Grown Hardcover – September 15, 2020

🛑SPOILERS🛑⭐️: 4.75/5I brought this book a while back and kept putting it off. This is the first book I have read by Tiffany D. Jackson. Based on it I want people to put respect on her name.We are introduced to Enchanted and based on reviews I knew this book was like a R.Kelly story.I'm oing say this people might call Enchanted naive and stupid or felt she could have done more, but that is easier said then done. First, she was expected to be a parent to her younger siblings that she didn't give birth to just because she is the oldest. As a older sister I know how that fells and to want to live life, but have to grow up quickly. So, when Korey came around and was feeding her all of this information including freedom I understood completely on behalf of Enchanted 🤷🏾‍♀️. Not to mention she wanted to take care of her family.Speaking of family I didn't like Enchanted parents at first. They basically wanted there daughter to be a babysitter and then she became there cashcow. They didn't realize anything was wrong until it was to late, but I am glad they supported her and started to understand her more towards the end of the book.As for Korey. Hated Him. Disliked Him. & Despied Him. I wanted to see him be held accountable for what he did, but he wasn't, however, I am happy his victims got a voice.The reason I didn't give the book a five star because scenes where there could have been a plot it wasn't taken advantage of. To add on, somethings were forgotten. I wanted Koreys murder scene and leading up to it to be longer. Also, the conflict around it wasn't shown much and Richies and Jessica's reasoning made absolutely no since at all to me. I also wanted to know what happened to Derrick? Was it Enchanted in that video? Did Enchanted see Korey that that "concert"?But, the book was amazing and I still would re-read it. The twist and turns finding out Enchanted was not mentally ill and people were playing against her was crazy 😳 .Not to mention the twist st the end 😱. I had to go back and read it again because I wasn't sure if that was true and I read it correctly.This book was great and talked about a series issue that affects the world. This man groomed this young girl and held her against her will. He used his money to control her and her family. Read this book and see what women and men talk about because it is a huge narrative that is true within America.

GROWN was a book that I was immediately interested in upon hearing about it because (1) it was literally all over Instagram for a hot minute (okay, more like a hot month) and (2) that cover. I also really liked the premise. In the age of #MeToo, it feels really important to have books like this coming out that not only draw awareness to the issue of abuse but also sort of provide a sort of cathartic solace for the victims of such abuse where they have books that either make them feel seen or maybe make them realize that they're in or have been in an unhealthy relationship and that they aren't at fault for it.Apparently, GROWN is loosely based off of R. Kelly, but it mostly seems to be about grooming behaviors and the blinding power of celebrity cult status. Enchanted is a normal high school girl with a beautiful singing voice. Her family are lower middle class and don't really have the funds to give her the launch pad she wants, so when she catches the attention of mega-star Korey Fields, she feels like she's won the lottery. Especially since he seems to know all of the words to make her feel special on a deeply personal level.But the more time Enchanted spends with Korey, the more she begins to wonder if something isn't right. The eleven-year age gap, the purple drinks he plies her with, the way he begins to insult her as freely as he compliments her, the way he sometimes keeps her locked up in her room. Soon it starts to feel like she hasn't won the lottery at all, so much as plunged headfirst into a deep ocean without a life preserver. And it seems like her family, with their few resources, are in little to no position to help.So I ended up not liking this as much as I wanted to. There were a couple things I thought GROWN did really well. It told the story of abuse without sensationalizing it or giving too many gory details (which is important since this is a young adult book). That said, it was still pretty horrific if you know what's really going on. I also liked that it touches upon the way that we, as a society, tend to approach victims of abuse, sometimes treating them with the suspicion that the perpetrators should be treated with. There's an assumption of falsehood in the way that some authority figures talk to people reporting crimes of abuse and this book calls that out, and it also calls out the fact that women of color can be disproportionately affected because of infrastructural inequality that ends up facilitating their abuse.Things I didn't like were a little more integral to the writing itself. The dialogue was very wooden at times and didn't always flow in a way that felt natural. I also felt like all the characters who weren't Enchanted fell flat. Her parents and siblings, as others have pointed out, but also Korey himself. He was so oily and repulsive-- and yes, I know I'm biased since I knew exactly what he was going in and hated him for it, but he didn't really have any of the surface charm that these serial abusers tend to have that makes them so good at manipulating people. He was just skeevy. I'm not sure if that was the point or not. If it wasn't, it wasn't subtle. He might as well have worn a name tag that said, "Hi, I'm a CREEP." I also felt like the book was a bit all over the place in terms of execution, taking on too much for its page count, and ended up reading like an overly ambitious debut because of it.So while this wasn't bad, I'm afraid it didn't quite live up to the hype, either. Still, it's worth a read.2.5 out of 5 stars

A Tragic yet Beautiful story for all the girls. I think this piece revealed many sides of a story that many girls have possibly come across. I mean this to say you may not portray the main character but somewhere in that book that reaction or person resembles you. Really offers that from the outside looking in kind of perspective and helps paint a broader picture for what seems like a plague of naive girls. This review is not a summary in anyway but I want to bring attention to the power this book can hold, it’s subtle but there. I enjoyed it thoroughly and had a hard time putting it down, a good read without a doubt. Give it a try ! it won’t disappoint you, i definitely had my jaw dropped a couple of times, even some anxiousness from the thrill of some events lol and some high emotions of anger more than anything from some parts but wow, GREAT READ. ALSOO, this book can definitely if anything SHOULD be read by men as well because of the versatility in perspective i referred to earlier. #womenrelate🫶🏽

It was def a page turner. I applaud it on not being too predictable. The reasons I give it 4/5 stars is because it’s a story we’ve all heard/seen before. It had its twists but I wanted just something a little more over the top, a little more wow. I could just be being picky. Also, because it seemed to be over quickly. Which maybe that’s just what all good books feel like? But it’s like once the drama started it got a little rushy. I enjoyed this book though.

Such a powerful read that will give you insight into to some of the issues that young girls face at the hands of a predator and how their innocence is stripped after the abuse they face. This is my first Tiffany D. Jackson book but sure won’t be my last.I got to be honest and say I did struggle to read this, and it wasn’t because of the writing or the book itself, but because of what the main character went through throughout this book. It literally made me sick to my stomach and I had to put in down multiple times as I just couldn’t take anymore. This book has many trigger warnings and I advise before reading, to read the trigger warnings at the front of the book. There is also very important information at the back such as the author note. Read this as the author explains how this book is inspired by a case… but is not about R. Kelly.❗️𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 ❗️Mentions of sexual abuse, rape, assault, child abuse, kidnapping, and addiction to opioids.Grown is a mix between mystery and psychological fiction. You have all these important topics within the book but with a more darker storyline. Korey Fields is dead!❗️ 𝐃𝗼𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝗼𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝗼𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫, 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝗼𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝗼𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝗼𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 ❗️Where this book is a difficult one to read due to the topics it surrounds, it is also so intense and gripping that you can’t stop reading. Your constantly turning the page, wanting…1. To figure out what the hell is going on with Enchanted’s friend2. To get past all the awful stuff that is happening to Enchanted…and3. Is Korey dead yet?I don’t think I’ve ever hated a character so much before. Korey is a vile, disgusting character and I was constantly shouting at the book while tears were pouring because what he was doing… I don’t even have words for. Tears were pouring for Enchanted. I just wanted to give her a cuddle and take her away from the bad, right after I punch Korey or worse. Grown will give you so many emotions, that I particularly couldn’t handle but also a brilliant insight into how young girls; and mainly Black girls can be treated at the hands of a predator and the consequences they face when coming out about their experiences.Jackson delivers a powerful and gut wrenching story that exposes horrific secrets hiding behind the spotlight and embraces the power of a young woman’s voice. –If you feel you can sit through this then read it. It needs to be read by everyone. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never read anything like it. I will 100% be picking up more of her novels as her writing and powerful storytelling is astounding.

Genuine Review! I haven't read a book of this length in one go, in forever. A mandatory teen read, to understand how coercive adults manipulate young minds, to cover for their failure at relationships. Yes, girls and boys, older and old men/women do only want one thing from you, as it makes them feel powerful. And, if they are famous and rich, they will use blackmail to get it. They care nothing for you and will fling you away like trash.

I was totally engrossed and actually couldn't put this book down. I couldn't wait to get to the end but at the same time, I didn't want the book to end.However, despite the author stating this is not based on R Kelly, you can't help but see the similarities.This is the 3rd book I've read by Tiffany....I just love her style. Would definitely recommend this book, Allegedly and Monday's not coming.

This book had me hooked from the first page. I read it all in one sitting. It is definitely hard to read in some areas, but so worth it. So so worth it. I would definitely recommend this book

Honestly, I really enjoyed this book. It is very well-written and full of cliffhangers. This story definitely resonates as misogynoir is an issue that is very present in our society, yet too often disregarded.