POV: It's 2016, you're on the tumblr account that you're DEFINITELY not supposed to have and wayyyyy to young for. Your dashboard is full of black and white pictures of Alex Turner, Troye Sivan's Blue Neighborhood just got released, the 2014 grunge movement is fading and the art hoe aesthetic is moving in. People are making gifsets of the Girls Like Girls music video from Hayley Kiyoko.

When I saw that Hayley Kiyoko wrote a book based off of that music video, I knew that I had to read it, so I requested it off Netgalley and honestly didn't think I'd get approved.

This is a good book, but that's it. It touched on serious topics such as suicide, drug, and homophobia, both external and internal. It's told from the perspective of Coley (Stefanie Scott's character!) and set in 2006. The time period it's set in doesn't make the book feel alienating at all because Kiyoko does a good job making the book feel like it could be set at any time.

I just think that the pacing of this book is weird. The events just happen one after the other and everything moved very fast, especially in the last few chapters. The resolution is very rushed, and I would've liked if there were ~five more chapters to wrap everything up. Some of the side characters are flat and one-dimensional, very obviously there to further the development of Sonya and Coley. Sonya was just plain annoying.

13 year old me listened to this song on repeat every day :)) It’s a cute read, but it’s an important read at the same time. The subjects are all very important.

This was a dear, sweet book. I was 19 or 20 or so when Hayley Kiyoko released the music video that changed mainstream music for the queerer, too old for it to have affected my high school experience with my peers the way I know it did for younger girls and queer kids in general. That isn't to say it didn't affect me profoundly, because it did. I can say the same for this book - I am (eight years after the inspirational music video released) too old to be this book's target demographic, but that doesn't change how moving I found it. This book won't shock you, per se, but while you may know the plot and even the ending going in (hence the knock from 5 stars down to 4) the ride is still an enjoyable one. The writing is unflinching and aching and I cannot wait for the people who are this book's target demographic - those who need it most - to have this in their hands.

Let me tell you, there is no more effective way of getting a song stuck in your head than reading a book about said song. Seriously, it played in my head the entire time I read the book and I think I won't be the only one! And boy, does this book embody the music video well. The vibe is 100% there, the pining, the romantic tension, the story- I think most fans of the book will be very satisfied with the way this book converted the music video onto the written page.

The story of Girls Like Girls is written from the perspective of 17-year-old Coley, who has just moved to rural Oregon after the passing of her mother. Now, she's living with her father, who has been absent for almost all of Coley's life. Then she meets a girl in town, Sonya, who totally takes her breath away, and from there... well, you probably know more or less what that's about, so I won't bother. But the subplot of Coley's developing relationship with her father, coping with the death of her mom, and the two of them navigating their new life together was a pleasant surprise and, in my opinion, VERY well done. It was one of my favorite parts of the whole book. Absolutely loved it.

Honestly, I was a bit surprised by the quality of the writing, given that Kiyoko is not a career novelist, and there are lots of quotes that pack a punch. It's not perfect, but it is a very admirable debut. And if you're hoping for that crazy chemistry between Sonya and Coley in the music video...you'll be happy to know that this book delivers some of the most tangible chemistry I've ever read in a YA romance. Seriously, I'm actually kind of amazed.

It's hard to explain why I only rated the book 3 stars without getting spoilery, so I'll just say this: I had some issues with the way some characters were written, the story overall wasn't too original, and the ending felt very abrupt. But if you're dying to read the book, please don't let this deter you! You will likely really enjoy it and might rate it more highly than me. Despite my average rating, I enjoyed reading the book, and would happily read more books written by Kiyoko if she ever writes them.

In short (though actually not that short): if you're a longtime fan of the song/music video, you will probably really enjoy this book! To be quite honest, I think a part of what will be so enchanting about this book to many people is its connection to the song. So if you're not familiar with the music video already, I can't guarantee you will love this. Distancing this book from completely from the music video, the book is fairly standard, average YA romance that doesn't deliver much that hasn't already been done. But also, I'm not your mom, so if you don't know the music video but feel compelled to read the book, do it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Just a disclaimer, it might not be quite the same experience for you.

Book CWs: suicide (discussed throughout the whole novel), depression, excessive use of alcohol, use of weed, homophobia (both internalized and from external sources, use of dyke as a slur)

I'm not going to lie, this is about what I expected from the book, so I'm glad I wasn't disappointed. The concept of trying to expand the world of a music video was an interesting one, and while I don't think it was necessarily executed as well as it could've been, it was fun to see the details that we were missing from the Girls Like Girls music video. While it was easy to be pulled along with the story, things definitely could have been better developed, both when it came to the characters and story itself. A lot of the scenes felt like sapphic ~vibe~ imagines/romance scenes, but because they happened often there wasn't really space for real development for anything else. Most celebrity "written" novels tend to be like this, so I wasn't super surprised, but that's why it has the rating it does. I wasn't expecting the novel to take place in 2006 either, which makes me wonder if teens are actually going to be interested in it's setting. While it was a fun throwback for me, I'm not so sure it's far enough back to count as "historical" fiction, so much as just... old lol.

Girls Like Girls is a fast read that covers some heavier topics but still manages to maintain a lighter mood. It's nothing special, but I'm sure that there are queer teens who will love it.

Curtis was the only good thing about this. If we had more father/daughter bonding and less toxic relationships, I might've actually enjoyed this. Because the father/daughter moments were AMAZING. They were sweet and felt like the realistic rebuilding of a relationship.

The romantic aspects were the opposite. Talk about toxic relationships. Granted, I don't think I'm the audience for this. I was barely alive when the Girls Like Girls MV came out. This cultural phenomenon means nothing to me. Similarly, the number of kids smoking just threw me off. That's not something I value in any of my friendships, and it just felt wrong for me.

So, from the beginning, I had issues with the atmosphere of this one. If this was my sole issue, it would've been fine. The larger nail in the coffin were the characters themselves. I hated Sonya and Coley together. Coley by herself wasn't too bad, but with Sonya, she became a collage of her worst traits. By the end, I wasn't rooting for them together. I wanted Coley to find someone who valued her and was truly right for her. That's not what happened.

I'm sad that I didn't like this one, because honestly, I had been looking forward to it. Girls Like Girls might hit better with other people, but for me, the generation gap was a bit too large.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Hayley Kiyoko writing a new novel about her song was on the top of my list to pick up.


Girls Like Girls is a story that centers around growing up and finding yourself while falling in love. I didn't want the story to end and wished I could have had more story about the girls together.

Let it be known that I am a huge Hayley Kiyoko fan so I'm obviously a bit biased when it comes to this review. It was so fun to find little easter eggs like Cliff's Edge Drive and lesbian Jesus. The book starts very quickly, dropping you into the middle of a lot of angst and action, but slowly you find your footing in the story. I loved seeing Coley become more vulnerable both with her father and Sonya, but also with herself. Relationships - and especially queer relationships - can be so fast and intense and scary, and there's a confrontation between Coley and Sonya that does a beautiful job of capturing it. While this is a romance, the end wrapped up a bit fast for my taste; I loved seeing Coley stand up for herself and wish we'd gotten to see Sonya grow a little more before they ended up together.

The Girls Like Girls music video is one of those things that genuinely altered my brain chemistry when it came out. So when I found out Hayley Kiyoko was writing it as a novel, I lost my mind.

Girls Like Girls is a story about growing up, finding yourself, and falling in love. It’s a book that will break your heart and mend it all at the same time.

Personally, my favorite part of the book was the way that the book was formatted. It’s mainly Coley’s pov, but every so often we get Sonya’s Livejournal entries (both private and public) that give us her perspective without fully doing a dual pov structure.

The biggest issue for me was that the ending felt rushed. I would’ve liked to see a bit more from the two girls after the final scene.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'd like to start with the fact that this is an entirely biased review. The <i>Girls Like Girls</i> music video quite literally changed the trajectory of my life, as did Hayley Kiyoko. I got this e-ARC on Valentine’s Day and I think I just sat and stared in awe. So, thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this.

That being said, this book is quite amazing. I am a sucker for characters that I fall in love with, and this book had plenty of it. Coley, our main character felt so real, and honestly, so did a lot of the other characters in this book. The setting was perfect for the story and encapsulated the music video in a way I wasn't prepared for.

The only real issue I see with this book is the ending. It was abrupt and sudden, but all said and done, that's exactly how the music video ended, so I'm 100% not complaining about it.

I'd say the music video changed lives-- and more than that, this book has the potential to further the point that the song made. Girls like girls like boys do. Nothing new.

I was so impressed by this debut novel! As a fan of Hayley Kiyoko’s music I was thrilled to even be reading this but I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. I’m not a huge fan of angst, but going into this having seen the music video I knew it would be coming. While I still would have appreciated some lighter, sweeter moments, I was overall very intrigued by the story. I did think the ending was a bit rushed, but it did feel so much like the music video it was almost like I could see it happening.

3.5/5 stars

I think this was pretty solid for Kiyoko's debut! As a fan of the song and of Kiyoko in all aspects, I was so excited to get this e-ARC, so thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy!

I felt some things were rushed (notably the ending), and some of the interactions between characters felt stunted and disjointed and unnatural. However, I think the book captures the truth and agony of homophobia, internalized homophobia, suicide, and parental death fairly well. I like how simple yet descriptive the writing style was, and how much attention to Coley's mental stream there was. It made me feel like I was seeing everything and feeling everything she did, establishing a strong connection.

I def recommend everyone should read this at least once.

Live journals, choker necklaces and boomboxes. I'm feeling the nostalgia.

This book instantly time warped me back to the early 2000s and I felt like I was back in high school struggling right along Coley.

While I found myself relating so much to Coley and her journey and struggle I couldn’t help but dislike Sonya. Her heart was in the right place at some points but at other spots in the story I felt she just was too harsh in her reactions and responses and sticking around and tolerating Trenton was a hard ick for me.

Overall I wished this book had been around when I was in highschool because it was raw and vulnerable and emotional.


Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this arc

This is everything I wanted and more. It was exactly like the song. A quick friendship that turns to more, and 1 is afraid to fall and come out. She questions and is scared and eventually is strong enough and hurt enough to be her true self.

This was funny, cute, hit you right in the feels and has a happy ending. I’m really happy Hayley came out with this. Beautiful story

so cute and i like the mid 2000s setting, it's very charming for them to not have smartphones. and the characters felt real

As someone who was an avid listener of the Girls Like Girls music video, this was perfect! I sped through it in a day because I could not put it down!

Considering that this is Kiyoko's debut novel, and she does not have a background in novel writing, the style was impressive. Parts of it were redundant, but I think it added to the reader's experience of what it is like to be inside the mind of someone questioning.

On that note, it was the perfect 'prequel' (to be clear, that is what this is) to the events of the music video. It elaborated on the story we only received pieces of and the end result was compelling. It was not the storyline I was expecting going into this but, after reading it, I do not think any other story timeframe would have had the same effect.

Overall, the book made me feel understood in both Coley's confusion and Sonya's denial. It is a fast and easy read, but that does not make it any less important. After growing up with the music video and now seeing this story come full circle so many years later, I can say that reading this was healing.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday books for the eGalley of this book, in exchange for my honest thoughts!
___
I was so intrigued to read this once I found out the premise was based on Hayley's music video for the song of the same title. What a cool concept to expand art from one format to another!

This is a light fun read. It reads for a younger YA audience, and I think it would be perfect for younger queer teens who are finding themselves and coming into their own. The storyline was easy to follow and it had a very sweet ending; however, I at times felt it was lacking some emotional depth in some of the characters. They're dealing with somewhat heavier topics: identity and what it means to love. At times, it felt a little light or glossed over. Some conversational prose felt clunky or forced. I think those are the moments that pulled me out of the story, like, is this really how teens talk? I think with a bit of polishing, it could stand to be a stronger novel overall.

With that said, I'm excited to see if Hayley decides to keep writing more novels. Her instincts for storytelling are great and I'm pleased to see an icon in the queer world on my bookshelf.

Thank you so much to Rivka Holler of St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books, and NetGalley!

🎶Saw your face, heard your name/Gotta get with you🎶

I wasn't perpetually online when Girls Like Girls came out. But I watched the music video, and remember being in awe that Hayley Kiyoko, a former Disney star, did *that*. I remember when I had more time, endlessly watching the video over and over again , unable to pull my eyes from it. I was about nineteen, and already knew I was somewhere on the girl-liking spectrum. The Supreme Court of the United States was in the process of releasing their decision on same-gender marriage when the song came out two days before, and the music video followed in August. It's sort of a question, in my internet circles-- where were you when Girls Like Girls came out? Had you known? Did you expect it to be that gay? How did it hit you?

As soon as I heard there was a book coming out, it went on my to-read list. I knew that book, no matter what, could not hold up to those golden queer memories of the song-- how could it, when Girls Like Girls was such a monumental change? Proudly gay on the radio, with or without music video, or any statement from the singer to explain the queercoding. It was the All The Things She said for those just young enough to have missed the controversy.

Hayley Kiyoko knew the nostalgia she was tapping. Rather than replicate it completely, she went in a different direction: setting her book in 2006. Livejournal, rather than tumblr or other microblogging websites, is the primary source of journaling here, to capture the feeling of the half-lonesomeness and fear. While i knew I was judging Sonya harshly for some of her actions and her behaviors--- it was 2006. Sonya in 2006 would not have the same confidence or hope as Sonya might have even nine years later. Sonya's private entries capture her feelings, confusion, anger, desperation, and are, of course, perfectly matched to the song. It makes Sonya feel all the more real, how much more pain vibrated off the page. It would definitely be an excellent playlist!

Some tropes are unavoidable, particularly in a first book. Coley is the uniquely-named newcomer to the town, with her acquaintances unsure of even what it stands for. She's bold, bright, and insightful in a way that feels pulled directly from the movies of the time. But don't we deserve that too?
Moreover, while there's a bit of Not Like Other Girls directly addressed-- Coley says she's different solely because her mom is dead, and disagrees with the trope itself, Coley is still Special, able to cut through the bullshit and social excuses and patternings that Sonya and her friends have. Still, then again, she's a teen lesbian who is comfortable liking girls in 2006-- in essence, she can't be like most girls.

Trenton of course, is an asshole, and stays worse. I feel that the book becomes a bit too messy? around three-quarters of the way through, in the same way it ended things. It could have been a cut sideplot, but at the same time I wonder-- there's references to some other songs sprinkled in-- was this one too? Whenever I considered doubts for the story, all I had to do was rewatch the music video, and consider Stefanie Scott's cool, level gaze.

In case you're wondering, yes: the boyfriend's an asshole and he's worse. Yes, there's the scene and it matches perfectly. yes, the nostalgia is incredible.

This kind of missed the mark for me.

The story is definitely closer to a coming-of-age contemporary with a romantic side plot and should absolutely be marketed as such to set expectations from the get-go.

One of the big issues with first-person writing is that every awkward sentence becomes so much more tangible and noticeable. A lot of my issues, mainly Coley's voice, would have been a lot better if the writing wasn't in first person and the story was being told through an up-close third person voice. Raw, vulnerable moments were ruined by messy writing, awkward prose & sentiment that felt poorly communicated due to the POV.

It has the potential of a really great story and I know it will definitely speak to some younger queer audiences in a great way, but with some polishing I think it could be great.

I wanted to like this more than I did. It’s definitely more coming of age than romance but I kinda liked that. Much heavier than I was expecting. It’s messy and relatable but the ending was way to abrupt and rushed for me.

Thank you Wednesday book for sending me a digital arc of girls like girls!