Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - Grown

Really liked the first two thirds of this, but the last third made some narrative choices that I didn’t like. It felt like it was dragging things out for too long, and then the ending was pretty rushed. It’s a rough read because of the topic, but a good one.

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aveneg's review against another edition

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dark informative mysterious sad

3.5

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spicycronereads's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This is the first Tiffany D. Jackson book that I didn’t love. It’s also the first time I found myself yelling at or talking back to an audiobook. Apologies to voice actress Joniece Abbott-Pratt for all the yelling I did at her. For better or worse, she made the story come alive.

The book opens with main character, Enchanted, waking up, covered in blood, with no memory of how she got that way. In the room with her is a man who is dead and it is someone whom she clearly fears. The narrative, then goes back in time and starts to relay the events that led to the situation. it was extremely stressful. Because you can see exactly how things were going to go. It may be because I’m an adult woman, but the manipulation tactics seemed so transparent. It was difficult to remind myself that the target audience is young women, who might be more likely to fall pray to these tactics. It was also infuriating to see how the victims of intimate partner violence were treated both by people in their lives, and by the system.

The author does a good job of addressing the nuances and social attitudes around these issues, from the over-sexualization of Black girls, to the systemic failures for survivors of intimate partner violence, to the differential treatment of perpetrators based on their race. Definitely check your trigger warnings though, this is a rough one!

Overall, the audio performance was really great. It is a story that needs to be told. It would probably less frustrating for the target demographic (it is a YA novel). I liked it but didn’t love it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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samirareads24's review

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emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

This book was amazing. Could not put it down. It flowed so well and touched on some very tense and controversial topics. Events that happen often in the music industry sadly and to woman of color. The real world comparisons hit so close to current societal struggles and told with a perspective that can be thoroughly understood. Tiffany D. Jackson does it again yall, one of my favorite writers.

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fkshg8465's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

********** I don’t consider these spoilers, but you may *********

This may be an extreme and even glamour filled version of a reality that happens everyday to millions of women, especially BIPoC women and young women. Millions of us have been/are being assaulted (myself included), and probably just as many or more of us are beaten and brutalized and victimized and gaslighted by men, especially men with power, money, and influence. It doesn’t even have to be a lot of any of the three - so long as it’s just a little more than what we have. This story is my story. It’s an exaggerated version, but it happened to me under different circumstances. I also suspect the entertainment industry is probably as toxic as written. Bravo to Tiffany Jackson for writing with courage and gentleness and for killing off a character who should’ve been raised differently and could’ve brought so much beauty into the world if he had.

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crybabybea's review

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Basically a cautionary tale wrapped up in a murder-mystery thriller. The story really only focuses on one character, Enchanted, a 17-year-old aspiring singer, and her toxic relationship with a powerful older singer named Korey Fields. Even though there are other characters, they don't play a huge part in the story and therefore aren't as fleshed out as Enchanted. It didn't affect my experience but might be a deal-breaker for some.

Since this is YA, it's definitely dark and does get pretty graphic. I did find some of the twists a little silly, but I think the point of the story was more the warning to young readers and exploration of rape culture, especially the silencing of Black women. Because of this, it felt a bit like a literary fiction with a murder-mystery thrown in.

I think Tiffany D. Jackson did a great job showing what it looks and feels like to be groomed and taken advantage of, and how quickly a toxic relationship can spiral out of control into violence. Definitely an important read for (teens and young adults especially) people who might be experiencing the same thing. I especially liked how the author captured the intense feelings of self-doubt and justification that goes through a victim's mind, without romanticizing the "good" moments, and the confusion that comes from manipulation and gaslighting. There was always a looming sense of danger in Enchanted's narration, which I appreciated. Also, she included content warnings in the beginning of the book and a list of resources for anyone struggling at the end, which I think should be done more often, especially in YA.

The pace is lightning fast and the simple prose makes it easy to breeze through. Overall an anxiety-inducing murder-mystery with a satisfying enough ending.

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blakeandbooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

TDJ does it again!!! I listened to this audiobook in less than a day. I could barely take my headphones off. This story is gripping, heartbreaking, and so moving. I was immediately drawn to Enchanted and how desperately she wanted her dreams to be reality. I can honestly say that even with the story beginning in the present and TDJ taking us back to the beginning for nuance, context, and incredible storytelling, I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen. I felt like I had emotional whiplash from everything that happened in this book. I was a wreck! It is so fast-paced that I felt like I could not breathe, until I knew exactly how the story ended. Enchanted goes through so much in this book, as does her family and friends 😭 Jackson is definitely a new favorite author of mine after reading this and The Weight of Blood. I cannot wait to read more of her work!

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ketateza's review

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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