The Weight Of Blood

YA chiller

     "It was tradition that the outgoing seniors of Springville High converged into a caravan downtown on the way to their respective dances.  The townspeople would line the Main Street parade route in lawn chairs to catch glimpses of the partygoers in their fine gowns and tuxedos...

     No one knew it would be the last time that most of them would be seen alive, and the students had no clue they were participating in their own funeral procession as they headed to prom."

     If you're a true chiller fan those two paragraphs from Tiffany D. Jackson's The Weight Of Blood surely caught your attention.  With this tribute to one her greatest inspirations, Stephen  King, Jackson shows readers that she's very much in the Horrormeister's league.  And just in time for the scary season.

     Maddy lives in a falling apart house with her religious fanatic caught in the past, abusive father.  For her first twelve years of her life she was kept for the most part in her squalid home.  It took intervention by social services to get her into school.  Needless to say, when she arrived dressed like a refugee from the fifties with no peer socialization skills she became the school outcast.

     As the story opens, a graduating senior, Maddy is still shunned and bullied by her classmates.  This ramps up when one of her most closely guarded secrets is revealed.  Maddy is biracial, the offspring of a white father and an absent Black mother.

     Mean girl Jules starts the ball rolling by throwing pencils into Maddy's newly frizzed out hair.  All Hell breaks loose with chairs and desks flying around, glass shattering, and lights exploding...

     ...because being biracial isn't Maddy's only secret.

     During the school's traditional Halloween in May Jules crosses a line even her bigoted school can't ignore.  She shows up in blackface impersonating Maddy.  Her stunt is caught on smartphones and posted on social media.  She's suspended for the rest of the school year.  Then the University she's dreamed of attending since middle school revokes her acceptance.

     Jules is out for blood.  When Maddy unexpectedly gets invited to prom by a popular football player she sees the chance to anonymously humiliate Maddy in the most public place possible.  Revenge will be sweet...

     ...or maybe not.  Remember Maddy has this other secret.

     Fans of Jackson and her guru and anyone who loves a fast paced, spine chilling narrative will find The Weight Of Blood to be impossible to put down.  In the countdown to Halloween I consider it a must read.

On a purrrsonal note, I am usually very diligent when it comes to homework.  I had every intention of working on a major paper.  The house was nice and quiet.  But I was about halfway through The Weight Of Blood and unable to put it down.  Oh, well, there's always tomorrow.  (Jules)

She went outside and read.  As well she should.  Soon it will be too cold to read outside. (Tobago)

A great big shout out goes out to Jackson in hopes she's working on another great chiller.

Tobago and Jules Hathaway 

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