By Kristine Campbell
Tiffany D. Jackson is the critically acclaimed author of Allegedly, Monday’s Not Coming, and Let Me Hear a Rhyme. A Walter Dean Myers Honor Book, Coretta Scott King winner, and NAACP Image Award nominee, she received her Bachelor of Arts in film, her Master of Arts in media studies, and had over a decade of TV/film experience before becoming a best-selling author.
Tiffany D. Jackson’s Writing
Now, Jackson is one of the most exciting writers in young adult fiction due to her ripped-from-the-headlines mysteries with jaw-dropping twists that hold a societal mirror to the individual and community impact of systemic inequalities and imbalances. Like her previous novels, Jackson’s newest title, GROWN, was inspired by a headline-making true crime—the sexual abuse charges against R. Kelly and its impact on the me-too movement as well as her own age-inappropriate relationship as a teen. She has said it was her most emotional book to write: one “written from the heart” that was “less doing the research and more soul-searching.”
When legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots Enchanted Jones at an audition, her dreams of being a famous singer take flight. Until Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night. Who killed Korey Fields? Before there was a dead boy, Enchanted’s dreams had turned into a nightmare. Because behind Korey’s charms and star power was a controlling dark side. Now he’s dead, the police are at the door, and all signs point to Enchanted as his killer.
The story’s title takes its name from a derogatory term for Black girls and a label they’re given which assumes that “they are being fast or too adult-like, even though they can’t help the way their bodies develop or the way men respond to their body’s development…they are supposed to be all-knowing.” Teen Vogue’s review called GROWN “essential reading” and said, “sexual assault and misogynoir are boldly unpacked in this new novel.” In the forward to the book, Jackson herself pays homage to victim, survivors, and girls who have grown up too fast.
GROWN has already been recognized as a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2020 nominee.
2020 Events
You can spend the afternoon with Tiffany D. Jackson in discussion about GROWN and her other works at The 2020 Fox Cities Book Festival on Friday, October 16, 2020 at 4:30 PM. You can preregister for the event now which includes the opportunity to submit questions. It will also be streamed to our Facebook page.
You can purchase GROWN and other Tiffany D. Jackson books via our affiliate partner Bookshop.com which supports FCBF and independent bookstores.
Kristine Campbell has spent her entire career as a storyteller—before she began writing young adult thriller books, Kristine spent 15+ years as a brand builder and marketer where she shaped, launched, and managed a diverse range of world-class brands. You can follow her writing journey on Instagram or Twitter @Type_YA_Writer.
