10-12 11-12 12 9-12 Fiction Narrative Young Adult

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

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Published: 2022
Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
Genres: Supernatural Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Young Adult Fiction, Retellings, Paranormal, African American Fiction, Contemporary
Audience (Grade Levels): YA / Adult (Grades 9-12+)
Number of Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 Stars)
Goodreads Link: The Weight of Blood
Triggers: Severe bullying, racism, anti-Blackness, parental abuse/extremism, violence, gore
Review By: Lisa McPherson

Publisher’s Summary:

Goodreads Choice Award: Nominee for Readers’ Favorite Young Adult Fiction (2022)
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.

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 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.

Review:

I loved Stephen King as a teen. Reading this book brought me back to the horror and mystery of his genre and style. The author based her novel on Stephen King’s Carrie, but uses that starting point to address racially charged social justice ideas and problems in the present day US. The creative twist was inspired by an actual incident that happened in 2014, when a Georgia school finally integrated their prom.

Ms. Jackson skillfully weaves the story of Carrie into a modern reflection of our own societal failings of just not saying anything and not doing enough to fight racism. She skillfully tackles the true horror of internalized and externalized anti-Blackness and how it affects every person in our society. She allows the reader to reflect and recognize the importance of addressing racism in our society, especially in our educational system. While you might be familiar with Mr. King’s novel, this twist makes the book riveting and timely today.

Classroom & Curricular Connections:

  • Social Studies & Current Events: Provides an unsparing framework for examining the history of segregation in the American South, looking specifically at the institutional legacy of segregated school rituals (such as proms) persisting into the 21st century.
  • English Language Arts / Comparative Retellings: An excellent masterclass text for studying literary remixes and adaptations. Students can contrast the supernatural motifs, epistolary structure, and pacing of Stephen King’s Carrie against Jackson’s racially conscious reimagining.
  • Sociology & Media Literacy: Highly relevant for exploring the concepts of “racial passing,” internal versus external anti-Blackness, bystander complicity, and how viral social media videos act as catalysts for institutional damage control.

Extension Activity / Library Application:

  • Historical Prom Segregation Research: Inspired by the real-world 2014 Georgia high school integration event that anchored the book’s premise, have students research the history of segregated proms in the American South. Students can compile a research timeline detailing how grassroots student activism eventually forced these traditions to integrate.
  • The Anatomy of a Retelling Analysis: Instruct students to map out the core narrative beats of Carrie alongside The Weight of Blood. Have them create a comparative chart analyzing how Jackson structurally converts classic horror tropes into metaphors for modern systemic racism and institutional failure.

Diversity & Representation:

This book offers a heavy, essential look at intersectional equity by centering on a biracial protagonist forced to navigate the psychological trauma of “racial passing” under an abusive, fanatical white parent. It explicitly challenges the monolithic assumptions of small-town communities and subverts traditional horror narratives by positioning systemic white supremacy, peer complacency, and institutional anti-Blackness as the ultimate monsters.

Readalikes:

  • Carrie by Stephen King
  • White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson
  • Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyámídé

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