Grown

Korey Fields is a 28-year-old musician and the primary antagonist of the novel. At the beginning of the story, Korey is described as a musical prodigy, a superstar, and very handsome. He takes an immediate interest in Enchanted, and although his intentions seem altruistic at first, his charm soon gives way to a controlling, abusive dark side. Enchanted says that “He must turn into a different person when he drinks, like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (148).

When news of his death breaks, one commenter points out that Korey was “Abandoned by his mom, didn’t know his father, raised by his grandma who passed” (308). After she died, Korey was left alone amidst the music industry, where he was financially and sexually exploited as a teenager. Unlike Enchanted’s parents, who fought to get her back, Korey’s parents never stepped up to take care of him. He complains to Enchanted that “That’s how parents be. They be using their kids just to fill they own pockets” (164). Korey’s disgust for Enchanted’s parents stems not just from their protectiveness, but from jealousy that her parents genuinely love and care for her. Despite Korey’s fraught childhood, Jackson is careful to avoid suggesting that Korey’s experiences in any way justify the harm he does to others; his backstory is presented to clarify motivation, not to excuse his abuse.

Korey tells Enchanted that “[he’s] not your average dude” (68), and when his character comes under attack, he panics, saying that he is “a good man! [Takes] care of [his] fans, [gives] to the poor… what more do they want from [him]?” Korey believes that as long as he does lots of good in the world, any bad that he does will be forgiven. He doesn’t understand the consequences of his behavior, or how his choices can have an impact on other people. When Enchanted says that she wants to leave, he becomes hysterical, saying “First my grandma, now you. Everyone always leaving me, man!” (204). Beneath the bluster of pride and countless accolades, Korey is deeply insecure, and he needs constant admiration and devotion to convince him that he has worth.

Enchanted says that Korey reminds her of Peter Pan: “Flying high on blissful thoughts, he was fine never growing up, wanted to stay a kid forever [...] skating by without consequence over and over again” (305). Korey is spoiled, arrogant, and deeply lonely, and uses his own unresolved trauma to justify doing harm to others. By the end of the novel, Korey’s initial charm is revealed to be entirely manipulative, and even in his final moments of life, he tries to hurt the people he professes to love.

Gab is an 18-year-old high school student and Enchanted’s best friend. Like Enchanted, she is one of very few people of color at their high school, and Enchanted describes Gab as her complete opposite: “any word you’d think to describe me, think of her as the antonym” (29). Gab is referred to as “modelesque and confident,” and “calm, wise beyond her years” (29).

Gab is the first person to recognize the danger of Enchanted’s entanglement with Korey. The first time Enchanted mentions Korey, Gab promptly tells her that he’s too old for her. Later, when Gab learns that Enchanted has lied to her and has been having a secret relationship with Korey, she tries to tell Enchanted that “this is so wrong. He’s a grown-ass man” (116). Gab worries about how to protect Enchanted, and even after their fight, Gab tries to help her friend. She finds Enchanted passed out one night when she is on tour with Korey, and she “was gonna drag [Enchanted] out of there if [she] had to” (353). When Gab interferes, Korey threatens to kill her, forcing Gab away from Enchanted out of fear for her own safety. Gabriela feels personally responsible for everything that happened to Enchanted, because “If [she] never convinced [Enchanted] to audition… [Enchanted] would’ve never met that monster” (354).

Gab is Latina, but she uses the name “Olivia Hill” at school and can pass for a white girl. After Enchanted returns, Gab goes to the police station to corroborate Enchanted’s story, “putting [her] white name to good use” (366). Gab recognizes the privilege that she has as a white-passing girl with a “white” name, and she calls out the systemic racism that prevents Enchanted’s claims from being taken seriously. Gab isn’t afraid to give the detectives a piece of her mind, and she tells the detectives that “Enchanted didn’t deserve this. [The detectives] made her question her sanity. Made her family and friends question her sanity” (366). Gab might not have been able to save Enchanted that night on the tour, but Jackson aligns Gab with morality and responsibility throughout the novel, and she is determined to help her friend on the road to recovery.