Grown: 10/12/20

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson looks at the way men in power, in this case, the entertainment industry, groom and abuse young girls. This novel reads like a blending of Gas Light by Patrick Hamilton (1939), Allegedly (2017), and A Star is Born (1954).

Enchanted "Chanted" Jones loves to sing and loves to swim. On the way home from practice she convinces her mother to let her try out for a televised talent show. She doesn't get a spot but she catches the eye of former child star and current rock star, Korey Fields. He's gorgeous. He has a sexy singing voice. There are also rumors about how he has been abusing girls throughout his career.

We know from the very get go that the rumors are true because Jackson opens the book with Chanted finding Korey's mutilated body. The questions then are: What lead to someone being pushed to committing such a violent act? Who committed the murder?

The book is a heart stopping page turner. It's an excellent but depressing and rage inducing checklist for how abusers charm their prey and then keep them under control.

The most important takeaway from this novel is that teenagers under eighteen are children. It doesn't matter how developed they look or how much make up or fancy clothing they wear. They are children.

Tiffany D. Jackson's next novel is Smoke (2021).

Five stars

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