I loved reading The Girls Who Grew Big. A group of teenagers, some mothers, one pregnant. Made me rethink my assumptions about young motherhood.

I could talk about how well Mottley writes, how beautifully she brings characters and Padua Beach to life, and how well she captures the lack of support young moms face but this is one of those books where my writing won’t do justice. Mottley’s characters were all within systems that work against teenagers that make mistakes and continue to shame them even when they are trying their hardest. Having and raising a baby is hard enough with the best of support system, and I wanted to give each one of these girls big hugs and wanted to punch all the unsupportive characters. There is a lot of youthful drama here and a lot of flawed decisions, but everything is higher stakes with kids being involved and everyone trying to figure out how to balance what's good for themselves and what’s best for their children and Mottley tackles character growth both physically and mentally so realistically.

Final rating: 4.5.

On the Surface, this is a story about a group of teen mothers in Florida, but on a deeper level, it's a reimagining of motherhood, sisterhood, and girlhood.

You watch these girls as they learn and grow their way through young adulthood and being mothers, as they develop friendships built on shared experiences and supporting each other through differences.

I really enjoyed this. It's very hard to make so many different voices and stories shine through, but Leila did so masterfully. I like that she didn't set out to make them perfect mother's or perfect women. She made them flawed, authentic, and honest.

Baby, the girlies stressed me out in this book! The girls kept making mistake after mistake and their attempts to do better, just made it worse everytime! They were hardheaded and not likable to me but the writing style was beautiful and it kept me engaged throughout because I was waiting for it to click for them, some more than others.

Leila Mottley’s prose is rich and immersive. I was immediately drawn into to the small town of Padua and the alliance of girls that folks look away from. Mottley develops these characters through the love they have for their children and the new loves the try to navigate, never shying away from harsh realities. Realities beyond just heartbreak, realities of making a life and sustaining that life. I wish there was more differentiation between the character voices. I got caught up sometimes towards the middle trying to remember whose chapter I was in if I didn’t have immediate grounding details (like a family member).

The Girls Who Grew Big is a stunning novel about motherhood. The cast of characters show true friendship and love; they are the definition of "it takes a village." I love how it's messy and vulnerable and honest and rough and everything else. The Girls demonstrate that it is never too late to start anew, that you are exactly where you're meant to be, that decisions can be the best and worst thing. They are complicated and beautiful. I am in awe of this book, and I can't wait for Mottley's next release.

Wow. This author has such a way with words. And how she writes about motherhood left me in awe. She's so talented and so young. This book is raw and gritty and honest. It won't be for everyone, but it will stay with me for a long time. She expertly created this small Florida beach town and this group of teen moms who loved their babies and each other fiercely.

Unfortunately, this one just didn’t do it for me. The synopsis sounded interesting, but didn’t come through in any meaningful way.

Full transparency, I tend to do better with plot driven vs character driven stories. I had an inkling this would be the latter, and was prepared, but the characters weren’t well written; they were stereotypical, one-dimensional, and lacked any personal growth outside of “growing big.”

There wasn’t anything major that I didn’t like, but there wasn’t anything that kept me interested either. I was bored and just kept pushing through.

For a book this length I can usually finish in a day or two; this one took over a week because I found no interest in picking it up. It was a chore. I appear to be in the minority of the ratings, so while I personally won’t recommend this book, I do recommend reading other reviews before making a decision.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is easily one of—if not the—best books I’ve read this year. The moment I finished the e-ARC, I immediately went out and bought a physical copy. It’s that good.

The story follows three young mothers, each at a different stage of motherhood:

✨ Simone, who’s lost her family because she chose to become a mother, yet still takes on a nurturing role for a group of girls in need;
✨ Emory, a new mom grappling with postpartum life, her sexuality, and racist relatives;
✨ and Adela, who’s desperate to maintain the appearance of perfection while her pregnancy begins to crack her carefully built facade.

Together, their stories unfold into a raw and powerful portrait of modern motherhood, tackling everything from racist healthcare systems to restricted access to reproductive care, from the stigmatization of young motherhood to the overwhelming lack of structural support. And yet, despite it all, these women survive and thrive through the community they build among themselves.

Their journeys will stay with me for a long time. This book is stunning, painful, affirming, and beautifully written. AND I know I’ll be rereading it for years to come.

Leila Mottley has officially become an auto-buy author for me—huge thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
✨ Do yourself a favor: add this to your TBR ASAP.

I was pumped to get my hands on Leila Mottley’s newest book, The Girls Who Grew Big after her first book, Nightcrawling, left such a lasting impression on me.

This book is set in a forgotten Florida beach town with rotating viewpoints from three teenage girls — streetwise tough-as-nails Simone, sexually confused Emory, and naive and unlikeable Adela. The characters are all so very human and enormously flawed, they make mistakes and find their way as they navigate their love for their children and the path they must choose for their future.

As raw as this book read, I sometimes felt a disconnect with the characters. I typically don’t gravitate to stories about teens… and while I very much enjoyed the portions on motherhood, I struggled through some of the teenage emotions, choices, and love plot lines.

However, if you are looking for a book that is about growing into motherhood, finding a sense of belonging, overcoming generational trauma, and a queer coming-of-age story, don’t miss The Girls Who Grew Big! It will pull on your heartstrings!

Publication date: June 24, 2025
Pages: 352

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @aaknopf for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

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

The Girls Who Grew Big was both heart-wrenching and heart-warming at the same time, raw and emotional. This is a story about mothers and daughters and found family and so much more. I instantly became so invested in these characters and worried for them, wondered what was going to happen to them. Leila Mottley has a way of bringing her characters to life with her lovely writing.

I found this to be a tough read, especially as a mother, but definitely worth it. We follow three pregnant/young mothers as they navigate teen and single parenthood, with struggles involving themes of race, poverty, friendship, sexuality, etc. This was an extremely well written and gritty look at these realities in Florida, and not an easy read in any sense. The decisions some characters make are baffling, but you can't help rotting for all of them. The ending was a little too tidy for my taste, but I still enjoyed it overall.

This novel was everything from tackling socio-economic issues, racial issues, class, broken and mended relationships, teen pregnancy and single motherhood in an impoverished Florida town.

We follow three young women through their journey into teen pregnancy. There is sharp-tongued but fiercely loyal Simone, determined and driven Emory, and finally kind and soft spoken Adela.

“The Girls” as they call themselves form a bond through countless struggles that bring them closer together than ever.

I could have devoured another 100 pages of this story and now I need a sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for allowing me to read The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley.

Truly a masterpiece. Mottley writes multi POV with a skill that is uncommon - each perspective was robust and recognizable, and there was never confusion about who was speaking because their voices were so distinct. I’m currently reading her debut which I somehow have never read - TGWGB made me a Mottley fan forever.

This story was a lot. That characters are the same but different each girl has a want and/ need and it’s the same but looks different for each girl. This story is full, the characters are full and complex and the writing brings that out in each girl. I recommend this story.

This book centers teenage mothers known as The Girls, residing in Padua Beach, FL in its evocative exploration of girlhood, motherhood, race, class, identity, agency, love, and community. Mottley illustrates the pain, worries, hopes, and dreams of these young women through the alternating perspectives of Simone - a young Black woman that gives birth to twins at 15 years old and is viewed as the wise leader of The Girls; Emory - a white 17 year old determined to complete her high school education following the birth of her son, Kai who she shares with Simone’s brother; and Adela - the new biracial girl in town who aspires to be an Olympic swimmer but is sent to her grandmother's house by her parents when she becomes pregnant.

This was a beautifully written, character-driven novel that sheds light on the highly stigmatized topic of teen pregnancies in a seemingly raw, authentic manner. These women endure a great deal of hardships including abandonment from their partners and families as well as financial and housing insecurity. However The Girls continue to strive to be the best mothers that they can be for their children while learning to find light and love within themselves and in each other in a place that shuns them. Their resilience and bond even amidst conflict truly shine through.

Despite the stunning lyricism and metaphors, I do think the book could have benefited from tighter prose as it made the story feel lengthy at times. Nevertheless, The Girls Who Grew Big certainly portrays Mottley’s growing talents as a young writer and I can’t wait to see what she publishes next!

Leila Mottley’s The Girls Who Grew Big is a searing, poetic exploration of Black girlhood, resilience, and the quiet (and loud) revolutions that come with growing up in a world that too often tries to shrink you.

From the first page, Mottley’s language pulses with emotion—lush, aching, and sometimes brutal. The novel follows its characters with an intimacy that feels both raw and reverent. There is rage, joy, confusion, and defiance stitched into every chapter, and Mottley doesn’t flinch from hard truths. Her portrayal of girlhood feels deeply lived-in and lovingly rendered.

This isn’t a plot-heavy novel; it’s an emotional experience, a lyrical immersion into a particular time, place, and body.

Highly recommended for readers who love emotionally rich stories, character-driven narratives, and writing that reads like poetry with a punch.

This was so much more tender and sweet than I anticipated. The author has a beautiful writing style and the character development was superb. I fell hard for the Girls, and I was rooting for them all the way. This is a lovely, vulnerable book that covers delicate topics with such heart.

I’ve been anxiously looking forward to Leila Mottley’s next book after reading Nightcrawling. She writes with such raw emotion. This book is about a group of young new mothers living in a Florida town. These young women are cast aside by society and develop familial relationships with one another. They lean on one another because each of them deeply understands the hardships they all face. Mottley tells their stories in a way that highlights perseverance, empathy and determination. Rather than feel pity for these women, she makes you root for them and lift them up. It was truly an outstanding book and characterization of unplanned, young motherhood.

Such a poignant story! Leila captures our attention from the first few pages as we are ensconced in the journey of teenage motherhood in rural Florida. The girls' stories will although different will incite emotional responses from readers including hope, compassion, and empathy. A very necessary and touching read