lcl_reads's Reviews (211)

The premise for this book is solid, but it felt way too long and chaotic.

In true Tiffany D. Jackson, Grown is fast-paced and hard to put down because I just had to find out what happens next. I was rooting for Enchanting, but also scared for her because her story is all too familiar. I love how Jackson gave tantalizing snippets of the ending, but still had a twist. This is tied with Monday's Not Coming as my favorite book I've read by Jackson so far. (I've read Allegedly, Monday, Weight of Blood, and now Grown).

I really like thrillers, but I've been struggling with some lately because they just feel outlandish, which isn't really thrilling to me. Jackson does such an amazing job creating a story that truly sends shivers down my spine because while I know it is fiction, I know it is also so real in a way that is gut-wrenching.

This book reminded me of Nightcrawling by Leila Motley. Interestingly, I listened to both and they happen to have the same narrator.

Typically, I enjoy Jodi Picoult, but this one just didn't work for me. She attempts to show there are two sides to every story, but for me, reproductive justice is just not a two sides issue. It is an issue of recognizing the humanity, value, and worthiness of those who bear children and their right to control their bodies and is rooted in historical ways groups have exerted bodily control over others. I recognize this is my reader bias and cognitively I appreciate that this is part of Picoult's writing style and that this book isn't for me.

I found the backwards timeline confusing for character development and made the plot boring and anticlimactic. I kept mixing up character details because of the way the information is doled out. Additionally, I did not find the end of the book very climatic or interesting because so much information is given upfront.