I enjoyed this book so much! What a great debut.

The story was so sweet, and felt accurate to a teenager love story. Coley’s discovery of her sexual preference throughout this novel was so beautiful. And the way she navigated her grief felt realistic.

This book was engaging, and thought provoking. A beautiful story of first love.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

i loved this!!! & i desperately needed this book when i was a young teen!!!! it felt super nostalgic for the whole time with the 2000s vibes!! i can’t wait to put this one on my shelf

Yeaaahhhh, the novelization of her life changing & showstopping music video (which was my sapphic heartstopper btw), was a… decision ❤️ & not a good one…I love Hayley but this was….. something…… this very much felt like a novel that was written in peak 2014 John Green, Arctic Monkeys, Lana Del Rey, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Skins UK Tumblr era, but released today. It read way to much like the edgy “not like other girls” trope (even verbatim says so on the first page) & continues into a story with silly plot choices, insufferable characters, & generally a not great execution of anything… happening. I got 30% in & decided to… give up, close my kindle, play the girls like girls music video instead, and cry 🫶

Hayley Kiyoko's debut book is adorable and concise and a perfect example of what a YA LGBTQ romance novel can be. You can tell that Kiyoko had a thesis with points she wanted to make and she hit all of them without dragging the reader in unnecessary directions. It is a bit prescriptive and borders on a how-to or self-help book in some places but it doesn't detract from the book being a fictional story.

The juxtaposition between Sonya and Coley is obvious and clearly shows the audience the differences in handling their sexuality as teenagers. For teens who would most likely be reading this book, it shows them the light at the end of the tunnel without being sanctimonious about it or insisting that it will get better when it might not for a while.

Sonya and Coley's friends are tropes of members of friend groups but Kiyoko clearly means well by writing them that way.

There are a few loose threads by the end which are common with debut authors and books where there's no clear way to wrap up conflicts with everyone without making them too neat anyway.

Four and a half stars for being light-hearted but full of intention.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was great. The story was relatable and I enjoyed it. It was hard to think that a singer wrote this but it worked. 9/10

*I did not realize this book was based on a song and music video so please take my review with a grain of salt.

It is the summer before her senior year of high school and 17 year old Coley has just moved to rural Oregon to live with her father after her mother's passing. She feels utterly alone and has no desire to be in this new town. Then one day she runs into Sonya and her gang of friends. Sonya immediately befriends Coley, and before Coley realizes what has happened weeks have gone by and Sonya and Coley have spent days and days together. But then their friendship turns into a confusing attraction, one that Sonya is not ready to face, leaving Coley feeling alone all over again.

For starters I will say, for a debut novel I enjoyed the format of this book. The story was narrated by Coley, however Sonya sprinkles her opinions throughout the book in the form of online journal entries, both public and private.

The girls are written in a way that makes sense given the fact that they are adolescent girls, dealing with issues such as depression, grief, peer pressure, expectations and being confused about their sexualities. They were both a little all over the place throughout the book, but again that was understanable.

The book did not flow well for me. I feel that the beginning jumped right into things with barely any backstory, which was a little confusing at first to me. The middle of the book dragged on, and then I felt that the book ended extremely abruptly.

I feel that Coley experienced growth throughout the book, both in the relationship with herself and those around her. However, I feel that all that we got from Sonya was an epiphany, but no actual work or growth.

Others may love this book, I just do not think that it was for me.

Trigger warnings: grief/loss of a parent, homophobia/biphobia
I would like to thank netgalley for the opportunity to read this book
Y'all at this point I basically just wanna read sapphic books. I've never really listened to Hayley Kiyoko, but knowing she wrote a book based on one of her songs is just so COOL. and this book was so cute.
A sapphic book with a happy ending? Count me all the way in.
Thanks for netgalley and Hayley Kiyoko for this book.

It pains me to leave this review. I absolutely LOVE Hayley. She's an amazing performer, sweet person, and similar in age to me. I was so excited when she announced this novel because I loved the Girls like GIrls video! But this fell horrendously flat for me.

My first main issue is the time period this is set in. I absolutely love that it was set in 2006 with all the aim away messages and live journal posts. It was very millennial. My issue is that a lot of the language used in this is more relevant to now. We spoke a little differently back then, which. Hayley knows considering she's 31 and was there. But maybe that's a nitpicky thing idk. Anyway... it was kinda nostalgic so that was nice.

My second, largest, issue is with Sonya and Coley. I never liked either of them. I don't think they were good for one another either, so I never rooted for them to be together. It got to the point that I was actively rooting against them... which when that happens I just can't rate a book more than 3 stars. I didn't want them to end up together. Sonya cared more about her other friends than Coley. She was so defensive of them... just like ... the fact this is YA really showed through there I guess. It was just a really toxic relationship in my opinion. Most of the characters here were pretty unlikable actually :/

The best part of this book? Curtis, Coley's dad. He tried SO hard and he really loved his daughter. I don't think there are enough YA novels that show great Father/Daughter relationships. Set against the background of Coley losing her mother... it was just really sweet and wholesome.

Also, Hayley's writing style definitely leaned more towards telling than showing. Never something I really enjoy and it got furstrating at points for me. I do think with practice, she could improve, and I'll try another novel from her if she ever writes another! I just didn't love THIS book. I still love Hayley though :)

I received an arc from St. Martin’s Press & Wednesday Books and this is my honest review.

First I would like to thank St. Martin's Press for sending me an ARC of this book!

I can still recall first meeting the characters Sonya and Coley. I was in middle school, attending a strict Christian school where being anything aside from straight was a “sin”. I sat in the room of my then-friend as we perused youtube for music videos. We clicked on the “Girls Like Girls” video unsure of what lay beyond the thumbnail. In a tight five minutes, my life changed. I had always known I felt different from my peers regarding crushes, but I never had the language. I didn’t know I could be gay. The music video is one of endless charm, however the same cannot be said of the book. Sonya and Coley go from being beloved characters to self-absorbed nightmares. From the instant, we are introduced to these characters they are unpleasant and obnoxious. The attempt at any sympathy (the dead mom plot point or the struggle with internalized homophobia) is lost when the character’s behavior rivals only that of the daughter from The Whale. Reading this book was like a car wreck, I just couldn’t look away. These characters who were once so dear to my heart had become unrecognizable brats and that broke me.

It's going to take me a bit to recover from this book!

Was it a 5star romance or perfect relationship? No. Is it a literary work of genius? No. Was it a queer coming-of-age-in-a-small-town story, rife with daddy/abandonment issues and teenage angst that read as if it was my own livejournal entries? Absolutely, yes. And I loved it.

If you've seen the GLG music video, this story was the lead up to that ending. I, however, had not seen the music video prior to reading this, and I skimmed the synopsis so I really went into this rather blind. It was immediately heavier than expected, and the story definitely read as if you're in the head of a 17 year old, but the emotions of the characters felt so tangible, and the story was just so damn relatable. The once-fatherless, now awkwardly not scenario is one I'm familiar with, and that relationship growth was honestly a large part of what I loved about this story.

I sometimes feel a bit too old for YA books, but this one gutted me in the best way.

Coley and Sonya become friends after Coley moves to town with her father, who she hasn’t seen in years, after her mom committed suicide. Set in 2006 and using AIM to talk online, Coley and Sonya’s friendship grow from typical girlfriends to more than friends.

Fun fact: this book is based on Girls Like Girls music video by Hayle Kioko herself!

This book did a good job in addressing the complex problems that teenagers may face and telling the story accurately, in my opinion, from the point of view from a teenager in 2006. Plus I absolutely loved how with each journal entry, there were songs from the early 2000s and described the mood of the character and get the vibe that the author was setting for that particular post.

I love how the characters learn to accept themselves and learn that they are enough and deserve to love and be loved by others.

I recommend this book if you are looking for a queer YA book with a beautiful love story that includes complex and difficult moments.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I could not finish this book. I was so excited, I love the song this was based on and I will admit that I had never seen the music video, I had heard great things so my expectations were through the roof. This should've been perfect, but sadly it was anything but. It read like a poorly written Wattpad fanfiction, It starts out by telling us that her mom died and her dad is neglective and made her move to a new place where she has no friends, then she bikes to the store and gets hit by a car, and whos in the car? a really pretty girl. I got a little farther than that but that was about the point where I just couldn't keep reading. However I was curious now so I went and watched the video and I will say it made a bit more sense, I think if you grew up on this video like many other people did you will enjoy the book a lot more than I did, however for me it was sadly a disappointment.

THANK YOU LESBIAN JESUS

I put down Girls Like Girls maybe 10 minutes ago now and I did not expect to feel that much emotion. The story was graceful despite its small faults. The writing isn't perfect–I didn't think it would be, but it knows how to pack a punch as readers are given a more evolved background into the story of Coley and Sonya, one the music video didn't show. Hayley Kiyoko creates realistic unreliable characters filled with angst and confusion.

It's important to note how Girls Like Girls explores events and actions that may be triggering to some readers including mentions of death by suicide, grief, loss of a parent, homophobia, internalized homophobia and underage use of drinking/drugs.

While Girls Like Girls IS a romance at heart, it is also so much more. It's about acceptance and being brave enough to step out of the closet to embrace your true self. It's about honesty and being able to heal from grief and heartbreak through every emotion fighting its way to the surface. It's messy and chaotic and frustrating and painful and hopeful and beautiful all at the same time.

I'm just going to say it: Trenton can go fuck himself. I think he was written too unlikeable, making it very hard to believe anyone, Sonya especially, would put up with his shit. But then again they are teenagers and maybe in my ~old age~ I just can't relate anymore. That said, I appreciated Alex and SJ as side characters (Brooke was also annoying). I was really satisfied with Coley's growth in relation to herself and her relationship with her father Curtis, a sore point throughout the book.

In regards to Coley and Sonya, their friends-to-lovers evolution was fairly insta-lovey, a trope I'm not personally fond of. I wish we could've been shown more of their relationship as the author tended to tell us about most of it. Overall Girls Like Girls is a quick read filled with important heavy moments and a sapphic love that deserved to have a more extended ending. The writing and plot although simple are effective in telling the story and worthy of your time.

Girls Like Girls is the heat of summer and of first love. The feeling of trying to fill those endless weeks between the end and start of school years. Of aching loneliness and new connections. Of wanting something you can't have and don't feel you deserve anyways.

Girls Like Girls beautifully captures the drama of teenage love and exploring your sexuality. But while the music video it's based on is iconic for its queer representation at the time it was released, this book doesn't bring much to the queer YA genre. It's a classic sort of queer-awakening coming-of-age story that has been told many times by now. Although I did like the setting and how LiveJournal was used to give us insight into Sonya's thoughts and feelings. And Coley was an engaging main character who slowly learns her own strength and power.

I enjoyed reading this book, but it was at times predictable, especially since it followed quite closely to the music video.The ending also felt a bit rushed, with major character developments happening in the last 25 pages or so. But overall, this book was an emotional read perfect for the summer.

Girls Like Girls was a very sweet and cute YA romance. The writing and plot was pretty simple but effective enough to tell the story. Characters were relatable and easy to connect with, you really root for them to succeed. It was a cute romance for young girls to be able to see themselves in, the representation in the book is super important. I also appreciated the adaptation from the music video which I have always loved. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend for people looking for a simple YA lesbian romance.

I have been waiting for this book!! I am so excited!! It was a great read by singer, Hayley Kiyoko. I loved the representation and the coming of age piece. I would definitely recommend!

The book captures many of the feelings and experiences of being a teenager. The angst and confusion took me right back to my own teen years. I think many other queer people can relate to the experiences of these characters, and I think that is great for the audience.
I was satisfied with the growth of Coley and the ending of the novel. I wish the ending was not quite so rushed and there was a bit more resolution, but I would still recommend this to many young adults.

Before I get into just how much I loved this book, a little personal story is in order.
I first discovered the Girls Like Girls song and music video when I was 15, and up till that point I hadn’t realized that holy shit, I like women. Until I watched that video, of course. It literally broke walls down in my mind and I suddenly found myself in that terrifying state of being known as ~questioning~, the same state that Sonya finds herself in in this book. That song, and the beautiful video that accompanied it was a life line for me, the same way it was for millions of other sapphics. To this day I still get teary eyed when I listen to it. It reminds me of that young wide eyed kid who couldn’t stop watching, listening and internally freaking out because everything was changing. It reminds me of that feeling of wonder seeing two girls kiss so passionately for the first time, and thinking that I wanted that.

Anyways, that’s my emotional backstory to why this book was so important to me when I read it. It expands upon the story we already know and love from the music video: two girls, falling in love, who must overcome much to be together. There’s all the iconic scenes from the video that make it into the book, the lipgloss scene, the changing scene, the moment where Coley is watching Sonya dance, the beautiful moment that that guy (Trenton in the book) got his shit rocked. But it expands so much more, and really hones in on the internal feelings that arise when one discovers they’re queer. It touches on mental health, healing broken families, that feeling of not being wanted by anyone and then finding your people, finding your place in the world.
Coley is our hurting but strong main character. Her mother has committed suicide and she finds herself stuck in a small town with a dad she never knew. She hates it, but that’s when she meets Sonya.
Sonya is beautiful, wild and interesting, and Coley is smitten. The two begin a careful flirtation that might be read as friendship…or is it more?
1000% it’s more. Obviously. Sonya comes from a broken family as well, with an overbearing mother who really doesn’t seem to care about her at all. Appearances to the public are everything, so Sonya must always be perfect. That of course means that being a lesbian is out of the question. Sonya makes bad choices, and but I found myself sympathizing with her struggles to accept herself. We’ve all been there, especially if you have a family like hers.
I saw someone else say something similar in regards to the book that I wanted to echo, and that's that ultimately Girls Like Girls is a romance, but it’s also: about accepting and embracing yourself and your sexuality, it’s about being brave enough to face the world and say fuck it all, this is who I am, so take it or leave it.
The main subplot is Coley and her relationship with her dad Curtis. It was so well written, how they went from total strangers, to building those first few blocks in a healthy parent/child relationship. I found myself tearing up multiple times, especially towards the end.

Overall I couldn’t have loved this book more and it’s definitely going to be one of my all time favourites! 5/5 stars

This was a four star reading experience for the most part but I did NOT like the ending, so I'm docking the half star. It's pacing was off and the ending felt so abrupt that I had to turn the page back to be like 'wait, that's it?!' Otherwise, this is an angsty teen coming of age, self-acceptance, falling in queer love story. It also deals with some series topics like loss of a parent, mentions of suicide, drug use, mental health, etc.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday for the ARC! I give it a 3.5 star rating.

I was so stoked to read this book and even more over the moon when I got the ARC. Unfortunately this book didn't live up to my expectations to say the least. I think most people my age can agree that the Girls like Girls music video was singlehandedly responsible for their sexual awakening. Sadly the relationship in the book between Sonya and Coley just fell flat. The characters themselves were not defined well enough and the tone was all over the place. For a story about falling in love with a girl and figuring out what that means, I have to be really sold on the relationship and I just wasn't. I think that the setting and time period of 2006 were underutilized. The AIM messages did not add anything special to the plot (if there even was one). It just felt like a scene that tried to get expanded into a full length novel with added dimensions just for the sake of page time.