I closely followed R. Kelly’s story and watched the document about his abuses towards young girls. This book was very much inspired by that, as is evident in the writing and story itself. I enjoy books that start with the ending first, and use the rest of the book showing you how things reached that conclusion. This book is a hard read, but a necessary read. The author did a great job writing Enchanted. I found myself feeling so frustrated by her decision making, but also had a glimpse of her state of mind. From a educator perspective, this will lead to so many rich conversations on a tough topic related to race, gender, violence against women, the criminal justice system, and who gets believed when stories like this occur.

I enjoyed Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany Jackson and was eagerly looking forward to this book. This is a very well written book about a tough subject. A must read for all but can be difficult subject for some.

Wow, I loved this book. While it was disturbing to read at times, because the subject is so heavy, I think it's an important commentary on how girls, ESPECIALLY Black girls, are often thought of as grown women. Definitely an important read for teens to see power dynamics at work.

Wow, this book was absolutely chilling!

Grown is an utterly addicting contemporary YA thriller about a teenage girl named Enchanted Jones and her toxic relationship with famous singer Korey Fields… who is found dead, alone in a room with blood on Enchanted’s hands. A thriller from start to finish, Jackson uses flashbacks to show the descent of Enchanted and Korey’s relationship from what she thought was a dream mentorship to its reality as an abusive nightmare.

Enchanted was such a compelling character. Her hope and aspirations were so inspiring, which made me root for her so much. Even though the reader knows from the start that her road with Korey will end in the worst possible way, you want so badly for her to achieve her dreams of stardom like she imagines.

Jackson’s writing is really unique and I have felt stunned after finishing each book I’ve read from her. I really recommend her as a standout YA contemporary writer, especially as one who features diverse characters at the forefront of her timely, relevant stories.

It’s important to note that this book includes very sensitive subject matter and includes content warnings at the start of the book, which I thought was a really apt way to caution readers of potential triggers before diving in. So I would definitely recommend you read through the warnings before you begin!

Comparable titles:
Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
Whisper Network by Chandler Baker
Shackled by Tom Leveen

***I received an e-ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I read Monday’s Not Coming, I was immediately impressed by Tiffany as an author and so I highly looked forward to this book. Oof. This book is very difficult but yet very well done. I think Tiffany did a good job of portraying the harsh realities while not exploiting trauma.

A searing, realistic portrait of the ways an abusive man can completely take over a teen girl's life. Enchanted Jones has a good life - a caring family, a place on the swim team, and a love for music. Sneaking herself into a singing competition, she catches the eye of popular R&B singer Korey Fields. Stardom seems close at hand with the special attention and sweet promises Korey offers Enchanted. But she increasingly finds herself cut off from family and friends and, ultimately, staring at the dead body of Korey Fields. What happened?

This is an important book in many ways. I read it in just a few days, but had to gather my thoughts for a couple months. Having experienced an abusive romantic relationship during my senior year of high school, I can testify that hits the emotional notes perfectly. It also effectively explores our society's cruel treatment of black girls without being voyeuristic. I highly recommend this book for ages 14 and up.

Wow once I started this book I couldn’t put it down. This was my first Tiffany D. Jackson novel and she did not disappoint! I feel this story completely captures the constant struggle us black women have to go through and the criticism and failing of society has on young black girls. Even though the author shares that this book is a work of fiction, the story hit so hard because I know for a fact it replicates reality scares close and that’s so heartbreaking. But we need to listen to victims and survivors and we need to believe black women and support black women because black women matter and always have!

My love for all books by Tiffany D. Jackson (@writeinbk) is certainly not a secret around here and 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 is no exception. (I received an ARC through @netgalley - official release date is 9/15.) I was hooked immediately. This one, like most of Jackson's works, is not for the faint of heart.⁣
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𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 follows aspiring singer Enchanted Jones as she navigates her rise to the top around a chance meeting with famous R&B singer Korey Fields. The fact that this is a fictionalized version of a true story will absolutely make your stomach turn. (I won't use names here, but you can take a wild guess as to the inspiration.) It's raw, enthralling, and so, so important. ⁣
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As an educator, I'm not only impressed with Jackson's uncanny ability to engage the reader and bend a plot, but I also love the fact that she also makes it a point to tell stories that demand to be heard. 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 will grip you from the beginning and will stay with you long after you've finished the final page.⁣
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I don't do this often, but 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 is 5/5. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

TW: sexual assault, verbal abuse, grooming, statutory rape, gaslighting, blood

This book is full of trigger warnings, but it is a must read. Jackson has a way of storytelling that is beyond anyone else in the world. As you read, you will rage, cry, scream, and throw your book.

Enchanted Jones is just your average teen until she catches the attention of Korey Fields, R&B superstar. He offers her the deal of a lifetime, but it comes at a price. Then, Korey is murdered and Enchanted is the #1 suspect.

This is a fast-paced book - it alternates back and forth between the present and Korey’s murder and the past and how their relationship came to be. As you read, you can see the subtle details of the abusive relationship that Jackson weaves into the story.

I definitely recommend this novel if the trigger warnings don't push you away and I'm looking forward to anything Jackson writes in the future.

Another great novel by Tiffany Jackson! A mature book for a YA audience, but an important intro to sexual assault and abuse of power by men. It was a very difficult for me at times an I had to put it down a few times, But I appreciate Jackson's harshness and honesty. It was heart-breaking at times. But very timely it today's society. Be mindful of triggers.

Grown is everything you would expect from Tiffany Jackson and more. There were moments were the story read like what she claimed it wasn’t in the beginning. It seemed slightly similar to a recent docu-series, but then in other ways it was all its own. There were times when, I thought, oh no, not again because there were aspects that were used in her other novels. Overall, well done. I’m not a huge fan of time hops, which Tiffany Jackson, very much is, but this is a story that all young girls should read. Excellent commentary of the way society treats black women.

Tiffany D. Jackson does it again! Grown is a raw look at the misogyny and rape culture of society and the lengths powerful people go to cover their tracks. Enchanted wanted to be a singer, the next Beyonce. She thought having star Korey Fields as a mentor would help her get there. Instead, Korey steals everything from Enchanted: her friendships, family, youth, innocence, everything.

Although trafficking is an important topic to engage with for young readers, much of this text made me uncomfortable. I honestly had not read the synopsis before reading the book and I was jolted by the adult nature of the plot. Of course, in order to help prevent this sort of thing from occurring, education is key and I believe learning about this through fiction is an excellent way to begin that preventative education. I was compelled by this story, read through it quickly because I was eager to learn how it ended. I worry, however, because it is fiction, it might be construed by young readers as an impossibility rather than something that can and does happen. I would definitely recommend it to young readers. And I love the cover.

The creeping sense of dread that this book brings is thankfully mitigated by the fact that the reader knows that Korey will be dead by the end of the story. There are times when you're reading when you remember that he will die and feel grateful for it, but the dread never really goes away. Because we're constantly wondering how bad things will go for Enchanted.

This is an important read, but one to approach with caution. Heed trigger warnings as necessary and take care with your mental health.

THANK YOU, TIFFANY D. JACKSON! She once again hit a homeroom with her novel "Grown." From Allegedly to Monday's not Coming to Let me Hear Ya Rhyme, she can not write a bad novel. Each of her novels shares an important message, and Grown shares one of the most important messages for our times.

Grown follows the story of Enchanted Jones (Chanty), who is an aspiring singer when she meets the critically acclaimed singer Korey Fields. When the novel opens, the reader is shown Chaunty in a room with blood all over it, and we are taken on a trip back in time to piece together what happened to her. We follow her from her first meeting with Korey, who begins grooming her from the beginning. He convinces her parents to let him give her singing lessons, even though there is a huge age difference. Chaunty is 17, and Korey is 29 years old. I don't want to give away too much of the plot because this is a MUST read. Jackson really writes about a part of our society, sexual abuse, and grooming that many authors have not really written about. She allows the readers to take this trip with Chaunty and really feel her pain as she is abused by Korie and convinced that he is a good man.
I can not recommend this novel enough, and I would like to thank Netgalley for the ARC.

I wasn't sure Tiffany D. Jackson could get any better, but she managed to surpass my expectations. This book was incredible! It was painful to read at times, but so incredibly well done. The narrative structure, with the introduction of Korey's death right at the start of the story, and then all of the flashbacks showing how Enchanted came to be connected to Korey in the first place, kept the suspense level so high, I could not stop reading. The details of the slow, steady, manipulative grooming and steps taken to limit Enchanted's power and confidence were so specific and intentional and terrifying. Jackson does an absolutely masterful job, in this novel as always, crafting a page-turner that is full to the brim with real-world issues and struggles of the world, particularly those that disproportionately impact young girls of color. I will be buying lots of copies of this book and replacing it frequently when kids start checking it out constantly.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our library collection and recommended it to students.

MUST READ RECOMMENDATION: Grown is focused on an adult male and his abuse of power - this is not an easy read by any means but it is a powerful one - it details grooming, abuse, addiction and more. This book grabbed my attention from the get go and held tight through to the very end. Enchanted's story will break your heart and it's for that very reason I consider it a must read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with advanced copies of both the book and audiobook.

This book was a slow read for me, simply because it's heavy and hard subject matter. I switched to the audiobook after the first couple of chapters and I am so glad I did because I think Joniece Abbott-Pratt's reading of the book brought so much to Enchanted's story. It's a powerful story - Tiffany D. Jackson has produced another amazing book. One of my favorite reads and listens of 2020.

Such a timely, heart-wrenching and difficult book. Enchanted is forced to face adulthood before she’s fully matured and the relationships she becomes entangled in implicate the community around her. Tiffany Jackson writes this story in a way that is deeply gripping, making you flip furiously through the pages as you cringe and wish for ways out of hardship for Chanty. It’s certainly a mature book for a YA audience, but an important primer to sexual assault and abuse that will be important in the hands of many students.