Grown

“No child should ever take the blame for a man's actions.”

This is one of the best YA contemporary books I've ever read in my life and I'm not sure how I could possibly do it justice with a review. Grown was my introduction to Tiffany D. Jackson's books, and I'm legitimately a little bit sad that it took me this long to pick up something by her, because I adored everything about it: the writing, the characters, the plot, the commentary, all of it. The dialogue flowed so smoothly, the characters felt real, and the entire storyline mirrored reality in a painfully accurate manner.

I suddenly miss the smells and tight quarters of my house. Burning sage, roasting rosemary, and Daddy's aftershave. I even miss sharing a room with Shea. But I can't go back home.

see

Trying to reclaim your life is a lot like drowning. You attempt to stay above water as waves of new information hit you sideways, carrying you further into the unknown. People throw life preservers, but the ropes can only reach so far, and once a riptide catches you by the ankle, all you can do is wonder why you ever thought you'd be OK jumping into the deep end, when you could barely manage the shallows.

Representation:

Content warnings

pedophilia, abuse, rape, imprisonment, drugging with and without consent, underage drug abuse, underage alcohol abuse, infidelity