Grown was such a dark and impactful read!!

We follow 17 year old Enchanted Jones, an inspired singer who gets her opportunity to try out at a singing competition where she meets 28 year old Korey Fields. Korey, a famous singer himself, decides to take Enchanted under his wing, promising her a gateway to her singing career.. As their relationship dynamic shifts into unexpected territory, Korey begins to reveal a darker controlling side of himself. One day, Enchanted wakes up in a hotel room that’s covered in blood and with Koreys dead body. As the story unfolds we begin to wonder, what really happened that night? Who killed him? Was it Enchanted? 

This is the first book I read by Tiffany A Jackson and I absolutely loved it. The book was beautifully written in four parts with a then and now storyline, discussing heavy topics such as abuse and manipulation. We watch Enchanted's life before and after her involvement with Korey and the trauma she experiences. She was a raw and retable character. It was painful to see her go through the pain she endured. The story reflects on the power older men have on young women, the mistreatment that black women endure and how the media portrays them. The book also highlighted and important messages that I connected to in correlation to the story it involves the title itself: Grown. With Grown, many teenagers and young adults see themselves as mature and having the capability and mindset to make their own discussions when they don’t. 

Highly recommend this read, thank you Netgalley for this audiobook/ARC, 4/5 stars

This book was frustrating, haunting, and so important. It follows the story of Enchanted Jones, an aspiring singer who meets one of her idols. What follows is how that man uses his power, charm, and influence to abuse her and countless others. Even though the subject matter is very intense, Jackson's writing is never sensational and there are moments of levity and hope that shine through Enchanted's situation. This book has the potential to lead to important conversations between young people and adults about consent, abuse, and age differences in romantic partners. A list of resources at the back also make the book valuable. The audiobook is highly recommended.

There are some books that you don't know you need to read until you've read them. Often times it is easy to say what you would do in a situation looking in, but given the reality, you may find a very different ending. I found this to be true with Enchanted. "Just walk away. So no. Why did her parents let her?" This book opens an important conversation about how black girls are treated and viewed. The narrator was wonderful and right on point. I would definitely recommend this book!

Wow! Grown is one you need to be prepared for. That was just.. wow! Tiffany D. Jackson has written an intense YA thriller with thoughtful social commentary laced throughout. The story may not have been inspired by R Kelly’s abuse, but it is impossible to not draw parallels between the two. Told from the perspective of seventeen year old Enchanted Jones who dreams of being a famous singer and meets the very famous R&B singer Korey Fields who becomes her mentor. Everything seems too good to be true. Korey has a dark side that comes out and everyone around him covers for him. Then one day Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands and a blacked out memory. Who killed Korey Fields? The story certainly does a good job of examining rape culture, mental health, child abuse, and the treatment of young black girls. The narrative switches between now and then really drawing readers into the mystery well before it’s a factor. One thing that cannot be argued is how incredible of a writer Jackson is. She is phenomenal at what she does writing important, yet captivating novels that have something to truly say. Readers will take something more that just a good read from this book. It is worth noting I read the audio version which was a wonderful way to take the story in. The pacing is excellent and slows when necessary. I felt the emotion I was hearing. I’d highly recommend the audio version of Grown!

An unflinching look into the world of sexual abuse of minors, relationship violence, grooming tactics, and emotional manipulation. Also, a brutal depiction of rape, exploitation, and the reality women (but especially black and brown women) face when they come forward and accuse their attackers. Based on the cases against R. Kelly, Enchanted wants to believe that megastar Korey Fields truly wants to advance her singing career. She gives up high school, her swim team, her clubs, and her family and friends just for the chance to make it big. But what he really wants from her is her naïveté and her innocence, her silence and her shame.

*Thanks to NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Enchanted Jones has more vocal talent than she knows what to do with. Unfortunately for her, she is still in high school, pressed into good grades, good extra-curriculars, and also taking care of her younger siblings when she has time. There just isn’t time for singing. But when she convinces (well, tricks) her mother into letting her try out for a singing tv show, she just knows that her luck is about to change. And while she doesn’t make the cut for the show, her talent has impressed celebrity host Korey Fields, who is ready to give her a big break. Enchanted, for her part, is ready to give him her heart. It has to be a secret, of course, since she’s 17 and he’s 28, but what’s the worst that could happen?

Oh, and also? He’s dead, and she has no memory of what happened.

My Notes: As with the author’s other books, this one is masterfully written and deeply emotional, which is why I rated it so highly, but it is also a very bare and graphic description of relationship abuse, and as an abuse survivor myself, the experience of reading this book was very intense. I am lucky my situation was never nearly as bad as Enchanted’s, but it still brought up a lot of emotions, and as brilliantly crafted as it is, I will never read this again. I will, however, be eagerly awaiting her next novel.

I finished this in a matter of hours, as it was super engaging and propulsive.

Enchanted is the main character and wants to be a star. She is young, and puts her trust in someone who may not have her best interests in mind.

This novel kept me guessing, and had some of my favorite elements of a thriller. Is the person mentally ill? Is a character a figment of her imagination? Or is there something more menacing at play?

I don’t often read thrillers, and to be honest I didn’t know this was a thriller when I started it, lol. It caught me by surprise, and by the end of it I was like “Wow!” 😳

I believe this story was inspired by the sexual misconduct of R. Kelly. There were serious topics such as grooming, sexual assault, abuse, and serious manipulation. These could definitely be triggering issues for some people, so please be aware.

Yikes, okay. This book is an exercise in bringing a lot of darkness into into the light for us to examine. We need to protect our girls and women, especially Black girls who are often treated as older than they are and as if they don’t need protecting. That is racist bullshit and it is real.

Wow this book! I couldn’t put it down. It was crushing and enraging. It was so well written and the plot was compelling. I liked the format of the book with now and then sprinkled in with transcripts and texts. The audiobook was excellent. The narrator was terrific.

Enchanted is just your average 17 year old: swim team, academics, caring for younger siblings - normal all the way around. But when her best friend encourages her to audition for a singing competition, super star Corey Fields comes into her life and turns it all upside down. It sounds like the premise for a love story but, with excruciating detail, Tiffany Jackson turns Enchanted's dream come true into a living nightmare.
Written with heart-breaking clarity, Grown is a timely examination of the ways in which girls, especially black girls, are vulnerable to the assumption of adulthood..

This book was fantastic! It grapples with sexual abuse via an older male and a younger lady. This novel had many layers to it and was very through provoking. Aside from the in your face realness it also included a little mystery with an unexpected twist! The novel was very fast-paced to where this novel could be read in a few hours. The writing is very simplistic yet the subject matter is so strong that Young Adults and adults could both enjoy this one. My only worry is that young adults may not be able to relate to the older music references.

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson is a MUST read! I recommend this book for all teenagers and parents of teenagers, especially girls. While the novel addresses difficult topics Ms. Jackson does an excellent job at presenting these topics in a sensitive and delicate manor. This novel is a conversation starter and shows how grooming can happen over time before you even realize it.

I will be purchasing this novel for my library!

Excellent read! You can definitely tie connections to the R. Kelly cases. The reader can see how a young girl can get tangled up in an abusive relationship and how hard it is to get out. Very powerful.

Talking about a roller coaster ride! Tiffany never fails me... Just pick it up. It's necessary so many thoughts, themes, and much needed conversation for teens!

This book shows a different perspective on something that is a huge problem in our country right now. It is very eye-opening. Listening to the audiobook made the content that much more powerful.

Grown is cautionary tale about a young teen, Enchanted Jones, who finds herself involved in an inappropriate and abusive relationship with older R&B superstar, Korey Fields, which she is definitely not grown enough to handle. Grown is an suspenseful, emotional and immersive read from the very start! Jackson captures the reader's attention from the opening scene, where we meet Enchanted, athlete, swimmer, aspiring singer, eldest daughter, big sister to Shay and the littles, best friend to Gabby, lying in a puddle of what she mistakes for beet juice but is actually Korey's blood. The novel is brought to life beautifully by narrator, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, the inflections in her voice when she captures Enchanted's happiness or fear, Korey's anger or sweetness, Enchanted's parents concern or hurt, and the enactment of the quidnuncs of the Will and Willow gossipy group text, as well as a host of other characters are which are all stellar. Abbott-Pratt narration takes the book to a whole new level of absorption for the reader. Ms. Jackson is a skilled writer and a very good storyteller, hence, even though Grown tackles serious topics such as rape, murder, child abuse addiction, nothing is gratuitous. The first act in Grown spends the majority of its time showcasing Enchanted's regular suburban life demonstrating how she is a typical teen harboring normal teen insecurities, but once she meets Korey, the reader soon learns exactly how those insecurities can be tapped into to aid the grooming process. The next act reveals the impact of this grooming where Enchanted finds herself living in non ideal conditions isolated from family and friends. The third act chronicles the toll that Enchanted's distressing ordeal has taken on her and her family physically, mentally and emotionally. The last act is where Enchanted decides to take her life back if she does not want to be sent to prison for murder. In this final act Jackson skillfully pivots between murder mystery/thriller where Enchanted races to find Korey's killer while at the same time offering important social commentary on a system set up to dismiss women, PARTICULALRY Black women. Grown is a well-crafted, thought provoking, and searing read which will keep the readers on their toes up until the books shocking denouement. Both the book and audio were fantastic. I highly recommend you pick it up, it was a five star read for me.

This is difficult and at times uncomfortable read. Although fictionalized, this shines a light on toxic abusive relationships and the reason some victims stay in them. The story is captivating but might be triggering to readers that have dealt with abuse, rape, and toxic relationships.

Grown is a hard look into the differences between consent and manipulation. While the author, Tiffany Jackson, says so in her notes that this book is not about R. Kelly, it does take similar plot lines from the stories of women that were abused by him. Grown is the story of a aspiring singer, 17 year old Enchanted Jones, and her grooming by a 28 year old, well-know star, Korey Fields. This book is not a easy read, not only for victims of rape, incest, and overall manipulation of a system geared toward men in power, but also for anyone who has witnessed or experienced being powerless in any situation.

17-year-old Enchanted Jones wants to be a singer so badly. When she meets famous musician Korey Fields at an audition, her career and her love life take off. Korey is 28, but the age difference doesn't matter because this is true love - until it isn't. Korey quickly becomes controlling and abusive. I don't want to give too much away, but this book should be considered a must-read for teen girls. It is triggering for survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, but I feel strongly that it has the potential to prevent more girls and young women from falling prey to abuse. This book has the potential to save lives by showing teens the warning signs of abusive relationships and human trafficking. I have so much love for this book. I have read Allegedly and Monday's Not Coming which are also by Tiffany D, Jackson, and while I enjoyed the mind-blowing plot twists in both of them, this one blows them both out of the water. The audiobook is exceptionally well-narrated and I highly recommend it. #Grown #NetGalley

Tiffany Jackson’s newest book asks readers: “What does it mean to be grown?” And page after page, character after character, we are asked to contemplate this. Is Chanty grown? She’s legally a minor, but some circuiting her life have forced her to mature more quickly/differently than her peers: she’s a caretaker for younger siblings, swimming her way toward a possible college scholarship, and independent of her parents for a lot of her daily activities. Yet she loves Disney movies and identifies with princesses.
Meanwhile, Korey is a legal adult who doesn’t act like a responsible adult. I loved the scene of Chanty teaching him to swim—readers saw his vulnerability and lack of mature outlook.
The heart of this book, however, is the issue with older men preying on younger women. Because they should know better. And as we see Korey go from over-friendly pop star to a controlling/violent serial predator, we inherently know that he should’ve known better. His meanness only gets worse as Chanty falls further under his spell, and the more we get to know him, we realize how bad his problem is.

I love that Jackson took this sensitive topic and wove a story around it. I love that Chanty is an everyday girl who succumbs son quietly and easily to an older mans intentions.

This will be a great read for the HS age set, with some caveats (kids who have suffered abuse may need a trigger warning). But lots of girls should read this and be on the lookout for those men who really should know better.

Highly recommended.

*** I received an eARC audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Phenomenal!

Enchanted "Chanty" Jones has talent, and she's off to prove it, showing off her singing at a "Music Live" open call. Although Chanty doesn't make the next round, she does find herself suddenly catching the attention of music sensation Korey Field. Korey is mesmerizing, hot, shares Chanty's appreciation of classic tracks . . . and is 28.

From there, Chanty is taken through a whirlwind of attention, special treatment, and Korey claiming that she is the one for him. So how does she end up covered in blood, unsure of her surroundings, with his corpse in the next room?

This book was gripping and, at times, hard to stomach (from the get, there are content warnings -- plus the book opens on a crime scene -- so as 17-year-old Chanty meets this supposed charmer . . . you already know there is a terrible, abusive path ahead). Jackson does a stellar job at showing Korey's slow progression of grooming Chanty (pressing boundaries, always claiming he comes from a place of just wanting her to "loosen up" to improve their music, then later leveraging his own overreactions and outbursts into currency against her, a la, "You made me jealous, don't you care about me and want to make me feel better? Physically?" It doesn't take long for Korey to transform from telling Chanty, "You're so beautiful," to making her change her hair, critiquing her stomach and arms, etc.). Even though Chanty's parents distrust Korey and are trying to watch out for their daughter, they find it difficult to get ahold of her -- Korey has surrounded himself with a web of staff who, while not quite co-conspirators, have no issue with being bystanders.

Although frustrating, Chanty's slow internalization of herself as deserving of the power-lopsided relationship with Korey, her self doubt, and her preoccupation with wanting to not upset him (lest she get locked in a bathroom-less room again for 16 hours) are written in a realistic and compelling way.

So good! A must read.