White smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

Marigold's newly merged family consisting of her mother, brother, step father and step sister, have been fortunate enough to have secured a free house from her mother's new job with the Sterling Foundation. While it means moving across the country from California to the midwest city of Cedarville, given recent events, it might be the fresh start she needs. Arriving in their new neighbourhood, the family can't help but notice how every house on the block but theirs is run down. And from the moment they arrive, there's something off. The construction workers all evacuate the property in a rush every day at the same time, household items vanish, doors open on their own, the lights are on, then are off, shadows walking down the hall, foul smells... And Piper, Mari's 10 year old step sister, says her new friend wants Mari gone. Who is her new friend? What happened to the boarded up house next door? What else is Cedarville hiding?

This thriller/horror is set in current day America, with a protagonist dealing with anxiety, past addiction and obsessive behaviours. While battling her cravings for the very thing that got her into trouble, Marigold gives readers an example of someone dealing with personal battles, and how this can impact those around them. With a steady pace through the book, the highly tense moments are written very well, building suspense and developing the characters so readers can relate to them. Compelling in a subtle way, readers will be able to get through the book quite quickly, especially as mysteries appear throughout.

Themes: Thriller, Horror, Suspense, YA, Addiction, Obsessive Behaviour, Anxiety, Step Families, Moving, Change.

Melanie Pages