SEPTEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
Versatile narrators effectively differentiate interwoven characters’ perspectives in this retelling of Stephen King’s CARRIE, made more horrific by its theme of racism. Maddy (Carrie redux), a timid biracial teen who is bullied at school, has secret psychic powers that explode on prom night. As a broadcast reporter, portrayed by Christopher Salazar, tracks the facts of what happened, his neutrality is challenged by his British cohost, portrayed by Sarah Mollo-Christensen. Mollo-Christensen also portrays the spoiled Jules, who manipulates prejudice to her advantage. JD Jackson captures African American Kenny’s easygoing temperament. His personality contrasts with that of his white girlfriend, Wendy, as Joy Nash delivers the driven girl’s determination to look good. Karen Malina White expresses the torment of Maddy. Collectively, the narrators ensure that the story is clear and captivating. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2022 Best Audiobook © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
★ 08/01/2022
Jackson (White Smoke) skillfully explores internalized and externalized anti-Blackness in this striking horror novel, which channels Stephen King’s Carrie. Though Springfield, Ga., high school senior Maddy Washington is biracial (Black and white), her emotionally and physically abusive racist white father forces her to live as white. To keep up the charade, Maddy must never publicly wet her weekly hot combed hair. When a sudden storm in the middle of gym class unveils Maddy’s natural hair texture, though, her white classmates taunt her for it. The incident, and the aggressively racist happenings that follow, cast a spotlight on Maddy’s town. Suddenly, a media circus watches the school’s every move, and some students petition to end their upcoming prom’s segregated “tradition.” As the bullying worsens, Maddy’s rightful rage culminates in deadly consequences. Fans of the source material will recognize the plot structure, but Jackson’s bone-chilling rendition features podcasts and documentary excerpts that follow the trajectory of Maddy’s abuse at home and school to book’s climax, expertly utilizing current true-crime fanaticism to form a powerfully socially conscious narrative that showcases the intense structural racism still inherent in society. Ages 14–up. Agent: Natalie Lakosil, Bradford Literary. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
"Jackson’s expert reshaping of this tale highlights the genuine horrors of both internalized and externalized anti-Blackness. Horror done right." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Jackson skillfully explores internalized and externalized anti-Blackness in this striking horror novel. Bone-chilling. Expertly utiliz[es] current true-crime fanaticism to form a powerfully socially conscious narrative that showcases the intense structural racism still inherent in society." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Jackson’s nod to Stephen King’s Carrie incorporates racially charged social justice themes into a narrative featuring her signature twisty suspense. Supernatural portions of the book are explosive and riveting, with the racist realistic parts are even more horrifying. Readers will be hooked from page one of Maddy’s intense journey that detonates on prom night." — School Library Journal (starred review)
"A brilliant deconstruction of Stephen King's Carrie." — BookPage (starred review)
"This reimagining of King’s Carrie is a thrilling, unflinching horror narrative that takes on colorism, racism, classism, microaggressions, white saviorism, and respectability politics." — The Horn Book
"Smart and unsettling retelling of Carrie." — Booklist
PRAISE FOR WHITE SMOKE: "Jackson conjures horrors both supernatural and otherwise in a masterful juxtaposition of searing social commentary and genuinely creepy haunts, as well as providing an authentic portrayal of tensions within a blended family. Begs to be finished in one sitting, though maybe with the lights kept on." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Jackson delivers multilayered frights in a true horror tradition, peppered with instantly recognizable references to urban legends and internet horror culture." — Publishers Weekly
"The nuanced depiction of Mari’s struggle with mental health is emotionally resonant; the story of a mostly Black city nearly wiped out by draconian drug laws and gentrification is authentic and timely; and the simmering tension and jump scares make the horror element satisfyingly chilling... Jackson ticks off the best tropes of horror here with enthusiastic glee, and Ms. Suga will have more than a few readers checking their basements before bedtime." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
PRAISE FOR GROWN: "Gripping in both its content and format . . . Jackson's writing some of the best thrillers for teens these days." — Booklist (starred review)
"Expertly juxtaposing the glamour of Enchanted’s potential fame against the harshness of her private moments with Korey, Jackson builds the story gradually and painfully to an astonishing, chilling climax." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Compelling; Jackson excels in writing books steeped in social commentary." — Kirkus Reviews
"In another ripped-from-the-headlines novel, Jackson takes readers through a heart-pounding thriller exploring physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, misogynoir, and rape culture... this novel is sure to initiate important conversations while delivering an engrossing story." — Horn Book Magazine
PRAISE FOR LET ME HEAR A RHYME: “Exceptional storytelling, well-crafted, true-to-life dialogue, and the richly drawn Brooklyn landscape will draw readers into this fast-paced blend of mystery, budding romance, and social commentary . . . Thoroughly engrossing and as infectious as Steph’s lyrics.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“This YA novel harmonizes music and prose to create a certified literary banger.” — Shelf Awareness
“Readers will feel connected to these teens’ love of hip-hop, their loyalty to each other and their love for their community . . . offers moving portraits of young people . . . an engaging ode to ’90s hip-hop and to love in many forms.” — BookPage
“With thoughtful attention to detail, Jackson offers a believable cast of Black teens immersed in a particularly rich hip-hop moment. The combination of lyricism and narrative realism is an effective mode of representing a particular sort of adolescence against the backdrops of New York City and rap music.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Jackson presents a fast-moving, heart-pounding homage to nineties hip-hop, Brooklyn, and the power of music, love, and friendship. Readers are transported to a time when DJs and MCs rocked the parties and when word-of-mouth could make you a star.” — Horn Book Magazine
”A thrilling, heart-rending, unforgettable novel.” — Buffalo News
PRAISE FOR MONDAY'S NOT COMING: “This thought-provoking thriller examines issues such as abuse, gentrification, and the marginalization of people of color with nuance and sensitivity. The narrative deftly moves back and forth between past and present, building to a devastating conclusion. A spellbinding, profoundly moving choice for YA collections.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“Jackson’s sophomore novel features another ripped-from-the-headlines premise that will keep readers guessing through the final pages. Jackson’s characters and their heart-wrenching story linger long after the final page, urging readers to advocate for those who are disenfranchised and forgotten by society and the system.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Jackson effortlessly weaves elements of suspense with issues of race, class, and gender, casting a harsh light on a world that often refuses to notice the disappearances of black and brown girls. The twist at the end is both gaspworthy and heartbreaking.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
“Jackson doesn’t hold anything back when it comes to the pain of abuse and the ramifications of turning a blind eye. It’s a frank, devastating read filled with real and flawed characters, and it’s a story that needs to be read.” — Booklist
“The draw of this novel, which was inspired by actual events, lies in its interwoven themes of the effects of gentrification, especially on black residents whose connections, culture, and community become afterthoughts in the face of capitalism. A tragic and heartbreaking tale of love, loss, grief, growth, and perseverance.” — Kirkus Reviews
PRAISE FOR ALLEGEDLY: “With remarkable skill, Jackson offers an unflinching portrayal of the raw social outcomes when youth are entrapped in a vicious cycle of nonparenting and are sent spiraling down the prison-for-profit pipeline. Dark, suspenseful.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“The characters are complex, the situation unsettling, and the line between right and wrong hopelessly blurred. It’s also intensely relevant, addressing race, age, and mental illness within the criminal justice system. Well conceived and executed, this is an absorbing and exceptional first novel.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Suspenseful without being emotionally manipulative, compelling without resorting to shock value, this is a tightly spun debut that wrestles with many intense ideas and ends with a knife twist that will send readers racing back to the beginning again.” — Booklist (starred review)
“Seen through Jackson’s dark portrait of the legal system and the failures of parents and social workers, Mary’s environments are as grim as the stories that play out in them; readers fascinated by procedural dramas will be thoroughly hooked.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Booklist (starred review)
PRAISE FOR GROWN: "Gripping in both its content and format . . . Jackson's writing some of the best thrillers for teens these days."
Shelf Awareness
This YA novel harmonizes music and prose to create a certified literary banger.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"The nuanced depiction of Mari’s struggle with mental health is emotionally resonant; the story of a mostly Black city nearly wiped out by draconian drug laws and gentrification is authentic and timely; and the simmering tension and jump scares make the horror element satisfyingly chilling... Jackson ticks off the best tropes of horror here with enthusiastic glee, and Ms. Suga will have more than a few readers checking their basements before bedtime."
BookPage
Readers will feel connected to these teens’ love of hip-hop, their loyalty to each other and their love for their community . . . offers moving portraits of young people . . . an engaging ode to ’90s hip-hop and to love in many forms.
Horn Book Magazine
"In another ripped-from-the-headlines novel, Jackson takes readers through a heart-pounding thriller exploring physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, misogynoir, and rape culture... this novel is sure to initiate important conversations while delivering an engrossing story."
School Library Journal
★ 08/01/2022
Gr 9 Up—Inspired by a Georgia school whose first integrated prom was in 2014, Jackson's nod to Stephen King's Carrie incorporates racially charged social justice themes into a narrative featuring her signature twisty suspense. Madison Washington is biracial, but her uber-religious abusive father passes her as white since her mother is dead. He insists that "no one can ever know" about her natural hair that he hot combs weekly. After she's caught in a rainstorm and her secret is exposed, she is bullied and harassed by her classmates for being Black. This viral video incident awakens an energy within her; desks in the classroom levitate but the incident is reported as an "earthquake." White classmate Wendy tries to merge the school's white and Black proms into an integrated prom, so she can attend with her Black football star boyfriend, Kenny. She later encourages Kenny to take Maddy to the prom—but she doesn't count on Kenny developing feelings for Maddy. Meanwhile, the mean girl crowd arranges sinister plans for prom night, and Maddy's telekinetic powers emerge again as the prom erupts in fiery, bloody chaos. Supernatural portions of the book are explosive and riveting, with the racist realistic parts are even more horrifying. A content warning is advised for racism, bullying, colorism, child abuse, gore/violence, police brutality, and racial slurs. The non-linear, fast-paced plot also includes true crime podcast elements, news clips, and witness testimonies. VERDICT Readers will be hooked from page one of Maddy's intense journey that detonates on prom night.—Lisa Krok
SEPTEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
Versatile narrators effectively differentiate interwoven characters’ perspectives in this retelling of Stephen King’s CARRIE, made more horrific by its theme of racism. Maddy (Carrie redux), a timid biracial teen who is bullied at school, has secret psychic powers that explode on prom night. As a broadcast reporter, portrayed by Christopher Salazar, tracks the facts of what happened, his neutrality is challenged by his British cohost, portrayed by Sarah Mollo-Christensen. Mollo-Christensen also portrays the spoiled Jules, who manipulates prejudice to her advantage. JD Jackson captures African American Kenny’s easygoing temperament. His personality contrasts with that of his white girlfriend, Wendy, as Joy Nash delivers the driven girl’s determination to look good. Karen Malina White expresses the torment of Maddy. Collectively, the narrators ensure that the story is clear and captivating. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2022 Best Audiobook © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2022-06-08
Jackson’s latest retells Stephen King’s Carrie with electric social commentary.
Springville, inspired by real towns in the United States that still have segregated proms, has a lot of learning to do. No one knows this better than Madison Washington, a light-skinned biracial girl who has grown up with her White father and has been passing for White her entire life. At least, until a surprise rainy day during gym class exposes her hair’s natural texture and her Black ancestry and she’s outed against her will. Her White classmates react by throwing pencils at her hair, and a video of the incident goes viral. White senior Wendy, concerned about looking good to potential colleges, decides to try to reverse the negative press by advocating for Springville’s first ever integrated prom. Feeling guilty about her role in Maddy’s bullying, she also convinces Kendrick Scott, her Black boyfriend, to ask Maddy to the prom as an act of goodwill. Fans of King’s novel and its film adaptations will know this doesn’t end well for anyone. Jackson’s expert reshaping of this tale highlights the genuine horrors of both internalized and externalized anti-Blackness, as with the way she weaponizes Maddy’s father’s hot comb as a symbol of terror and subjugation. In this masterwork novel, a teen girl—mistreated from birth by a racist society—finally gets her revenge.
Horror done right. (Horror. 13-18)
