HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO THIS GEM!! YALL STILL NOT READY FOR THIS ONE!

Book Stats
Stars: 5 Stars
Start Date : 4/19/20
Ending Date: 4/26/20
Genre: YA Contemporary Mystery Thriller
Form: Digital ARC
Page Count: 384
Publishing Date: September 2020
Point of View: 1st Person
Setting: New York City
CW: Sexual Abuse,Rape, Assault ,Child Abuse,Kidnapping, Drug Use, Addiction

Received an arc from publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Somewhat spoilers You can also read it on my blog!

Grown is about a 17 year old girl ,Enchanted "Chanty" Jones who loves to sing and is inspired by the past greats. Between being one of the best swimmers on her swim team and watching Disney movies with her younger siblings, she have dreams of hitting big as a singer and getting a record deal to record her songs that she write. While auditioning for a singing competition, she meets Korey Fields. A 28 year old singer, who is one of the hottest R&B singers on the scene. He takes a liking to her and wants to takes her under her wing. At first it seem like a dream for Chanty, meeting someone who likes the past greats and Disney Movies as much as she do. Who can open doors for her and make her feel things she never felt before in her 17 years of living. But as time past on, Chanty start to realized that her dream has become a nightmare that she has to wake up from in order to survive.

This review has taken me a while to write which I don't know why because I loved the book. " Grown" was my first I've read by Tiffany D Jackson and it will not be my last by a long shot.

I guess because hits close to home being apart of the black community and seeing this happen so many damn times that I lost count. It has been swept under the rug for too long and it needs to be told.

You know

Young black girls being told two things

" You are being too fast!" or " You are being grown."

What does that mean you ask?

Older Men going after under age girls but the girls get blamed for the clothes they wear around the guys but the guys are blameless for touching and pursing an under age girl .

It's all the teenage girl fault because they shouldn't be wearing a pair cute shorts or cute summer dress around " Uncle Ray Ray". Which Uncle Ray Ray shouldn't be looking anyway at his "niece" and keeping his hands to himself.

Mom new " boyfriend" or Stepfather keeps coming into a girls room at night touching her or asking her to touch him which the boyfriend tells her not to her mom. Which she's crying in her room at night and feeling dirty about has happened. In which she finally gets the courage to tell her mom what's going on but her mom thinks it's her fault for wearing tank tops around her boyfriend or stepfather and tell her she's being too "grown" .

That elder at church who love having little girls in their pretty dresses sit in his lap.

A celebrity that is loved and adored for his music throughout the world but he has numerous of scandals with him dealing with underage girls. Inspiring young girls who look up to him and want to make into the business which he pursues him to make their dreams "come true" . Several girls come out speaking out on the celebrity and tell their side of the story. That he drugged him, was controlling,abusive, and had sex with them while they was underaged. Everyone thinks the girls are lying, willing did things with him because they wanted his money and the fame. Even to the point they blame the parents cause they think the parents willing let their "fast" daugther go with them.

I know the last one sounds like R Kelly and many others but this is what Grown is all about. Also add a murder mystery to the plot which have all the twist and turns you need.

Grown pretty much took this problem that is plaguing the black community as much as police brutality is and shed light to it which was much needed. Especially in itn the age of the metoo movement which is shedding the light on this and other sexual assault matters.

One of the things I love about it is the fact that Grown is being told in first person. Normally ,I'm not a fan of first person books but this one being in Chanty shoes as the story goes worked. Being in the eyes of an innocent 17 year old girl who biggest dream is to become a singer and to meet a man who tells her that he can make that happen for her. To see how at first it didn't feel wrong to her have a 28 year old texting songs of the past greats and calling her behind her parents back because in her eyes 11 years in her eyes didn't seem that far apart. To start hanging out with him in his studio alone and these thoughts about him that was new but still want to record some tracks for her CD.. To how her relationships with her parents, sisters, and friends start to unravel as she found herself being swept under the tidal wave that was Korey. How she went on tour with him, moved into his house with cameras watching her every move and how he was " Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" to her. Sweet Korey one moment and then controlling locking her in room Korey the next . Grooming her to be what he wanted her to be in which she was losing her voice figuratively and literally. To finding out it was others just like her who was enthralled by Korey's charm and talent. Anything on that downward spiral in which she had to make a choice in order to stay alive.

Another thing that I love is how fast paced it was because it shown how quickly things went down hill for Chanty. Most of the book is being told in the past with the present being sprinkled here and there which it leads you to events how she ended up at the place she was at when we saw her at the beginning of the book aka present.

It also brings up the hypocrisy of the the black culture well culture in general on how a 3 year age gap where the boy just turn 18 meanwhile the girl was about to turn 17 is frown upon and he is getting called a pedofile but not saying **** to a 28 year old going after a 17 year old.

This was not easy to read at all but it was powerful as hell and it really spilled the tea on the culture.

That black girls need to be protected at all cost from the " R Kellys", "Uncle Ray Ray's' , Elders and Mom's new Boyfriends in this world.

In the words of Angie Thomas who also read this " Yall Aint Ready".

Yall aint ready for this emotional rollercoaster of this 17 year old girl that was forced to grow up but was being accused of being " Grown" .

Tanya