this one? Okay, I'll admit it. This was amazing.*sticks head into trashcan with a sudden bout of nausea*Seriously, how many times will I tell myself not to do it? How many instances must be recorded into my memory for me to actually comprehend that these books are going to be the end of me?When will I stop? When my eyes burn with lack of sleep?When I hear a creak, and suddenly I'm not even walking but flying?Yeah, these books make me question myself a lot. Is that actually a surprise? Nope. So yeah, I am absolutely terrified. Trembling, eyes shaking, skin quaking, all that stuff. And of course, as movies have so wonderfully taught us, I heard a noise and dutifully called out 'Hello?' so I'm writing this in hopes that the person who finds my account after a fabulous murder scene, will understand my purpose for writing this as... uh, (add adjective here), as possible.Another Lie: I never thought Tiffany D. would write a ghost story, let's just start there. I'm pretty sure I'll become a ghost very soon, but I would love scaring the crap out of people, I count that as a win. So, me being me, stupidly uttered (out loud, because of course, I have the brain of mitochondria in a prokaryotic cell. Yes, I needed to use that) okay, this cannot be that bad.*at that moment, Booksy knew, she messed up-*It ended up being not that bad, actually. *glances at the gun pressed against forehead* Yep, I'm totally not lying. The plot obviously didn't hook me, and it obviously didn't make me addicted to every paragraph. Pfft, who told you that? Silly goose, this book was rainbows upon bloody rainbows. Okay, now that I believe if they wanted to end my existence, they would've done it already, let me tell you the truth. It was a gory, disturbing, horrific, creepy, jaw-dropping experience that I would not trade for the world. I enjoyed the pacing, even when it went at the speed of Lighting McQueen and I started accidentally skipping sentences, thus, spoiling myself, THUS, making me hate myself as well. I was intrigued by the words 'psychological thriller' that made me doubt if everything that was happening wasn't actually real. The start grabbed me by the eyeballs and shook my head like a rag doll, hoping to make me so enticed by the story, my sockets would stay linked to it.I finished this in a day, and I'm actually not surprised anymore.One Truth: Moving on, as I'm currently typing this as quickly as possible (remember, there's someone about to end me right now) I have run out of words and feelings, well not feelings, goodness knows I have too many of those, to describe the writing. Dang, words don't make justice to it. In other books of this same author, I've felt like something was just a tad bit off of perfect, and I have no idea if the whole terror emotions I was experiencing eclipsed any flaws it might've had in this book. I smelled what the MC smelled, got my breath taken when the MC would be short of a horrifying demise, eyes widened when plot twists were throwing themselves at me (nobody has ever done that, so the fact that a book did it, is making me feel ever so flattered), and frankly, WHAT THE HECK WAS UP WITH SOME OF THESE PEOPLE??? LIKE, DANG. I really, really enjoyed it. Also, would really, REALLY want to know how much Tiffany's paying Tartarus to be let in and have devilish fun with the citizens of that place.Another Lie: The characters didn't cease to freak me out. Why? Because I didn't trust anyone! I trusted the dog for about five chapters. And that's sad. Actually, no, I ceased to trust him when he would creepily start biting the air. Sir- no. Be gone. Okay, fine, be gone, take a shower in a certain batch of water and come back, so I can cuddle you.Another Truth: The MC frustrated me, because come the heck on, doors slam behind you. A creepy had reaches inside the bath to turn off the faucet. I would literally put a flipping closet in front of the door or something. On the other hand though, darn it, she was just so well created. Gah, she annoyed me, then I felt pity for her, angered the crap out of me, then I would proceed to try to fictionally comfort her, THEN she would call have the awesome idea to, I don't know. Walk downstairs when hearing a strange noise? Does that, uh, does that sound close to thought through, to you? You bet if I- oops, just tripped over a dead body, hang on, let me take a shower. Okay, where was I? Oh right, if I were to hear a noise ANYWHERE out of my room, I would STAY in my room. Pfft, I have no hero complex whatsoever, so if you dumbly go to the down low, I will go to the up high and laugh at you.A lie: Her brother was precious, I loved the guy. Didn't deserve as much suffering as SOMEONE made him go through. We could talk about how creepy and not normal the stepsister is, but I just don't have the ener- okay, I will talk about her a little. Have I mentioned how much creepy kids... CREEP me out?? Like, hahaha, no. You tell me you have imaginary friends at the age of ten (never mind me who talks to herself and fights with air about the custody of seven of her nonexistent children), if you think that just because you're my sibling, I won't throw you out of the window, you've got it wrong. Because I will throw you out of the window. Okay, okay, I wouldn't throw you exactly, I would make your trip and then simply... let you fall. See? No throwing involved.A truth: Every time I read one of Tiffany's books, I sincerely wonder, how in the seven hells does she make me care for a character when they're in the book for less than three pages? And how the HECK does she make me actually feel something for them when something bad happens? It's like some sort of witchery, I tell you. On a closing note, I shouldn't re-read this, I really shouldn't. But there's always something so appealing about doing something not recommended for you. Kind of like writing a review amidst the possibility of being murdered, or writing a review when you have another test in the morning. I jumped, squealed, frantically searched for a valid reason to read this at night, jumped some more and freaked out a lot. The plot was amazing, I kind of saw it coming, but that's just because I've been traumatized before by the author and have learned some sort of strange defense mechanism.AKA, reading every book of hers in hopes of perishing in an extremely dramatic fashion with much flair and quite a bit of glitter.Remember, even in death, you can shine.P.S: Oh! Did I fail to mention the romance? Oh, that's right. Aw, no. Not necessary. Sweet, but ultimately useless. Keep reading for one of the scariest moments that honestly scared the crap out of me: “Mari, are you coming? Hurry up!”“Coming, I’m coming!” I grumble, locking the screen.The rain roars outside, clapping against the windows. Sammy has every light on in the house, something he does when he’s scared but doesn’t want to admit it. I chuckle and head down the hall.“Yeah? What’s up?” But the first floor is empty. The TV is on, episode five still playing, andSammy . . . nowhere to be seen. No sign of Buddy either. They couldn’t have gone upstairs without me noticing. Those stairs would let us know ants were climbing up them. He definitely called me from down here . . .although he did sound far away. Farther than usual. I turn off the TV and take in the room.“Sam?”Silence. The kind of silence that feels heavy and loaded. On the sofa, a bowl of popcorn is tipped over, kernels spilled onto the rug, the throw blanket still warm. An icy sensation crawls up the back of my neck as rolling thunder makes the glass cabinets shake.Something is wrong.“Sam,” I call, louder this time, patting my pockets for the phone that’s still upstairs on the charger. Maybe he took Buddy for a walk? Which makes no sense, but nothing has been making sense lately. Lightning flashes, the back windows like a wall of black mirrors reflecting the stillness of the house: a silver teapot on the gas stove, pans hanging from the ceiling rack, a metal basket of Red Delicious apples on the table bathed in warm light. Pulse throbbing, I approach my reflection in the deck door, cupping my eyes to peer out into the darkness. Trees violently whip in the wind, a hectic dance. Inside, the house is calm, picturesque. Then something clicks behind me.CREEEEAKIn the reflection, I watch the hallway closet door slowly swing open and the look on my face belongs on a movie poster.“Sam?” I whisper, peering over my shoulder, the tremor in my voice identical to the one in my hands.The house holds its breath. I shouldn’t check, I know I shouldn’t check, everything inside mescreams I should just make a run for it. But . . . where’s Sammy? Lightning strikes, the gold doorknob catching its spark. Keeping my steps light, I creep closer. It’s nothing, it’s nothing, relax, I chant to myself, entire body now shaking. With two quick steps, I wrench the door open wide, jumping to face whatever’s behind it. But there’s nothing there. Just some hanging coats, random shoes, and a mop.“Sammy?” I cry out, now desperate. “Where are you!”Suddenly, a hand shoots out from between the coats and yanks me inside by the collar. I let out a shriek, forehead hitting the back wall of the closet, the door slamming behind me. Balance skewed in the pitch darkness, I whip around, thrashing at the air, clothes, hangers . . . ready to fight formy life, until a flashlight clicks on, illuminating his face.Sam.“Sammy!” I snap, shoving his shoulder. “What the hell are you doing?”Sammy digs his trembling nails into my forearm, eyes wide and glassy, pure terror painted across his face.“That’s not me!” he whisper-shouts, lips quivering. “That’s not me!”“What? What are you talking about? Are you—”Then I hear it. His voice. Sammy’s voice. Calling me from outside the closet door. And everything inside me curls inward, hardens, and I stop breathing.“Mari! Mari! Come downstairs!”...............................................*me looking at my corpse already rotting on the floor**me over dramatically presenting it to the author*Don't you think... you've done enough? Has it never crossed your beautiful, disturbing mind that I was not ready for what happened?No? Ohhh, I guess Hades hasn't given you an umbrella.Six hours. I read this in six hours. I am mentally EXHAUSTED- actually, I really am not, considering that I need to be alert if a door slams shut so I can do the smart and super normal thing of... running, instead of asking 'HeLlooOooOo, someone TheRE?'.What will they answer, huh? No yeah, I'm in the living room, can you grab the popcorn?

Rating 4.5 WOW! I listened to the audiobook version of “White Smoke” and the narrator did such a fantastic job! She really nailed the main character, setting, and creepy vibes. I tried to listen to this as much as I could at night or on my drive to work (it was dark before time changed) and it actually made me jump a few times! Haha, I love when a book can have you looking over your shoulder. There is one scene in the book that I still think about but don’t want to ruin it for others. All I can say is, have your popcorn ready because you're going to be going on a ride with this one! The author @writeinbk did a great job of having the reader question everything until the end.The characters in this book were beautifully written and felt pretty realistic to me. Being someone who is from a blended family I could really relate to what happened in this story. It’s hard for parents to not show favoritism especially when it comes to punishments or knowing who to believe. Unfortunately, the main character Marigold has made some mistake in the past which has led her mom and step dad to lose some trust in her. So, when her step sister Piper creates these lies her parents are hesitant to believe Marigold is in the right. While I did enjoy Marigold’s character I do wish she made changes for the better earlier on in the story. I felt like she knew she was making mistakes but was okay with making them. However, I do know this was needed to show character growth. I enjoyed the side characters and what they added to the story. Some things certain characters did I would never be able to forgive them for. I can’t say due to spoilers but I think you will know who I’m talking about once you read it. I did have a few issues with some characters and how abruptly it ended but overall, this was a really enjoyable psychological thriller. I tried to keep this review short to avoid giving away too much. I definitely think you should read this book knowing as little as possible.

Star Rating: —> 4.5 StarsHO-LY SH*T! This was EXACTLY what i've been looking for! The perfect haunted house story with its own twists, turns, & vibe, as well... this is definitely ANYTHING BUT a carbon copy like most haunted house based horror i've come across lately. I am seriously impressed, and when it comes to horror because that is seriously hard to do ! I also really, really appreciated the mental health rep—anxiety, OCD, panic, and all the paranoia that can come with that, rep! It was pretty spot on for what anxiety & panic feels like, and knowing you're probably being irrational, but because of your sub-conscious can't help but seize up in a panic attack anyway. The mental health rep was just great . (Unfortunately, I would know, for all o' the above. Anxiety is one hell of a bitch! 🥺)Major props to Jackson, because I just haven't been able to find a haunted house story that actually scared the hell out of me for who even KNOWS how long (?!), even though i've been looking FOREVER. And BOY, does this hit the SPOT! A bullseye with thrills and chills and all sorts of things that will keep your eyes glued to the pages, & your ears open for things that go bump in the night!100% recommend!!! 🤍🤍🤍

Terrifying and so engrossing; truly a haunted house story meets Get Out. I had to read this during the day because listening to this at night made me scared of my own house.- Follows Marigold, a Black teen, who alongside her blended family move to a new town for a fresh start. However, Mari soon discovers that their new home holds history and secrets - and that it may be haunted with something darker.- I was glued to this book, even though it scared the crap out of me. It's thoroughly eerie, unnerving, and so uncomfortable, but you can't help but keep reading?- Creepy children with imaginary friends. That's all I'll say.- Marigold suffers from OCD and intense anxiety, and I liked how this added another dimension to the story, giving Marigold's character and her dynamic with the family more depth.- The pacing worked well for me, but I listened to it in an audiobook and was enraptured for most of it! - I liked the anti-gentrification and anti-racist lens that this story had - and how sometimes tragedy is manufactured for capitalistic gain.Content warning: drug use, addiction, bed-bug phobia, arson, police violence, horror themes

This was my first read by Tiffany D. Jackson and I'm happy to report that it won't be the last.Horror and psychological thrillers are two genres that I hardly pick up but I was seeing White Smoke literally everywhere and decided it was a sign. You know those books where you read the first chapter or so and you're instantly hooked? This was one of those books for me. And let me just say, I was creeped out from the very beginning. Nothing to make sleeping a little uncomfortable like reading this before bed.This book really took some turns that I just wasn't expecting. I love reading those books where you think you know it all but clearly you don't. This book was exactly like that. I swear to you the twists had me yelling. The story was fast-paced for the most part. I personally don't mind slow books and this one wasn't slow for me, but there were moments where I wish things had sped up a little. The overall atmosphere and story were just so good that I couldn't put the book down. I never realized how much I actually enjoy scaring myself until now. I had goosebumps constantly! and sitting in a room alone reading when there's no one in the house is possibly the best and worst decision of my life.I really liked our main character, Marigold. She was flawed in many ways and I loved watching her grow a little throughout the book. She made some less than stellar choices but we've all been there at least once right? Loved her little brother so much. Then there was Piper. I didn't like her for the most part. I mean she's ten and I could see why she was the way she was but annoying was an understatement. There were some things that I wish we had delved deeper into but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't already sold on the book. I mean the book obviously has flaws and having read this a week ago I can definitely see some of them since my excitement died down, but I really enjoyed my time reading this. Like REALLY enjoyed my time. To experience this book again like the first time would be amazing. I mean I didn't enjoy freaking out over normal house sounds but it is what it is.Overall the plot felt a lot deeper than I thought it would be, and definitely not what I was expecting. There were themes of gentrification, ostracism, addiction, and mental health among other things so the story really took me by surprise. I don't want to say alot because I feel like it's better to go into this not knowing too much about it. I will warn though, if you have a fear of bed bugs then this is probably not a book you want to pick up. The mentions are frequent and the writing makes it feel so very real. just thought I would mention that.

I want to begin by saying Tiffany D. Jackson absolutely wrote a book that gave me the chills! This fast-paced story (that I do not think should be compared to Get Out) was terrifying! The bumps in the night started almost immediately. Marigold's fear of bed bugs will seriously have you checking your couch and bed crevices. This was an excellent haunted house story. The abrupt ending slightly dissapointed me. Overall, I enjoyed it and read the entire book in one day!

Review: https://youtu.be/OZzNjPkPv3Q

Do NOT sleep on this book because it is YA.Highly recommend listening to the audio in a pitch black room.

OH MY GOD! I’ve never been truly frightened in a long time. I want more horror from Tiffany D. Jackson ASAP! And maybe we will get it, because the ending was kind of open? And I want a sequel? (Please!)I love the blended family aspect, the racism, gentrification, capitalism, drug use, everything was covered in this book. You know Tiffany is my favourite author, so I don’t even need to tell you to read this. Add to your spooky TBR immediately!

White Smoke by Tiffany Jackson is a solid, entertaining YA horror that I enjoyed from start to finish. It has a great cast of characters, plenty of creepiness, a genuinely surprising twist, and no gore; so pretty much everything I want in a haunted house story. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through a Goodreads giveaway and have been asked to provide an honest review.The Plot Teenager Marigold's parents are divorced and she and her younger brother Sammy are forced to move across the country with their mom, their mom's new husband, and his bratty 10-year-old daughter Piper, following their mom winning some sort of writing fellowship/scholarship that comes with a free house rental. However, soon after they move in, they realize there's something weird going on in this town where half the population is locked up and the other half is deeply suspicious of newcomers. Not to mention the fact that their new house is almost definitely haunted, and scheming Piper almost definitely knows something she's not sharing with the class. The GoodTo enjoy a character I don't need to like them, I just need to believe them and I believed Marigold. She was dumb and selfish sometimes and even as an avid weed smoker I was annoyed at how often she thought about weed before all else, especially Piper's safety, but I don't think we were supposed to side with her a lot of the time. I think she had a pretty well written arc and she made for a great main character. This had a tiny amount of romance, which is the second perfect amount of romance after "none." Others may disagree. But the romance didn't overshadow the plot and Marigold didn't do that dumb thing the heroines in YA novels always do where they stop in the middle of a life threatening situation to admire the shape of a boy's lips or some shit, so I appreciate that. The larger points the book makes are done to varying degrees of success, but overall it works. It makes some good points about gentrification and racism, some clumsier ones about religion and the war on drugs, but I agree with and appreciate what it was trying to say. Ok this is getting long so quickly, some other things I liked: the twist with Ms. Suga's whole deal was pretty unexpected and somehow made the whole book both creepier and sadder. I won't say more. The book's depiction of anxiety and panic attacks is excellent as is, sadly, its depictions of other people's reactions to anxiety and panic attacks. Read with caution if you're trigger by realistic depictions of obsessive thoughts and intense anxiety. The Not-So-GoodOnly two real gripes with this book: we're left hanging about a lot of side characters by the end. I don't need every single question answered but I'd like to know if, say, the teenager framed and thrown in jail is gonna be getting out. And the writing was decent but not amazing in my opinion. Definitely not bad, but sometimes the dialogue was kind of cringey and characters' voices didn't match their ages. I spent the first quarter of the book thinking a 10-year-old was 5 and a 14-year old was 10. The scary scenes were vivid, though, and the casual writing style made me feel like I was right in Marigold's head, even if it wasn't always super eloquent. White Smoke gave me chills and made me look over my shoulder more than once while reading and if a book can make me have that kind of physical reaction, it's a damn good book imo. I'll be looking for more Tiffany Jackson to read in the near future for sure.CW: bug infestations, hallucinations of bugs on skin, severe anxiety and panic attacks, character experiences extreme cravings for weed, violence, drug overdose, wrongful imprisonment

needed like 50 more pages to wrap things up i have questions and demands !

I truly love everything about this book, it worked so incredibly well for me. One, this is a really great haunted house story. It plays with all the well known tropes, but spins it just a little bit. I was actually surprised by how creepy and spooky this was, especially since YA tends to be on the tamer side. Mari as a main character was just excellent. I related to her struggles in the anxiety realm and I found comfort in seeing my own thoughts and fears played out before me. Definitely made me feel less alone and I might have teared up once…or twice. 🥲 I thought it had great mental health representation and it focused on parts that aren’t as often shown. I’ve seen some people talk about how it focused too much on weed, but I felt that it was making such a big statement about the criminalization of weed and the impact on the Black community. I also really enjoyed the ending. I know a lot of people felt it was super vague, which I do agree on, it is a vague ending. However, I felt like there was so much said in that vagueness. I would love to see a sequel happen!! Tiffany D. Jackson has officially become an auto buy author for me. I will absolutely buy anything and everything she writes. 👻🖤