Thank you to @netgalley and @harperaudio for a free download of the audiobook.

A Thought-Provoking Exploration of Black Girlhood

Tiffany D. Jackson's Grown is a powerful and poignant novel that delves into the complexities of Black girlhood, trauma, and identity. The story follows Korey, a young woman grappling with the aftermath of a traumatic event that has shaped her life.

Jackson's writing is both sensitive and unflinching, as she explores themes of grief, loss, and the power of resilience. The characters are complex and relatable, and the author's vivid prose brings their experiences to life. While the novel can be emotionally heavy at times, it also offers moments of hope and healing.

Grown is a thought-provoking and important read that will stay with you long after you finish the final page.

4 stars

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From the first beat juice, written pages I knew this book would be absolutely insane and I was totally correct I loved it

Grooming straight from the start, made me feel so uncomfortable, red flags all over the place. This YA book was written so well, I don't know why I put off so long reading this. This novel was a "R. Kelly" type story. There is a young girl named Enchanted who dreams of becoming a singer. She gets introduced to a popular rapper, Korey Fields. Korey has Enchanted in his cross hairs from day one. There is underage child grooming and underage child sex in this book, it is disturbing but definitely brings to light a problem that is going on. There is also a murder mystery wrapped into one. I think this was a very well written YA novel, but with mature subjects.

This riveting mystery starts when Enchanted wakes up covered in blood with no memory of what happened. Her mentor Korey Fields is dead and she doesn't know if she's to blame.

High school student Enchanted desperately wants to be a performer and is lucky enough to impress the hugely successful Korey Fields at an audition. Korey takes her under his wing in what becomes a dangerous whirlwind. Enchanted learns quickly that the charming Korey has a very dark side.

"A ripped-from-the-headlines story about sexual exploitation, the dark crimes of celebrity elites, and the power of silence and speaking up, Grown is set in the modern day and uses a nonlinear plot to explore the uncomfortable conversation at the heart of the #MeToo movement against sexual abuse and harassment."

Trigger warnings: Grooming, sexual assault, self-harm, mental and physical abuse and opioid addiction.

Why do I choose to torture myself!?! I put this book off for years because I knew it would be a rough one to get through and man was it. It's always hard to read about abusive relationships especially when as the reader you see all the red flags and see the relationship slowly shift to that of a nightmare. It's especially hard when the victim is so young and impressionable and blinded by "love". These stories are important to talk and to read about. This was such a raw and gripping story that Jackson seamlessly weaves together.

“Trying to reclaim [her] life is a lot like drowning” (238), and she has a long road to recovery.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

This book was HARD. But like all of Tiffany D. Jackson's books are, they're also needed. The narration was absolutely stunning and kept me captivated even at parts when the subject matter got too much. Awesome book.

Truly an excellent read. It is a very hard to digest topic but such an important story to be told. Definitely a worthwhile read that will make you think.

What Worked
🎤 Tiffany D. Jackson's ability to make the red flags about Korey's interest in Enchanted super obvious to readers while also keeping Enchanted's innocence and willingness to believe Korey realistic is incredibly impressive.

🎤 This book is loosely based on the R. Kelly cases but Korey Fields is a villain of his own making and I really appreciated that the author was able to use the cases as a base but provide a while new story

🎤 A lot of reviewers seemed to hate the portrayal of Enchanted which makes me sad because honestly I feel that she was written like an innocent teenager with no knowledge of the world and blinded by love.

What Missed the Mark
🎤 I really did not like the way Enchanted's parents were portrayed. I mean don't get me wrong, parents make mistakes all the time and I don't blame them for what happened to Enchanted. But to me they came across as being way too passive. There were too many scenes throughout the novel that just made me rage so hard at them.

🎤 I really wanted to see Enchanted fight more, especially after her escape in the middle of the novel. Maybe I'm being unkind because she does have a lot of trauma to work through but i don't know. For someone who dug so deep into herself just to survive Korey much less escape, her post-escape self seemed weaker than I would have liked to see.

🎤 The whole Gabriela plot twist was overkill. Like I can understand the whole her disappearing and her boyfriend pretending he doesn't know her part. But the part where no one knew who she was was just out of left field.

Didn't capture my attention and engagement. I'll hopefully try again in the future.
Didn't capture my attention and engagement. I'll hopefully try again in the future.

Listening to this audiobook right now, and it is intense. It's about a 17-y/o girl who dreams of being a singer. When's she noticed by a 28-y/o (male) superstar at an American Idol-like audition, he starts grooming her. Grooming her to be the "love of his life." But she isn't the love of his life. He's emotionally (and a little but physically) manipulating and abusing her. This book is scary because it's monsters in the real world. But you can't tell they are monsters because they don't have horns or red tridents. They tell you you are beautiful and talented, and I can't stop listening to it. Also: protag's name is Enchanted-- she's been "enchanted" by her captor. Sometimes books give me chills-- but this one also give my forever-an-English-major chills.

This was such a phenomenal story. I cannot adequately express how enraged, frightened, disgusted, and horrified I was on every page. This is sure to be a story that will never go put of print for how vividly it depicted dating abuse as well as the dark side of fame.

I love Tiffany D. Jackson’s books! GROWN has an intriguing structure, opening with a big reveal and then taking the reader back in time to accompany 17-year old Enchanted Jones on her journey from aspiring singer to murder suspect. A stand-out audiobook production of a page-turner with a ripped-from-the-headlines vibe!

I adore Tiffany D. Jackson and will read absolutely anything that she writes until the end of time!!!

Grown is a story about Enchanted Jones, an aspiring singer who is noticed by the famous Korey Fields at an audition. She is quickly swept up into a brand new lifestyle away from her family on the road to stardom. But, as happens more often than not, things are not always as they seem. Enchanted wakes up one morning with blood on her hands, a dead Korey, and no memory of the previous night...

You think you'll be ready for that Tiffany D. Jackson twist at the end, but you're wrong!

Anything by Tiffany D. Jackson is an automatic winner in my book. Narrator did a great job projecting MC's emotions and journey.

A really compelling read that is fully engrossing and hard to step away from. The protagonist's experience is raw and real and moves at a quick pace.

This was a tough book to read, but unlike other books by Jackson, there came a point when I just wanted the book to end. It was overwhelming and almost suffocating. That is both the book's weakness and its strength.

This story and audiobook was engaging and addicting. Tiffany D. Jackson has quickly become one of my favorite authors, she has such diverse characters, and stories. I'm always immediately hooked into her plots. I will be recommending this to mature teen readers and adults. Thank you NetGalley for the advance listening copy.

While I knew this story covered difficult topics it seemed heavy and graphic for a YA read. This author does a tactful job of making the hard realities of life accessible to young readers. Grown gives readers a lot to consider as life decisions are made.
Depending on the reader, I would recommend 14 and up.

Tiffany D. Jackson has a superb talent for crafting novels that draw the reader in immediately and 'Grown' is no exception. The message comes through loud and clear as an aspiring singer gets wrapped up in the possibility of success and the charisma of an established performer, mirroring how the powerful can continually take advantage of their position. The narrator is wonderful at bringing Enchanted to life.