A review by lantastic1
Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
4.0
My review for this one is going to be a touch complicated. I did really like the main story, loved it even! It was the secondary details that stopped this from being a 5-star read.
Starting with the good stuff - I so appreciated the representation in the novel and how the story was told. Because of the type of characters and their backstories (especially Enchanted), Tiffany Jackson took away so much of the reader's ability to make excuses, to do the "oh it happened because..." and instead emphasized the fact that his could happen to anybody.
The frustration I felt for their choices didn't take away from the fact that I believed it. I got why Enchanted wanted to be with Korey. I got how her parents had the wool pulled over their eyes. I even got the judgement from her sister and her friends because I felt it too.
Now the bad...
But all in all, I quite loved this book. I thought it was a fantastic commentary on how these situations are handled, how victims are treated, and what we as a society do to young, Black girls.
Starting with the good stuff - I so appreciated the representation in the novel and how the story was told. Because of the type of characters and their backstories (especially Enchanted), Tiffany Jackson took away so much of the reader's ability to make excuses, to do the "oh it happened because..." and instead emphasized the fact that his could happen to anybody.
The frustration I felt for their choices didn't take away from the fact that I believed it. I got why Enchanted wanted to be with Korey. I got how her parents had the wool pulled over their eyes. I even got the judgement from her sister and her friends because I felt it too.
Now the bad...
Spoiler
THE GAB STUFF! It was just such an unnecessary wrinkle. Especially when it turned out she was real, I just didn't get why it was a mystery. People could have doubted Enchanted her without making us doubt her.But all in all, I quite loved this book. I thought it was a fantastic commentary on how these situations are handled, how victims are treated, and what we as a society do to young, Black girls.