Tiffany D. Jackson is becoming one of my favorite authors. Monday's Not Coming is still her best, but this one packs a punch. The story is loosely based on R. Kelly's scandal, but the artistry is in the way the material is handled and in the emotional arc of the story. Going with the YA literature slam bang opening gambit, Ms. Jackson starts the story at the climax: Enchanted Jones comes to, covered in blood, a famous singer lying dead, and she doesn't remember what just happened. With that beginning, how can you not keep reading?

The story is one of a very young girl, 15 I think, being made a lot of promises by a successful musical artist who somehow convinces her parents to let her go on tour with him. Of course it is all too good to be true, and we soon realize that she is trapped, held against her will really, and being controlled and manipulated by a very sick person who has done this before with other girls. We share her emotional journey of being dazzled by this guy to believing they are in love to being puzzled at his behavior swings to whatever comes after that.

I guess this really brings out the momma bear in me, and I want girls to learn from this and be smart about their choices, especially about promises made by older men. I think I felt the same way about Monday's Not Coming, and I share this desire to protect vulnerable girls from all the dark forces in the world which see them as gullible and expendable. I would like to urge all young ladies to read this book and stay smart. You may think you are grown, and in a lot of ways you are, but be careful out there. Even if you are grown, and smart, this is a pretty good read.

This book was very necessary, I love every minute of it. It was hard to read at times due to the subject but I couldn't put it down. i went thorough a lot of different emotions reading this book.I would recommend this book to everyone.

I'm always blown away at Jackson's characters, voice, and plot, and this was no exception. Gripping, page-turning, and rich with nuance and depth, this was a delight and a paradigm shift.

Really, really good portrayal of grooming in the music industry. I would highly recommend this to readers, but be cautious of the trigger warnings: grooming, emotional manipulation, pedophilia, sexual assault, rape, child abuse, kidnapping, addiction, revenge porn, suicidal ideation. It's a heavy book, but Tiffany Jackson handled the topic with a lot of care.

This was just overall an amazing story that could be relatable to anyone in any time of this situation. Jackson does a tremendous job telling a tale and building characters. I felt I was right there the whole time with Enchanted.

This is a really great book! Tiffany D Jackson writes about so many challenging topics in such a real way. Enchanted is 17, has an amazing voice, a talented swimmer on the school swim team, a member of the Will & Willow organization and the oldest sister responsible for the littles.. Tiffany has dreams and and once she meets Korey Fields at a voice audition she thinks that dreams really do come true. Korey Fields is the biggest thing in music today. Enchanted begins singing with Korey. Soon she finds herself on tour with him. Once away from her family and friends Korey becomes controlling and Enchanted's dream becomes a nightmare. Korey winds up dead and Enchanted is arrested for his murder. The big question is did she kill Korey? Read Grown and find out for yourself.

This was the first book I've read by Tiffany Jackson, but it will definitely not be my last. This novel does not shy away from difficult topics. Enchanted is a strong, amazing, and beautiful character. Harsh, honest, intense and heart-breaking at times, Grown is a must-read. And the cover is breath-taking! I am very excited to see what Tiffany Jackson writes next!

YA
Tiffany Jackson is an amazing storyteller. There are so many conversations to be had! Why is it always assumed that the victim of a sex crime must’ve done something to imply they were accepting of the abuse?

I still think Allegedly was one of the best books of its year, and Monday's Not Coming was a very good followup book. Tiffany Jackson writes interesting stories and truly thinks about thinks like how the media reports on Black girls. The subject itself is timely and important, but I felt like the execution fell really short--the pacing was off and she set up a few things to be twists that just didn't feel like twists.

I actually couldn't finish this book as I found the subject matter too disturbing (I have a teenage daughter). However, as it is an important book by a well-regarded author I have bought both the book and audiobook for my high school library.

This novel punches you in the gut. There are not enough words to describe the amount of emotions this novel makes you feel. No review would be able to do it justice.
It is a must read.

Tiffany Jackson put together another mystery that made me question the murder suspect throughout the entire novel. I was engaged from page 1 and could not put this down. The story loosely follows R Kelly’s storyline. Definitely a must read!

Tiffany Jackson does it again. Her work is always amazing! Can’t wait to see what she publishes next :)

I read this book in one 4-hour sitting. I started around midnight and finished close to 4 am. I couldn’t help it. I was hooked from the beginning. Tiffany Jackson stated at the beginning of the book that it was not a story about R Kelly, but I had to take several breaks during my 4-hour reading sprint to breathe and to remind myself that although this is a book of fiction it happens around us every day.

Content warnings: mentions of sexual abuse, rape, assault, child abuse, kidnapping, and addiction to opioids.

You can find this review and others like it at goodreads.com/CortneReads and Instagram.com/CortneReads

I couldn't put this book down. I started it when I was getting a pedicure and begged the woman to take the polish off and start again so I could keep reading. (I'm a mom of two young boys, so alone time isn't in my recent vocabulary). Jackson is a genius. Everything she writes is gold, but this book was especially powerful. She developed Enchanted quickly but smoothly. You felt for her, she frustrated you, but you could also understand why she might be sucked into this life. She showed moments of strength, so you were always rooting for her through weakness. The addition of the "classic" music made me chuckle as it was all music I could relate to. My heart ached for Enchanted as she was groomed for an inevitable demise, but I couldn't stop reading, always hoping she'd find a way out of the controlling, violent environment in which she had found herself. I think this bought ought to be required reading in high school, but it certainly could be read before that.

TW/CW: Microaggressions, attempted sexual assault, grooming of a minor, controlling relationships, emotional, physical, and mental abuse

"One thing I know about fish: you keep them on land too long, they'll die".

Let's just say that this book is still on my mind long after reading it. That's how amazing it was. It made me feel so many emotions and I just couldn't wait to review it. The book opens up with an intense scene. Enchanted Jones wakes up with a massive headache with no recollection of what happened. She also notices something that she perceives as beet juice all over the floor. The beet juice is everywhere! All she can think about is if Korey sees the beet juice he will be angry. The thing is Korey isn't waking up. Is he dead? Of course there's a lot of events and situations that have lead up to this moment. Enchanted Jones is a 17 year old girl with big dreams. She loves to sing and all she wants is to sign with a record company. She loves belting the oldies she used to listen to with her grandmother. Enchanted lives with her parents and sibling who Enchanted is always caring for especially since her parents are working extra hard to make ends meet. She's tired of the same routine and she finally wants to be discovered and be given that approval she wants and deserves.

After her friend Gab encourages her to enter a singing competition, she meets r&b singer Korey Fields who slowly makes her dream come true. He approaches her and offers to give her singing lessons for free, which eventually ends up in her signing a contract (as well as her parents), and getting on a record label. Little do Enchanted's parents know the death wish they just signed for them and her daughter. Everything seems okay until Korey starts getting controlling and possessive of Enchanted. Enchanted's parents don't agree with the relationship has with Korey (whose 28). Alas, Enchanted is smitten and blinded by Korey's charm. She ends up touring with him and that's when he shows his true colors. What he does to Enchanted is horrible, demeaning, trifling, and will surely want to make you punch a wall. Korey's abuse gets so out of hand that Enchanted starts to question her own mental health. I will warn you that the subject manner is heavy, so read at your own discretion. Tiffany Jackson gives you a dark picture of the things that go on in the entertainment business. It really wakes you up. This story was powerful and riveting. Easily one of my fave YA reads of this year. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷!!!!!!!

Grown was a good book with such hard content to read. I love when authors can take disturbing, hard-to-hear experiences and make it not only relatable to what is happening in the world but also life lessons. I immediately saw the parallels between this story and R. Kelly, but I appreciated hearing the author’s note at the end that explained that is not what it was at all. I also loved that Jackson not only included a trigger warning in the beginning, but she also had a great after conversation as well as phone numbers and resources if you have ever experienced the events in the story.

Jackson’s writing makes you cringe as you are reading but piques your interest to find out what happens. I felt so much for the 17-year-old talented but naïve Enchanted and everything she went through. Having a young daughter, myself, Grown made me face how a wonderful girl with a great head on her shoulders and plans for the future can be easily manipulated by an older, disturbed man. This book will make you want to hug your children tighter and have those hard conversations that you have been putting on the back burner. Just as she did with Monday’s Not Coming and Allegedly, Jackson explores areas that are happening in the real world, but people want to ignore because it is just easier. This is a must read!

Book: Grown
(AVAILABLE NOW-Release Date: September 15, 2020)
Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
Genre: Teen and YA, Mystery, Suspense

Thank you to @NetGalley @HarperCollinsChildrensBooks and @Writeinbk for an advanced copy of @Grown

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"Grown" follows the journey of main character Enchanted as she falls into a messy relationship with a famous older man who she believes sees her potential to be a singer. Audiences need to be willing to lean into the discomfort this book elicits. Seeing an adult manipulate and mistreat a young woman is hard to read, and understanding Enchanted's position in the situation is even harder. ""Grown" is compulsively readable, with twists, turns, and secrets galore. But it's best we remember that there is truth in this piece of entertainment.

Although I'm new to this author's work, every book I've read from her has been absolutely amazing.

Enchanted Jones has a dream of becoming a famous singer. At the age of 17, she is discovered by 28 year old singer Korey Fields. At the beginning, things seem to be going well, until Korey's true colors are shown and Enchanted's life spirals down. Similar to a certain celebrity in some ways, Grown will take you on an emotional roller coaster that will make you understand how some people, especially how things like that can happen. The story flowed so effortlessly and I didn't want it to end, but I really wanted to know what happened. An amazing read and will be on my best books of the year. Phenomenal job by the author.

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.