In The Girls Who Grew Big we are given a world of insight into teenage motherhood. Girls with dreams who have no choice but to grow into women who figure it out when life keeps throwing obstacles in their way.

Although decades after my own journey of teenage motherhood, this novel could have been that of myself and my own tribe. We knew how we got “into our situation” however we’re still thrown into a mess of confusion that it happened to us. Those of us who were supposed to know better. Those of us who were supposed to be something other than fodder for gossip and cut eyes. Those of us who other girls should have been able to look up to, instead of down upon.

The Girls Who Grew Big is about found family, in spite of the circumstances that brought the Girls together. A village when their own blood turned their backs, in fear of assisting. The Girls learn all the lessons along the way, whose friendships whether the very tides of the beach they often seek refuge upon.

Adela is the outsider who held onto the belief that if she only stayed clear of the Girls her belly would remain small and hidden so that she could return to her own school the following year to graduate and go onto the Olympics. Only Adela did not prepare herself to meet Chris.

Emory is the brains. She works hard to maintain her top grades so that she can go on to graduating at the top of her class and move away with her own baby in toe. She ignores Kai’s dad, in spite of his persistence of him loving her and wanting their family to take care of.

When we meet Simone, she is pregnant with her third child and wondering how she allowed this to happen again as she gazes upon her 4 year old twins. She doesn’t much like their daddy anymore, finally seeing him for the obstacle that he has become, instead of the one who pulls them up in this life they created.

Each of the girls has decisions to make and they do not always go about those decisions in the best of ways, but instead in the only ways that they know how.

This novel made me want to sit down with each of them. To listen to their stories and hold their hands. To let them know that they had what it took to create the lives they wanted for not only their children but also for themselves.

Raw, emotional, timely…we see not the typical “teen pregnancy falling to the statistics” but young women who grow into themselves even as they have babies strapped to their chests or holding their tiny hands at this sides.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC for review.

Astounding, gorgeous, searing, staggering. I absolutely am blown away by this author. Timely, important. Read it!

In true Leila Mottley fashion, she hit the ball out of the park with her sophomore novel The Girls Who Grew Big. A heavy story about a group of adolescent girls and young women in the Florida panhandle. What it means to bear burdens and babies in the deep south. Poverty. Misogyny. Religious trauma. All of the heaviest stuff and Mottley succeeds in writing about it in the most stunning and beautiful prose.

Pick this one up if you loved Nightcrawling. If you need a good cry. But also pick it up if you've never read Nightcrawling or if you don't need a good cry but want a really good story.

Five million stars. Always. Can't wait to tell everyone about this.

I really wanted to like this book but something was not connecting with me and ended up DNF.

It started off good on how these young women band together and tell their story but it jus want very slow. Then I couldn't seem to find what would keep me reading. I think the writing was very long winded and repetitive. Chapters can be shorter, but finding something that was really going to hook me was my biggest problem. From where I am from, it felt like I've heard this story over and over again.

This book was heavy, but also absolutely gorgeous. Mottley's prose, especially in Simone's voice was stunning. I loved all the Girls as they loved each other (that is, even when they were unlikeable)

Wow, this book has so much going for it. First, I loved the 3 part narration - Simone, the leader; Emory, a townie; and Adela, a pregnant 16 year old being shipped off to Padua Beach to her Noni's to be out of sight until her "problem" was rectified. The setting was wonderful, too - Padua Beach, a little bump in the road beach town in the panhandle of Florida filled with sand, churches, and narrow mindedness. Perhaps the thing I liked the best about the book though was how this talented, young author hones in on the area dialect and dialogue of these teen girls. It's almost as if Leila Mottley camped out in the bed of Simone's red pick-up truck and spent beach time with them. Oh, and did I mention this author is just 23???

The story concentrates on the struggles, fears, love, and friendships of these teen mothers or mothers to be. We see the real and raw emotions of the girls with their families, with their babies, with society, and with each other. It's truly one of the best depictions of teen motherhood in American that I've ever read.

It's a book about survival and guidance. It is heartbreakingly realistic, and it resonates so much that it almost hurts to read it; yet, the reader will devour it because it is a story that needs to be told. I loved, loved, loved the author's metaphors with water, sand, and the human body that were interspersed throughout the chapters. Even though it is heart wrenching, it is so timely and so gripping. Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. Watch for it as it drops June 24.

I cannot get over what a bright light in fiction this author is at such a young age. The reader truly was thrown into the lives of these girls and hurt when they hurt, cheered whem they cheered for each other.

When I started this book I said to myself “oh no a lot of characters to follow. This book
discuss topics on the struggles of being a teen and young single mother and what they face. This book also show cases friendships and found family.

The Girls Who Grew Big follows Simone, Emory, and Adela who are soon to be mother or already teen moms. This book is set in a little small country area of Florida. Simone we can say is the leader of the group is a single mom who has twins. Emory recently had her baby and is struggling with being a new mom and is determined to finish high school. We next have Adela who is from Indiana and her parents sent her way when they learned that she was pregnant.

If you enjoyed the writing in Nightcrawling you would definitely love the writing in this book.

This book is an incredible story of "The Girls" - a group of young women growing up in the panhandle of Florida that have been outcast from their community as they became young mothers, and forcing them to create their own circle of support.

Alternating between three perspectives: Simone, Emory, and Adela. Simone is the founder of The Girls and mother to twins. She is fierce, protective, and would do anything to shield her babies from the cruelness of the world around them. In forming The Girls, she created a sisterhood for other young women to find solitude & comfort when everyone else has turned their backs on them. The complicated relationship between Simone and the twins' father is woven throughout the book. We meet Emory after she recently gave birth to her son, Kai. Emory is intelligent, soft, indecisive, & is determined that she can have it all. We meet Adela and learn that she has just moved to Padua to stay with her grandmother, her parents sending her there after they found out she was pregnant. With the perfect life Adela had built back home suddenly uprooted, she lands in Padua with judgement to those residing there. She sees The Girls as her grandmother is driving her back from the airport on her first day, and slowly begins to get tangled within the smallness of the town. The book is so much more than this description, but without untangling all of their relationships, I'll leave the three main girls there!

This book was STUNNING. Heartbreaking, messy, brave, boundary pushing, complicated, bold, everything. I found myself highlighting entire paragraphs / pages so frequently. On a surface level, you might assume these girls in nowhere Florida may not be smart, but the way the author stitched their past experiences into their current situations, The Girls have such deep introspection inside of them that I think a lot of people do not have the depth or life experiences to do. I read the mirror scene with Adela & her grandma three or four times - this book is STICKING with me. The characters were also some of the most complex I have read in a long time. I would find myself rooting for a specific girl so hard in one chapter, and twenty pages later I was floored and questioning WHY they would do what they just did. If you like complex female characters, this is right up your alley for sure! In regards to the end of their stories, I really wasn't sure what direction the author would take for each girl. But their individual endings were perfect, and made the personal growth for each character really stick out by the end.

I just think that this story is so incredibly important, especially now. Reading has & always will be political, but this really covered so much in such a beautiful way. THANK YOU Leila Mottley for writing this book. I would 110% read more stories from The Girls if you ever decide there is more to tell.

A punch in the gut!
Incredible character driven novel of strong girls who become women in a short nine months. All changed by circumstance and evolving through strong friendships. The girls of Padua, Florida, outcasts, who have come together by necessity sharing their needs and knowledge of young motherhood. Through it all we watch them grow and come of age while caring for infants on their own and together. The struggles and challenges are all here and sometimes the finding of one’s self.
Astonishing how they are forced to live and what they must give up in return to keep their children, but also to keep them safe.

This book hit home with me through the elegant and sometimes heartbreaking dialogue between these women. How women often suffer at the hands of boys and men. The redemption of strong women raising strong men who are kind and caring. The struggle to find a better life while caring so deeply for those little hearts and minds that depend on us.


A thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for offering this ARC ebook for an honest review.

Beautifully written and a slow burn narrative of self discovery. The author gave equal attention to all the characters, highlighting where they’ve been and where the could go. Love, laughter, friendship, and the need to give your self grace and embrace your peace at all costs were a reminder to me, even at 41.

Written in a poetic style that often soften the reality of the subject matter, I still feel this books needs a HUGE trigger warning - I wasn’t ready. Even knowing the context, imagining the target audience, and figuratively seeing it coming, I still wasn’t ready for the unapologetic and detail level of certain scenes.

Ultimately, well done and so much room for discussion for the young mothers and the seasoned ones - still trying to navigate who you are after the the decision to give life.

As a fan of Mottley's Nightcrawling, I was eager to read her next novel. While there are plenty of stories out there about pregnant teenagers, I found this one unique, as we meet a whole group of young and expecting mothers who have created their own system of support and chosen family. While the three main characters all had different backgrounds and situations in which they became pregnant, it was sometimes frustrating to read of the choices they each made throughout the novel. Of course, we are reading about teenagers here, so that is not something to be surprised about: it's typical. The chapters alternate from the perspective of the three main characters. One criticism of the novel is that I sometimes had go back and check which character was telling their story. Their "voices" didn't particularly stand out to me. There were also a couple of seemingly unrealistic things that happened (no spoilers here, but one of them happens very early on). Overall. Mottley is a good writer and I will continue to look forward to her novels, and I was especially satisfied with how it ended for each of the three young women. I would give this book 3.5 stars.

I was eager to read this coming of age + motherhood + friendship story, but ultimately I didn’t like it. The writing is excellent - raw and emotional - which makes the content challenging for the reader. This didn’t bother me, nor did the poor decision-making of the characters (they’re teenagers after all). What caused me to struggle with this one was that I couldn’t reconcile some unrealistic plot points around the halfway mark. I would certainly try this author again because the writing is so strong, but this one was not a win for me.

This is a fresh and heart-wrenching story about teen mothers, a very timely read in today’s unfortunate climate. I’ll be thinking about these girls for a long time.

4 stars! In a world of narratives often sidelined, The Girls Who Grew Big emerges as a vital exploration of the lives of pregnant teens and young mothers. Set in the small town of Padua Beach, Florida, the novel is told through the intertwined stories of three girls navigating the complexities of their circumstances.

We meet Adela, an aspiring Olympic swimmer whose life takes an unexpected turn when a fleeting romance leads to an unplanned pregnancy. Sent to live with her grandmother in Padua until she gives birth and gives the child up for adoption, Adela's story reflects the harsh realities faced by many young women.

Then there’s Emory, a brilliant girl with aspirations of attending university far from home. Balancing her dreams with the demands of motherhood proves daunting, especially as her grandparents refuse to help with her newborn. Emory’s determination to succeed despite overwhelming obstacles is both inspiring and relatable.

Simone, the mother of four-year-old twins and expecting her third child, grapples with the weight of her choices. Despite her intelligence and awareness of the challenges ahead, she feels trapped in Padua, caring for her children and supporting her peers—other outcast mothers in the community.

These characters are fully realized, each with a distinct voice and story. The author adeptly crafts their struggles and triumphs, allowing readers to feel deeply for them without pity. Their fierce determination and resilience shine through, making it clear that they are not defined by their circumstances but rather by their aspirations and strength.

While the themes of teen pregnancy and survival carry heavy implications, Mottley’s writing ensures that hope and optimism are never far behind. The scenes unfold with an urgency that kept me on edge, especially during a hurricane that tests their resolve. A particularly gripping moment weaves a thought-provoking take on abortion into a game of truth or dare, showcasing the complexities of their situations.

However, I found certain aspects of the writing style challenging. While I admire the authenticity in Emory and Simone’s dialogue, I occasionally struggled to grasp the nuances, requiring multiple readings of some passages. Additionally, some metaphors felt overly elaborate, bordering on purple prose.

In summary, The Girls Who Grew Big is a remarkable and necessary read that offers a fresh perspective on the lives of young mothers. It highlights the importance of their stories and the strength they embody. If nothing else, this novel serves as a powerful reminder that women’s experiences deserve to be heard and celebrated.

Many times a book only provides entertainment. The Girls Who Grew Big actually made me think about young, often single mothers and their experiences and feelings. I honestly want to go out and volunteer at a local non-profit that works with pregnant girls after finishing this book! Each character Mottley created was unique, with individual experiences, hopes, and a voice...and this hit home the idea that each pregnant teenager is exactly this and their stories need to be shared. Especially in today's world, we as a society tend to group people under large umbrellas and pass judgment on them. This book was the perfect reminder how much we lose when we do this.

I loved this book! These charects were so loveable and you wanted them to win so badly the only problem I have with it is that towards the end it did drag a little and I felt it could've been shortened but I loved it nonetheless.

Nightcrawling is a book that I am constantly recommending to others, so I was extremely excited to hear this author has another book coming out. Tackling the subject of teen mothers, mostly in poverty, is no easy feat. This book was filled with extremely realistic and all too common struggles, which made it extra heartbreaking. I love how the author didn’t shy away from the flaws of the characters. We love and care for them inherently, even when they are making questionable decisions. The character development was off the charts. I loved seeing each of the Girls grow into themselves and become stronger, more mature women. As for Tooth….puke.

THE GIRLS WHO GREW BIG

Literary Fic — 5⭐️

In a quiet town along Florida’s panhandle, a group of shunned teenage mothers is seen as lost, but they’re actually on a journey of growth & self-discovery.

“…but really maybe you should’ve known better to believe a camera is a mirror or an ocean is a pool or a mother is anything but a mother.”

I’ve been captivated by Leila Mottley’s writing ever since reading Nightcrawling a few years ago, and GIRLS further solidifies her incredible talent. This novel offers a raw, unflinching look at the complexities of teenage motherhood.

The story follows three young mothers, each on a deeply emotional journey filled with moments that left me in tears. I loved their individual stories but the bond and community these girls form—despite the ups and downs of their friendships—was my biggest takeaway.

Mottley writes with such empathy, but never shying away from the harsh realities of young motherhood. GIRLS is a powerful story of innocence transformed into resilience, and it’s one I won’t soon forget.

Thank you @aaknopf for the #gifted e-arc in exchange for an honest review. THE GIRLS WHO GREW BIG comes out June 24!

Incredibly moving, vivid, and immersive. A character-driven story so propulsive I didn't want to put it down. I have a high bar for multi-POV stories, and Mottley far exceeded it (reminiscent of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie) - each character was fully realized, and I was so absorbed that I was momentarily disappointed when the perspective switched, only to immediately be sucked in again.

*The Girls Who Grew Big* by Leila Mottley is a powerful and poetic exploration of girlhood, resilience, and identity. Mottley’s lyrical writing captures the raw emotions of her characters, making their struggles and triumphs feel deeply personal. The novel pulses with beauty and heartache, offering an unflinching look at the ways young women navigate a world that often tries to shrink them. It’s a breathtaking read that lingers long after the final page.