The Weight of Blood
Ratings45
Average rating4.3
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.
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I honestly don't know how to feel about this book. In theory, this book is five stars: beautiful and engaging writing, a nicely paced plot, intriguing characters and nuanced themes. However, the atrocities that have been committed in this book are a direct cause of black trauma. Madison's constant bullying was at times really hard to listen to and it has made me really conflicted on whether I liked the book or not.
While the themes in this book were relevant and complex, the overarching black trauma was too dominant...and this goes to show how many Black authors like Jackson fill their books with trauma and shock value to bring about their point so their books can sell.
So while I didn't like the execution of the themes, I can still appreciate that this story was an excellent one, and truly stands out from the inspired material. However, due to this book causing emotional distress, I might have to take a break from Jackson's books for my mental health.
read for stabathon 2022: jill robertsread for blackoween 2022: a book recently releasedread for halloweekend: a book with a halloween word in the titleread for the full moon book club september 2022
literally i loved so much about this book. i've seen some reviews say how they didn't really like the segregation aspects of this book because it was set in the modern age but i think honestly that can be very realistic to how it can actually be today still. there are many places that show the segregation displayed in the book. i also loved the writing as usually and it was so immaculate. this is honestly one of the best retellings i've read. it really took the original plot and story structure and added so much flare and twists to it, where it still felt like the original story but in a new, reimagined way. 10/10 tiffany has done it again
