Reviews

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

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

theog_teenylee's review

emotional sad tense medium-paced

3.75

stokesl7's review

dark emotional mysterious 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

lumelko's review

dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.0

ameewh's review

dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

mellowbry's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious sad tense fast-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

5.0

Tiffany D. Jackson has done it again! What a legend. 

My only critique was that the ending was a bit rushed and I would've liked to have seen a conversation between Enchanted and her father and Shea since there was a severe rift between them the last time they talked. 

• Besides this aspect, Jackson does an amazing job handling this story and projecting its themes. (I loved how swimming and Princesses like Ariel eventually played a huge factor in Enchanted's arc). Enchanted is a tragic character because she believes she's ready to step into an adult world, but as shown throughout the novel, she's not, and that's reasonable because she is still a kid! 
• The scenes with Enchanted's family were probably my favorite part as their love for one another was heartwarming and when there was tension between them in part 3, I felt the same sadness and anger as Enchanted. 
• Fuck Korey for everything he did to Enchanted and the other girls; Fuck Jessica for permitting these acts and later framing Enchanted; heck, Fuck Derrick for willingly turning a blind eye to his family's involvement in Enchanted's framing for Korey's murder. 
• The Gabriela/Gab is real twist truly shocked me. While it wasn't as earth-shattering as the twist in "Monday's Not Coming" -which I still think about to this day,- I think the explanation behind Gabriela/Gab's disappearance is realistic for this narrative.   

emmagray13's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

dejeunee's review

challenging dark emotional informative tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

What I love about Tiffany D Jackson is that she writes stories about young black girls that are often overlooked, cast aside, or not believed, hold them up to the light, and tells you to pay attention. That is exactly what she does with Grown. 

This book was especially hard to read because of the subject matter. Enchanted Jones is a young girl who is essentially groomed by an older man in the music industry who claims that he loves her and the relationship quickly turns abusive. The beginning of this book was so hard, and I constantly found myself putting the book down because as an adult reading this you know exactly where the story is going to go. Although the subject matter of this book is extremely tough, it is such a necessary book. Tiffany D.  Jackson is a phenomenal YA author, and this category needs her and more writers like her.

shea_buttah's review

emotional sad

4.0

buhdumbitch's review

challenging dark 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? Yes

4.5