A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty

A Novel

By: Joshilyn Jackson

Narrated by: Joshilyn Jackson

Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2011 Joshilyn Jackson (P)2011 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"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, Booklist, starred review)

"A deeply felt, engaging story." (The Atlantic)

"Highly immersive... a compelling page turner." (Publishers Weekly)

A Grown-Up Kind of Romance Novel

What did you love best about A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty?

This is not your average coming of age story. It is a well crafted story that keeps you guessing until the end. It is an entertaining, easy read.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I was fond of the three generations of women that were the main characters of the story: Grandma, Mother and Daughter.

Have you listened to any of Joshilyn Jackson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my first Joshilyn Jackson book. I look forward to reading more from her.

If you could rename A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty, what would you call it?

I couldn't think of a better title that tells all and tells nothing.

The narration made my skin crawl

I'm not sure why this story got so many high reviews.

Story was just okay, the narration was done in a thick nasal southern accent which was awful.

Lots of twists

Would you consider the audio edition of A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty to be better than the print version?

n/a

What did you like best about this story?

The slowly emerging revelations of the daughters life.

Which scene was your favorite?

The granddaughters strength and emerging maturity

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

nothing extreme

Any additional comments?

Happy ending. 3 generations in an interesting tango

An entertaining southern read!

Where does A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best!

Have you listened to any of Joshilyn Jackson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not to begin with, but it grew on me.

Any additional comments?

Narrator's voice that I first found annoying, became perfect for this story!

Good story

I enjoyed the overall story and piecing together what happened. I also enjoyed the author’s unique turn of phrase, although it was somewhat over used. I didn’t enjoy the use of slurs that were not relevant to the crux of the story. That was unnecessary and detracted from the story.

Very entertaining!!

Any additional comments?

I have to say that I got this book on a whim last week because it seemed to have an interesting story line and because I was interested that the author was also the voice ( I assumed who better than the author to read the book exactly how it was meant to be). I have to be honest by first saying I was a little confused in the beginning of the story, and because of that I was about to write this auido book off. I'm glad I didnt, because as I was about 40 mins in the story line started coming together. Just like when I'm reading a really good paper back I found myself finding excuses to continue listening ( I usually listen to my auidobooks when I'm driving or cleaning). Needless to say this audio was not at all what I expected, it went above and beyond my expectations. I just finished it tonight and I had to go online to see what other books she wrote. Funny enough I realized I had actually bought one of her cd audiobooks a few years back! I loved this book and I cant wait to listen to the next one! I would definitely reccommend this audio book!

Great story, well told

Great story, well narrated, strong characters. If you like family sagas, you'll enjoy this book.

A captivating story

What did you love best about A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty?

I am unable to pick one thing about this book. I loved all of the characters, the narration, and the sweet story. I laughed aloud throughout, and cried in places.

What other book might you compare A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty to and why?

Not sure if I am able to compare this book to any other. It's a book that stands alone, in it's story, characters, and narration.

Have you listened to any of Joshilyn Jackson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've never listened or bought any of Joshilyn's books before, but now have all of her books in my wish list.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listened to this book twice. The first time in one sitting which is something I rarely do.

Any additional comments?

This a sweet compelling story about the triumph of three outstanding Southern women. A fabulous listen.

Wonderful women!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book(production). Once I got used to the very subtle differences in the author's voice as she read the different characters, she embodied each word, phrase&sentence with the appropriate inflections & emotions only she as the writer could give them. I also liked the strong yet flawed characters & the honesty with which they were presented. I will look for more of. this author's work.
A credit well spent.

Warning: This is hard to put down

Such a great story! I loved the way the author would splash the story with funny lines to describe the feelings of that particular character. It kept the story relatable to characters.
I really enjoyed the depth and personality of each character and the way it unfolds, you get a great understanding for the reason why they are the people they are.
The narration was awesome and helped flow the story and characters personalities. With 3 points of view and 1 narrator this isn't always something that's easy for a narrator to do (especially when it's the author).
The twists were so good, not too many, and just enough. Everytime I "knew" and thought I figured it out, the author threw in that little something to keep me guessing to the end.
The worst part about this book is that I COULD NOT put it down and my family just had to let me ignore them until it was over..haha
I would be ready to bookmark and put it down, and then hit with a twist or cliffhanger that made it impossible.
Definitely recommend to anyone who loves suspense, twists, southern culture, family bonds, fiction, sprinkles of hilarious personality, or books in general.
1 million stars all the way!
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆