Proceed with Caution:
This book contains a relationship between a minor and an adult, physical abuse, emotional abuse, statutory rape, drugging, and mentions of rape.
The Basics:
Grown is narrated in first person by Enchanted Jones, a seventeen year old swimmer and aspiring singer. After an audition she meets superstar, Korey Fields, and he offers to mentor her. He takes her on tour with promises of love, singing lessons, recording an album, and funds for her family. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
My Thoughts:
Having read and loved two other books by the author, I knew I was going to enjoy Grown. And I did. It was a wild ride! Enchanted just wants to be a singer. She doesn't want to be famous, but she wants to be known. She also wants to be loved and believes she has found that in her secret relationship with the twenty-eight-year-old Korey. Clearly this relationship is not exactly legal, but at first it seems good. The two text each other, have the same taste in music and movies, and generally enjoy each other's company. But once Korey gets Enchanted on tour with him, the real Korey comes out.
Grown was just completely bananas. The things that Korey does to Enchanted are sickening. It's not all bad, and it's those moments of sweetness and softness that keep Enchanted under his spell. But he's not being held to any of his promises and he's always twisting things to make it look like her fault, or like she's all he has, and he's all she has. It's very twisted and upsetting.
Grown also does an amazing job at discussing how Black girls and women are not believed when they come forward about abuse. The cops and the media make it sound like Enchanted got what she wanted, or she asked for it, or she knew exactly what she was doing. No! Korey knew exactly what he was doing and he knew better! Even if she did turn eighteen during their time together, he was still the adult in the situation and the one who took advantage. Why is it so difficult for people to realize that? They'd rather presume to know a young girl's mind and twist it to fit some other narrative rather than just looking at what's right in front of them!
I finished Grown in one sitting. I flew through it in about three hours. I was hooked! I knew there was going to be a huge plot twist coming but I couldn't figure it out. I kept coming up with theories but they were all proven wrong. Then the final page happened. What? No?! That's not even possible. Honestly, I was left confused, but not in an "oh crap, no way?!" kind of way. Just straight up puzzled, which is the only reason this one isn't a five-star read. It seemed thrown in just to be a plot twist rather than actually fitting the story. Still absolutely worth the read though.