Grown Paperback – July 27, 2021

As a 67 year old white woman I am not the target audience for this book. Regardless, I loved it. The story is hard to put down and the characters are easy to relate to and empathize with. Enchanted could be your own daughter or your 17 year old self. Without being preachy or sacrificing the narrative Ms. Jackson does an excellent job of exposing sexual abuse and the unfair treatment of women of color in our judicial system. I think one of the pivotal scenes was on the airplane when the flight attendant recognized that Enchanted needed help and took action. That one character did more to help Enchanted than all the police and social workers assigned to help her. It is a lesson for us all to look around and help whenever we can.Having read and thoroughly enjoyed both Allegedly and Monday's Not Coming, I know that there can be an exciting twist at the end of the story, as was the case here. Frosting on the cake! Tiffany Jackson has become one of my favorite authors and I can't wait for her next book.

I love Tiffany’s books for my daughters. (16 and 13) I read all their books prior to them reading them for discussion and rating purposes. I was actually excited for this book due to “Monday’s Not Coming” and “Let Me Hear a Rhyme”. (Think I screwed up the second title.) Anyway, this book reminded me too much of R. Kelly and I’m beyond over reading things about him. The only ending was a weird for me as well. Maybe if I wasn’t tired of R. Kelly I could’ve separated the two. Just feels like a blog story in 3 parts. I know she writes based on many headlines and states it’s not his story but you have a hard time getting that it’s not.

“Yo, 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.’”There is are several reasons that Tiffany D. Jackson became one of my favorite authors this year. She is not afraid to address the hard, dark, deep-rooted issues that Black women and girls continue to face and in a raw, in your face sort of way. In her most recent installment, “Grown”, we are met forced to yet again to read about, think about and continue one of the toughest conversations about what happens to our us girls and often times right under everyone’s noses.THIS BOOK HURT TO READ! Knowing that Enchanted Jones represents so many Black girls who have been and continue trapped in an system of manipulation, misogyny, violence, abuse, and rape culture by men who are often protected over and over again. Knowing that their are predators and vultures like Korey Fields who are hidden behind their fame and power and enabled by other grown women and men is as sickening and disgusting as one can believe. That they would all continue to prey upon young black girls and have their behaviors excused is heart wrenching and maddening, to say the least.Jackson puts this incredible story back in front of us and reminds us of this cycle that our Black girls need protecting. And in true fashion that only she can encompass, with pen to paper. BOLDLY.To avoid spoilers, I say all of this to say they may not end the cycle but we will. Mute, disconnect, and call out these predators for who and what they are!I am still pissed off. EXCELLENT BOOK!

This book was phenomenal!!! My first read by this author and she gained a new reader. Enchanted is just like a normal teenager trying to face life faster than she needed to and fell right into Korey’s trap. I loved how the author used water as a metaphor to acknowledge everything Enchanted needed growth in and what she suffered. Every message about what Korey and Enchanted went through didn’t go unnoticed and I definitely appreciated each one. I hope young readers really read this what a clear mind and understand the message. Very well written and great plot. I definitely recommend and this book made it to my top 5 of the year.

Enchanted Jones is 17 years old and feels like a fish out of water. Her parents moved her and her four siblings to the suburbs in order to enroll the Jones kids in a fancy private school but unfortunately, that a also means bigger bills. When Enchanted learns about a music audition, she takes her chance-only to lose and be humiliated. She’s shocked when the one person to come comfort her turns out to be *THE* Korey Fields, a 28 year old R&B singer whose world famous. The two form a relationship, with Korey’s promises ranging from getting Enchanted on the singing world’s map to taking care of her family. But Korey’s version of taking care of Enchanted looks a lot closer to abuse and someone is going to wind up dead. Wow. This was so powerful. The feelings I got from this book were so visceral, I could feel every part of me aching. I may have been 22 compared to Enchanted’s 17 years of age but that didn’t make me any less easily manipulated. I thought I could change him, I could fix him. Both of us learn that lesson the hard way-baby girl, you can’t change nothing that doesn’t want to be fixed. Every young woman needs to read this book. This book needs to be taught in schools. Everyone needs to understand how a predator can trap you in that sticky web. This book was absolutely masterful. It captured everything perfectly: the guilt, the shame, the fear, the blame, the addictions that follow. This book hit me in the soft places of my gut and hurt. Believe Black women. Protect Black women.

Great read! I finished the book in 3 hours, as it was a page-turner for me! Loved the way the author took the subject matter and relayed it in a way young adults could understand what was going on without vulgarity and explicit descriptions! Enchanted Jones' character was so relatable! I've added this to my youth group's required reading list thanks to its instant and reoccurring provoked critical thinking!

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.

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.

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