I loved Nightcrawling, so was excited to read this latest title from Leila Mottley, and it did not disappoint.

The Girls Who Grew Big is set in a Florida beachtown that isn't even on most maps. It focuses on The Girls, mostly black teenage mothers who have bandied together, their tightknit group just trying their best yet still feared by the outsiders who don't know or understand them. At their heart is mother-of-twins Simone, who has converted her truck into her home and supports The Girls through pregnancy and early motherhood.

The book takes place throughout the pregnancy of Adela, sent to live with her grandmother by her ashamed parents. A champion swimmer from a private school world, the book watches her adjust to her new surroundings and find comfort and friendship with new mother Emory. For eight months, the book follows the group as they find their way in their shaken worlds.

This book had me hooked. Simone, Emory and Adela are rich characters that I quickly fell in love with, felt protective of. The Girls Who Grew Big is an emotional, yet often uplifting book that that challenges preconceptions of what it means to be a young mother, of the people who find themselves in that situation. It is about finding community and friendship, and yourself, in sometimes the most unlikely of places. I can't wait to see what Leila Mottley does next.

The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley

Adela, a pregnant teenager, is sent to Padua, Florida to stay with her aunt until the baby is born and she can return home and resume her normal life. She meets Emory, a teenage mum who is insisting on attending high school with her baby strapped to her, despite resistance from the teachers, because she wants to go to university and build a better future for herself and her son. They are also part of a group of young mums called 'The Girls' who hang out in Simone's red truck and support each other through life's ups and downs.

I really enjoyed this book and the multiple characters and their backgrounds. I found the alternative view of Florida really interesting and eye-opening. The girls are not perfect by any means and young motherhood is not romanticised at all because we see the challenges the girls face at first hand, yet their support for each other is touching and believable. Very highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

A powerful love letter to teen mothers, one that doesn't glorify, but is warmly humane, recognising the love they have for their children, their efforts to be the best mothers they can be despite the struggles and obstacles they face, and the support that they can provide to one another. This book follows three young women. Adela is sent to stay with her grandmother in Padua Beach, Florida, when her parents learn of her pregnancy, and is expected to give up the baby, and resume her promising swimming career. Once there she interacts with a community of young mothers, informally led by Simone, who at the age of 15 gave birth to twins in the back of a pick-up, and now four years later is unexpectedly pregnant again. Emory, a new teen mother desperate to continue her education and whose baby's father is Simone's brother, is also part of this group and is the first friend Adela makes. Through these three characters, Mottley successfully highlights many different aspects of teen motherhood. Themes of choice and agency are strong, as are family and friendship, love, and rejection. Race, class, and religion are also explored, as are the vagaries of the American health system. One thing that most struck me was the double standards at play. Collectively, these teen mums face a lot of opprobrium, but teenage fathers escaped censure from those very same people. It was also clear that these young women were trying to step up as mothers, the young men - with one notable exception - were not as keen on stepping up as fathers. There's plenty of powerful social critique woven into the fabric of this story, but it is not heavy-handed. The story comes first, with the critique serving the story. Despite their flaws and missteps, I found myself really rooting for Adela, Emory, and Simone. Each felt very real, and it was impossible not to want the best for them and their children, impossible not to ask why society made it so difficult for them to thrive. The structure was clever, following the trimesters of Adela's pregnancy. Mottley's writing was as stunning and insightful as expected. She's cemented her place as an auto-read author for me with this engaging and absorbing story that's tender, empathetic - and very relevant for our current times

I was astonished at how assured Leila Mottley’s debut Nightcrawling was so I had fairly high hopes for her latest. And I was not disappointed!

Told from the alternating perspectives of Simone, Adela and Emory, THE GIRLS WHO GREW BIG weaves together a world of a group of young women living in Florida, the Girls, as they experience pregnancy, abortion, birth and motherhood, in a society that has turned their back on them for their perceived poor judgment.

The Girls are far from perfect and live the consequences of their actions and inactions in the face of shame and stereotyping.

Mottley has drawn such wonderfully fleshed out and complex characters with distinct voices, with each young woman facing different challenges and moments of joy - a lot of which really resonated with mothering more broadly too.

Apparently while writing this, Mottley also worked as a doula and it was written during the time of the Wade v Roe decision and subsequent changes to abortion laws in Florida. It was impossible not to constantly think about America’s political landscape and its policing of women’s bodies as I spent my time reading this - yes this is a great character study challenging preconceived notions of teen mums, but it’s also an important piece of work about the bigger picture.

Such a brilliant and timely read - big recommend!

One of those rare books that’s about nuanced social issues while being hugely engaging and gripping. In the oppressive Florida heat, Adela, Emory and Simone form a community of teenage mothers. One is an exiled athlete, sent to hide her shame; one is determined to finish her education; and one is their de facto leader looking to an unknown future. I particularly appreciated the depictions of race the cheaters experience. An exceptional read. Thank you for this ARC copy.

This was a book which although at the beginning I found it hard to get into, I became so involved with the lives of Adela, Simone and Emory.

It had such a hot, oppressive setting in the Florida panhandle and I felt that gave a sense of the community’s feeling forwards these teenage mothers.

This is a gritty read, it focuses mainly on the three young girls and their journey from pregnancy to motherhood. Each has dreams and ideas of their own but they find such safety and friendship from each other as they sleep with their babies in the back of Simone’s boyfriend’s truck. There are secrets they have kept from each other but their circumstances at such a young age make them seek a sense of belonging with the others in the same position.

It’s an emotional and heartbreaking read but a story I won’t forget for a while.

MY GOD. I don’t remember the last time I couldn’t put a book down like this one.

The Girls Who Grew Big follows a group of young women called the Girls in a small town in Florida who are dealing with teenage pregnancy and young motherhood. It’s a story told from the perspectives of Adela, a pregnant 16 year old sent to live with her grandmother, Emory, a new mother determined to make something of her life, and Simone, a mother to young twins who acts as a leader of the Girls.

I’m not even sure where to start with what I loved about this book. I admired Emory’s boldness in pursuing what she wants (and I was really satisfied with her ending) and loved how Simone put her children ahead of anything else. This book poignantly explores what it means to be young and pregnant, and the judgement and othering that can be synonymous with that.

It’s also a beautiful exploration of relationships borne out of the most desperate of times, and how these tether us in a way that can’t be broken. This is the book everyone needs to read this year.

The Girls Who Grew Big is a moving and heartfelt novel set in Padua Beach, Florida, following the lives of a group of Girls who became mothers in their teens. Told from the perspectives of three of the Girls, the story offers a nuanced look at teenage motherhood:

Simone – At 20, she's the unofficial leader of the group, having had twins at 15.

Emory – Determined to finish high school, she brings her newborn to class each day. The baby's father is Simone's brother.

Adela – Sent away by her parents to live with her grandparents, she’s pressured to give up her baby for adoption so she can return to her life as a competitive swimmer.

The novel explores the stereotypes and societal judgments teenage mothers often face, while also highlighting their shared desires: to love, protect, and raise their children the best they can.
What stood out most to me was the strong bond between the girls—the way they supported one another, formed their own kind of family, and grew together through their challenges. Their personal growth was deeply satisfying to witness, and their resilience stayed with me long after I finished the book.

This is an astounding work by an author still in her early 20s, her second novel. We follow three young women, one with five-year-old twins who she's been raising in the back of a truck, one with a young baby she dreamed of having, and one very newly pregnant, all living in a forgotten part of the Florida panhandle where only students on spring break visit. Forming a rough community, the girls educate each other, share scant resources, learn to flourish and encourage each other - and fight and clash.

Another one with some grim scenes of birth and loss, set out around the three trimesters of Adela's pregnancy as she befriends Emory, whose grandparents won't accept her Black boyfriend and meets Simone, who's disentangling herself from the partner who will only be a dad when it suits him. Will Simone carve out space for herself or just exhaust herself giving support to others? Will Emory finish school when baby has to come to, and even consider trying for college? Will Adela return to her stellar swimming career and the mean girl friends back home? Glimmers of a better future hang in front of them; but mainly we see deep into the lives of pregnant teenagers with love and understanding.

Blog review coming 10 July 2025: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2025/07/10/two-netgalley-reads-about-young-women-sonita-alizada-sonita-and-leila-mottley-the-girls-who-grew-big/

Not the sort of book I would normally read a story of teenage mum's and the soap opera life they lead. A challenging story to tell culled from many conversations. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

“But me, the Girls, us together, we knew more than that. We knew risk and failure and worry. We knew release and reckonings and all kinds of regret. But we also knew what it was to expand beyond what you believed of yourself.”

When competitive swimmer Adela falls pregnant at 16, her parents banish her to her grandmother’s home in Florida to wait out her pregnancy. As she arrives in Padua Beach, a forgotten town on the Panhandle, she hears horror stories about ‘the Girls’, a group of fierce teenage mothers discarded and judged by their families and town at large. Adela is determined to avoid their fate and begins counting down the days until she can place her baby for adoption and return to her life in Indiana. But Adela is drawn to one of the Girls, Ebony, at school and accepts an invite to join them for one of their beach ‘parties’. Simone, their formidable leader, is immediately wary of Adela but gives her a chance when she realises that she too is an outcast. Everyone else in the world may think they’re lost, but the Girls know they’re all exactly where they’re meant to be, and becoming who they are meant to be.

Told through the narratives of Adela, Ebony and Simone, The Girls Who Grew Big is a truly stunning book that gives voices to those who are often silenced. It covers so many important topics including racism, class divides in America, access to abortion and the importance of community. For a book with such difficult topics, it is also one that is full of beauty, hope and resilience in spite of it all. The fact that I was on my sofa crying at multiple parts is a true testament to Leila Mottley’s incredible writing as despite the fact I am not a mother and am not sure I ever want to be, I found myself so deeply connected to the Girls’ stories and rooting for each and every single one of them.

Big thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this one.

Following the points of view of Adela, Emory and Simone, this is a well told story of the plight of these three young women. The story immediately shows the pain of childbirth, and is graphic in its depiction and its difficulties. It allows the reader to be swept straight into the story, and into the love the Girls have for their children

The three voices are distinctive in their language and structure; they work and contrast each other well. The characters are bonded by their situations, and can clash and act against each other, but seeing all their viewpoints allows the reader to understand and sympathise with them. I did feel that even reading her thoughts, Adela was the least known to me. I struggled to understand some of her actions, and her justifications for them. She is privileged, but also has a need to be liked, which comes against the struggles of the other Girls

The author uses this book to explore the limitations and restrictions of the American health, prenatal and neo-natal systems, abortion views, education system and the exorbitant health care costs. The three Girls experience this at different times, yet the outcome is often the same. It seems unthinkable that Simone and her children live in a truck, and yet this book explores why

The ending is hopeful, without being unrealistic that their lives will suddenly become easy. But after the hardships faced in the novel, it was good to leave these Girls on a lighter note

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC

A highly emotional read. Loved the characters and their stories and how they supported each other. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy.

This is a great novel which blends a compelling plot, vivid characterisation and thought-provoking social commentary.

The insights Mottley draws of teenage pregnancy and motherhood are intelligent, empathetic and moving, examining themes such as choice, agency, love and rejection. Their journeys through maturity reflect their vulnerability and their strength in a perfectly crafted way.

Mottley is a confident and assured writer belying her young age with a developed skill that is impressive. I did feel that this was a tad overwritten at times, but looks with excitement to see what Mottley can achieve in her writing career. A thoroughly enjoyable, timely novel.

This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

This American novelist’s latest book is a raw yet tender exploration of motherhood, particularly how it affects a group of teen mums in small-town coastal Florida. Facing rejection from family members the girls have bonded into their own support group to tackle the challenges facing them in terms of their choices, their relationships and learning how to parent as they go along. The novel focuses on the narratives of three of this group.
Simone, is the founding member, a mother of twins born in the back of a truck because her family wanted nothing to do with her. She has had to learn the hard way, has an on-off relationship with the twins’ father. Older than the other girls, aged 20 with her now five year old offspring she provides the support and shelter for others who have been rejected and strives not to make the same mistakes again. Her brother, Jayden, is still at home with the parents who threw her out but he has impregnated Emory, a white girl, brought up by her grandparents. She engineered her pregnancy without realising how much it would compromise her plans for the future. She is struggling to stay in education with grandparents who feel she should cope without their support and who have banned her black boyfriend from their home. The third narrator is Adela, a talented swimmer, who has been sent back to Padua Beach to her paternal grandmother for the duration of her pregnancy where it is hoped she will seek adoption and resume training.
All three of these interspersing narratives work very well resulting in a rich, textured novel. I did wonder, initially, if the author’s unflinching view of childbirth and the issues involved might be too much for me but I found myself really getting drawn into Adela’s story at first and from there onto the experience of her friends. The novel follows the timespan of her pregnancy suggesting she is the central character but all others are strongly created and it is hard not to become fully involved in their experiences.
In a twisty plot the dynamics between these young women also prove engrossing. They provide strong support yet it is all carried out with a fragile balance that can turn, the sense of the female protection for their offspring (some initially wanted, some not) is so powerfully conveyed. Their body changes, the heat of an oppressive Florida where a hurricane or an alligator may not be too far away and a real sense of the background and environment of these characters in this resort adds to the quality of the story-telling. I think I will remember these characters, the setting and their lives for some time. Highly recommended.

The Girls Who Grew Big is published by Penguin in the UK on 10th July 2025. The Kindle version is available now. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

This was brilliant. It’s about womanhood, sisterhood, and motherhood, and how messy, hard, and beautiful all of that can be.

We follow Simone, Adela and Emory, three young mothers trying to figure things out in a world that’s already written them off. Their families have pushed them away for the choices they’ve made, so they build their own version of one.

The story is told through each of their perspectives, and I loved how distinct and fully formed each voice felt. The dynamic between the girls was one of my favourite parts - they challenge each other, care for each other, and carry one another when they need to.

The writing is bold and full of feeling, and I loved how Mottley captured the strength in female friendship, even when it’s complicated!!

The Girls Who Grew Big is a raw and beautiful novel about girlhood, motherhood and community. Narrated by Simone, Emory and Adela, Leila Mottley tells the story of The Girls, a small, tight-knit community of young mothers trying to survive, and raise both themselves and their babies in a town in Florida. Shunned by wider society, judged by strangers and rejected by their own families, the group is impacted when outsider Adela joins the group, leading to personal developments and revelations.

I found that it took a while to get into this book, whilst I got used to the characters and setting. Like Adela, I felt like I was having to adapt to the world of The Girls, which seemed brutal and unstable at times. Once I got into it, I loved how considered the characters were and how the bonds grew. I loved the writing, there is a depth and reflectiveness to it, which works weirdly well with the messiness and uncertainty of a the environment. I enjoyed the way the author used the narrative style to look back to explore each of the three main characters.

The book covers themes around young motherhood and the LGBT community; discussing topics such as sexuality, reproductive rights and education for young mothers. I would recommend for readers who like complex characters and are interested in the book’s themes.

When Adela Woods tells her parents she’s pregnant, they immediately send her a thousand miles away to stay with her grandmother in Padua Beach. The intention is that she will leave her baby in 'the forgotten Panhandle of Florida'. and resume her suburban life nine months later as though nothing happened. But Adela’s plans are soon washed away by the tide.

Well, I have mixed feelings about this book. I like the writing style, but I found it a bit slow in places. Plus, there are a lot of characters. But the characters are three-dimensional and mostly likeable. This isn't my usual read, but it was different and enjoyable.

Set in the sweltering Florida Panhandle, this is a bold, tender novel about three teenage girls navigating pregnancy, motherhood, and survival in a world that’s all too ready to write them off. Leila Mottley captures their voices with striking emotional clarity: Adela, a former swimmer sent away by her parents; Emory, determined to finish school with her baby in tow; and Simone, the eldest and now in her 20s, who is holding them all together from the back of her red pickup.

Mottley writes with a poetic force that balances the hardship of teen pregnancy with moments of raw tenderness. The novel doesn’t sugarcoat their hardships - poverty, judgment, scattered support - but it’s also about how these young mothers forge a makeshift village, creating safety and space for each other.

The setting - the forgotten Florida Panhandle - feels like a character itself, its heat, dunes, and coastline mirroring the characters’ internal transformations.

It’s a powerful story of girlhood, resilience, and the fierce love that grows between young mothers. Unflinching and compelling, this is a novel that makes space for the girls who are so often silenced and lets them grow big on their own terms.

I can’t review this book without taking some time to talk about the fantastic author. Leila Mottley is a literary superstar. At just 16, she was named Oakland’s Youth Poet Laureate. Her debut novel Nightcrawling - published when she was 20 years-old - became a New York Times bestseller, the youngest-ever Booker Prize nominee, and an Oprah’s Book Club selection. Her second novel The Girls Who Grew Big continues to showcase her poetic voice and fierce empathy, placing her squarely among today’s most vital authors.

The Girls Who Grew Big is out on 10th July, or available immediately on e-book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Fig Tree for gifting me a copy of this book. All opinions are unedited and entirely my own.

This book was so beautiful, tender and touching. A beautiful story of girlhood and motherhood all wrapped up in some of my favorite writing I've read all year. The exploration of inter generational trauma was exceptional in this novel, and really gave it a lot of heart. The setting was extremely sensory and visceral.
I'm not a mother but I feel like this book gave me a true glimpse into motherhood. Would 100% recommend.