by Tiffany Jackson

Need a spooky read to get you in the mood for Halloween? Tiffany Jackson's latest young adult novel White Smoke will do the trick. High schooler Mari is not pleased that her family uprooted from California and moved her to some random Midwest town. She is even less pleased that she has an annoying new stepsister to deal with. It doesn't help that their new house has some really weird stuff going on and that almost everyone in town seems to avoid it (and her). Household items vanish, doors open on their own, lights turn off, shadows walk past rooms, voices can be heard in the walls, and there is a foul smell seeping through the vents only Mari seems to notice If you're a fan of haunted house stories, this one is for you. Mari's fixation with bed bugs adds in a little extra creepy factor. But what I appreciated the most about this horror story is how it depicts the wicked politics of unfairly incarcerating Black men and the diabolical business of gentrification.

See the Jones Library Antiracism Book List for recommended titles for all ages.