The Weight of Blood

* AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * INDIE BESTSELLER * JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION * KIDS' INDIE NEXT LIST PICK * NPR BEST PICK * KIRKUS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR *

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 change their image: 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.

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432 pages

Average rating: 8.26

210 RATINGS

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22 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

stackedlibrarian
Dec 11, 2024
10/10 stars
4.5
BCA
Oct 21, 2024
7/10 stars
We enjoyed it as a collective.
faetedfantasy
Aug 18, 2024
6/10 stars
3.5 ⭐️
Please check all trigger warnings before reading this book.
After reading the first 50 pages I wasn’t sure I could continue. The racism displayed in this book was so heavy to read and left me almost in tears.
The book was a good read however reading the prologue and seeing the cover I knew the whole plot.
Shahna
Jul 18, 2024
10/10 stars
I had a great time.
I want to re-read Carrie now.

I would like Jules to have no arms please.
Age S.
Jun 05, 2024
6/10 stars
This was entertaining, and I appreciated how it made the reader think about the different roles that we play when it comes to race issues. It was an easy read, and I mean very easy, but I did enjoy it. It tapped into hot topic issues while also providing that old school nostalgic 80’s teen horror vibes.

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