Leila Mottley is back, better than ever with The Girls Who Grew Big. A phenomenal, beautifully written, highly emotional novel. I absolutely loved the author’s debut Nightcrawling, and was super excited to read her latest effort. This astounding story was so very relatable for me. I could not put this book down from the very beginning. I can remember being young, pregnant and struggling to find my way right after graduating from high school. The intense raw emotions of feeling scared, ashamed, judged and worried all the time. The only difference in my own story is that I went on to marry my child’s father, and we were able to build a life together. A huge thank you to Knopf, the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the eARC of the book.

The Girls Who Grew Big is a profoundly moving, engrossing, rich character driven story about girlhood, motherhood, pregnancy, generational trauma, community, finding an excepting village, forgiveness and ultimately self love.

When 16 year old Adela finds herself pregnant, her parents send her to go live with her Grandmother in a small town in Florida until her baby is born. Once she is there she meets Simone and Emory both with their own stories of pregnancy and motherhood. These young girls form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood that transcends all the scrutiny, shame, and judgment that has been placed upon them. Through their own experiences, and struggles they learn to love themselves, support and lift each other up, to choose their children and love one another fiercely.

Leila Mottley is a powerful voice in the literary world. She writes raw, captivating, realistic stories that make you feel every single emotion, and that truly stay with you long after you have finished reading the book. The Girls Who Grew Big is a mesmerizing, lyrical masterpiece that should be at the top of everybody’s reading list. I highly recommend this book.

A beautifully written, empathetic portrait of teen moms navigating life in a small Florida town. Mottley's poetic voice shines, and even without having read her debut, I think this one will leave a strong impression on readers. (And now I definitely need to read Nightcrawling!)

The Girls Who Grew Big is the sophomore follow up from Leila Mottley was a 4 star read for me and a book that I would press into a lot of readers hands but it does fall short of the brilliance of Nightcrawling.

From the blurb "Adela Woods is sixteen years old and pregnant. Her parents banish her from her comfortable upbringing in Indiana to her grandmother’s home in the small town of Padua Beach, Florida."

This is a really well crafted story that touches deftly on the struggles that teen/young moms face from several angles. The characters are flawed and make terrible decisions and feel so real. I continue to wonder that if I hadn't read Nightcrawling would I have loved this one more and I don't have an answer. While well written, this books lacks the unique cadence and lyricism that made Nightcrawling so unique - Mottley flexing her poetry muscles to great effect. Here the writing is more mundane, the characters more difficult to embrace. It's still very good but there was a magic to Nightcrawling, imo and here there is simply a really well written story.

Our cast is a pregnant island of misfit toys with a Florida panhandle surrounding cast that feels very organic. I really loved the way Mottley showed multiple viewpoints to similar issues without anointing one way as The Way. There are obviously going to be tough sections in this one, it is about a pack of pregnant teens after all, but it is worth the read. These young women are flawed but fierce - challenged but capable. You will think a lot about these girls and the kids and it will stay with you. I suspect that this would be a really interesting book club pick. I would recommend that you read both of her books and I will be looking forward to Mottley's next - as should you.


Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.. #netgalley #bookstagram #TheGirlsWhoGrewBig

Title: The Girls Who Grew Big
Author: Leila Mottley
Publisher: Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"The Girls Who Grew Big" by Leila Mottley

My Insight:

"The Girls Who Grew Big" is a profoundly moving and captivating tale that follows the lives of three young teenage mothers in a small Florida town. Each mother brings a unique perspective shaped by her distinct upbringing, creating a rich tapestry of experiences. The narrative delves deeply into the complexities of pregnancy, birth, motherhood, abortion, and miscarriage, woven together with heartfelt prose that resonates long after you turn the final page. The author paints vivid portraits of these young women's struggles and triumphs, allowing readers to feel their joy, sorrow, and resilience. However, given its sensitive subject matter, this poignant story may not resonate with everyone; therefore, it's essential to consider whether it aligns with your reading preferences.

Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf, for providing me with an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley is a breathtaking, gut-wrenching tribute to girlhood, motherhood, and the raw truth of growing up too soon. Weeks after reading it, I still find myself weeping at the ceiling, wrecked by its honesty and beauty. Mottley captures the fierce bonds of young mothers navigating betrayal, love, and survival with stunning grace. It's a story that inspired me, infuriated me, and made me yearn for the future. If you're looking for something real, radiant, and unforgettable—this is it. Don't miss its release on June 24th, 2025. THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND KNOPF, PANTHEON, VINTAGE, AND ANCHOR FOR AN ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I've had this author's debut novel Nightcrawling sitting on my shelf since before it was released, but still haven't read it. After reading The Girls Who Grew Big, I see exactly why Leila Mottley has received so much recognition and praise. I loved this novel. I was blown away by Mottley's writing style and immediately found myself immersed in the story and the lives of Adela, Simone, and Emory. As the characters in the book felt joy, hope, anger, sadness, or heartache it felt as though I was experiencing those emotions right along with them.

At some points throughout this book the girls behaved very much like naive, immature teenagers, but at other times I would completely forget how young they were because of how layered the story was. Throughout the book we see the emotional conflict and internal struggle of each of the girls which helped me connect with them beyond surface-level. Because this story is character-driven and focuses on the personal transformation that each of the them experience, I know this book won't resonate with everyone. For me, however, this will undoubtedly be one of my favorite books of the year. I recommend this one for those who enjoy powerful, poetic writing and narratives that explore themes of race, class, and the complexities of black girlhood.

This story hit hard, touching on strong themes just like Mottley’s first novel. I was really drawn to the premise, girls who’ve been cast aside by everyone else, but still show up for each other. The bond they built felt raw and real. Emory’s character arc stood out to me as the strength of the group. She always thought of others, even when it meant putting herself last. It broke my heart how they were all just left behind or cast aside by the people who should’ve loved them most.

Adela’s arc was messy but honest, being the outsider, the chaos, yet still embraced. Her antics were frustrating, but I appreciated her journey through her own storm. While these are only 2 of “the girls” there are additional POVs that carry this story that will break your heart to hear how these girls have to deal and approach series issues.

Simone, Adela, and Emory — the three main characters of The Girls Who Grew Big — are going to live rent-free in my mind for a long, long time.

Leila Mottley is unabashedly talent at writing gritty character studies, and this book takes us on a deep dive into teenage pregnancy in a small town in the Florida panhandle. These young mothers congregate around Simone, the oldest in the bunch, who has created a sort of community for girls pushed to the outskirts of society. It is a really poignant, direct look at some of the messiest aspects of girlhood; it is as much a story about friendship and found family as it is a story of motherhood.

Mottley is an impressive writer who easily created three distinct main characters, each with her own story that will really pull at your heartstrings. Each character has a specific way of speaking, which Mottley conveys very well through the writing. That being said, sometimes the writing feels a little overdone; at times in the dialogue, characters could become weirdly poetic in ways that felt unnatural and sort of took me out of the story. It isn’t a huge deal, but a bit of editing in those key pieces of dialogue would have helped. Especially toward the end, it felt as if some longer pieces of dialogue were simply there to help close the gaps on parts of the story while not feeling entirely authentic to the character speaking.

My only other critique is that in a couple of instances, it was unclear what motivated a character to act a certain way. I think there was groundwork for it exist, but maybe needed a little more development; I saw this mostly with Adela, whose backstory felt slightly less developed in general (still compelling, though.)

But really, this is an incredible book shining a light on aspects of society we don’t often see portrayed with so much tenderness. Mottley is well on her way to becoming one of the greats; it’s wild that she is so young and already had two stellar, emotionally gutting novels under her belt. To say I’m looking forward to whatever she does next is an absolute understatement.

My expectations for Leila Mottley's sophomore novel were high and I was not disappointed. THE GIRLS WHO GREW BIG swept me away into the lives of three young mothers and the community they built for themselves in a small Florida town. The novel was bursting with love. I love how Mottley acknowledged how others perceive teen moms and wrote against that into the truth of motherhood. These women loved each other and their children. Mottley's writes from the voices of three different mothers - Simone, a mother of four-year old twins and the mother of this group of young mothers; Emory, a new mom balancing her college goals and her newborn; and Adela, a pregnant teen sent to live with her grandmother. I loved how Mottley explores motherhood, the legacy of how we were parented, and the systems that punish these young moms. There is homelessness, identify formation, and community. I loved these girls. Highly recommend.

The Girls Who Grew Big is one of those books that sneaks up on you with its quiet power. Leila Mottley has this way of writing that feels raw and poetic all at once, and in this story, she brings us into the world of three teen moms—Simone, Emory, and Adela—trying to make something out of their lives in the Florida Panhandle.

The story is told from each of their perspectives, but there’s something magnetic about Simone—older, a bit more experienced, and providing literal shelter in the back of her pickup. The girls form this fragile but fierce bond that feels so real. What I loved most is that Mottley doesn’t try to romanticize or shame their situation. It just is—messy, complicated, and full of small hopes.

Each of them is trying to dream bigger while carrying the huge responsibility of raising kids. And layered over all of that are the challenges of race, poverty, and what it means to be seen—or ignored—by the world around them. The town of Padua felt like a character too, with its slow southern heat and undercurrent of judgment.

This is a story about girlhood, motherhood, survival, and the kind of friendship that saves you. It’s not always easy to read, but it’s honest and beautifully told. I personally connected a bit more with Nightcrawling because I knew the Oakland streets Mottley wrote about, but I’m really glad I got an early peak at this novel. We need more stories like this—ones that ask us to empathize, not criticize.

This is a 352 page poetic ode to motherhood and sisterhood! The characters are real, imperfect, and wonderful to get to know. Each one offers each other, the reader, and the world something beautiful and unique. While I do not imagine many people would actively seek out to be a single parent, these women take to the role with love and gusto, against all the odds. I am not sure how someone could read this book and not come away changed.

A beautiful novel a story of these young mothers teenage girls who form a tight strong bond.So well written the girls really come alive their feeling emotional coping skills.#NetGalley #knopf

The writing in this was captivating. It was hard to put down because the story drew me in. The emotions were raw and real. Honestly, I was surprised that the author wasn't a teenage mother herself, given the visceral prose.
This made me immediately put a hold on her other novel, Nightcrawling.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for a copy. This book is out tomorrow!

I loved this book!

The Girls are a group of young moms helping each other get by in a small Florida town. Some of them live in a red pickup truck on the beach, and others just visit it every day. When privileged 16 year old Adela is sent to Florida to live with her grandmother until she has her baby, none of them could predict the impact she will have on all the Girls and vice versa.

If you aren’t comfortable with plots revolving around pregnancy, birth, motherhood, abortion, or miscarriage, this is not the book for you!

I absolutely loved the three main characters and how they approached motherhood in the face of adversity. This story has found family, strong women, resilience, love, and of course babies. Add this one to your TBR!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (I could be convinced to round up to 5 stars, honestly)

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf for the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Knopf for the e-arc!❤️

After reading Leila Mottley’s debut novel, Nightcrawling, I knew I would be picking up this gem!

The Girls Who Grew Big follows a close knit group of girls who are finding their way through the journeys of motherhood, sisterhood, and self-love in the little town of Padua Beach, Florida.

The author’s writing is so profound and full bodied. This story gave me all the feels and I just wanted to be there with the Girls helping in anyway I could. I was cheering them on page after page. Seeing the Girls struggle with the meaning of love and loss and grief made my heart hurt. The Girls’ stories are so so big even though they know people look at them as if they are so small. This book definitely helped to better understand teen/young and single mothers. I have always had respect for them but that has grown 10x.

This book almost read like a documentary in my opinion being that each Girl had their own voice to speak on their upbringing, how they got to where they are, and what they yearn for. The Girls grew big in all the ways that mattered!The story is still fiction but it’s so raw and real and i absolutely loved that! Leila Mottley is definitely an auto buy author for me!

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the eARC!
Wow! This was a raw and emotional read about the journey of 3 young mothers going through different stages of motherhood. Sent away to live with her Noni because she is pregnant, Adela meets “The Girls”- a group of teenage mothers that create their own village when they weren’t given one

I liked the characters and each of their stories- and all the ups and downs each one had.

This was my first time reading Leila Mottley and it certainly wont be my last!

Review will be posted to my bookstagram @bookofthemeg on pub day 6/24!

They say it takes a village to raise a child or children but what happens when that village abandons you? You create your own village! Simone, Emory, Adela will captivate you from the very first page as you get you get to know them and their friends. Their collective group is affectionately known as The Girls and they have an unbreakable bound. Grouped together through hardship, circumstance, necessity and support, they navigate life on their terms. I loved the enduring message of if there’s no way we’ll find a way throughout the book. You as a reader might not agree with the decisions the girls made but you will definitely understand the why behind their reason. I saw a little of myself in each of the girls and my heart ached for how hard things were for them. I loved their friendship, their strong will and despite anger they were still there for each other. There were some challenging moments to read especially as a mother but I know those moments were vital to the story. The character development was so good and touching, I’m sure I’ll still be thinking of each one of them for a long time. Thank you so much to Net Galley and Knopf for approving my request to read this ARC.

This story was phenomenal.

It follows 3 young mothers in Florida with different upbringings. Each has a different narrative to tell but they’re all interwoven. The story is beautifully told. I’m still thinking about it days later.

Mottley has done it again. When I first read Nightcrawling, I could not put the book down. Something about Mottley’s writing just grabs your attention and keeps you hooked on the story, the characters, until the end. And her characters stay with you for a while. The Girls Who Grew Big follows the story of three girls- Simone, Adela, and Emory. Simone got pregnant very young by a man who took advantage of her. Simone thought it was love, but as she grew older she learned it was not. When she gave birth to her twins, she created a community of other girls who became pregnant young and did not have support to rely on. Emory and Adela are part of this community. Throughout the novel, Mottley brings us, the readers, into the story, into these girls world. As you read, it’s hard to come out of this world. It’s heartbreaking, but also there are so many lessons to learn from this beautifully written novel. These girls held each other and loved one another so deeply because no one else would. They were judge and scrutinized by their own family because of the choices they made, but in the end, these girls chose their children and each other. I loved how Mottley gave readers a different perspective of teen pregnancy. She humanized these Girls, and let us into their world. I loved this book so much. Thank you to Netgalley and Alfred A. knopf for my advanced readers copy.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. 4.5 stars! This author did a beautiful job telling the story of these girls. Everything was so well done I was able to see it all as I read. The growth was also beautiful to read about. I plan to check out other books from Leila Mottley as well now.