Blood in the Water

May 1, 2025
In acclaimed YA author Jackson's middle-grade debut, 12-year-old Kaylani McKinnon expects bikes, beaches, and books during her first summer on Martha's Vineyard--not murder. When she leaves Brooklyn to stay with family friends the Watsons, a well-known Black family, her dad, who's incarcerated, reminds Kaylani not to worry about him--her "only job is to be a kid." Still, Kaylani is set on #operationFREEDAD--she even took a mock trial workshop to learn more about how to gain justice for her father. When popular teen Chadwick Cooper is found dead soon after Kaylani arrives on the island, she uses her investigative skills to find the culprit. Snobby London, the younger Watson daughter, reluctantly helps, and Chadwick's little brother Miles joins in too. But the closer they get to the murderer, the more it seems that Kaylani's first time on the island may be her last. The story, which centers on Black characters, shines a spotlight on the long history of wealthy Black people summering on Martha's Vineyard. Employing tight, steady writing, Jackson builds tension around the complexities of class and respectability politics. The worldbuilding and Kaylani's interior dialogue initially convey more of a YA novel tone, but once the story moves on to the island, the voice successfully settles into a solid middle-grade space. Endearing Kaylani is a little unsure of herself as she has a variety of new social interactions on the island, but overall she's confident and well adjusted. A perfect beach read for lovers of suspense.(Mystery. 9-12)

COPYRIGHT(2025) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from May 1, 2025
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* Kaylani McKinnon is not happy about spending the summer in Martha's Vineyard with friends of her grandmother, the Watsons. Their two granddaughters are stuck up, and she doesn't feel like she belongs in the bougie social scene of the African American Vineyard elite. All Kaylani wants to do is have her daily phone call with her dad and work on finding evidence to prove his innocence and get him out of jail. When a teenage boy she meets on her first day at the Vineyard winds up dead, Kaylani has to discover whether the sharks that supposedly killed him live in or out of the water. In her middle-grade debut, Jackson brings her trademark thrills and twists to a younger audience with riveting adeptness. Each character has unique problems and motives that will keep readers on their toes as they try to unravel the truth behind the teen's death. In addition to the mystery, the African American history and cultural significance of Martha's Vineyard are sprinkled throughout, adding further depth to the setting. This is a must-purchase mystery for all middle-grade collections and hopefully not the last we see from Jackson in this space.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Though her large fan base is comprised of YA readers, award winner Jackson's sterling reputation ensures there will be considerable interest in her middle-grade debut.

COPYRIGHT(2025) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from June 1, 2025

Gr 4-7-Jackson once again proves her brilliance at weaving suspense, heart, and truth into a story that refuses to let go. Twelve-year old Black girl and Brooklynite Kaylani's summer plans involve trying to fit into the elitist vibe of Martha's Vineyard, and clearing her incarcerated father's name. Then a boy turns up dead on the island and Kaylani is accused of stealing money. Her focus shifts to trying to clear her own name and finding out what happened to the teen. Was it really a shark attack-or was it murder? What makes this book shine isn't just the twists and turns of its plot, it's the voice. Jackson writes Kaylani with an ear so attuned to how preteens actually speak, think, and feel that every page feels authentic. Kaylani's voice is filled with the sharp wit, confusion, frustration, and hope of a contemporary 12-year-old. Her inflection and vulnerability are rendered with care and nuance, making her feel not just believable, but deeply relatable. This story deftly explores what it means to be "from the wrong side of the tracks" in a world that judges before it listens. Jackson doesn't shy away from tough topics-incarceration, classism, bullying, and how children carry burdens that aren't theirs-but she handles them with grace and empathy. The novel's emotional undercurrents are as powerful as the suspense that drives the plot. VERDICT A masterful middle-grade mystery that challenges, entertains, and lingers long after the final page. This one deserves a spot on every school and library shelf.-Jessica Clark

Copyright 2025 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2025
Twelve-year-old Kaylani can't understand why her incarcerated father wants her to go to Martha's Vineyard with family friends so badly. She'd planned to spend her summer at home in Brooklyn studying up on law so she can help get him out of prison; she knows her dad is innocent of his fraud and embezzlement charges. Though her hosts' granddaughter London is too snooty to attempt a relationship with her, Kaylani enjoys interacting with some of the kinder people on the island. Then, shockingly, a teen is found dead. The community is stunned to discover that authorities are looking into the death as a murder case, and Kaylani decides to put her investigative and legal skills to use. What she discovers could change the dynamic between her and London, expose hidden history of the island, and change her own future -- if she can survive the summer. Kaylani is a protagonist with whom readers will sympathize -- intelligent and determined without being two-dimensional. The history of African Americans on Martha's Vineyard is worked naturally into the story, as are issues of incarceration and classism. This debut middle-grade novel from acclaimed young adult author Jackson (The Weight of Blood, rev. 9/22) is immediately accessible to preteens but maintains the intensity for which Jackson is known.

(Copyright 2025 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2025
Twelve-year-old Kaylani can't understand why her incarcerated father wants her to go to Martha's Vineyard with family friends so badly. She'd planned to spend her summer at home in Brooklyn studying up on law so she can help get him out of prison; she knows her dad is innocent of his fraud and embezzlement charges. Though her hosts' granddaughter London is too snooty to attempt a relationship with her, Kaylani enjoys interacting with some of the kinder people on the island. Then, shockingly, a teen is found dead. The community is stunned to discover that authorities are looking into the death as a murder case, and Kaylani decides to put her investigative and legal skills to use. What she discovers could change the dynamic between her and London, expose hidden history of the island, and change her own future -- if she can survive the summer. Kaylani is a protagonist with whom readers will sympathize -- intelligent and determined without being two-dimensional. The history of African Americans on Martha's Vineyard is worked naturally into the story, as are issues of incarceration and classism. This debut middle-grade novel from acclaimed young adult author Jackson (The Weight of Blood, rev. 9/22) is immediately accessible to preteens but maintains the intensity for which Jackson is known. Eboni Njoku

(Copyright 2025 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)