The Weight of Blood Review

-

 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 "It’s like, unless we had proof, people wouldn’t believe the fucked-up shit we went through. I just didn’t think I would catch something happening so soon.”

In The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson, the reader follows Maddie Washington as she attempts to survive Springville High. A quiet, solitary student Maddie has done her best to attract as little attention as possible. Following her strict fathers rules, school and working at the family owned store are her only primary activities. Until an unforeseen rainstorm changes everything and she can no longer hide the fact that she’s biracial. This secret about her identity throwsa Maddie’s life off balance. Paired with the racist responses from fellow students and the prom invitation from Kendrick Scott in order to fix the backlash the community is facing, Maddie is thrown into teenage politics she’s unused to traversing. With the emotional turmoil she’s having to wade through, Maddie discovers another secret about herself. She can control things with her mind. This new power and her recent self-acceptance of an identity that had been kept from her entire life will play a big part in a bewitching novel sure to keep readers’ attention. Even if you think you already know how it ends.

 

I love Carrie, the movie. I wasn’t a big fan of the book but that didn’t stop me from reading The Weight of Blood. I enjoyed the references and the way Jackson kept the story in the same style as the original source. Maddie’s story didn’t exactly follow Carrie’s though. Maddie also had to deal with discovering and navigating her identity as a black person. I appreciated the addition of Maddie getting a chance to learn about her racial identity. This lead to Maddie being able to learn more about herself in a way we didn’t see with Carrie. The discussion of the racial inequality in this town gave The Weight of Blood a bit more strength than readers (or viewers) of Carrie were able to experience. While reading, I, unfortunately, compared The Weight of Blood to Carrie. This lead to me disliking some parts that set the two books apart. Mainly the romance between Maddie and Kenny. I don’t think Maddie was in the right place mentally to be in a relationship for the relationship that Kenny wanted to have.  I think I would have had a different experience with The Weight of Blood if I hadn’t gone into it knowing it was based on Carrie.

 

This is a review for The Weight of Blood though. There were problems I had with certain parts of this book. There were so many more that were incredible. Washington’s way of navigating the path Maddie needs to follow in order to become more than she was allowed is captivating. There are so many real world issues included, and needed, to bring a Carrie retelling to this time. Definitely give The Weight of Blood a read.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Space Brooms! Review

-
Image
      Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐   I received Space Brooms! as an advanced readers copy. It will be available to purchase on March 25, 2025. “All my life I wanted adventure.” Space Brooms! By A, G. Rodriguez is a wild sci-fi adventure that follows Johnny Gomez a space broom – term for a custodian- as he teams up with a captivating cast of characters. After Johnny happens upon a data chit containing information worth millions,   his boring life becomes much more entertaining and filled with the new and exciting people he meets along the way.  Space Brooms! is an easy to read book that quickly becomes immersive and enjoyable. The characters, starting with Johnny, are delightful even if they don’t all have Johnny’s best interests at heart. They’re likeable and well written so you aren’t reading about characters that just seem to be copy and pasted to only fill the pages. The new terminology that exists in this new futuristic space world is introduced and understoo...
Read more

Thunder and Daisy Review

-
Image
 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thunder and Daisy by Mercedes Paradiso is a collection of poetry. Split into two chapters –Thunder and   Daisy- the poems contained within focus mainly on love and heartbreak.   Thunder and Daisy is a specific type of poetry called instapoetry. This is fairly obvious when reading the book. The poems are intersected with pictures to represent the poem that precedes it. I feel that the pictures aren’t necessary and the poems speak for themselves. The poems in Daisy broke away from the more simplistic ones in Thunder. Seeing the difference between the two chapters was a great way to not have the poetry seem repetitive.   I’m glad I read Thunder and Daisy. I didn’t enjoy every poem included but I could feel the emotions that were put into the entire book. If you’re a fan of poetry, I definitely recommend checking out Thunder and Daisy. Since Mercedes Paradiso includes her plan for releasing a book in the future that will be linked to Thunder and D...
Read more

Feminism: Opposing Viewpoints Review

-
Image
Feminism: Opposing Viewpoints Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐ “As individuals and as a nation, it is imperative that we consider the opinions of others and examine them with skill and discernment.” -John Stuart Mill Feminism: Opposing Views is a collection of essays discussing various issues as they pertain to feminism and women. The ideas and opinions discussed are neither wrong or right nor are they presented as such. It is simply a way to question feminism and your own ideas on the different topics discussed. I found this book to be a perfect look into feminism and the opposition to the movement. The essays were very diverse and discussed everything from should women work to can feminism and religion mix. Each essay started with questions you should consider as you read. I thought this was very helpful. The questions really assisted in making you consider and pay attention to what you’re reading. While reading, it seemed that not all of the authors were fully informed about what...
Read more