So, I just finished a book called “Grown” by Tiffany Jackson. Let me first start by saying that I don’t normally go for a book like this. I’m more of a sci-fi and mystery type of lady. Nevertheless, I came into this book with an open mind.
The main character of the book was Enchanted Jones, a teenage girl who had the dream of becoming a singer. She met a man named Kory Fields who will give her a chance of making it big… or so she thought. Eventually, she realizes that Kory was not who she thinks he is. He ended up abusing her, controlling her, and manipulating her. Later, Enchanted stands up for herself and tries to get justice for what Kory has done to her. Somehow Kory ends up dead, adding to the chaos.
Enchanted wanted to be grown so bad and ended up getting the wrong end of the stick. She experienced physical and mental abuse and got addicted to lean. Kory even tried to have her go against her parents. She tried to seek justice but ended up ridiculed. She even got death threats. I feel so bad for her. She lost friends and gain some that she can’t even get in touch with. Both of her parents feel bad about not being more aware of everything. However, Enchanted’s father did everything he could to try and get his daughter home. Kory is a psychotic douche bag that should’ve been in therapy a long time so. It was clear to me that he had abandonment issues and saw a way to control women when he was younger.
Two things stuck out to me in this book. As I was listening to it I couldn’t help but think that this story can be someone’s story in today’s world. It reminds me of what’s been said about today’s celebrities in the entertainment business, like R. Kelly and T.I. and Tameka Harris. (I later realize that this was inspired by R. Kelly’s case. However, it was about an abuse of power, belittling young black girls.) Additionally, I found it triggering to see how much black girls and black women have to fight for their voices to be heard. Even though I read the summary of the book before I began listening to it, I still did not expect this be to be in the book for some reason. Unfortunately, many people will trust those black girls who are telling the truth about their stories. It was even mentioned in the book that no one will believe a black woman. There was an ending of some justice served in the book, which was good, but I can’t help but think that this isn’t the case for many black girls and black women everywhere.
Overall, this book had me intrigued from the beginning to the end. I listened to the Audible, so believe me when I say that the narrator did an amazing job performing this book. I would definitely recommend this book if you like stories like these. If not, then give it a try anyway. Be advised that this book may be triggering, as it involves domestic violence, post-traumatic stress disorder, and rape. So, please be cautious about reading this book if you feel like you’ll be triggered. Other than that, this was a great read.
