Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

331 reviews

k_lupin's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Addiction, Death, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, and Gaslighting

liz_morgan73's review

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

bisexualcrises's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-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

4.0

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

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

unifrost_8824's review

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Sexual assault, Addiction, Child abuse, Murder, Sexual content, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Kidnapping

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

sp00ky_girl28's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Gaslighting, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Stalking

blakeandbooks's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

ketateza's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Medical trauma, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Sexual assault, Torture, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, and Eating disorder