Coming of age is tremendously costly for Enchanted Jones, the star-struck protagonist in Grown, Tiffany D. Jackson's fourth YA novel. The Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe New Talent award-winner has never shied away from constructing provocative plots. Here, Jackson brings the same level of dramatic intensity to this story about a young Black woman's abusive relationship with a famous R&B singer as she did in Monday's Not Coming and Allegedly.
Seventeen-year-old Enchanted is seduced into believing superstar Korey Fields genuinely cares for her and intends to launch her career as a professional singer. The more time she spends with him, though, the more his abuse intensifies. Enchanted becomes progressively alienated from her loved ones and increasingly sure Korey has no intention of furthering her professional aspirations. Korey's violent tendencies parallel the shocking revelations that have come to light in recent years involving powerful and influential men who sexually prey on girls and women. "He took me from my family and friends," she laments, "he took my freedom, he took my heart, he took my songs!"
That the book opens on a crime scene adds a heightened element of suspense--readers know Korey is dead, but who killed him? Intimate flashbacks fill in the gaps, showing how Enchanted became enmeshed in Korey's high-profile web. And as allegations from Korey's previous "mentees" surface, Enchanted becomes the prime suspect. Jackson masterfully includes several twists that will keep readers on shaky ground but by book's conclusion, Jackson reveals Enchanted as the true heroine of this dark drama. --Rachel Werner, Hugo House and The Loft Literary Center faculty