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Grown

Tiffany D. Jackson (Goodreads Author),

Joniece Abbott-Pratt (Narrator)

4.37 · Rating details · 7,204 ratings · 1,884 reviews

8 hours, 18 minutes

“Grown exposes the underbelly of a tough conversation, providing a searing examination of misogynoir, rape culture, and the vulnerability of young black girls. Groundbreaking, heart-wrenching, and essential reading for all in the #MeToo era.” —Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles

Award-winning author Tiffany D. Jackson deliv ...more

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Published September 15th 2020 by HarperAudio/Katherine Tegen Books

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Jan 24, 2020 Kai rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, important

I fell in love with this cover the way you fall down a very steep set of stairs when you miss a step: instantly and without a chance of resistance

My first Tiffany Jackson book won't be my last. As a matter of fact, Allegedly has been on my radar for years and now I'm even more determined to read it. Grown was brutal thriller, a battle cry, a sucker punch on rape culture.

I finished this book in half a day. I flew through the pages in a single sitting. It helped that the chapters are short, the pa I fell in love with this cover the way you fall down a very steep set of stairs when you miss a step: instantly and without a chance of resistance

My first Tiffany Jackson book won't be my last. As a matter of fact, Allegedly has been on my radar for years and now I'm even more determined to read it. Grown was brutal thriller, a battle cry, a sucker punch on rape culture.

I finished this book in half a day. I flew through the pages in a single sitting. It helped that the chapters are short, the pace quick, the story enthralling and horrifying at once. It's about a Black girl from a poor family who loves to sing. When a famous rapper discovers her at a talent show he takes her under his wing and promises her love and fame. Sounds like a dream, but it's a nightmare. Enchanted is 17, Korey 28. As his influence on her grows, she loses control over her future, her body and her mind.

The book starts with a body and a lot of blood. Korey is dead, which turns out to be a relief, because the more we read, the happier we are to know that this will all end eventually. To begin with, Korey flirts with her, sends her inappropriate messages, is affectionate and caring. We're supposed to like him, because he's talented and cute but proves to be so vulnerable. But the age gap remains, and if you didn't have a problem with it to begin with, you will soon realise that the power imbalance in this relationship does tremendous harm to the main character - and many other girls in real life that are in similar situations. Korey kidnaps Enchanted, takes her phone, cuts her off from her friends and parents, forces her into clothes and roles she feels uncomfortable in, drugs her, gaslights her, physically and sexually abuses her. All of these things are painful but some even impossible to read. What makes this story even more brutal is that this is by no means a made-up situation. It is a reality that many girls and women but also men, trans, nonbinary and queer people experience. (In each over these case, however, the power dynamic is an entirely different one.) This loosely draws on the case of R. Kelly and his predatory, pedophile behaviour. It is important to mention that we're talking about children here. This book particularly talks about the abuse that some of the most vulnerable people in our society experience: Black and poor teenage girls. That is a blatant abuse of power, but it's not the act of a single person. We're talking a group, an industry, a society that turns a blind eye to violence. It's a structural issue, and that makes it even more lethal.

This is why I'm thankful that books like Grown exist, that they are accessible to young (and old) minds. They give you the tools to recognise and fight injustice. They give you the words to name and fight inequality.

It's an inherently feminist book, one that shows the intersections of identities and how they all influence the privileges we have (or don't have) and how society treats us accordingly.

The only criticism I have is that the book is so fast-paced that the structure of the plot almost crumbles. The closer we get to the ending, the more the story dissolves into fractures, and we often only see the most important scenes; finer details are lost in the cracks. I'm also not entirely sure what I think about those last two pages...

I say, read this book, but only read it if you feel safe and stable. It's very hard to stomach and could easily trigger readers.

Find more of my books on Instagram ...more

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Sep 20, 2020 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Okay. I need a drink. Something strong. I feel the rocks sit on my chest. I’m pissed. I’m sad. I’m heartbroken. What an intense, gripping, soul shaking, thought provoking, depressing but also outstandingly realistic, harsh, honest story I’ve just finished.

The novel has a shocking opening: A young girl, Enchanted Jones wakes up in a room with painful headache. Her vision is still blurry. Where is she? Oh no, what the hell are those red pools cover the floor? Beet juice. Who does pour beet juice ...more

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Aug 10, 2020 daph pink ♡ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-young-adult, genre-mystery-thrillers, 3-star, cover-fetish

Miss Tiffany Jackson do you hear my angry sobs? Yes I am fucking disappointed and I have complete right to be because my most anticipated "Y/A MYSTERY THRILLER " proved out to be an absolute unoriginal , naive and boring read.

Yess , so since the announcement of this book and the cover reveal I was so excited for this because I loved her Mondays not coming and I was waiting for it so eagerly because my arc request was cancelled too so you can see my anticipation was on seventh sky !

Yeah so mov Miss Tiffany Jackson do you hear my angry sobs? Yes I am fucking disappointed and I have complete right to be because my most anticipated "Y/A MYSTERY THRILLER " proved out to be an absolute unoriginal , naive and boring read.

Yess , so since the announcement of this book and the cover reveal I was so excited for this because I loved her Mondays not coming and I was waiting for it so eagerly because my arc request was cancelled too so you can see my anticipation was on seventh sky !

Yeah so moving on , why I didn't liked it that much ?

Genre / Plot / story line

This premise, while not as fresh as the one Monday’s Not Coming had, seemed like it had potential. But the author didn't know what she wanted this book to be about? Was it a mystery thriller? Was it a contemporary fiction ? Was it based on true events ? Idk , it was all over the places for me. The book’s blurb and the way its first chapter began made me think the thriller aspect might get more page space than it did. I think the book had too much to lift—the abuse storyline, the murder storyline, and the social commentary. These aspects weren’t well-balanced. There probably wasn’t enough room to do all of that justice.

Characters

Enchanted’s portrayal is a bit uneven. We’re told that she’s mature for her age but her naïve, trusting personality gives a different impression. There’s a sweetness to Enchanted and I had sympathy for her and her situation. There was a point where her naivete and trust became hard to buy into.Korey is a disturbing, creepy villain, as he should be. The novel does a great job of showing how child rapists operate.

Narration

The book’s central POV is Enchanted’s first person narration. The reader can see she is confused and is being conned long before she does. Besides her POV sections, we also get sections of police interview transcripts and minutes from the meetings of Enchanted’s Will and Willow chapter. The latter hit on issues like the way people don’t pay attention when bad things befall Black girls and the way girls aren’t believed. While laudable, these comments feel shoehorned. I would have liked to see these themes developed more.The book moves back and forth in time. In the last third or so things start to feel messy and confusing, like the author doesn’t have control of the narrative.

Unnecessary twists and turns

There’s a letter to the reader as the front of the book that explains that Grown is #ownvoices in more than one way. The author is not only Black, like Enchanted, but like Enchanted, she was also sexually abused by while she was in her teens. The letter also states speaks about the abuse of power inherent in child rape and the way girls are disbelieved and faulted for grown men’s crimes. This is an important message and the author brings authenticity to this story. But she should stop putting unnecessary physiological twists in her story especially in the end, I mean I still couldn't get my mind around whole Gab thing and Enchanted is perfectly sane, no, wait, she’s experiencing delusions, wait, no, she’s sane, no, wait she’s delusional. The book flip-flopped on this point too much.

Cover

Well this book didn't turned out to that good but that cover is absolutely beautiful and nothing can change that fact plus it's also imp from story POV as Chanty never wanted to wear that wig and the cover showed her true self !

TW:- Rape, sexual assault , mental illness , abusive relationship, poverty , racist comments

Overall I think the story had potential but the author wasn't the right choice to tell this story ...more

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Aug 26, 2020 Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This was hard to get through at times because of the subject matter, but wow was it worth the listen. It is inspired by the allegations of abuse and sexual misconduct against R Kelly, and it deals very, very heavily with grooming, sexual assault, and emotional manipulation. If you're at all sensitive to those things, I would recommend treading with caution as it explores those topics very deeply on page and doesn't really pull any punches as it does so. However, I think that if you can handle th ...more

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Aug 25, 2020 Chelsea Humphrey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: recommended, netgalley, from-publisher

"In my past life, I was a mermaid. I lived deep in the ocean, swimming free, eating crustaceans, and singing five-octave ballads. My notes caused ripples in the sea-whales, turtles, and seahorses alike gathered for my daily concerts. But on land, I struggle to breathe. Humans don't understand my pescatarian diet, and singing is a concept, not an aspiration."

This book. Please be prepared, this one features heavy content that might be triggering for some folks who have experienced abusive relation ...more

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Nov 14, 2020 Gabby rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, audiobooks-i-listened-to, liked-it, cover-lust, student-teacher-relationships, contemporary, 5-star-books, arc-or-won-or-received, read-in-2020, own

So powerful. So moving. I think this is a really important story about things that happen in real life - men in the music industry taking advantage of young girls. This happens everywhere all the time, in every industry, and it’s tragic and it’s heartbreaking and I appreciate this author for writing such a beautiful story and bringing these issues to light.

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Jun 05, 2020 Melanie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own-voices, contemporary, quarantine-reads, buddy-reads, read-in-2020, young-adult

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Nov 30, 2020 Julie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, mystery-shelf, contemporary-fiction, e-book, edelweiss-review, ya

Grown by Tiffany G. Jackson is a 2020 Katherine Tegen Books publication.

Uncomfortable- Chilling- Important-

I wasn’t sure I wanted to read this book, for several reasons. One, this book is marketed as YA- and as I’ve stated previously, I struggle with this category- again, for several reasons.

Two, I learned while researching the book that it was inspired by the R. Kelly allegations, indicating the book might be disturbing and upsetting-

And three, I’ve already read one book this year with a si ...more

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Aug 02, 2020 Jananie (thisstoryaintover) added it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

HOLY. this book was intense and so very needed. both a mystery-thriller page-turner but also a very contemporary story of one young girl's loss of innocence as she is preyed upon by someone with power and fame—this book hit hard notes and is definitely unforgettable. Tiffany D. Jackson is quickly becoming a favourite author and I can't wait to go back and read more of her backlist. ...more

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May 05, 2020 Bookishrealm rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-realistic-fiction, black-books, books-read-in-2020

Update! Check out my full review: https://youtu.be/L5iL3uOhaz8

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy. All thoughts and ideas are my own.

Ohhh my goodness. Okay so let me first start by saying that there are a lot of TW in this book including rape, abuse (physical, mental, and emotional), child endangerment, drug use, sexual assault, mental health, discussion of suicide. If you're not aware, which I feel like most people are, Grown is a lose narrative of the stories and allegations that h Update! Check out my full review: https://youtu.be/L5iL3uOhaz8

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy. All thoughts and ideas are my own.

Ohhh my goodness. Okay so let me first start by saying that there are a lot of TW in this book including rape, abuse (physical, mental, and emotional), child endangerment, drug use, sexual assault, mental health, discussion of suicide. If you're not aware, which I feel like most people are, Grown is a lose narrative of the stories and allegations that have surrounded R. Kelly. As discussed in the documentary, R. Kelly stands accused of sexual misconduct, physical, mental, and emotional abuse of minors. While I thought that this book was simply going to follow the insight of what would have been a similar situation, it went A LOT further.

This wasn't easy to read. Some aspects of it were triggering. I read about things that I've been through myself. But what really hit home was the discussion of the treatment of black women. Black women are less likely to be believed when they come forward about allegations of misconduct towards them. People are more likely to make excuses for the accused party than to stand with the victim. During the height of the R. Kelly allegations, I remember going on social media and seeing black women and men degrade the women coming forward because "they asked for it" or "look how they dressed" or "why didn't they just leave." No victim should ever be blamed for anything that happens to them; yet, here we are constantly victim blaming the young black women who have been hurt at the hands of other individuals. Jackson captures this perfectly!

This book is definitely more than just a re-imagining of R. Kelly's story, it's a glimpse into the world of being a black woman and the mistreatment that black women face when they try to come forward about how they've been hurt. I honestly can't capture how I feel with just these few words, but I will be doing a full video review of this book. It definitely will stand as one of my favorite books of 2020 and I'll be buying a finished copy when it comes out. ...more

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Jul 11, 2020 Tatiana rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, ya, mysteries-thrillers-horror

I liked a big portion of this novel, but ultimately the author here bit off more than she could and needed to chew.

The inspiration for Grown is R. Kelly's case. This story is told from the perspective of Enchanted, a 17-year old aspiring singer. I think Jackson does a pretty good job answering questions R. Kelly's victims get asked a lot - Why did you hook up with a grown ass man? How did your family allow you, a teen girl, to live with him? Why did you stay when he started abusing you? Why didn ...more

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Nov 23, 2020 Emma Giordano added it · review of another edition

4.5 Stars

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Mar 18, 2020 Sahil Javed marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, bookshelf

i want more beautiful black girls on covers. this is perfection.

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Dec 21, 2020 C.G. Drews added it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2020, contemporary, young-adult

This is my 3rd Tiffany D Jackson book of the year and I'm absolutely in awe of her storytelling, the suspense, the masterful nuance in the way she tackles the darkest and most raw of topics. This one is about grooming, and it's confronting and bitterly gut-wrenching to read. It something that needs to be talked about: how when a young girl gets abused by an older man, the narrative is "she should've known better", not "that grown man is a monster". Girls are not GROWN just because they "look old ...more

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Sep 19, 2020 Peyton Reads rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Absolutely amazing, gut wrenching, and terrifying at the same time. Major trigger warnings for sexual abuse/assault, rape, and manipulation. This book is so important and I genuinely believe it will help so many young girls. And hopefully it can help other people open their eyes to how people won’t just listen to women! Especially Black women.

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Oct 24, 2020 BernLuvsBooks rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, ya-books, 2020

5 heart wrenching stars for this tough read about grooming, assault, abuse and how women are treated when they come forward with allegations. Grown is a heart wrenching but important read and unfortunately extremely relevant. 💔⁣⁣
⁣⁣
This book was emotionally charged and left me feeling spent when I turned the last page. The journey 17 year old Enchanted takes in this book is harrowing. The things she endures are unspeakable, worse because we know others have lived through the same and worse. My he ...more

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Feb 15, 2020 destiny ♡⚔♡ [howling libraries] marked it as to-read · review of another edition

This cover killed me, brought me back, and killed me again 💀🖤

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Nov 14, 2020 Jessica rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Trigger warnings for rape, grooming, abuse, drug use, and discussion of suicide.

Wow, this book was so heavy and emotional and real. I read this book in two days because I couldn't put it down. Enchanted was a normal teenager who just wanted her chance to be a star and an older, famous musician took complete advantage of her and violated her in every way. My heart went out to Enchanted, her family, and her friends. I really enjoyed how we got to see how hard it was for her parents when, in many ...more

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Jun 24, 2020 Liana Grace rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

YA authors are really trying to outdo each other with gorgeous cover art lately.

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Oct 13, 2020 Starlah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: thrillers, 2020

CW: emotional and physical abuse, mentions of sexual abuse, rape, assault, child abuse, kidnapping, addiction to opioids, domestic abuse in a romantic relationship, grooming, pedophilia, suicidal ideation

What an intense, heartbreaking, gripping, thought-provoking, depressing, scarily realistic story. I'm so angry. I'm so sad. For the majority of this book, I legitimately felt like there was a giant rock sitting on my chest. This book brought me the closest to tears than any other book I've read CW: emotional and physical abuse, mentions of sexual abuse, rape, assault, child abuse, kidnapping, addiction to opioids, domestic abuse in a romantic relationship, grooming, pedophilia, suicidal ideation

What an intense, heartbreaking, gripping, thought-provoking, depressing, scarily realistic story. I'm so angry. I'm so sad. For the majority of this book, I legitimately felt like there was a giant rock sitting on my chest. This book brought me the closest to tears than any other book I've read in the past handful of months. And it was so fucking good.

The story opens up with a young girl named Enchanted Jones who wakes in a room with a painful headache. Her vision is blurry. She doesn't know where she is. But below her, someone has spilled beet juice and it is pooling around her. But, no ... that's not beet juice. It is blood. The room is covered in blood, and this is not her house, and the body next to her is Korey - Korey Fields, a legendary R&B artist - and he is not moving. Not breathing. And the police are at the door.

We then go back to the beginning. Enchanted Jones just wants to chase her dreams of being a singer. She is only 17 but already knows how to shine like a star on stage; pouring her feelings into the classics she used to listen to with her grandmother. And then her life changed when she is discovered by famous, charming, good-looking R&B artist Korey Fields who attends a singing competition Enchanted is in.

Korey sees her potential and claims he wants to help her career by giving her free singing lessons and time in his personal, private studio. Then, he asks her to join his tour and record label, and Enchanted feels like she is in a dream - one she never wants to wake from. Her parents are cautious about Enchanted working alone with Korey who is 28, but Enchanted wants this so bad. She wants to be a singer. She wants to fall in love with Korey. And then she wakes up and realizes she is not in a dream, but a never-ending nightmare. The love of her life is an obsessed, abusive, manipulating monster who holds her captive in his house, preying on her insecurities, isolating her from her family, and an abused Enchanted must find a way out.

This story is smart and shocking and painfully real. It is one of the best, most powerful YA books I have read in a long time. This is my first Tiffany D. Jackson and I just think she did such an incredible job of making me feel terribly uncomfortable and stressed. Like ... this was just so good. So many feels. All of the stars. I loved this, even though it caused me so much pain.

And of course the cover. Just beautiful. One of my favorites. I want more Black folks on covers. ...more

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Jul 09, 2020 Jennifer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss

Grown is my fourth book by this author. It is Young Adult contemporary realistic fiction with a bit of a mystery.

This author is extremely unique. So I always look forward to reading her books. She writes meaningful and relevant stories about black teens.

This book is divided into 4 parts. And has a NOW and THEN story line. The narrator is 17 year old Enchanted/Chanty Jones.

In the NOW there is blood everywhere and something bad has happened. In the THEN we get to see Enchanted in high school (she ...more

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Nov 18, 2020 Maria rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Damn. This book had me angry the ENTIRE TIME. The entire situation was angering, and just ugggghhh. This book will have you sad, angry, and heart broken.

This book wasn’t only about trafficking, gaslighting, child abuse - it’s also about the system, and how it works against Black women, who receive the worst consequences from the system, just by being Black and a woman.

This is one of the hardest books I’ve read all year, but also my most anticipated. It did not disappoint. A must-read for everyo ...more

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May 28, 2020 Bang Bang Books rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Wanna listen to our reviews instead of reading, check out our podcast. https://thenoveluniverse.podbean.com

1.5

As always, I hate giving such a low rating to a Black author but this book didn't know what it wanted to be.

Issues I Had With This Book:
* Is this a murder mystery, is it a thriller, is it a social commentary about abused and neglected Black girls? One could argue that it could be all those things and technically a book could do that (Sadie by Courtney Summers-sans Black girls) but it ca ...more

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Oct 04, 2020 Arna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Firstly, this is by far one of my favourite covers ever!

This one really took me by surprise, that tends to be happening with YA books lately. I love how YA mystery books tend to have other powerful themes throughout.

The subject matter is heavy but so important by providing an insight into how easily young girls can become involved in grooming relationships and how quickly things can escalate out of control.

Thank you so much @harpercollinsaustralia for my gifted copy. I highly suggest you pick ...more

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Sep 21, 2020 chantel nouseforaname rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star, black-women-writers, book-club-reads, high-impact-reads, cultural-commentary, heavy

#MUTERKELLY #MUTECHRISBROWN #MUTETORYLANEZ #MUTEALLTHESEFUCKINGABUSERS

Tiffany D. Jackson did that shit. Yo listen, this was a painful read. It was not something glorious to read but it definitely highlighted and categorized how abusive predators like Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein, R Kelly, Russell Simmons, etc could/did manipulate young women hoping to enter the entertainment industry into sexually exploitative situations. In the case of R Kelly, whom this book is clearly modelled after, it #MUTERKELLY #MUTECHRISBROWN #MUTETORYLANEZ #MUTEALLTHESEFUCKINGABUSERS

Tiffany D. Jackson did that shit. Yo listen, this was a painful read. It was not something glorious to read but it definitely highlighted and categorized how abusive predators like Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein, R Kelly, Russell Simmons, etc could/did manipulate young women hoping to enter the entertainment industry into sexually exploitative situations. In the case of R Kelly, whom this book is clearly modelled after, it shows how his predatory behaviour, mind games and manipulation lured young black girls 15, 16, 17 year olds into a lifestyle that was abusive, exploitative and illegal. It highlights how various men and industries, like the personal security industry, like corrupt and racist policing, like the entertainment “personal assistant” industry conspire to abuse a specific segment of women that they believe will not be believed - that they believe no one cares about. Wherever you see a man committing these crimes; there are a bunch of people behind him allowing these things to happen - in some cases procuring and arranging victims for these sick and twisted fuckers.

I know Ms. Jackson says it’s not about R Kelly, but it follows the story so closely of those girls in the Surviving R. Kelly doc it’s actually alarming. I felt like I was reading the story of Azriel Clary and Jocelyn Savage. I also love how Tiffany goes into her own experience of dating older young men when she was a high school student and why young women experience this, especially young black women and what it means and what the differences look like when you’re in a reasonable relationship 2-4 year age difference where you’re treated with respect and love versus an unreasonable 10-12 year age difference where you’re controlled and have to live in hiding, dealing with being sexually exploited by a grown ass man. It made me think back to my high school experiences and that of my friends, other young black girls my age that I went to school with and the predators who were always lurking. Why did they feel so comfortable lurking the black girls.. a great point, broken down right on the nose at the end of this novel.

My book club buddy Elena reminded me this book was coming out because she was in the process of reading it, so shout outs to her for reminding me.

Tiffany D. Jackson is an amazing writer, she captures the black family experience so well. She tells stories common in the lives of black women and girls with such clarity and passion. She brings forth humanity and poses the tough questions that people need to grapple with; questions surrounding neglect, love, hurt and the worth internally and externally of black women and girls. I highly recommend this book, you’ll fly through it. I couldn’t put it down. Enchanted is a character I won’t soon forget. ...more

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Nov 09, 2020 Claude's Bookzone rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: unacceptable-mc-behaviour, unhealthy-relationships, content-warning-see-text

CW: (view spoiler)

My wounds are invisible, weeping invisible blood. Can anyone see the black and blue marks painted on my heart? What if that's it. What if I'm invisible. That's why no one has tried to save me. Why no one can hear my screams, inside and out.

Well I now feel like I have significantly more insight into the deplorable world of grooming.

This book was so difficul ...more

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Aug 03, 2020 Olivia added it · review of another edition

[quoted from uncorrected ARC]

"That's stupid as Hell. Even if she did, HE knew better. Not looking at their age don't change their age. Your dad is being messy."

Alrighty, right off the bat- this book isn't a 'fun' read. It is disheartening and sad and left me so uneasy. But I am pretty certain that was the author's goal. The author did a great job of showing the early warning signs of situations like this, and the commentary of the other characters in this book feels like we are reading how socie [quoted from uncorrected ARC]

"That's stupid as Hell. Even if she did, HE knew better. Not looking at their age don't change their age. Your dad is being messy."

Alrighty, right off the bat- this book isn't a 'fun' read. It is disheartening and sad and left me so uneasy. But I am pretty certain that was the author's goal. The author did a great job of showing the early warning signs of situations like this, and the commentary of the other characters in this book feels like we are reading how society views the whole situation which is, often times, incredibly disappointing and lacking in empathy- especially when it involves black girls. This is also a type of thriller/page turner because I *really* needed to know the fate of our main character.

This follows a young aspiring artist, Enchanted, whose life is completely turned around when she meets superstar Korey Fields. This is clearly inspired by the real life R. Kelly case, but aims to go beyond that and discuss subjects regarding all the different aspects of cases like that such as:
- abuse of power
- how society excuses men's behavior at the expense (and faulting) of young girls.
- relationships with age gaps, specifically when one is a minor
- how many *other* people are complicit/quiet. I particularly like that this was shown.
- how all of the above especially affects young Black girls- and how society treats black girls.

All of this plays out as a thriller- it starts off in present time with Korey dead then goes in to the time leading up to then. That first chapter/page really got my attention too because it was like a oh- he is *dead* dead. And our main character is in major trouble.

The is written with very short chapters which I think is also part of what makes it read so quick. I do wish there was some different choices made for what parts of the story we see in this timeline. Some scenes I was hoping to see weren't shown. I think maybe a little more time with Enchanted prior to her involvement with Korey would have been nice to get a better understanding of how she feels about her family and where she is coming from. I get the feeling that there will still be readers who question her reasoning or even judging her (even though it should be very clear, as this books makes a point of saying, that the focus should be on the problem of the ABUSER), and I think that is the last thing this book is trying to do.

I think this is a LOT for one book- it has a lot to say, and plenty that other people need to hear. I am undecided on my overall feeling of this one. Glad to have read it and if you were already interested/curious, I would definitely recommend checking it out! It makes me eager to check out Tiffany Jackson's other work (Allegedly has been on my TBR for years).

...more

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Nov 17, 2020 mish ♡ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, poc-rep, mystery-thriller

This quote is so so important:

❝Malcolm X said it best. ❝The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.❞❞

Once in a while, a book comes along that is powerful in a different way (aside from just being entertaining), and it's hard to really get your thoughts out. I'm going to say what a lot of ppl have, that Grown is a meaningful read that everyone should experience.
It w ...more

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Nov 02, 2020 Emer (A Little Haze) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, 4stars, read2020, reviewed, books-owned-all-formats, young-adult, all-the-pretty-covers

So frequently women and girls are not believed. They’re asking for it. They knew what they were doing. They were dressing provocatively... Victims are blamed and shamed.

But then if that woman or girl is Black it gets even worse. Their bodies are inherently sexualised in society and it’s disgusting. Disgusting that somehow Black girls’ bodies don’t belong to them. They’re there for the male gaze. For male gratification.

In Grown Tiffany D. Jackson predominantly takes inspiration from the cases o ...more

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Sep 14, 2020 Kelsie Maxwell rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-read

Grown is ripped-from-the-headlines Young Adult fiction from Tiffany D. Jackson.

Seventeen-year-old high school student, Enchanted Jones, awakens covered in blood with no memory of what has occurred. Her dream of being a professional singer has gone all wrong. She was ecstatic when esteemed R&B singer, Korey Fields, acknowledged her and became her mentor, that is, until she met the other Korey. Her role model has a “dark” side. Now, Korey is dead and the police are at the door. Her hopes and drea ...more

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Challenge Corner: Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson -> Restarting January 20th, 2021	15	19	Jan 12, 2021 12:54PM
Mock Printz 2021: Dec/Jan Final Discussion: Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson and We Are Not Free by Traci Chee	5	59	Jan 03, 2021 10:26AM
YA Buddy Readers'...: Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson--Starting October 15th, 2020	54	30	Nov 10, 2020 01:50PM

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About Tiffany D. Jackson

Tiffany D. Jackson

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Tiffany D. Jackson is the New York Times Bestselling author of YA novels including the Coretta Scott King — John Steptoe New Talent Award-winning Monday’s Not Coming, the NAACP Image Award-nominated Allegedly, Let Me Hear A Rhyme, and her 2020 title GROWN. She received her bachelor of arts in film from Howard University, her master of arts in media studies from the New School, and has over a decad ...more

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Quotes from Grown

“Our daughter was stalked, preyed upon, and assaulted by a grown man. This is when we need our village the most.” — 8 likes

“What a woman wears or doesn’t wear doesn’t give anyone the right to touch them. Well, you know he’s had a rough childhood. Abandoned by his mom, didn’t know his father, raised by his grandma who passed. We’ve all BEEN through a lot but that don’t give you no excuse to abuse girls.” — 4 likes

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