The Weight of Blood | Another Book Review
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Tiffany D. Jackson has done it again. Created a novel that kept me engaged and enraged through all 406 pages.
The Weight of Blood is an entrancing recounting of what happened on Bloody Prom Night. It is essentially a loose retelling of Stephen King's, Carrie except with more nuance since the protagonist is a biracial Black girl. The theme of identity is prevalent throughout this story and is one of the most powerful parts that set off the motion of the tragic events to come. This book is a MUST-READ! And I hope that you will.
****The following part of this review may be considered SPOILERS, readers discretion is advised*****
What happened to Maddy? Madison Washington is a biracial Black girl who is white-passing and is under the control of her racist white father Thomas. Maddy has been lied to about who she is by her father and has been manipulated by him. Thomas is essentially a metaphor for how education on American History is taught in this country. He shows all the "good" parts and expresses how past societal standards, that are still alive today just disguised as something "better", was the greatness of the USA.
It is an act of racial violence that offsets Maddy's revenge. Which is well deserved. Wendy convinced herself that she was being helpful to Maddy because it made her feel better for always staying silent in the face of her friends being racist a*sholes. White people are so quick to tell others they are not racist and in the same breath prove they think of no one but themselves. Wendy represents those white "allies" who you have to comfort after being told they did something wrong.
Overall, this story was extremely good and filled with a lot of content that will definitely make you want to jump into the story and swing some fists. I know I wanted to. Although the inspiration may have come from Carrie, this is still a whole different story on its own. Jackson brings the Black experience and intertwines it into everything she does. I am so proud to be a fan of hers and cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.
Want to read The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson? You can support me and Tiffany by purchasing the book from an indie bookstore. Shop my bookshop for all kinds of recommendations for your bookworm needs.
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