The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

Synopsis:

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.

Tina's Review

@inkedinmudd

Rating: 🧡🧡🧡🧡

I had high hopes for this book, knowing it was based on Carrie by Stephen King and Tiffany Jackson delivered. I was glad that she took the original story and put her twist on it while still implementing some of the structural foundations of the plot of Carrie. One of those is the interviews of students involved and people who live and work in the town.

Jackson's version of her story is deeply rooted in a racist town with horrific outdated racist traditions. The racism was brutal to read because the story was set in 2014, and you want to believe that people still don’t feel that way about wanting segregated proms or being racist in general. Knowing that it is still a thing today is very uncomfortable, but that’s the point. I think Tiffany constantly explores tough topics with grace.

Jackson also does a great job of portraying Maddy’s character’s sensitivity. She’s empathetic while also enduring trauma. You start to feel what she goes through, and the trauma transfers from the paper into yourself while reading. I applaud any author who can do that. The Weight of Blood is my second Jackson read, and I look forward to finishing her backlog.

Jessica's Review

Rating: 💙💙💙💙

To Be Reviewed

Taylor's Review

@25thavenuewest

Rating: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Holy Heck. What a read.
I was not prepared for this book. At all.
It was magical, without magic.
It was maddening.
It was frightening.
It was a freaking powerhouse.

I can’t tell you how thought provoking this read is. Jackson really weaved a tale that makes you think about how you treat people. How even the slightest, maybe innocent to you, teasing can be toxic.

This story really doesn’t have a clear narrator. Which worked for this story. The many points of view, I felt gave a clearer picture of the events leading up to prom.

I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. I mean, I knew it would be a five star, but Jackson really said, make it pack a punch.