Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

75 reviews

aveneg's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious sad

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Mental illness, Violence, Trafficking, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Drug abuse

Minor: Body shaming

spicycronereads's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Racism, Mental illness, and Stalking

samirareads24's review

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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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Mental illness

crybabybea's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, Sexual violence, Stalking, Body shaming, Blood, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Murder

bookishpixie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Torture, Stalking, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Drug use, and Murder

gen_wolfhailstorm's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Blended reading with this title!

The Details: 
Narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt
Unabridged 

This was heartbreaking. I had to slow down half way through and read a little at a time because it was so upsetting.

The suddenness of how quickly Enchanted was able to go on tour with Korey and how quickly she began to see the cracks in the supposed fairytale was devastating.

This was such a genuinely difficult read, especially knowing how much this happens in the mudlsic industry and how compliant those within it are. Its either they ignore it or are blatantly actively taken advantage of these young people that are supposedly under their wing.

The power dynamic between Korey and Enchanted was messed up from the start, but I find it hard to feel some sort of way about the parents as I feel like they were blindsided just by allowing their daughter to follow her dreams... it just so happened those dreams were within the power of a cruel, predatory man.

The scenes with Enchanted at the mansion were really difficult to read and when she began to doubt her sanity I just near enough broke down because how many times is a young Black girl going to be told she's crazy for speaking up. Simultaneously I was second guessing her reality too, feeling guilty for it, be because of what she was being subject to, what she was being fed (literally and metaphorically).

Tiffany D. Jackson portrayed a dark and deeply upsetting narrative, giving voice to the many young women who have lived this, trusting in the goodness of people and their love, in the act of chasing their dreams. This was a sad perspective, but one I'm glad I have finally read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Pedophilia, Body shaming, Grief, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Excrement, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Trafficking, Violence, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Stalking, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Minor: Classism

sarahbethhh's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

a difficult but important read. the framing was interesting, the subject matter devastating, but i felt the narrative itself could use more work.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Violence, Stalking, Rape, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Classism and Alcohol

Minor: Mental illness

caughtbetweenpages's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Tiffany D Jackson doesn't miss. I read this book basically in one sitting; when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about reading it, and then I kept thinking about it long after I turned the last page. Enchanted is one of the most sympathetic characters I can remember reading in a long time. Not because she made perfect decisions or had an eternally sparkling wit. Because she was a child who should have been protected and was failed, time and again, by a man who groomed her into believing she was only worthy of anything if it was given to her by him. And then, when the justice system theoretically put in place to help victims failed her time and again, she had to maintain her strength through that, too. There is so much more I'd like to say about this book but I don't want to spoil it, because the magic of a Tiffany D Jackson book is the one-two-three-infinity punch of her reveals and the complexity of the webs she weaves for her characters to navigate. Let it suffice to say that Enchanted's strength in surviving Absuer McGee, and the scars left by him, and the aftermath she had to live through again and again to appease a justice system against her for every reason, hit closer to home than I'm willing to elaborate on. Check the trigger warnings first, and then go read this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Stalking, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Child abuse, and Sexual harassment

hapikohw's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.0

Damn, Tiffany Jackson and her unwell, unbelieved Black girls. So far I am 3 for 3 with her books. They hurt and are beautiful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Abandonment, Ableism, Blood, Body shaming, Death, Sexual violence, Stalking, Drug use, Classism, Sexual content, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Bullying, and Child abuse

ruinedbyreading's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Stalking, Mental illness, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Physical abuse