"The Girls Who Grew Big" by Leila Mottley is a touching and impactful novel about three teenage mothers in Padua Beach, Florida. The story follows Adela, Emory, and Simone as they navigate motherhood and discover their own identities. Adela, sent away by her parents, finds herself in unfamiliar territory, meeting Emory, who attends school with her newborn, and Simone, the leader of a young mothers' support group that gathers in her red truck.

Simone's character experiences considerable growth throughout the novel, balancing the responsibilities of leadership and motherhood. She learns to redefine her role and set boundaries. Adela and Emory face their own challenges; Emory is determined to succeed despite societal judgments, while Adela copes with her family's rejection. The characters are intricately drawn, capturing their youthfulness and the maturity forced upon them.

The novel masterfully explores themes of personal agency, societal expectations, and the power of community. These young mothers, often judged and marginalized, make courageous choices that highlight their resilience and determination. The atmosphere is vibrant and hopeful, despite the hardships, as the girls create a sense of family and support for each other.

Leila Mottley's writing is lyrical and engaging, with a narrative structure that seamlessly weaves together the perspectives of the three protagonists. Her use of language is evocative, painting a vivid picture of the Florida Panhandle's rugged beauty and the girls' inner lives. The tone is optimistic yet realistic, never shying away from the difficulties faced by these young women.

Personally, this book left me deeply moved, reflecting on the societal pressures and judgments faced by young mothers. It challenges readers to consider their own biases and privileges, making it a thought-provoking read. One area for improvement could be the more nuanced development of Emory and Adela's characters, as some readers may find them less fully realized compared to Simone.

The novel offers a unique perspective on young motherhood, focusing on the women's strength and solidarity, setting it apart in contemporary fiction. Comparable to Mottley's debut, "Nightcrawling," both explore vulnerability and resilience.

Overall, "The Girls Who Grew Big" is a heartwarming and inspiring read that prompts reflection on societal expectations and personal biases related to motherhood.

Predicting that this will have a firm placement in my favourite releases of 2025!!

Mottley's writing is beautiful and graphic and unapologetic; this is a story that commands your attention, even - and especially - when it's difficult. Each of the main characters felt real, all complex and flawed individuals, but I felt deeply affectionate of them all and was rooting for them throughout.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for sending an advanced copy my way!

What a book! If, like me, the newborn phase is recent or etched in your memory, you will find so much relatable here. Both a cracking story and a warts and all depiction of the challenges of motherhood, this is a must read for anyone feeling isolated and alone in the bubble of baby-rearing. I loved the way the book celebrates the power of women coming together against the judgements of the world. Very real, relatable and warm characters suck you into their world and defy you to maintain your prejudices. I loved it!

The Girls Who Grew Big about a couple of teens; Adela, Emory, Simone and their circles. Each chapter is told by the POV of one these characters, and the themes are teenage pregnancy, family, friendships, and youth.
I was invested in Emory's character arc, and the highlight of the book was its honest conversation about poverty, circumstances and youth.
The writing, plot and characterisation were all 3.5 stars in my experience, rounded up because of its generally well-execution of the above delicate themes.

I was invited to read this book by the publisher and having heard such excellent things about the author’s debut novel, I was very excited. I really enjoyed the book and especially the characterisation. The narrative is shared between 3 of the titular girls - Simone, Emory and Adela, each at different points of their motherhood journey. The story is slow, but the changing relationships within the book are compelling. It’s at times heartbreaking, grim, squeamish and hopeful. The sense of community created by the girls is powerful and truthful.

Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for this arc. This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time and it was a pleasure to read ahead of publication. A moving and important story about young motherhood and the judgement from society. I loved the structure, the stories and how each girl entwined with the next- an excellent and moving read, highly recommend.

You know you've arrived at a five star book and a new favorite author when she is able to make you feel part of a world that has nothing to do with your reality or your past. I've never been through anything similar to what happens in the lives of the girls Mottley describes and yet she still made me feel part of the group.

Perhaps this ease of entry into the story is due to her way of describing girlhood and the relationships and complicities that emerge between us. I understand the loyalty Simone shows to her friends, Emory's need to help another girl she doesn't know but empathizes with, and Adela's attraction to the group of girls even though she doesn't quite trust them. It perfectly portrays sorority, that ability to care for and love each other even when there are fights, contradictions and difficulties in between, which makes this book a little gem that feels a bit homey.

Be that as it may, I finish this book with the feeling of having read something brilliant and looking forward to reading everything Mottley writes from now on.

Thank you for writing something so beautiful and so moving and thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to enjoy it with an advanced copy.

This lyrical, hard-hitting account of a group of teenage mothers in a rundown beach town in West Florida will have you crying and cheering and holding your breath as they each find ways to rise above the assumptions of others, and the lives mapped out for them by circumstance. A joyous, breathless read.

Leila Morley burst onto the scene with the 2022 Booker long-listed Nightcrawling, making her the youngest nominee for the award in its history. She is back with her second novel, and still only in her early twenties. The Girls Who Grew Big is a "Big" novel thematically - young mothers in America's sunshine state, which feels as much state of the nation as a novel can be, albeit from an angle most Big American Authors wouldn't tackle, or have the insight to do so. I don't know Mottley's history, but this novel feels authentic, gritty and real, like she knows these women who form the centre of her novel, that she is simply reporting on their lives. It is very human, very engaging and very well written. The women at the heart of this tale - Adela, Emory and Simone - are very well drawn, you can imagine them so easily, and you are really taken into their lives here. Great stuff.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

I was invited to read an early copy of this book by Penguin Random House UK. The author is new to me and I was hooked by the blurb which states she was Booker nominated, so I expected good writing and an enjoyable read. I was not disappointed.

The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley is a story centered around teenage pregnancy and our attitudes towards it. Adela moves to Padua Beach in Florida to live with her grandmother as her parents do not want her pregnancy to be seen in their hometown. She becomes friends with Emory, who has recently given birth to Kai and returned to school. Through Emory, Adela meets Simone and The Girls.

Each chapter of the book features either Adela, Emory or Simone and is narrated by them in their own voice. Colloquial language is sometimes used, which brings their voices to life and I really felt as though they were speaking the story to me. You get some insight to their hopes for the future as well as their disappointments and the things they have had to give up or fight to retain. Everything felt very real, from the descriptions of the place to the attitudes of those around them.

This book is both modern and timeless. Modern due to the way it is written and the language used but timeless because it is not focussed on things that might date it - social media, TV programme titles, characters glued to their phones etc, I liked that these things were largely missing from the text and felt the story could exist as easily in the 1970s or 80s as it does now.

My only criticism, and these are small details, is that there were a few points which made me stop and think, no, that's not right. The best example I can think of is Simone making a fire on the beach and cooking ground beef and cheese for her children. They had been on the beach for several hours at this point and I wondered where the food had come from. Was there a fridge in the truck they lived in? I didn't think so, it didn't fit with what had been described before. It might be that the image in my head of the truck was quite different to that of the author. I mostly admired Simone and the way she tackled motherhood, despite a mostly absent father and extremely difficult living conditions.

This novel has the theme of prejudice towards teenage pregnancy throughout but it is also a study of family and support. I really liked the way the girls came together to support one another and the ending of the novel demonstrates this really strongly.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Penguin Random House UK, for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Although I found the pacing slowed in the middle, overall I really enjoyed this book and Leila Mottley's writing. Definitely recommend.

The Girls who Grew Big is the story of three teens living rough near a beach in a poor area in Florida, Alabama. Two of the girls are already mothers; the third is pregnant and had been sent to this area by her parents to avoid embarrassment. The three girls are part of an extended “family” who group together to create a village. Central to the store is Simone - her truck acts as a home and hub for the girls who are trying to make a life for themselves and their children. The girls are united by motherhood, hardship and an overwhelming instinct to survive for the sake of their babies. The author focuses on several themes throughout the story, including emotional stress, physical and emotional abuse, race, sexuality, gender roles, religion and education. The girls are subject to manipulation by family and part time fathers, who mostly abandon their responsibilities to suit their own lifestyle.

This is a gritty and heartbreaking story, not for the fainthearted or squeamish. The author describes the girls suffering through self-induced abortions, the symptoms of unplanned and unwanted pregnancies, and giving birth to their babies without any qualified medical support.

Despite the grim events and appalling situations the girls face, the author has managed to portray some optimism throughout the book, such as survival, tenacity and the power of a community.

Leila Mottley has succeeded in writing a book that paints vivid pictures of the complexity of teenage pregnancy. The writing is strong and hard hitting. The descriptive passages of the area where the girls live are detailed and imaginative. The main character in the book (Simone) is well portrayed, however there is not a lot of background on the other two main characters. The author has however aptly portrayed the effects of events that those characters face and their various reactions to those events.

Overall it was an interesting story that could have been improved with further character studies of the secondary characters. I have scored the book 3 stars out of 5, my rating would have been higher if these points had been addressed. The book will appeal to readers who enjoy uncompromising stories with contemporary themes.

I really loved this book and it also gave me a lot of food for thought. It was very engaging - I was rooting for all the main characters. It was sad in some ways and joyous in others. Well worth a read and thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the early copy.

I was thrilled to receive an early copy of this as Leila Mottley's debut was one of my favourite books that year. This is set in Florida and is about teenage/youth mothers who don't receive support from their family. The Girls have built a community where they support each other through pregnancy and with their young children. It's a strong bond and this novel takes us through the ups and downs the girls/women have. It's a good read but I found that it wasn't overly gripping and took me much longer to get through than normal. It's good but not as good as I expected.

Awesome Novel, well writen very emotionally challenging at times. A real eye opener it's a gritty tale from the view point of 3 women ones expecting the other 2 are already Mothers

Adela is aren't to get Gandma's to hide away simply because of her parents respond to her getting pregnant. So hidden away in Florida she meets a group of mothers all ostracised simple for being pregnant outside of marriage.

Simone was the first to be pregnant and although had a partner was alone with the twins she had and found herself helping others in similar situations including the births, she has an interesting time but I will let you read it. This terms the story from a very different angle to the normal mother and baby clubs and well it's a a take that needs to be told. It m us a work of fiction but the attitudes of others and their stories will echo with far more Young Mums than any of us truly know.

So it's a week thought out researched tale or novel to be more respectful to Liela who wrote it. I highly recommend this read its not my normal read but I was hooked by the whole storyline and the way it's told excellent to our it mildly, I'm so glad I came upon it.

4+
Padua Beach, Florida is definitely not on the tourist trail as it’s a forgotten wasteland. Here is where we meet the girls who grew big – Adela, Emory and Simone. Teenage mothers who the town believes to have well and truly lost their way and they judge them accordingly. However, although they do sometimes lose their way, they are far from lost as they navigate the challenges of motherhood and the pitfalls and problems that life throws at them. Adela arrives in Padua Beach to live with her grandmother as her parents cannot handle her pregnancy, Simone, who already has twins, Luck and Lion, is pregnant again and clever Emory wants to combine motherhood with continuing her education. Each one tells their stories as they interact and Leila Mottley gives them their own unique voice.

Leila Mottley is quite the talent. She writes with meaning and feeling, it’s powerful, often raw and painful, frequently heartbreaking and it has an authentic tone throughout the storytelling. Her novels are different, they’re creative, they shine a spotlight on certain groups to challenge thinking, just as she does in her first novel, ‘Nightcrawling’. The characterisation is exemplary with the individual personalities and circumstances they’re in being easy to see. All of them are resourceful and courageous, they’re resilient because they have no other option. They obviously have many worries, especially concerning their children but they have each other. There’s a strong bond, they’re united by their pregnancies, by motherhood by hardship and the need to survive throughout all the difficulties, some of which they have with each other, but they figure it out and find their way. In the face of the obstacles, the ultimate mood is optimistic. All three are a lesson in not judging a book by its cover.

The setting of Nowheresville, Florida is inspired and well chosen. Living in this part of the USA (eg. alligators, hurricanes ) presents yet more challenges, these are yet more obstacles to overcome and it further demonstrate their mettle.

Overall, this novel is hard hitting but written with warmth and empathy towards the characters, reinforcing the idea of resisting the rush to judgement and to stereotype. It’s beautifully written and I find myself rooting for each of them because the author makes me care.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin General UK for the much appreciated EPub in return for an honest review.

This was a really moving read. The book challenges the concerns, myths and judgements around young motherhood and does it in a tender way. The book follows Adela who is sent away when she falls pregnant by her parents who judge the circumstances and want Adela to go far away, stay with her grandmother and then give the baby away. The book follows Adela’s pregnancy concentrating on how she is feeling and the people she meets and how the new life growing inside her gives her anew perspective on life and on who she is. This is a book that covers quite a short period in time but does it beautifully.

I wanted to love this - especially after all the really positive early reviews. Instead, I struggled through. Between about 30% and 70% it really seemed to lag as it moved between the various girls' perspectives, without much happening.

The premise was interesting. I enjoy novels that show us a different experience of society and teach empathy but I thought the characterisation was mediocre, the plot a bit flat and the writing unimpressive.

I feel there are better books out there exploring young motherhood in impoverished conditions - I think here of 'No Small Thing'.

2.5* rounded up to 3 for the inclusion of important themes.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

What an absolutely *stunning* novel. I was gripped from the off, and drawn quickly and deeply into the lives of these young women. All failed by their families, their men, and themselves to some degree, they look to each other for strength, hope, and love amid their desperation.

Barely done with being children themselves these girls face motherhood, asking themselves constantly “who do I need to be, who CAN I be, to make a life for myself and my child?”

Mottley’s characterisations are so empathetic and compelling that I simply couldn’t look away. These girls grab you by the ears, look you full in the face and make you attend.

I cannot imagine anyone making a better fist of helping an old man like me *feel* the emotional and physical impact of pregnancy and birth, the vacillation and dread felt by a young life knowing it is going to be changed forever by the choice to keep the baby or otherwise. It is remarkable how she delivers bruisingly vivid, raw humanity with such incredible panache and elegance.

This morning I woke at 3am and thought I’d read this for a while. I soon got sleepy again, but simply couldn’t stop reading until it was time to get up.

When did a book last do that to you?

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK for providing me with an ARC.

The Girls Who Grew Big is an explosive, heartwarming, and emotional novel about those on the fringes of society, cast out and alienated by others, and how they come together to find family and love with each other. The novel centers around 'The Girls' - a group of young mother's trying to find their place in the Panhandle of Florida, a coastal town called Padua Beach.

There are multiple 'Girls', but the novel concerns itself with the perspectives of three of them - Adela, Simone, and Emory. Their lives entwine and tangle up with each other in friendship, love, heartbreak and betrayal.

I truly loved this novel and the way it explores young motherhood with such love and respect, calling out the way society has mistreated and shamed young mother's, and also acknowledging the hardships these mother's face. The novel ruminates on race, sexuality and gender roles, as well as generational gaps, religion, and the education system.

I would very much recommend this novel, and this has made me really want to read Leila Mottley's debut novel 'Nightcrawling'.