The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson review: Shocking, unsettling and gripping

The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson: The review

God, few other books have made me as uncomfortable as The Scammer. It’s unsettling in a number of ways thanks to the way it deals with race and racism, and many of its themes are as important as they are confronting. But it’s the twisty, intense and brilliantly-written narrative at the heart of The Scammer that really sticks its daggers in you.

This is the story of Jordyn, who has just started her first semester at a Historically Black College. It’s a big deal for her, as she’s gone from being seen as the “other” to someone who finally belongs. But her happiness is short-lived when one of her roommates moves in their brother. Devonte. He’s just out of prison, and has nowhere else to go. To begin with, he’s friendly and helpful. But it doesn’t take long for his intentions to turn really sinister.

Devonte worms his way into Jordyn and her roommates’ lives, controlling every element of what they do and how they act. With very specific beliefs about race and humankind, Devonte begins to indoctrinate as many college students as possible into his twisted way of thinking. The things he does and says to Jordyn and her friends genuinely made my stomach turn at times; I’ve never read a character as abhorrent as him.

I’m glad I didn’t pay too much attention to the blurb before jumping into The Scammer, as it’s a little misleading. It makes it sound like a missing person mystery, when really the arc of a missing student doesn’t come into play until the last quarter of the book, and even then it’s very much downplayed next to the themes of control and coersion that are at its heart. It’s no bad thing, as I loved the story for what it is, but it’s just a shame it might not be exactly what you’re expecting.

While The Scammer may be hard to read at times, that’s only testament to Tiffany D. Jackson’s brilliant and visceral writing style. This is a sharp, devastating and gripping read, and while I felt its ending was perhaps a bit rushed, it doesn’t stop this book from being a fantastic read. Technically classed as young adult, it’s far more mature than a lot of adult fiction, and certainly less afraid to tackle difficult subjects.

Thanks to Insta Book Tours and Quill Tree Books for supplying me with a copy of the book for the purposes of this review.