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The Moments That Made Us
Growing Up Hadley
A heartbreaking story of resilience, friendship, and self-discovery.
Thirteen is a hard age. Even harder when you lose your mom to cancer. For Hadley, it means being left in the hands of an angry, alcoholic father who chips away at her self-worth until her anxiety is almost crippling.
Desperate for solace, an unexpected friendship blooms - a lifeline woven from patience, respect, and shared laughter. Suddenly, Hadley starts to smile again. Really, truly smile. That is until her father’s outlandish demands ruin everything.
As Hadley grows up, she faces a choice: succumb to her father’s toxic hold or finally put herself first and dare to chase the dreams she once whispered to the stars.
Thirteen is a hard age. Even harder when you lose your mom to cancer. For Hadley, it means being left in the hands of an angry, alcoholic father who chips away at her self-worth until her anxiety is almost crippling.
Desperate for solace, an unexpected friendship blooms - a lifeline woven from patience, respect, and shared laughter. Suddenly, Hadley starts to smile again. Really, truly smile. That is until her father’s outlandish demands ruin everything.
As Hadley grows up, she faces a choice: succumb to her father’s toxic hold or finally put herself first and dare to chase the dreams she once whispered to the stars.
319 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 24, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 26, 2024
i was lucky enough to receive this ebook through a storygraph giveaway. it’s a beautiful, heartbreaking and heart building story. i needed something different from my usual flow of thrillers and rom-coms.
May 15, 2024
Thank you so much for letting me enjoy this story before it is released. I wish you the best. But shame on you for making me cry. Jk I loved it.
Now for the fun part.
I don’t want to accidentally put any spoilers so I’ll keep it short. If you want a book that will rip your heart out and then fix’s you this is the story.
This story broke me in the best way. As someone who’s mom had cancer when I was a child, I know how Hadley felt.
It was an emotional roller coaster happy, sad, angry.
This is definitely a story if you want to get into your feels. This has easily been a 5 star reads for me.
Hadley has to deal with something that everyone is scared of. Losing a parent and Hadley was going through it. With her abusive father & dealing with her lost.
This is definitely the book to read of you want to cry and be in your feelings. I 💯 recommend this book.
Now for the fun part.
I don’t want to accidentally put any spoilers so I’ll keep it short. If you want a book that will rip your heart out and then fix’s you this is the story.
This story broke me in the best way. As someone who’s mom had cancer when I was a child, I know how Hadley felt.
It was an emotional roller coaster happy, sad, angry.
This is definitely a story if you want to get into your feels. This has easily been a 5 star reads for me.
Hadley has to deal with something that everyone is scared of. Losing a parent and Hadley was going through it. With her abusive father & dealing with her lost.
This is definitely the book to read of you want to cry and be in your feelings. I 💯 recommend this book.
May 8, 2025
This was a book that made your heart break but healed it all over again. I absolutely adored it and Hadley. This was such a heartfelt read and I enjoyed it so much!
September 6, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
I’m so grateful to Dana for reaching out and sending me her debut YA novel + bookish goodie box filled with some of Hadley’s favorite things 💙
You can’t help but feel for thirteen year old Hadley as she loses her mom to Cancer and her father buries his grief at the bottom of a bottle of bourbon. Not only is she trying to cope with this tremendous loss, but she’s anxious and terrified of her father’s alcoholic state. He also shoves the physical and financial burden of maintaining a home and roof over their heads on a child who ultimately has anything but a childhood as a result 💔
Hadley finds refuge on a nearby farm with animals to love and an elderly woman who serves as a motherly figure that she so desperately needs. Through this friendship, Hadley begins to find her way again. But just when she’s making progress, life throws her more challenges that make you want to reach through the pages and take away her pain.
Not all hope is lost though. The author takes us from Hadley’s heartbreaking formative years in the first half of the book and transitions into Hadley’s adult life, which is filled with character growth, finding her people and protecting her peace. I thought the author did a fantastic job of transitioning Hadley’s voice from adolescence to adulthood - it felt seamless!
On that note, I would’ve loved to see the added depth we could have gotten to this story if it was told in the first person. We get snippets of Hadley’s inner thoughts, but the rest is written in third person POV. I think the first person account would’ve pushed this to a whole other level for me with all of the heavy topics covered 💭
Overall, I think this was such a good debut novel, and if you’re a fan of YA, I’d recommend giving it a read!
Dana, thank you again for sending me your book, and I can’t wait to see what you write next!
I’m so grateful to Dana for reaching out and sending me her debut YA novel + bookish goodie box filled with some of Hadley’s favorite things 💙
You can’t help but feel for thirteen year old Hadley as she loses her mom to Cancer and her father buries his grief at the bottom of a bottle of bourbon. Not only is she trying to cope with this tremendous loss, but she’s anxious and terrified of her father’s alcoholic state. He also shoves the physical and financial burden of maintaining a home and roof over their heads on a child who ultimately has anything but a childhood as a result 💔
Hadley finds refuge on a nearby farm with animals to love and an elderly woman who serves as a motherly figure that she so desperately needs. Through this friendship, Hadley begins to find her way again. But just when she’s making progress, life throws her more challenges that make you want to reach through the pages and take away her pain.
Not all hope is lost though. The author takes us from Hadley’s heartbreaking formative years in the first half of the book and transitions into Hadley’s adult life, which is filled with character growth, finding her people and protecting her peace. I thought the author did a fantastic job of transitioning Hadley’s voice from adolescence to adulthood - it felt seamless!
On that note, I would’ve loved to see the added depth we could have gotten to this story if it was told in the first person. We get snippets of Hadley’s inner thoughts, but the rest is written in third person POV. I think the first person account would’ve pushed this to a whole other level for me with all of the heavy topics covered 💭
Overall, I think this was such a good debut novel, and if you’re a fan of YA, I’d recommend giving it a read!
Dana, thank you again for sending me your book, and I can’t wait to see what you write next!
June 24, 2024
This book was different than something I would normally pick up, but I was pleasantly surprised! This book really gets you in your feels and you WILL shed some tears...
Hadley is struggling with the loss of her mother to cancer and now she is having to deal with her alcoholic father while grieving. As a teenager, you have other things that you would normally worry about, but Hadley had it really rough.
I fell in love with her character and how strong and resilient she is. As she grows up, she is finally able to follow her dreams and I love the development of her character. I just wish I could hug her. 🥰
If you need a really good cry, I highly recommend this book! I'm excited to pick up more books from Dana Harp.
Thank you Dana Harp for the opportunity to receive an ARC 🙂
Hadley is struggling with the loss of her mother to cancer and now she is having to deal with her alcoholic father while grieving. As a teenager, you have other things that you would normally worry about, but Hadley had it really rough.
I fell in love with her character and how strong and resilient she is. As she grows up, she is finally able to follow her dreams and I love the development of her character. I just wish I could hug her. 🥰
If you need a really good cry, I highly recommend this book! I'm excited to pick up more books from Dana Harp.
Thank you Dana Harp for the opportunity to receive an ARC 🙂
July 18, 2024
This was such a powerful and emotional read. This story was absolutely heartbreaking, especially in the beginning.
At thirteen, Hadley lost her mom to cancer. Her father was a mean alcoholic which made dealing with her grief all that much harder. One day an unexpected friendship gives her hope to a brighter future.
I loved the main character Hadley, as she was strong and made the best of a tough situation. I really liked seeing how her character developed as the story went on and how she overcame a lot of the hardships she was dealt.
Read this if you like:
→ Found Family
→ Two part story
→ Coming of age
→ Contemporary stories
This was a great read, especially if you are looking for a book that will having you feeling all the emotions.
At thirteen, Hadley lost her mom to cancer. Her father was a mean alcoholic which made dealing with her grief all that much harder. One day an unexpected friendship gives her hope to a brighter future.
I loved the main character Hadley, as she was strong and made the best of a tough situation. I really liked seeing how her character developed as the story went on and how she overcame a lot of the hardships she was dealt.
Read this if you like:
→ Found Family
→ Two part story
→ Coming of age
→ Contemporary stories
This was a great read, especially if you are looking for a book that will having you feeling all the emotions.
August 14, 2024
DISCLAIMER: I got a free copy via a contest on the Storygraph.
Growing Up Hadley is crushing and heartbreaking, yet briefly heartwarming in places. Whilst thankfully there is a happy ending, it felt very much rushed at the end in just a mere few-page epilogue.
The pacing throughout felt messy in places, you’d have a ton of events happening together and then a big time jump which made for a slightly jarring read and was confusing to follow at times.
I do want to thank Harp for giving away so many copies - whilst it was a miss for me personally, I know so many people will have found her through this that will very much think differently to me.
(P.S. Didn’t spot any typos, people who got the email after winning in the contest will get it 😉)
Growing Up Hadley is crushing and heartbreaking, yet briefly heartwarming in places. Whilst thankfully there is a happy ending, it felt very much rushed at the end in just a mere few-page epilogue.
The pacing throughout felt messy in places, you’d have a ton of events happening together and then a big time jump which made for a slightly jarring read and was confusing to follow at times.
I do want to thank Harp for giving away so many copies - whilst it was a miss for me personally, I know so many people will have found her through this that will very much think differently to me.
(P.S. Didn’t spot any typos, people who got the email after winning in the contest will get it 😉)
August 24, 2024
Guys! Wanted to do a quick review as I am busy with my work. This is a great book, first of all family matters are really important and dealing with them can definitely be tough. I love the main character and her personality definitely a 10/10 for me. What I think is that it takes time to start reading books with family issues because it’s different for me who reads more romance but once I started getting into depth with the book more, it definitely started getting interesting. I really recommend this book! Definitely recommend you to read it and come back to review it, this author needs more attention! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 26, 2024
Thank you for this ARC!! 🙏🏼
Growing up Hadley was so amazing!
Life is hard enough as a teenager, but when your mother has recently died and your father is resorting to alcohol it's much worse.
Hadley is a wonderful little girl who I fell in love with! She was such a sweet character who deserved so much.
This novel definitely made me cry, so yeah....😅
I would recommend it a hundred times over!
🩷🩷🩷
Growing up Hadley was so amazing!
Life is hard enough as a teenager, but when your mother has recently died and your father is resorting to alcohol it's much worse.
Hadley is a wonderful little girl who I fell in love with! She was such a sweet character who deserved so much.
This novel definitely made me cry, so yeah....😅
I would recommend it a hundred times over!
🩷🩷🩷
December 19, 2024
Beautiful coming of age story for a young girl who is navigating through grief and finding her voice. Great development of the characters. Friends that become family are the best kinds of friendships!
August 2, 2024
This book was so touching. Most books don’t make me cry but this one did. I’m glad I stepped out of reading my normal romcom books and read this. I loved it and would really recommend it.
July 19, 2024
I don’t know how to put my feelings into words about this book…
This was such a beautiful story of persevering, the roller coaster of emotions was intense
I swear my heart was ripped out several times but totally worth it
Hadley was so strong and never gave up
I guess you could say I’m speechless at this point , it was an amazing emotional but powerful read and worth every tear shed
110% recommend this book, but keep your tissues close because you will need them
This was such a beautiful story of persevering, the roller coaster of emotions was intense
I swear my heart was ripped out several times but totally worth it
Hadley was so strong and never gave up
I guess you could say I’m speechless at this point , it was an amazing emotional but powerful read and worth every tear shed
110% recommend this book, but keep your tissues close because you will need them
October 27, 2024
I’m very much enjoyed reading this book. I laughed and I cried. I highly recommend it and I think that Hadley will resonate with a lot of young women today.
It’s a great read for a book club!
It’s a great read for a book club!
July 2, 2025
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Growing up Hadley
Author: Dana Harp
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 5/5
Of the 15 readers:
15 would read another book by this author.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
15 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 9 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
14 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
15 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“The cover is AMAZING! When I saw it, I so wanted to read it. Glad I did. It’s FAB!” Girl, aged 14
“I so felt for Hadley. Her dad’s nasty and horribly difficult. It was so sad in parts. But there were happy moments too. Good for older teenagers.” Girl, aged 15
“It’s the hope of a better future for Hadley that made this such a good book. She lost her mum to cancer and her dad’s an alcoholic who is slowly destroying her. This is not what I’d call a fun book. I was rooting for the MC all the way till the end.” Girl, aged 15
“The sort of family you want to get away from. I’d read another book by this author. I think she understand what teenagers feel, particularly girls, and what they want to read.” Girl, aged 17
“Not difficult to follow, brave protagonist to root for, and lots of family problems/drama preventing her from finding happiness. The writing style is energetic, and I didn’t spot any errors. Liked it, but you need to be in the right mood.��� Girl, aged 16
“Dana Harp is a very good writer. I will try and find other books by her.” Girl, aged 14
To Sum It Up:
“A smartly plotted, character focused drama written by an author who knows her readership and what they want. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: Growing up Hadley
Author: Dana Harp
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 5/5
Of the 15 readers:
15 would read another book by this author.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
15 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 9 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
14 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
15 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“The cover is AMAZING! When I saw it, I so wanted to read it. Glad I did. It’s FAB!” Girl, aged 14
“I so felt for Hadley. Her dad’s nasty and horribly difficult. It was so sad in parts. But there were happy moments too. Good for older teenagers.” Girl, aged 15
“It’s the hope of a better future for Hadley that made this such a good book. She lost her mum to cancer and her dad’s an alcoholic who is slowly destroying her. This is not what I’d call a fun book. I was rooting for the MC all the way till the end.” Girl, aged 15
“The sort of family you want to get away from. I’d read another book by this author. I think she understand what teenagers feel, particularly girls, and what they want to read.” Girl, aged 17
“Not difficult to follow, brave protagonist to root for, and lots of family problems/drama preventing her from finding happiness. The writing style is energetic, and I didn’t spot any errors. Liked it, but you need to be in the right mood.��� Girl, aged 16
“Dana Harp is a very good writer. I will try and find other books by her.” Girl, aged 14
To Sum It Up:
“A smartly plotted, character focused drama written by an author who knows her readership and what they want. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ Wishing Shelf Book Awards
February 27, 2025
Guys this book was GORGEOUS. This was seriously one of the
best coming of age YA novels I've read in a while.
Short summary: after 13 year old Hadley's mother dies
she's left with her alcoholic father who barely
acknowledges that she exists. She finds friendship in an
adorable and sweet old woman next door (l loved that
character by the way). Hadley feels like she needs to
be perfect if she wants her father to care about her, but
the pressures in her life only continues to build up as she
struggles to manage everything.
I feel like Hadley was the perfect, most lovable main
character. I sympathised with her every time that her
father would act terrible to her, and I genuinely cared
about her as if she was a real person. She is definitely
someone to be admired: she was resilient and stayed
strong no matter what happened in her life. The other
characters in her life also complemented the story really
nicely.
This book didn't have the most unique concept and it
isn't action filled: it is just about how a young girl grows
throughout her (often difficult) life. And that's what
made it such an enjoyable read. It was just a wholesome,
sincere story that will make you fall in love with the
character.
I think lovers of YA or anyone who just wants a
heart-warming should add this to their TBR right now!!!
best coming of age YA novels I've read in a while.
Short summary: after 13 year old Hadley's mother dies
she's left with her alcoholic father who barely
acknowledges that she exists. She finds friendship in an
adorable and sweet old woman next door (l loved that
character by the way). Hadley feels like she needs to
be perfect if she wants her father to care about her, but
the pressures in her life only continues to build up as she
struggles to manage everything.
I feel like Hadley was the perfect, most lovable main
character. I sympathised with her every time that her
father would act terrible to her, and I genuinely cared
about her as if she was a real person. She is definitely
someone to be admired: she was resilient and stayed
strong no matter what happened in her life. The other
characters in her life also complemented the story really
nicely.
This book didn't have the most unique concept and it
isn't action filled: it is just about how a young girl grows
throughout her (often difficult) life. And that's what
made it such an enjoyable read. It was just a wholesome,
sincere story that will make you fall in love with the
character.
I think lovers of YA or anyone who just wants a
heart-warming should add this to their TBR right now!!!
October 11, 2024
5/5 Stars
This book was a whirlwind journey of emotions for me. Hadley is a character I connected so deeply with, and am still thinking about days after reading this book. I want to recommend this book to anyone who loves emotionally rich stories. The way Hadley's life progressed through the book was so well crafted, and I loved reading every part of it.
This book was a whirlwind journey of emotions for me. Hadley is a character I connected so deeply with, and am still thinking about days after reading this book. I want to recommend this book to anyone who loves emotionally rich stories. The way Hadley's life progressed through the book was so well crafted, and I loved reading every part of it.
July 31, 2025
Great, emotional read.
The author really gets you inside of Hadley's world as she navigates growing up. It's a raw look at parental loss, and the clash if a child and a parent who is lacking. The development of Hadley, emotionally and over the span of the years covered in the book, keeps you engaged and hoping for more. Would love to see where grown Hadley ends up in life.
The author really gets you inside of Hadley's world as she navigates growing up. It's a raw look at parental loss, and the clash if a child and a parent who is lacking. The development of Hadley, emotionally and over the span of the years covered in the book, keeps you engaged and hoping for more. Would love to see where grown Hadley ends up in life.
September 9, 2025
I went into this book not really sure what to expect, which I think was great for this one. It’s a real coming-of-age story with plenty of heartbreak, harsh realities that lots of people live through, glimmers of happiness, and a good dash of hope. I can see this being a great summer reading book for high schoolers because of how honestly it highlights themes like loss, alcoholism, friendship, and growth. It’s an inspiring read, for sure.
Although I wasn’t expecting such a big time jump to fully-adult Hadley for the second half of the book (the writing was still easy to understand for tweens and teens, but I can see readers being thrown off if they expected full-on YA), it was still an amazing ending that I ended up loving more than the first half. It was great to see Hadley finding her way after everything she’s gone through, making friends, finding love (for the record, I fully choose to believe she ends up with the guy lol), and finally being comfortable.
Overall, this is a super inspiring book, and I’m glad I got the chance to read it. Thank you to author Dana Harp for sending it to me in exchange for a review!
Although I wasn’t expecting such a big time jump to fully-adult Hadley for the second half of the book (the writing was still easy to understand for tweens and teens, but I can see readers being thrown off if they expected full-on YA), it was still an amazing ending that I ended up loving more than the first half. It was great to see Hadley finding her way after everything she’s gone through, making friends, finding love (for the record, I fully choose to believe she ends up with the guy lol), and finally being comfortable.
Overall, this is a super inspiring book, and I’m glad I got the chance to read it. Thank you to author Dana Harp for sending it to me in exchange for a review!
August 11, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Yes, I know… rating my own book. Just roll with it. 👀)
I’m so proud of the journey Growing up Hadley has taken. From college essays to late-night scribbles to a real book in your hands. My DEBUT book.
To every reader who’s picked it up, shared it, or left a review: thank you. Indie authors live and breathe because of readers like you, and your support means everything.
Here’s my totally biased five stars - for the story, for the characters, and for you. 🩵
I’m so proud of the journey Growing up Hadley has taken. From college essays to late-night scribbles to a real book in your hands. My DEBUT book.
To every reader who’s picked it up, shared it, or left a review: thank you. Indie authors live and breathe because of readers like you, and your support means everything.
Here’s my totally biased five stars - for the story, for the characters, and for you. 🩵
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews