Grown

Genre:

I chose Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson for the Mystery/Suspense category.

Target Age Group:

The target age group is 13-17 years.

Summary:

    In the young adult novel, Grown, Enchanted Jones is a young 17-year old-girl who becomes enamored with a famous music star, Korey Fields, when she meets him at a singing audition. What seems like a casual meeting soon becomes a nightmare of gigantic proportions. Enchanted is beguiled by Korey and is soon caught up in his web of deceit and depraved, abusive behavior. She is powerless and full of shame when she cannot escape his monstrous actions. Grown is a novel that will keep the reader breathless and frightened from the horror that ensues in Enchanted's life while she is tyrannized by Korey Fields. Yes, there is a murder involved but it begs the question, is a murder of a monster worse than a murder of someone's soul?

Justification:

    The cover art and the blurb by Angie Thomas propelled my interest in this troubling and terrifying novel. Mysteries have always been my favorite genre and I was curious to ascertain what was being read in the mystery/suspense genre by today's adolescents. Ms. Jackson has been nominated for several book awards and I fervently wanted to read one of her books. She has also received acclaim for her novels from  Kirkus Reviews, NY Public Library, and the Texas Library Association. 

Evaluation:

    For this review I will be evaluating tension, point of view, and format. From the first page of Grown, the reader is immersed in a story that truly is frightening. The level of tension is excessive in this crushing story about Enchanted Jones being horribly manipulated and sexually abused by Korey Fields. Enchanted's hard-working parents believe that she is being taken care of by one of Korey's minions when Enchanted accompanies him on tour. Jessica, Korey's executive assistant, is one of the handlers for Korey and she simply wants his approval and blatantly disregards Enchanted's pleas for help. Money, power, misogynoir, and jealousy all play a part in creating immeasurable tension in Grown.

    The story of Grown is told from the point of view of Enchanted Jones. Was the sweet and naive 17-year-old Enchanted really "grown" enough to be in the company of the 28-year-old R and B singer, Korey Fields? Enchanted wakes up one day surrounded by blood (she calls it beet juice) and proceeds to tell the reader how she found herself in this shocking predicament. Experiencing Enchanted's feelings through her perspective creates an impact on the reader. The subjugation of Enchanted by Korey Fields will also leave an indelible impression on the reader. Her voice, these moments in her young life, will serve as a cautionary tale for young women. 

    I listened to the audio version of Grown on my Audible app. A young woman, Joniece Abbott- Pratt, was the narrator and proceeded to do an outstanding job with the different voices but especially with the voice of Enchanted. I believed I was listening to Enchanted divulging the horrific sexual abuse she experienced at the hands of Korey Fields. There were quite a few moments during the streaming of this story that I had to pause and remember that Grown is a fictional story. The emotion that Ms. Abbott- Pratt conveyed with her voice was heartbreaking to me. This was only the second book I have listened to using my Audible app and it was certainly a powerful way to "read" a book as heart-wrenching as Grown.

Citation:

Jackson, T.D. (2020). Grown. Katherine Tegen Books.