Leila Mottley’s The Girls Who Grew Big is beautifully written, with vivid prose and a clear sense of place that makes the Florida panhandle come alive, but the pacing often felt slow and the story wasn’t quite to my taste. While I admired the author’s lyrical style and the compassionate way she portrays the challenges of teenage motherhood, the narrative didn’t fully capture my engagement. Still, Mottley’s talent shines through, and I can appreciate why others might find this novel deeply moving, even if it wasn’t entirely for me. Solid 4 stars.

The Girls Who Grew Big is a novel that follows the ups and downs of a group of teenage mothers in Florida.

I could not imagine being exhaled by my family just because of getting pregnant as a teenager, but this was the harsh reality that the Girls had to deal with in this story. Despite being viewed as outcasts, this group of young mothers just wanted to be loved at the end of the day whether it was from the adults in their life or their children.

The Girls Who Grew Big in this novel, the Girls where not only big in terms of their pregnant bellies, but also in their determination to do better for themselves and grow as people regardless of having children.

My favorite character is Noni (Adela's grandmother) who imparted such great wisdom.

What a notable, emotional, and tense book!

4,25 stars

Leila Mottley’s The Girls Who Grew Big is a raw, luminous story of resilience that never slips into cliché. She crafts three distinct teen moms with such care that their struggles—juggling babies, Leila Mottley’s The Girls Who Grew Big is a raw, luminous story of resilience that never slips into cliché. She creates three distinct teen moms with such care that their struggles—juggling babies, bruised family ties, and dreams bigger than their circumstances—feel deeply personal and painfully honest. Each girl is flawed but remains deeply empathetic, and together they form a chorus of survival and sisterhood. Mottley doesn’t just tell their stories; she allows them to breathe.

This book was a work. Five BIG, pregnant stars. This story focuses mostly around a trio of young mothers, put out by their families and communities, to find each other and themselves. It read so quickly, but the sentences often required a second read just for how beautiful and poignant they were. The heartbreak is big in this book. I cannot place myself in the shoes of these characters, as a married, white, first time mother at 31, but the insight on mothering is universal and I will keep so many of those next to me.. This is one of the best books I've read this year.

“The Girls Who Grew Big” by Leila Mottley tells the story of a group of teenage moms living in Florida. The three narrators are either pregnant or have recently given birth. I found Mottley’s writing beautiful and empathetic. The story was heartbreaking, in the girl’s destitution, monetarily but also in their relational supports. The beauty of the book came from how the girl’s had each other to lean on and how much they loved their children. But when the reader is confronted with the characters living in a car or not having protection from a hurricane, the boot-strap-ness becomes bleak. I loved it.

The Girls Who Grew Big is told through three different perspectives. Simone is the veteran “teen mom”. She has 5 year old twins and is everyone’s rock. She the one everyone else goes to with questions or concerns about their own pregnancy or children. Emory has a baby boy as a result of a pregnancy that she planned. The father of her baby is Simone’s younger brother, Jayden. She is a senior in high school with dreams of college and getting out of Padua Beach. Adela is sent to live with her grandmother in Padua Beach after telling her parents that she’s pregnant. She has dreams of becoming an Olympic swimmer and plans to give her baby up for adoption. The story is organized according to the three trimesters of her pregnancy.

The Girls have been abandoned by their families and shunned by their community but they have found support, friendship and family in each other. They are living with the consequences of their actions, and are the only ones held to that standard. The fathers of these children are not being held to the same standard. The Girls are growing big in more ways than one throughout this story; the character arcs are just awesome.

I read this author’s debut and was very impressed with how well she could write at such a young age, and even more impressed with her nuanced perspective of the world. I knew I would be on the lookout for her next book and was thrilled to receive an advanced copy from NetGalley (though only just now getting around to reading it 🥴). Thank you, NetGalley! Her writing has only gotten better and her perspective even more thoughtful. This story will resonate with anyone that has ever eaten sand in their life; anyone that has chosen to do what is right for them instead of what is expected of them. Highly recommend this one.

(( 3.5 ))
This was written beautifully. This touched on more than just teen pregnancy/motherhood. I did appreciate how realistic it was being from teenagers POV.

Wow this book was definitely unlike any I’ve read. This book was real and raw and touched on a taboo topic. The author presented these characters as complex and flawed yet still in need of support, love, and guidance. I enjoyed the multiple POVs and I think it added a rich layer to the story. These young ladies preserved despite their circumstances and I really enjoyed being along for the ride that this story provides.

The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley was my first experience with her work, and it left me deeply moved and thoroughly impressed. Set in the coastal town of Padua Beach, Florida, the novel follows three teenage mothers Simone, Adela, and Emory each navigating the raw realities of young motherhood in a world that often seeks to diminish them. Mottley’s prose is visceral and unflinching, opening with Simone giving birth in the back of a pickup truck and biting through the umbilical cord herself. That scene sets the tone for a story that refuses to sanitize or sentimentalize its characters’ experiences. Instead, it celebrates their resilience, their rage, and their fierce loyalty to one another.

What struck me most was the emotional depth and authenticity Mottley brings to each character’s voice. Adela, a talented swimmer exiled from her privileged life after becoming pregnant, and Emory, overwhelmed by the realities of motherhood, find solace and strength in the community of “the Girls.” Their bond becomes a lifeline, a chosen family forged through shared struggle and defiance. As a first-time reader of Mottley, I was captivated by her ability to blend lyrical storytelling with social critique. The Girls Who Grew Big is not just a coming-of-age novel—it’s a powerful testament to the complexities of girlhood, motherhood, and survival. I’ll definitely be seeking out more of her work.

The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley was a different and interesting read for me. It was not what I was expecting in a good way.

Adela is sixteen and pregnant. She is sent to her grandmother's in a small Florida panhandle town to have her baby and give it up for adoption. Her parents want her to come back and resume a normal life of competitive swimming. However, when she gets there, she meets a group of fierce teenage mothers who have banded together to raise their children. They have very little or no support from their families.

The story is told from multiple POVs: Adela, who is unsure of what she wants; Emory, who is determined to go to college and takes her newborn to high school with her; and Simone, who, along with mothering her twins, is also a mentor for all the girls.

This is really a story about friendships, relationships, and resilience. It touches on race and sexuality. These girls are caught between childhood and motherhood. They are cast out from society unfairly. People think they are lost or weak, but really they are super strong. They are trying to beat the odds and give their children the best that they have to offer.

I really felt for these girls. I'm still mad at their families and seething at the injustice of how boys and girls are treated differently. I love the author's style of writing too. I will not forget this one anytime soon!

Found family at its finest. At its strongest. This is beautiful story about the resilience young women can have when faced with unfathomable odds. A reality for so many in our society. I appreciate the struggles, the decisions, and the story for as raw as it is.

Thank you NetGalley, Knopf, and author Leila Mottley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

an interesting story. the characters are compelling and well-rounded. the author does well to depict the multifaceted challenges, triumphs, and tragedy that come with young motherhood.

*The Girls Who Grew Big* by Leila Mottley is a powerful and breathtaking novel that showcases her gift for raw, lyrical storytelling. Mottley weaves together themes of resilience, identity, and survival with prose that feels both urgent and poetic. The characters are vivid and unforgettable, their struggles and triumphs rendered with deep compassion and honesty. It’s the kind of book that lingers long after the final page—emotional, unflinching, and beautifully crafted. A full 5-star read and a testament to Mottley’s incredible voice.

A beuatiful, haunting story of love and perserverance. This is another good book from Mottley, a young and inspirational talent.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was very well written and emotional.The storyline of the book is about girls sent from all over the country to Pdua Lake because they were teenagers who were pregnant and their families did not want them in their homes during their pregnancy.
The bonding and support that the teens gave to each other is a life lesson that should be read by all and incorporated into their daily lives.this book is a definite winner and should not be missed. Many thanks to Netgalley and Celadon Publisher for providing me an advanced readers copy in exchange for my review.

This is such a good book and it really left me with a book hangover. Tragic but hopeful, the characters (including the setting itself) are so well fleshed out. Highly recommend this but be ready for a heavier read.

The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley was such an engaging read! Learning about these young mothers who could only rely on each other for support really tugged at my heart. I felt immense hope for these young ladies up to the very last page. Even after the read, I think about them as if I actually knew them. I wanted those girls to be safe. I wanted their children to be okay. This author really knows how to reel you into her world with her beautiful and captivating reading. This is my second read from her and I can't wait to read more.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book provides a glimpse into the lives of teen mothers in a gritty realistic voice. It is layered with the beauty of sisterhood and the complexity of motherhood. Told in teen voices, it provides a snapshot of struggle, hope, and love. I need to read the authors first book, Nightcrawling.

The Girls Who Grew Big is Leila Mottley's eagerly awaited second novel. It is a stirring and poetic exploration of teenage motherhood, found family, and the fragility of second chances. Set in a fictional town in Florida’s panhandle, the book follows a tight-knit group of young mothers who carve out a community and resilience amid societal abandonment and personal longing.

Through rotating perspectives—primarily Simone, Adela, and Emory—Mottley captures a kaleidoscope of identities, backgrounds, and dreams. Her language weaves African American Vernacular English and regional dialects seamlessly into deeply personal narration, maintaining voice consistency while honoring individuality. I enjoyed how the novel is split into sections corresponding to trimesters. Mottley portrays Florida’s panhandle with immersive precision; from humid air and turquoise water to visceral scenes of childbirth and camaraderie. These sensory details ground the emotionally charged narrative.

The Girls Who Grew Big is an unwaveringly empathetic, beautifully written portrait of adolescent motherhood and found family. Mottley’s strong narrative voice and emotional ambition shine through, even when the prose veers toward the dramatic or symbolic. The novel is a bold, often raw meditation on growth—physical, emotional, and communal—grounded in voices too often marginalized but fiercely alive.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the advanced e-copy.
3.5 stars rounded down for Goodreads. I really enjoyed Leila Mottley's previous work Nightcrawling so I knew I had to get my hands on this one. While it took me a whole to get through, I do think that the themes hit hard. Leila is the queen of find the hard-hitting topics, exploring them thematically, and knocking it out of the park. All that to say, that although I enjoyed the themes, this one was a bit too long for my liking. However, I will continue to recommend this book and Leila Mottley to anyone who will listen.