Tiffany Jackson states repeatedly that this book is not about R. Kelly. And it isn’t. But it could be.

In the same way that adult men think it is ok to prey upon underage girls with the excuses that they “knew what they were doing” or the way they dressed or needed a father figure or whatever excuse. It could have been about Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein, or any other man in a position of power willing to exert that influence over girls that leads to unhealthy “relationships” or trafficking.

Fans of Allegedly and Monday’s Not Coming need to hang in there. The beginning of the book is a slower build and comes across as a teenage dream to be a star. It is in the second half of the book that the Tiffany Jackson style we know and love really shines. What happens to Enchanted’s predator is no secret even early in the book, but in true Tiffany Jackson fashion, there are twists aplenty. Throughout there are cultural references, a ProjectLIT Easter egg, and pretend social media posts (which ring so true).

I cheered during a police questioning scene where these lines were uttered:

Ms. Evens: Innocent until proven guilty.
Ms. Woods: Yeah, and how many times has that little rule worked in favor of black women?

They are true. Whenever there is a conflict, there is an effort to smear a victim, even more so for Black women who are too often silenced into protecting the reputation of men.

This would be a great addition to a library for free reading, but it would also work well in some of the girls’ groups operating in schools that may discuss why having a boyfriend that is a legal adult may be more of a problem than the girls believe.

Oh this book. I highly recommend reading this.
It does cover some pretty graphic content that can be triggering to some. It does have a content warning in the beginning.

So good! "Grown" not about R. Kelly. It is about the girls, especially the young Black girls, who are preyed on by men in positions of power every day. This ripped-from-the-headlines YA mystery that will appeal to readers well beyond their teenage years.

I was involved with a teacher while I was in high school and can relate to the feelings Enchanted had for Korey. I now see I was a victim. He was the adult and as much as I felt like I was an adult I was a child. This book brings to light that the child is a victim as is not to blame for their actions. I was confused bout the character of Gab. At one point I was angry because I thought she was a figment of Enchanted’s imagination (I hate when books do that!). I was still disappointed when Gab revealed why she had disappeared. I was hoping for more. I will definitely purchase Grown for my HS library and recommend it to my students!!

I received a free e-ARC of this book from the publisher on Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not influence my opinion of the book.

This book is like a punch to the gut the whole way through. It's a story that's achingly familiar and universal for a lot of women, that older guy who starts messaging and texting you when you're 17 and he's in his 20's who should definitely know better. But it's also a story about Black women and the ways that we not only don't believe them, but make them feel crazy for their own life experiences.

This book is absolutely a must-read. I couldn't put it down, but encourage everyone who does read it to pay very close attention to the trigger warnings for abuse, sexual assault, grooming, kidnapping, etc that are printed in the front of the book.

[REVIEW FOR AUDIO VERSION]

This was my first book by Tiffany D. Jackson, and it won't be my last. It is a young adult book but definitely for a mature audience. Be sure to read the content warnings at the beginning, as well as the author's note. For the audiobook specifically: The narrator was amazing; this story is full of emotional highs and lows (mostly lows, unfortunately), and her voice really conveyed the doubts and insecurities of the main character. Highly recommend on audio.

What a realistic and exciting ride. Going on this journey with Enchanted felt so real - her challenges and experiences were hard to read, but they felt genuine. The pressure that Black girls can feel to be grown but not too grown was depicted beautifully in this book. The predatory behavior of some in the music industry was also portrayed vividly. Great job shining a light on the exploitation that is occurring still.

Tiffany D. Jackson never seems to disappoint in the way she ends her books. After reading Grown, I see why I have been a fan of her books since Monday's Not Coming. In this novel, a young, teenage girl named Enchanted dreams to be a singer. She is allowed that opportunity but it comes with a price and an older man. Her life dream becomes one's nightmare as her life and the decisions she makes are no longer hers.

This is a story with a sad reminder that age is definitely more than just a number!

Wow. This is the second book I've read by Tiffany D. Jackson and it seems that her books are consistently difficult to read but impossible to put down. I stayed up WAY too late finishing Grown and I don't regret it.

Enchanted Jones dreams of being a singer and she has the voice to prove it. After attending an audition in Manhattan, she unexpectedly meets Korey Fields, a world-renowned superstar musician. Korey is 28 to Enchanted's 17 and while her gut sometimes questions Korey's motives, she is happy to be caught up in Korey's whirlwind. Enchanted starts taking singing lessons with Korey and with promises of recording an album, she goes on tour with him. Their relationship turns intimate, but Korey becomes more and more controlling. He cuts off contact with Enchanted's parents, takes her phone, and drugs her on a regular basis. Eventually she loses all sense of self and is completely trapped in Korey's nightmare world. The book begins with Korey's murder and Enchanted having no memory of what happened to him. We then flip back and forth between "Then' - the time leading up to his murder and 'Now' - the aftermath.

Jackson is masterful at building tension and suspense. I really couldn't stop myself from reading on and on into the night. She tells a story that I haven't seen before in Young Adult fiction that is both compelling and heartwrenching. However, her writing does have weak spots. The dual timelines have a few points of confusion and time jumps that weren't quite clear. I also found the confusion around Gab's character to be unnecessary and unrealistic. I think the narrative fell apart a bit during the final third of the book - it's reflective of Enchanted's mental state but not in a way that works for readers. Overall, however, this is an important book that will absolutely draw readers in and keep them. I would recommend Grown for slightly older teens as the depictions of abuse and assault were intense even for me.

Tiffany Jackson is an auto-read for me and once again I did not regret that. This was a difficult subject matter that she was able to expertly navigate in a way that is realistic and appropriate for a YA audience. The inspiration for this novel is obvious but I think having that real-life event in the back of your mind makes the novel hit harder and drive the point home harder. I love Jackson’s writing and her ability to write real, flawed characters. 5 stars

Disclaimer: I cannot speak to the representation in this book. Please see OwnVoices reviewers for comments on representation.

This book was probably the heaviest hitter I’ve read all year. It was fast paced with short chapters which really contributed to the fact that I could not put it down.

This story took me on one of the most heartbreaking and enraging journeys I have been on in a long time. Watching Enchanted go down the road she was going down and having no one around her truly see what was happening from the get go made me so sad. The fact that men like Korey Fields exist in the real world will always make me angry. The idea of older men praying on teenage girls is one that cuts me to my core every day.

Jackson did an incredible job at portraying just how easy it is for predators to hide behind charm, money, and power and just how easy it is for young girls to fall under that spell. The red flags were almost immediate for me. The second he started talking about Fifty Shades of Gray to a minor, my alarm bells started going off. But for a young girl, having an older guy, especially a famous guy, pay that kind of attention to you would be thrilling.

Enchanted is just one of thousands of young girls that are manipulated into bad situations by grown men who should know better. Stories like this are very close to my heart because they showcase the importance of listening to women when they tell you that something is wrong.

This is my first Tiffany D. Jackson book and I was immediately swept away by her storytelling. Enchanted’s voice was immediately enthralling and I wanted to hear every word she had to say. I laughed with her, I cried with her, I felt her fear and desperation so clearly on the page that it left me breathless and angry multiple times throughout her story.

This book solidly put Tiffany D. Jackson on to my instant buy author list. Her storytelling is unmatched.

Enchanted dreams of being a singer. When she meets superstar, Korey Fields, she feels those dreams are coming true. Until Korey’s dark side turns her life into a nightmare. When Korey is murdered, Enchanted becomes the prime suspect.

This book is intense and twisty and it takes you on a ride. I haven’t read anything else by Tiffany D. Jackson, but that seems to be pretty typical of her books.

In the author’s note, Jackson says that while this story is influenced by the R. Kelly case, it is not about R. Kelly. It’s about all the adults who consistently fail young girls and allow these things to happen. I think that is what’s so striking about this book. There were so many people who failed Enchanted. So many people who enabled Korey’s behavior.

Honestly, this book was so intense that I forgot to take notes on it while I was reading, so I don’t have super detailed thoughts. Just know that I felt all the feels, sometimes I had to put the book down and walk away and collect my thoughts, and like in real life, all the men in this were a disappointment.

I felt like things at the end started to get a little hard to believe. For such a grounded story, some of Enchanted’s actions seemed a little far-fetched. But I also understand that sometimes that’s necessary to wrap up a thriller/murder mystery.

Grown is super important and gives the reader a really close-up look at how Black girls and women are often not believed by their friends, their family, the authorities or the general public.

WOW! I absolutely adored this book. Very fitting for the current climate. The characters drew me in right away. I am so excited to recommend this to friends. Thank you for the opportunity to read!

I just finished Grown, the lastest from Tiffany D. Jackson. She previously wrote Monday's Not Coming which I reviewed earlier in the summer! Grown comes out September 15, and it is a must read! Enchanted Jones is a high school student who has dreams of becoming a famous singer. For now, she enjoys hanging out with her friend Gab and competing on the school's swim team. However, everything changes when Gab convinces Enchanted to try out for an American Idol-type competition. Although Enchanted doesn't make the cut, she does meet a superstar musician. When he agrees to mentor her, she can't wait to see her name in lights, and is excited for all of her dreams to come true! However, it quickly becomes clear that mentoring isn't all that's on his mind.

This book is intense. It highlights how quickly girls can fall into situations they would never want to find themselves in. It is definitely relevant for today in that it highlights a lot of the grooming girls might find themselves experiencing when it comes to sex trafficking or an abusive relationship. However, despite the uncomfortable (sometimes triggering) nature of the book, I definitely think it's an important book for all teenage girls to read. Especially in today's society when, more often than not, powerful men use their power to prey upon young girls.

I would definitely say this is appropriate for upper high school, but I could see it being beneficial to all teen girls. It reminds me a lot of Panic by Sharon Draper, so if you enjoyed that, you should definitely read this!

I read this book in less than 24 hour . I was so Invested and couldn’t get enough. This story is captivating and thought provoking, and the issue highlighted are things that we are presently walking through with the #metoo Movement. I love the content warning At the beginning of the book, I’m really grateful to the author and the publishers for their thoughtfulness .
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I Am one of those people who google and played every song mentioned in the book , someone should really make a 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏 playlist 🤔😊.
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As I read these stories I am constantly reminded of how we as a people need to do a better job at protecting our girls, especially out Black daughters, mothers, sister, friend. There’s so many cases in all different aspects where people of influence are abusing their power And talking advantage of minors. Let’s be a society that holds people accountable regardless of their money or social status.

Summary: Enchanted Jones has big dreams of being a famous singer, and she has the talent to match it. She’s from a middle class family, and attends a prestigious high school, everyone expects her to start thinking about college, but her focus Is getting on the stage . One faithful audition she came in contact with the very famous entertainer Korey Fields , Who’s 12 years her senior. Their relationship steadily progress until she’s on tour with him and they’re intimately involved. Things are going good at first until a side of Korey she has never seen emerges and she realizes she’s not as grown as she may think and her life may be in danger.

This story is told between the past and the present, from one POV with the inclusion of police interviews and group message.

I really enjoyed this story and it would be an amazing book for bookclub.

This is one of my favorite Tiffany Jackson books to date. She did not disappoint with this one. I found her author's note at the beginning to be helpful in framing how I read the novel. This was quite the page-turner for me!

Tiffany D. Jackson is quickly becoming one of my favorite YA authors. Grown is a fast-paced thriller/murder mystery. There are so many layers to this story, and everything is connected. Tiffany created a story that tugs at your heartstrings while simultaneously running up your blood pressure. I wanted nothing more than for Korey to drop dead. He was disgusting, but he also represented the real-life villain for many young girls. Tiffany D. Jackson does an excellent job of exposing the flawed thought processes of those around Enchanted--statements about Enchanted's willing participation in a predatory "relationship," the fact that Korey's ephebophilic and predatory behavior was well-documented, but still accepted, etc. The book, however, is not without its flaws. The end feels sloppy, unrealistic, and underdeveloped. And while the pace is fast, sometimes it feels off with parts of the story feeling rushed. Overall, it is a solid read and one you should add to your TBR. I finished it at 4am because it was just that gripping. Content warnings: sexual assault, domestic violence, ephebophilia, murder, drug use, dumbasses that blame the victim when they are preyed upon by predators

Seventeen-year-old Enchanted Jones has an amazing voice, but her parents think she should concentrate on her school work and her swimming. When she finally sneaks into a song contest, her life changes forever. Not because she wins (though she clearly deserves to) but because she meets Korey Fields, R&B megastar. At first he is so sweet and charming, offering her VIP tickets and vocal coaching. Soon, though, their relationship turns into something dark and toxic. All the trigger warnings for this tense thriller about how Black girls and women are abused and disbelieved by society.

Tiffany D. Jackson has done it again.

Enchanted Jones, a seventeen year old aspiring singer, has gotten the deal of her life time: Korey Fields, a twenty-eight year old famous singer, wants to take Enchanted under his wing and make her a star after hearing her beautiful voice. Not only would this be the perfect chance for Enchanted to make her big break in the music industry, but Korey would also help her family back home with her financial struggles. Despite her parents disapproval, Enchanted chooses to go with Korey to develop her musical career. However, things take a turn as a romantic and sexual relationship begins to bud between Korey and Enchanted.

From the adrenaline-pumping pacing to the confusing yet intriguing jumps between past and present to the lovable yet unreliable narrator, the experience of reading <i>Grown</i> equates to watching a high-energy thriller movie. Jackson has created a fantastic plot where readers can predict what might happen—clearly a relationship between a seventeen year old girl and twenty-eight year old man isn’t going to go well—even when the main character can’t, and yet Jackson still manages to throw in a plethora of twists that will make you question how well you really understand what’s going on. <b>Prepare for your heart to be racing the entire time.</b>

Beyond the plot, Jackson is a master at crafting characters. Personally, I loved Enchanted, but she’s the type of character where you can’t exactly describe her in simple words. Was she foolish for messing around with a grown man? Was she brave for risking it all to build her career and help her family? Was she smart for putting together the pieces of the puzzle that is Korey Fields? Was she selfish for leaving her family? There’s just no answer. In fact, just about all the characters were intricately built and multi-faceted; perhaps quite a few of the characters are disturbed, twisted, and horribly unlikeable, but there certainly isn’t a boring person in sight.

I also appreciated the commentary on women, especially black girls, being abused yet never believed. The wicked thing about this fiction book is that <i>it’s so real.</i> You want to believe that all the terrible things that happened to Enchanted would never actually happen and yet...you can see how this could happen in real life. Even if readers can clearly point out the mistakes Enchanted is making—and even if the characters can point out her mistakes too—Jackson crafts Enchanted’s narrative in such a way that the reader understands how her mind works and why she chooses to make certain decisions at certain moments, even if an outsider would claim that no reasonable person would ever get into such a situation.

Dark, uncomfortable, and full of unpredictable twists, <i>Grown</i> is the absolute epitome of a page turner.

<b>Content warnings: pedophilia, rape, drugging, abuse of minors, sexualization of minors, kidnapping, manipulation, physical abuse, murder</b>

“Trying to reclaim your life is a lot like drowning. You attempt to stay above water as waves of new information hit you sideways, carrying your further into the unknown. People throw life preservers, but the ropes can only reach so far, and once a rip tide catches you by the ankle, all you can do is wonder why ever thought you’d be ok jumping into the deep end, when you could barely manage the shallows.”

Grown, by Tiffany D. Jackson, begins with Enchanted Jones waking, with no recollection of the night before, with blood on her hands. One thing is certain - Korey Fields, the legendary R&B singer is dead and all fingers point to Enchanted. Korey was Enchanted’s ticket to her dream of a singing career. When the much older Korey spots the teenage Enchanted at an audition, he knows what he wants. Despite strong hesitation from her parents, Enchanted accepts the opportunity to go on tour with Korey where the luxury of his lifestyle and affection quickly turns to rage and romantic ruin.

The very first chapter of Grown will have you hooked - we know that Korey is dead and we know that Enchanted is in trouble and possibly behind the murder. After chapter 1, the story flashed back and forward between “then” and “now”, giving the reader pieces of the story in an intriguing way. The chapters are small, which I love in any book, and also were helpful with consuming the subject matter (tense moments were tense for a few pages). The characterization of Enchanted did feel to be as strong in places, especially the sections when she was living at home with her family, but I decided that was stylistic -- she was growing and becoming more of herself when she was in her element (building a singing career) versus when she felt alone (one of the only Black students in her private high school).

Jackson’s writing is so artfully crafted that there were moments where everything I thought about certain characters was flopped. She has a way of building her narratives that is refreshing and you know will lead you to a momentous conclusion. Just like Allegedly and Monday’s Not Coming, the characters felt so real, and more importantly, have a very real story to tell. Grown covers so many important ideas: abuse of power, how Black girls are viewed and treated by society, how others are quiet when they have the ability to shed light on a harmful situation. While the book is considered a thriller, I do feel like the delicate subject matter was handled thoughtfully, and definitely stresses that the reader should focus on the problem of the abuser and not the victim.

I’m always looking for ways to get my students to read more critically and widely, especially about what really matters. I can’t wait to get a physical copy of this book - and what a stunning cover - for my classroom. I think this novel will be important for the young people in my life. We can all use a few more stories about strong people, strong women, overcoming it all, finding their joy, and loving themselves in the end.

[CW: sexual abuse, rape, assault, emotianal violence and grooming, child abuse and trafficing, kidnapping, victim blaming, drug use, addiction]

Thank you to Tiffany D Jackson, Harper Collins, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.