Grown

This was one of my most anticipated books for Fall. Tiffany D. Jackson is one of my favorites. Her books are usually about teenagers – so – YA… but they are always incredibly dark, and also usually have some sort of twist that will leave you thinking for days. First of all there are about 9,000 trigger warnings: rape, abuse, kidnapping, and opioid addiction. At the beginning of the book, we see Enchanted Jones waking up in a gruesome crime scene. Korey Fields, a major musician, has been murdered and she is the top suspect. The book weaves back and forth between past and we learn of the abuse Enchanted experiences at the hands of Korey, who had promised to help grow her music career and later, told her that he’s in love with her. This is very dark. It reminds me a little bit of The Comeback except way darker (dealing with Hollywood and fame and a rags to riches sort of scenario where a young ingenue trusts an older man and ends up being abused). At the heart of it, this book is about the abuse of power and in the author’s words (she does a thoughtful author’s note at the end), “the pattern of excusing grown men for their behavior while faulting young girls for their missteps.” Anyway, as with all of Jackson’s books, I really loved this one!