A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty: A Novel

by Joshilyn Jackson

Overview

A Grown Up Kind of Pretty is a powerful saga of three generations of women, plagued by hardships and torn by a devastating secret, yet inextricably joined by the bonds of family.
Fifteen-year-old Mosey Slocumb -- spirited, sassy, and on the cusp of womanhood -- is shaken when a small grave is unearthed in the backyard, and determined to figure out why it's there. Liza, her stroke-ravaged mother, is haunted by choices she made as a teenager. But it is Jenny, Mosey's strong and big-hearted grandmother, whose maternal love braids together the strands of the women's shared past -- and who will stop at nothing to defend their future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780446576062
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	04/08/2025
Sold by:	OPEN ROAD INTEGRATED - EBKS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	337
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Joshilyn Jackson, a native of the Deep South, has worked as an actor and an award-winning teacher, and is now a writer and a mother of two. She is the author of Gods in Alabama; Between, Georgia; The Girl Who Stopped Swimming; and Backseat Saints. Jackson lives with her husband and children outside of Atlanta. Visit her website at www.joshilynjackson.com.

Hometown:

Powder Springs, Georgia

Place of Birth:

Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Website:

http://www.joshilynjackson.com

Editorial Reviews

"A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty proves again that Joshilyn Jackson is one the best writers of the new generation. This spellbinding novel unfolds through the voices of three women in one family: a grandmother, a mother, a young daughter. Jackson renders each of these women with vivid tenderness, ferocity, and great humor, so that the family itself becomes the fourth vital character in the story. You will find yourself rooting for them all, to the very last page."—Mark Childress, author of Georgia Bottoms and Crazy in Alabama

"Reading A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty feels a lot like falling in love: giddy and enthralling and a little bit dangerous. It's a heart-thumping mystery, an edge-of-your-seat drama, and a fiercely sweet comedy all at once, with a fistful of crazy-brave characters who reach from up the wild pages and grip your heart. I loved this book about what it means to be a family for its big heart, its pitch-perfect dialogue and the clever plot twists I've come to expect from Jackson. Book clubs take note: Here's your next pick!"—Sara Gruen, NYT bestselling author of Water for Elephants and Ape House

"Madness! Mayhem! Laughter! Tears! Emotional rollercoasters, old lies and an unmarked grave propel the Slocumb women into action. Joshilyn Jackson's signature style explodes inA GROWN-UP KIND OF PRETTY. Buckle up and enjoy!"—Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of Very Valentine

From the Publisher

"Madness! Mayhem! Laughter! Tears! Emotional rollercoasters, old lies and an unmarked grave propel the Slocumb women into action. Joshilyn Jackson's signature style explodes in A GROWN-UP KIND OF PRETTY. Buckle up and enjoy!"

Adriana Trigiani

"Reading A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty feels a lot like falling in love: giddy and enthralling and a little bit dangerous. It's a heart-thumping mystery, an edge-of-your-seat drama, and a fiercely sweet comedy all at once, with a fistful of crazy-brave characters who reach from up the wild pages and grip your heart. I loved this book about what it means to be a family for its big heart, its pitch-perfect dialogue and the clever plot twists I've come to expect from Jackson. Book clubs take note: Here's your next pick!"

Sara Gruen

"A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty proves again that Joshilyn Jackson is one the best writers of the new generation. This spellbinding novel unfolds through the voices of three women in one family: a grandmother, a mother, a young daughter. Jackson renders each of these women with vivid tenderness, ferocity, and great humor, so that the family itself becomes the fourth vital character in the story. You will find yourself rooting for them all, to the very last page."

Mark Childress

"A clever, hilarious, wild adventure of a mystery that immediately pulls you in. You'll be desperate to know the story of the bones beneath the willow tree-and will love every delicious layer of Joshilyn Jackson's latest."

Jennifer McMahon

"An unforgettable story of generational dysfunction and sloppily buried secrets."

Theresa Weaver

"Gripping."

Chris Waddington

"A quirky mystery that serves up a delicious blend of likeable characters, plot twists and life as seen through the eyes of three remarkable women in a Southern family, namely Mosey, Ginny, and Liza. The dialogue is authentic and the writing insightful and unexpectedly witty."

Larry Cox

"Compelling....Jackson introduces some truly appalling villains as well as a handful of affable supporting characters... The Slocumb women are easy to root for."

Hannah Sampson

"Three generations of Slocumbs grapple with deep-buried family secrets in this entertaining Southern whodunit."

All You Magazine

"A deeply felt, engaging story."

The Atlantic

"Jackson's signature style-the feisty, bighearted voice of Gods in Alabama and Backseat Saints-propels this funny, dark whodunit, where strong women who've made bad choices band together to come out on top."

Melissa Ruggieri

"[There are] hundreds of moving parts in the machinery of Jackson's intricate mystery, all deliciously unraveled one tantalizing clue at a time."

Gina Webb

"A valentine to the bonds of family!"

Family Circle

Praise for A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty:

"A mesmerizing tale of a family coping with the revelation of a secret that will change their lives... Jackson's most absorbing book yet, a lush, rich read with three very different but equally compelling characters at its core."

Kristine Huntley

"Engrossing... A mystery, comedy and drama wrapped up in one."

Katie Lewis

"Highly immersive... a compelling page turner."

PW