I was so excited when I heard about this book and how it's a Carrie retelling but I was actually very apprehensive about reading this. I love Carrie but what if it's just Carrie with some changes? What if it isn't as good as Stephen King's?

The Weight of Blood is a very obvious Carrie retelling so having read that, I knew I will enjoy reading this no matter what. However, the story does lose some of that intended tension because I already have a general idea of where the story is going. Nevertheless, I was still on the edge of my seat most of the time.

The bullies here are worse. They're racist bullies so their shallowness, ignorance, and vileness are amplified.
This book is longer so there was more time to explore the characters which I really liked because I was able to gain a better understanding of them. There are characters I admired right from the beginning but then I slowly saw their faults and they felt more real to me. Then, there are characters who I hated and scoffed at but as I read the book, while I still wasn't a fan of them, it made me think that they're just doing the best that they can.

While I think the story will work even without the podcast parts, I actually liked those. I do wish the interview with some of the podcast guests were a little bit longer. I just wanted more details from them!

I love the writing. The pacing is done well. I didn't want to stop reading it.

I think I like the ending?? It was sorta clear but also a little bit open-ended. I would have loved to have an epilogue but at the same time, I don't think it's actually needed.
One thing that's quite unclear to me is how real is the love? Is Maddy supernaturally compelling this love to happen? Or was it really just a fast development?

So is it just Carrie with some changes? Yes, but they're good additions and Tiffany D. Jackson should be proud of this book.
Is it as good as Stephen King's? In my opinion, yes.

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