Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

60 reviews

caughtbetweenpages's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Tiffany D Jackson doesn't miss. I read this book basically in one sitting; when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about reading it, and then I kept thinking about it long after I turned the last page. Enchanted is one of the most sympathetic characters I can remember reading in a long time. Not because she made perfect decisions or had an eternally sparkling wit. Because she was a child who should have been protected and was failed, time and again, by a man who groomed her into believing she was only worthy of anything if it was given to her by him. And then, when the justice system theoretically put in place to help victims failed her time and again, she had to maintain her strength through that, too. There is so much more I'd like to say about this book but I don't want to spoil it, because the magic of a Tiffany D Jackson book is the one-two-three-infinity punch of her reveals and the complexity of the webs she weaves for her characters to navigate. Let it suffice to say that Enchanted's strength in surviving Absuer McGee, and the scars left by him, and the aftermath she had to live through again and again to appease a justice system against her for every reason, hit closer to home than I'm willing to elaborate on. Check the trigger warnings first, and then go read this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Stalking, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Child abuse, and Sexual harassment

kaynova's review against another edition

DNF @ 69%

now i did not dnf because this book wasn't good; i actually love the way tiffany d jackson writes and the audiobook of this is unsettling (in a good way). i just thought i had the emotional capacity to read this book, after heeding to the trigger warnings, but that was not the case. this book is HEAVY and TRIGGERING, especially if you are a dv survivor. i suggest only reading this book if you have the stomach and heart to endure it to the end. i wanted to see who ended up actually k!lling korey fields, so i did look it up, so i felt some award for getting through as much as i could.

again, tiffany d jackson's book deserves to be read, but please always be mindful of the trigger warnings because they are there to protect you. though i failed myself thinking i would be fine, a lot of others have enjoyed this book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Body shaming

hapikohw's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Damn, Tiffany Jackson and her unwell, unbelieved Black girls. So far I am 3 for 3 with her books. They hurt and are beautiful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Abandonment, Ableism, Blood, Body shaming, Death, Sexual violence, Stalking, Drug use, Classism, Sexual content, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Bullying, and Child abuse

emily_mh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Tiffany D. Jackson just knows how to write contemporaries!! She has a true talent. Every one of the four books I’ve read of hers have been astonishing, including this one. 

This book will boil your blood. It shows in detail how Black women are harmed, exploited, devalued, and disbelieved. This happens in all areas in life, but Grown focussed on this occurring in the music industry, following Enchanted’s story. What struck me especially in relation to this topic was that people in the book (as in real life) were so desperate to put the blame on anyone but the perpetrator of harm. 

This book is heartbreaking. What Enchanted goes through is horrendous. Jackson doesn’t shy away from exactly how Black girls are exploited in the music industry. Acknowledging this reality is so important, as it provides visibility on an issue that doesn’t get any in mainstream media. 

Jackson crafted this story so well. The book starts out with the morning after the murder, then goes back in time, focussing on how Enchanted got to that point. The result is this well-executed looming sense of foreboding. The incredibly short chapters match the pace at which Enchanted’s life is snatched out of her control. We are presented with certain small details early on that then become super important later, giving that click of understanding. As I said, Jackson is one hell of a writer!! 

One thing I did think was odd was that Jackson didn’t take the stance that a 17 year old getting with a 14 year old is weird, as is a 20 year old getting with a 16 year old, when those are weird age gapes considering the relative life stages of the people involved. But I also could have been reading these sections too literally and be completely wrong about what her stance is! I just wanted to flag that in case. 

Rep: Black MC, Black SCs, Latina SC

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Drug use, Sexism, Racism, Rape, Addiction, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Murder, Confinement, Blood, Violence, Gaslighting, Stalking, and Death

Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Vomit, Alcohol, Ableism, Body shaming, Religious bigotry, Infidelity, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, and Police brutality

Major: grooming Minor: hoarding

unfxckwhittable's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Characters: 4.5

Plot: 4.0

Theme: 3.5

Cover: 5.0 

17 yo Enchanted Jones’ dreams of becoming a singer seem within reach when she encounters 28 yo superstar Korey Fields. But soon her dreams turn into a living nightmare. 

Tiffany Jackson was one of my favorite authors of 2022. And reading this in 2023 did not disappoint. Jackson has a gift for evoking emotion from me through her words. I utterly detested KF and everyone who supported him and his lifestyle, he gave me the ick from the first touch. But I really enjoyed how this story was written—from the plot twists to the ending. 
This story touches on many important and timely topics, and certainly made me reflect on my own views. I found I was annoyed by Enchanted’s attitude about “being grown” at 17 and wanting to be treated like an adult, even though I was the same way at her age. I caught myself falling into the “fast girls” narrative and had to reflect on why I was judging a child with an adult lens. This book also made me really think about how to build my own children up and communicate with them so they don’t need to find love and value externally, but also so they don’t feel the need to deliberately keep things from their parents like Enchanted did. 
I also appreciated the inclusion of the social media comments on how society forms their opinions on situations like this with BM/BW, because every single comment was one I had seen when talking about R. Kelly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Stalking, Kidnapping, Torture, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, and Mental illness

happynessheals's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

WARNING! this book can be triggering for some. It’s a great read, but in the middle I stopped reading because it was triggering me. the plots are great and the ending did not feel rushed! The ending was actually extremely unexpected and this book was a thrill ride!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Violence, Stalking, Sexual assault, Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Addiction, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Murder and Adult/minor relationship

nytephoenyx's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was exceptionally hard to read. The themes are dark, and the constant gaslighting and abuse are hard to stomach. I cannot recommend enough that potential readers review the trigger warnings before proceeding. That said, it is amazingly well written and impactful. It’s an important story to tell, particularly when black women are so easily disregarded in these situations. It’s an incredible book, but it is devastating.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Blood, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Racism, Kidnapping, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Toxic relationship

The protagonist is a Black female-identifying teenager. Her best friend is LatinX, passing. The villain is a Black male. There are numerous Black supporting and minor characters.

aformeracceleratedreader's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

Tiffany D Jackson is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. This is a heavy book. Read the content warnings in reviews and at the beginning of the book. 
I don't know what to say. This books shows how power dynamics of famous people are used/abused to target vulnerable people, especially young girls, and how people are so quick to blame the victims and/or gaslight the victims. Like I've stopped listening to some bands once I found out members of them targeted teens and manipulated/groomed them. Also shows how black girls in particular are seen as "more adult" or "knew what they were doing" than their non-black peers in situations of sexual violence. 
Believe victims. And if you are a victim of sexual assault, you aren't alone or at fault.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual violence, Violence, Gaslighting, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Stalking, Torture, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Confinement

pun1sher's review

5.0

This was a tough one definitely wouldn't recommend if you have any sort of trauma related to grooming or relationship abuse. It reminded me a lot of Tina Turner and her husband. Solid work, not sure if it should be marketed fully as ya because it felt heavy topic wise. Also perfect chapter lengths, very fast and easy to read without being rushed

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Mental illness, and Physical abuse

Grooming, abuse of power

abbiestowe's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Blood, Body shaming, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Stalking, and Toxic relationship