Oh, you guys. I love this book. It's smart and funny and I had the goofiest smile the whole time I was reading it.

I am a fan of books about friendship and this has some of the best friendships ever. CeCe was definitely nervous about spending time alone with the girls in her cabin; she was sure they would consider her to be a heathen and probably worse. Instead, they hit it off almost immediately and I loved the way the four of them related to each other. 

I love CeCe most of all. She does so much growing over the course of the book but I love the way that she's always good at being direct about what she wants. It's hard to do a lot of the time, and she's a great example. 

This is just a complete delight and I'm glad I got a chance to read it. Recommended.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! It's too cute, and sweet, and lovely, and amazing, and a lot of other adjectives that I don't think anyone will appreciate me listing--but know they all apply. Trust me when I say this book is one everyone should read. It read as incredibly authentic, funny, and beautiful. CeCe is fantastic. The setting of church camp . . . as a person who grew up Catholic I can't even handle it. Perfectly hilarious and sweet. Read it. That's my recommendation, and my advice. Read this one. LIke right now.

I was provided with an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I really enjoyed this fun little YA contemporary. It was a little cheesy, but I don't dislike that in my contemporary reads, so it was okay with me! My favorite tropes are fake-dating and best-friends-to-lovers and this combined both!!! CeCe was a spitfire and I loved her inability to filter her thoughts. Paul was adorbs and perfect for CeCe, even when she didn't see it.
This book also dealt with some serious issues, most importantly consent! It also touched on body shaming/female shaming, and the double standards when it comes to sex. It handled these issues in a very empowering way, which I greatly approved. It does involve sex, which I am all for, but might catch some readers off guard.
All in all, a delightful read, and one that would make me want to see more from this author!

Have a Little Faith in Me is a brilliant book that engages with themes so often sways under the rugs such as sexual education or rape culture. Its approach is completely original by setting its events in a Christian summer camp. It’s as much a fun and adorable summer reading as a compelling and empowering read about a girl’s agency and disposal of her own will, energy and body.

The plot deals with Cece, a teenager who has just lost her virginity only to be dumped out by her boyfriend in an attempt to “restore his virginal soul”. This does not sit well with Cece who decides to rejoin him to his Christian summer camp in order to regain his love. Except that Cece is not a Christian and is completely unaware of any biblical background. This leads up to a lot of comical situation, amongst which fake-dating, but also a quest to finding herself.

Cece, the protagonist, has a strong voice, and I completely relate to this character for her impulsiveness and her commitment to what she wants to do. She is an authentic and clever lead. Going to Christian Camp, Cece does not intend on connecting with God but rather with her ex-boyfriend. However, she is quickly confronted to the fact that he was never honest with her to begin with and has in fact, a girlfriend at camp.

This premise in itself could be a source of worries. I know what you are thinking: a girl trying to win her ex back in spite of all the red flags, is it really the modern feminist story I’ve been promised? And yes, it is. There is so much growth in this book. First of all, from Cece who learns to let go and to trust herself and her desires and her aspirations. She comes to the camp sketched as the obsessive ex-girlfriend just to evolve into a brilliant young adult with a deep inner knowledge of herself and it was so inspiring to see it unfold. She becomes accountable, responsible and so mature, but she also learns to open up to other people and this experience is magical.
More at https://wehavenoapologies.wordpress.com/2019/08/23/have-a-little-faith-in-me-by-sonia-hartl-a-complex-summer-book-that-tackles-consent-and-makes-you-take-a-leap-of-faith/

Rating: 4.5 Stars

CeCe thought she meant something to Ethan, but after her broke up with her, in the name of the Lord, she was hurt and determined to prove to him that his faith meant something to her in order to win him back. "Jesus camp" proved to be quite a challenge for CeCe, but there she found friendship, love, and understanding.

Let me tell you, I utterly adored this book, and here are some reasons why:

• I thought the characters in this book were stupendous, and I enjoyed getting to know them. They were interesting and layered, and many really surprised me. I was so happy, that Hartl resisted painting them as stereotypes, because they played a huge role in my enjoyment of this story.

• The friendship between CeCe and Paul was so wonderful. They had so much history, and I loved all the small peeks we got into their past.

• Paul was just flawed perfection. Maybe he held people at a distance, and maybe he was resistant to getting into any serious romantic relationships, but he had a soft and tender heart.

• THE STORIES!! Paul and CeCe would tell each other these really meaningful made up stories. I think I was more partial to Paul's, because they were epic, but I enjoyed this facet of their relationship very much.

• The girls of cabin 8 were such a fantastic group. I adored the friendship that developed between this group of young women, and was so happy CeCe had the luck of meeting them all.

• Hartl did a wonderful job exploring the emotional side of sex, as well as delving into the many aspects of consent. This is something I would love to see more of in YA, and not only was it a big part of CeCe's story, it was done well, in my opinion.

• The story also puts CeCe's fauxmance with Paul side-by-side with her past relationship with Ethan. It was a great way to show a healthy versus an unhealthy relationship, which is something I definitely would have benefited from as a teen.

• I appreciated that the author did not villainize all Christians or Christianity in general, but rather, showed that there are some bad people who choose to weaponize religion. CeCe encountered some characters like that, but she also met a lot of really wonderful Christians too, and I like that Hartl elected to show both sides.

I expected a wholly hilarious book, and this book was indeed funny, but it was also really emotional, heartfelt, and meaningful. I laughed, I raged, I nodded my head in agreement, and most importantly, I finished this story with a smile on my face.

Have a Little Faith in Me follows CeCe, who’s had her heart broken by the boy who took her virginity. He’s a confused, Christian boy who takes no responsibility for his actions. She wants to show him she’s a different person and win him back by following him to some Jesus camp (despite not being a Christian and against her best friend Paul’s advice). Paul - a former Christian and camp attendee, decides to go with CeCe for support and maybe to laugh a little at her expense. However, what ensues is a journey of maturing for the many characters involved.

First, let me start with the positive points. This story contains an incredible wealth of information about consent and sexuality in general, which is so important for young people to understand before they get into relationships. CeCe manages to make some incredible female friendships despite their different upbringings. There is plenty of judgement between them to at first, but they find they have more in common than not. I appreciated that this story really showed girls building each other up more than pitting them against each other. Paul is like a breath of fresh air for a male MC in a YA novel. He’s the one that teaches CeCe about proper consent, having been properly taught by his mother. Finally, I really appreciated that this book didn’t come off as anti-Christian. I’m not into reading books that bash anyone’s faith or lack thereof. I thought the author did a great job of pointing out certain shortcomings in this particular faith community, but she was also able to point to some of the ways that community is unfairly judged.

So while this book has so much to offer, the storyline itself was so incredibly predictable. I felt like I’d read it before, and I knew the basic plot after reading the first chapter. That’s not exactly a problem if contemporary YA is your jam because plenty of plot overlap happens. My other main issue occurs once Paul explains the concept of consent to CeCe, she goes from being pretty clueless to an expert doling out advice seemingly right away. Parts of this topic also seemed to read more like an info pamphlet than casual conversation between friends.

In conclusion, there was a lot to like about this book content-wise, but it could have been more deftly executed. 3.75 stars.

I loved this so much. The story was amazing and the characters were the best. I loved that it took place at camp and Cece's bunk mates were AMAZING! I loved Paul and how he stood up for Cece!

Have a Little Faith In Me by Sonia Hartl
Overview: CeCe and Paul have no reason being at Jesus camp. Paul gave up his faith years ago when his paster father abandoned his mother, and CeCe never really believed to start with. They're not there to find their faith again, though. CeCe is on a secret mission to win back her born again boyfriend who dumped her after having sex. Whether it's love or just proving something to herself, CeCe is determined to get Ethan back, even if that means fake dating her best friend, Paul, and listening to hours of sermons. While CeCe shakes the camp up, she starts to shake up some ideas of her own about what happened with her and Ethan. Overall: 5

Characters: 5 I love CeCe. She's bold, unflinching, bright, and impulsive. Unafraid to be quiet about her own beliefs she challenges a lot of the misogynistic happenings at the camp and vocally questions why girls are left to shoulder the responsibility for "tempting" boys by not being modest or doing a billion other things they should be allowed to do. Though she causes a lot of problems for the camp, she digs at the root of a lot of problems that come from society constantly shaming women. Reflecting on her first time, she starts to see some of the same problems that came from her own warped view of how things should be. This makes her an even louder crusader for spreading empowerment and the real meaning of consent among a bunch of people preaching abstinence.
The girls in her cabin- Mandy, Astrid, and Sarina- are all also excellent characters. They all come from different backgrounds and are actually devout Christians, but they accept CeCe and learn a lot from her. While keeping their faith with them, they start to question some of the teachings that they've never quite felt right about, and the girls form a sisterhood, cheering each other on and protecting one another.
Then there are the boys across the lake. Paul is a total cinnamon roll. He's a crush worthy character that's sweet and thoughtful. He paints a sharp contrast to problematic Ethan, but each additional character has their own place to add meaning to the book.

Plot: 5 I normally hate fake dating because the person they're trying to win or win back is usually so obviously not worth it, but the way that Hartl opens CeCe's eyes to Ethan's toxic ways almost the second he gets to camp allows the fake dating to melt away into a perfect device to facilitate this best friends to lover's romance. Their existing bond and friendship made Paul and CeCe such a fun, lovely couple to root for, and they made. me smile the whole time.
I also love the other side of the book's plot where CeCe causes a sort of reckoning with everyone. She and Paul have seen how hypocritical the belief system can be and they work to call attention to that. Like in the real world, not everyone cares to examine themselves closely in the mirror, but their actions make for some great educational and entertaining moments.

Writing: 5 Hartl had me hooked. She made. me fall for a trope I didn't even think I liked, and she made me feel like I was at camp too. I fell for her loud, sarcastic, strong narrator, and her love interest made me truly swoon. She also makes you think about society and how certain beliefs and values are actually really screwed up when you stop to think about them. She doesn't flinch when discussing how women's bodies are often subtly shamed and seen as weapons almost, and she dives into the lasting harm that attitude can have this book gets an A+ all around.

This was such a fun book - I really appreciated the differing viewpoints and genuinely enjoyed my time with it.

'Have a Little Faith in Me' is a fun and fiercely feminist read, taking on the issues of sex education and consent for a YA audience.

Firstly, I love the exploration of female friendship. Although CeCe is originally wary around her ultra-conservative Christian campmates, she soon learns to love and respect them, as they accept each other for who they are. It is refreshing and heart-warming to see the relationships between a group of girls portrayed so positively, and I enjoyed seeing them learn from and support each other.

Unfortunately, CeCe is the least likeable amongst these girls. While her brash and impulsive personality is originally endearing, she becomes increasingly annoying throughout the book. Despite the lessons she learns, her character doesn't develop, and it feels like she steamrollers toward her happy ending far too easily.

It's brilliant to read a YA novel that is so sex positive, openly discussing issues around consent, pressure, expectations and awkward first-time experiences. On the one hand, I wish the exploration of these issues could have been a little more organic – at times, the narrative is sacrificed for some awkward and overly dogmatic sex-ed spiels. But on the other hand, I appreciate the lack of subtlety – there's a lot of myth-busting and frank conversations that teens need to hear. It's hard to fault a writer who is clearly approaching her topic with the best intentions.

'Have a Little Faith in Me' is an enjoyable read with plenty of humour, some memorable messages and a lot of heart.

I adored this book! Funny, with a super strong voice, and some of the most realistic writing about sex and relationships for teens I've come across, this is one of my favourite YA novels I've read for a very long time.

CeCe is a really likeable protagonist, and is written in exactly the way teenage girls should be - knowing, intelligent, sharp, funny, vulnerable - she really does have it all.

The relationships in this novel, both romantic and platonic, are well-rounded and believable, and I particularly enjoyed the emphasis put on the importance of friendship.

Would highly recommend - I absolutely loved it.

The premise of this book really struck me. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's like TATBILB, but I enjoyed this nonetheless. The book relays an important message all teen girls, virgins or not, need to hear, and the message comes in a fun story with a funny, independent, and feminist main character. I think a lot of us had Ethans when we were younger. Teens will relate to this book!

You know the saying "don't judge a book by its cover?" I'm so guilty of that. I saw the book cover with the Precious Angel statue on the cover and was like yeah no this isn't for me. Then I read the synopsis and knew I needed to get my hands on it. A non-Christian going to Jesus camp to win back her religious boyfriend? Sign me up. I loved this book, I loved Cece, I loved Paul, I loved Cece and Paul together and Cabin 8 forever! Never have I ever laughed so much while reading a book. Have a Little Faith in Me was hilarious to the point where I had to explain to people why I was just randomly laughing while on my phone reading. While there were e funny parts to it though, this book tackled some hard topics. While obviously there isa lot of religious discussion happening in this book, there was a huge emphasis on sex and consent. All three are trigger topics, but I think Hartl handed them all beautifully and in a respectful manor. If you are deeply religious I'd pass this one up.

Sex is discussed a lot throughout this novel. It's portrayed as a taboo topic for these kids who have grown up in religious households so they of course discuss it between themselves quite a bit. I mentioned the topic of consent earlier and I'd say the last half of the book discusses what exactly consent is and how it works versus what it's thought to be. As a 25 year old who has had a couple serious relationships I though I knew what consent meant. There is so much more to it then I really ever considered and for that topic alone I'd recommend this book to other women. Since consent is discussed rape is brought up a bit, but's not called out directly. It was more how Cece opposed some of the Christian seminars about how women tempt men by what they wear or "signals" they might accidentally send to give guys the wrong idea. It was another important aspect of the book that is a hot topic in society lately.

Besides all the kicka** feminism and sex talk, they side characters were another amazing part of this book. Genuine friendships are formed between the girls of Cabin 8 and they were all fleshed out, real characters that had their own thoughts and opinions that maybe didn't quite align with strict Christianity. It was nice to see them take what they were taught and make it their own, not in a self-righteous way, but in a teenage girl way.

There obviously is some romance in this book with Cece trying to get her ex back and then fake dating her best friend Paul. It was of course predicatable in the outcome but it didn't make it any less interesting and is in fact one of my favorite troupes. Cece and Paul have a real connection and while they may tease and make fun of each other, at the end of the day they will always be there for each other.

Have a Little Faith in Me will be added to my list of Favorite Books of 2019. If you want a good laugh, a book that takes on some hard topics, or even just a book with a romantic twist to it I highly recommend picking up this one.

This is such a wonderful story, I seriously devoured it in one sitting. It’s all about sex, and healthy consent, and that beautiful, tough, and breathless first love that may or may not last forever.

Part of me felt like I was reading a Judy Blume book, in the best possible way. Highly recommend!!!

When CeCe follows her devoutly Christian ex-boyfriend to his conservative Christian summer camp in an attempt to win him back by pretending to have found Jesus, she instead ends up making some unexpected new friendships, and entering into a complicated fake relationship with her best friend Paul.

While the portrayal of the camp ends up being largely negative, Hartl manages to portray the wide range of teens that are involved in religious groups and show how it can mean radically different things to different people. This is also has an incredibly important portrayal of both negative and positive teenage sexual experiences, and would be a great book to use when discussing consent and sexuality while also being a compelling romance and touching and hilarious summer camp romp.

I would definitely purchase this for my YA collection, and will be recommending it and putting it in displays.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing and eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Have a Little Faith In Me is a book that talks about really important issues, like consent, sexuality, religion, to mention a few, yet is very hard to rate, as it doesn't really deliver.
I went into it expecting a funny but poignant story about a girl who goes to Jesus camp to win over her ex-boyfriend, but ends up falling for someone else, and I got the first part, but not the second. If I were to rate the first ¾ of the book, it would've definitely gotten 4 stars from me. But, unfortunately, the last ¼ was more worthy of 2 stars. This ending made me nearly give this whole book 2 stars, but I didn't think it was fair.

Let's start with things I enjoyed. I liked CeCe at the start of the book. She was a strong main character and fought hard to hide her insecurities. Loud and kind of impetuous, she was a great narrator. He ex-boyfriend, Ethan, dumped her 2 days after they had sex, to get closer to God and reclaim his virginity, yet she was still hell bent on winning him back. She had spirit, she was driven. A bit brash as well. Very enjoyable to read from.
The plot of the book was what I enjoyed the most. A typical romcom with an unusual setting, it was something I didn't think I wanted to read, but ended up appreciating. I do think it would work better in a movie, though. A girl making friends she'd never think she could be friends with, and falling for her best friend. Nothing new or ground breaking, but definitely enjoyable. That's where the praise ends.

This book was trying to teach about what it means to give consent, about sexuality, about how religion deals with sexuality, about slut shaming and victim blaming. I think it gave a good effort, but the ending ruined any kind of message the book had going on. CeCe didn't develop at all. She was getting there, understanding what went wrong with her relationship with Ethan, how what she wanted wasn't a boyfriend, just attention. She admits to being selfish, yet doesn't change.
What made me starting to dislike the book was the incredibly graphic yet clinical sex scene, and the dialogue and build up, or rather the lack of any kind of build up, to it. I would happily glance over CeCe having no obvious reasons to be in love with Paul, other than the attention she was getting from him, but the whole - let's go and have sex because I want to teach other girls about enjoyable sex and I'm also jealous other girls that were ultra Christian had an orgasm before me – when she clearly wasn't ready, and Paul, who was supposed to be the voice of reason, going along with it and saying stuff like (actual quotes) “I'd rather spend the rest of my day and night buried inside you.” And “I don't care what you've got on; you won't be wearing it long anyway.” I mean, I'm no prude, but Jesus Christ, it's just... bad. Very bad.
I also wasn't a fan of the way religion was portrayed in this book. I consider myself an atheist, and I don't agree with a lot of the Christian church teachings, much like CeCe, yet I feel like I have enough respect for people and their beliefs to let them have their camp, teachings, etc. CeCe was an intruder in the camp. Even if she's taught some girls who were clueless about certain things involving sex, she took it too far at the end of the book. She acted like a child throughout the book, and I had hopes she'd learn and develop, but unfortunately she didn't.


The more I talk about this book, the more I realise it deserves 2, not 3 stars, at least from me. It was a good idea, and the execution wasn't half bad for some of it, but most of it was unfortunately a miss. A missed opportunity to convey an important message.

I've been following the author since she announced her deal on Twitter, and I was so pleased to get an early copy from NetGalley. Although I'm not a YA librarian, I love the occasional YA read, and this book did not disappoint. The protagonist, CeCe, is hilarious and real. I came from a school that was heavily evangelical/Christian, so I super-identified with her. CeCe falls for Ethan, a super-Christian, formerly homeschooled boy. After they have sex, he dumps her, and she's totally blindsided. Ethan claims he was tempted and that he needs to reclaim his virginity - so of course, CeCe decides to follow him to Jesus camp to get him back. One problem - CeCe isn't a Christian.

CeCe has to fake her way through camp - but luckily, she's convinced her best friend, Paul, to come with her and help. Paul's deadbeat dad was once a minister, and he'd been to the same camp years ago. She's all set to get Ethan back, but of course, things don't go as she planned.

I loved this book so much - I laughed so hard I almost peed a few times (I've had two babies, don't judge). I couldn't put it down - read it in two sittings. So many important issues of consent and religion, and a girl becoming a woman in the most true way.

<blockquote><i>"How do I look?"
"Like you just had your heart broken."
I rearranged my features. "How about now?"
"Like you're going to make whoever did it pay."</i></blockquote>

*4.8 stars rounded up* When I heard about this book on Twitter I think every blood cell in my body went on high alert for news of arcs. I needed this story in my hands so bad. A feminist, sex positive romantic comedy set at a conservative Christian camp? Sign. Me. Up. As someone who is also Christian (not the exact branch in the story, as I feel like I'm not that extreme about anything? But I do know some are. To each their own *shrugs*) I was prepared to find some of the humor a little offensive. Except I didn't. I might place a sensitivity warning regardless, but Hartl doesn't cross any lines while still showing the toxicity of a conservative religion in a progressive time, as well as remaining respectful and openminded to exploring how religion can both save and destroy someone, sometimes simultaneously.

When I was approved for an advanced copy I sat down and read the entire thing in two sittings. I didn't even notice that this was a debut novel, the character building and natural writing style were so smooth. Paul is just so *flails* and CeeCee is one of my favorite narrators I've read this year. She is so fierce and sassy, yet insecure and wide-eyed. Her impulsiveness landed her chasing after her ex-boyfriend, Ethan, and then it's what made her pretend Paul was her boyfriend. And it was made me fall in love with the whole story. You never know what she's going to do next.

I love how Hartl wrote the side characters, particularly the girls of Cabin 8. Their religion is grounded in how they were raised and how they view the world, yet it doesn't define them wholly or control their personality. I would love a spinoff or bonus epilogue or something where we meet up with them in a year and see what's going on with them. The most important part of Cabin 8 in my opinion, though, is how much CeeCee learned from the girls, and in return how much they learned from her. Religion is simply an element of a person; it doesn't need to a chalk circle drawn around them. It's just something unique about the individual. And with that, each interpretation of the religion is also different for each person, which is something that could have been explored a bit more in the story. Regardless, the way the Christian camp was approached was interesting and thoughtful and realistic, in my opinion.

Another realistic element of the story was the romance. CeeCee is chasing Ethan, who dumped her after they both lost their virginity and he didn't call her back the next day. Her best friend Paul helps her realize why that night ended so differently for the two of them, and how consent is more than just saying "yes" the one time, or even saying "yes" at all. And that it's not just the male who should be dominating the conversation between them. I have always loved books that explore the importance of consent and sexuality--especially for women--and this did not disappoint. The topic is discussed very openly and detailed, in a way that I've never seen anywhere else. And it's mentioned how many in Christian or other conservative religions/homes do not receive any kind of proper sex education other than the basic biological aspects of it. As CeeCee points out in the book, you can't exactly Google this kind of thing. You need to talk to someone about it. But who can you turn to when you abstinence is the only thing taught? Bless books like these for bringing these discussions to light. (Another great option, and one that talks more about sex that isn't just heterosexual, is [book:The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me|36192182].)

This wasn't a full 5 star read for me because I wanted a little more from both Paul and Ethan. I wish we saw more of a redemption arc for Ethan, as I felt he was written solely to be the villain of CeeCee's story, but I feel he played more of a significant role than being the virginity stealer. Paul was such a wonderful character, but I would have loved to go a bit deeper with him., see the side of him that isn't dominated by his pastor father. I also think some of the boys from the male cabin could have more to them instead of one of them being addicted to pornography and the other being in a relationship with another character. I wanted a bit more in general with those characters, and that's really my only complaint. I think CeeCee and the girls of Cabin 8 had fabulous characters arcs, and the overall narrative voice was strong and distinct. I will definitely be rereading this when I want a fast pick-me-up to get a smile on my face and some swoony, consensual romance.

This is truly a debut to be on the lookout for when it shelves September 3rd, 2019. <i>Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an early copy in exchange for an honest review.</i>

OMG this book is awesome. Full stop. Sonia Hartl has crafted a near perfect narrative that examines the patriarchy, sex education, and Christianity and their effects on teenage girls AND boys. Cece's narration was fantastic and had me rolling around laughing. I can't wait to put this into the hands of teenage readers.

YES, THIS BOOK!!! I could not stop reading it. What an important conversation on dating, sex, relationships, friendships, consent, religion, female pleasure!! I so wish I had this book when I was a teen. I will be buying this for my library and getting it into the hands of as many teens as possible!