This was fun! I liked the "gay the pray away" angle and thoroughly enjoyed the rebellious spirt throughout.

If you grew up fundamentalist, you probably want to stay far away from Say a Little Prayer. While I did grow up Southern Baptist, it was not a fundamentalist upbringing and so I have less baggage than some of my friends.

Main character Riley is a high-school junior, and she is given two options: school suspension and miss out on her big role in the school musical, or attend a church camp over her Spring break. (This coming from a public school principal seems pretty sketchy, but ... I digress.)

Riley has left the church and made some enemies there, too: the former friends of her sister, Hannah. After Hannah had an abortion, she was called out by the pastor in front of the whole church and her friends stopped coming around.

Some of the youth camp activities felt a little too cliche ... but also like things that could happen. As Riley explores her thoughts on the faith she's left behind, she rekindles her friendship with her next-door neighbor, the pastor's daughter Julia. And maybe there's more there.

This YA novel has its ups and downs, but overall it felt like something that could easily happen. I enjoyed Jenna Voris's third novel and might have to check out her earlier ones!

Why Did I Listen To Say A Little Prayer by Jenna Voris?
Say A Little Prayer by Jenna Voris immediately appealed to me. I love YA books that have a camp setting. Also, books about LGBTQ characters! And deconstruction! That is a recipe for a book to rise pretty high up on my TBR list. There’s just something a well-narrated YA contemporary book — especially one I can relate to, as someone who went to church camp as a young adult and also is no longer religious.

What’s The Story Here?
Say A Little Prayer is about Riley who is being punished for shoving a girl by being forced to attend church camp during spring break — so that she can perform in the school play once she’s served her time. Only, the issue is that Riley has given up on church after a bad experiencing involving something her sister went through as well as feeling that the church would judge Riley for her sexuality. Complicating matters is that Riley’s best friend, Julia, her father is the preacher for the church that Riley left. And so, Julia has a vested interested in the church.

And Riley is starting to feel feelings for Julia. But, they’ll never be anything more, because Julia couldn’t like Riley given how religious she is. Riley, chafing against having to go to this camp that is antithetical to everything she stands for, decides to spend the week committing the seven deadly sins instead of engaging in the seven virtues that is the focus of the camp. Riley may just be leading a little camp revolution.

How Did I Like Say A Little Prayer?
Say A Little Prayer by Jenna Voris was EXCELLENT. I mean, I felt like I could really relate to this book. If you are someone who has deconstructed or maybe questioned the religion you grew up with, this is the perfect book to pick up. Riley is not straight, I think from what I remember she is bisexual. And what happens with her sister and the church is the BS you would expect. I loved Riley and how tenacious she is. She is headstrong and I like that she doesn’t cower about certain things. She undergoes so much growth and in turn, inspires that growth in others – particuarly when it comes to questioning. But, I also felt the portrayal of Julia who is still religious adds interesting dimension too – she isn’t very one note. I appreciated the depth that each of the girls in this book had.

How’s The Narration?
The audiobook of Jenna Voris’ Say A Little Prayer is narrated to perfection by Caitlin Kinnunen. I really felt like the narrator nailed the emotions of the different scenes. It was so easy to feel what Riley was feeling because Kinnunen put so much into the audiobook. It is 9 hours and 19 minutes and honestly, was such a superb listen. This was a standout book for me.

A lighthearted but poignant journey for a young woman figuring out who she is while navigating her way through religious intolerance. I liked the creative look at religious trauma and female friendship and love. An important reminder that the human spirit is separate from dogma.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed reading Say A Little Prayer. Riley is a fun main character that I rooted for even when she was kind of being an asshole, and Voris’ characterization through details and dialogue really shines through. I particularly loved the amount of thinking and forgiveness included in this book, because it’s easy to want revenge and to be angry, but it takes more to see people as full, rounded humans (which Riley admits she doesn’t always want to do) and to work to fix things instead of give up on them.

I will likely continue to read Voris’ sapphic books, because I flew through this and laughed several times. Voris has a great character voice. However, I will likely not post about this on Instagram (even though this would be such a fun cover to play with with scrapbook paper) because I don’t like to promote white authors who stay silent on certain important issues, like police brutality and genocide. Of course, no one is obligated to do anything on social media, just as I am not obligated to post about people who are silent.

Say A Little Prayer is out now! Thank you Viking and Netgalley for an advanced ecopy for review consideration. Opinions are my own.

This compelling novel is tailor-made for readers who are drawn to Young Adult fiction that is both poignant and thought-provoking. It will resonate with those who appreciate stories that explore the complexities of queer identity and the challenges of navigating faith and relationships, all while maintaining a sharp wit and rebellious humor. The narrative delves into the emotional landscape of its characters, offering a raw and honest portrayal of their experiences. With its blend of emotional depth, social commentary, and relatable characters, this book is sure to captivate and leave a lasting impression on readers who crave stories that are both entertaining and impactful.

This book was heart wrenching, sweet, and incredibly readable. Riley's anger and frustration over her community's treatment of her sister was understandable and so hard to see. As someone who went to Christian summer camp and who worked at non-Christian summer camp, I have seen the big emotions that teens go through at these programs, especially when the adults who should be caring for them are actually doing the exact opposite.

I loved Riley's character development throughout the book and was so happy to see her gain a community of people who love and respect her for who she is. And to also make amends with people who she had hurt in her rage against the church. It was heartwarming to see all the girls band together in the end, and I thought the book ended about as happy as could be while still being realistic. All in all, this was a cute, fast read that took a heavy topic and gave it hope.

This book was so wonderful. I have to admit I was a bit skeptical at the beginning as it was reading VERY young adult - but as I kept going it got much better. The social/religious commentary about Evangelical churches and shame-based faiths was very well done and as a former Evangelical kid who was raised in a church like Riley's where perfection was very much expected, if not demanded, and being LGBTQ+ or having an abortion was the gravest sin, this book felt like a warm hug. I'm so grateful I got to read and review this and am just so thankful for Jenna Voris's courage to write about what it means to survive as a queer teen in the Midwest who is constantly told the life you're living is a sin. Thank you Jenna!!!

A hilarious and moving look at the perils of church camp as a queer teen. Voris does a great job of showing readers that you can engage in religion in whatever manner makes you comfortable and that sometimes, the organizational aspect is really the issue. The sibling relationships in the book were strong and quite sweet, while the various friendship conflicts felt very real and not contrived to move the plot forward. The main romance did feel a bit lacking, but overall the messaging was solid and it's definitely a first rec for teens who are grappling with queerness and religion.

4.5 stars

loved this book!!! right up my alley, especially with the comp title to “i kissed shara wheeler”!!

queer kids being defiant for existing and by living their lives even under not the best circumstances makes my heart happy. so reading about riley and her subterfuge plot with the seven deadly sins while also falling in love? chef’s kiss

the handling of religion was done with plenty of care here, and i enjoyed the verisimilitude about both camp and protestant christianity.

Say A Little Prayer is far from my story, but it felt so relatable. This is a story queer readers need to add to their TBR!

Say A Little Prayer stood out to me because, although there is a romance element, this is primarily about Riley and her journey.

This book was an emotionally rollercoaster that I wholeheartedly enjoyed.

Loved loved loved ! I could not put it down. And the cover is gorgeous! Thank you netgalley for the chance to read the advanced copy!

This is a quick read about a queer teen's relationship with religion after her pastor makes it clear she and her sister don't fit his narrative. I enjoyed Riley's snarky quips and her mission to commit the seven deadly sins during her week at youth church camp. The side characters are fun and this was a cute story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Viking Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the copy.

4.5 🌟

"People who are this moved by worship music clearly didn't drive four hours to see the Eras Tour last year. Talk about a spiritual experience"

Riley finds herself unwittingly forced into a week long Baptist church camp after hitting a girl for talking shit about her sister. Instead of using the week to repent for her wrong doings, Riley decides to double down and use each of the seven days of camp to devote to enacting one of the seven deadly sins.
This book surprised me with how hilarious it was. The whole book showcases Riley's struggles with faith after her eyes were opened to the prejudices taught at her church. I think this is something a lot of people could relate to. Yes, Riley is flawed, but she was very relatable and human in her choices.

Here's a dialogue between Riley and her dad about her luggage she packed for church camp.
"Whoa, what on earth did you put in here?"
I glower down at the bag. "A spirit ready to receive the lord. It was required."

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

First, I want to say that if you are someone who struggles with healing from religious trauma, this may be a book you'll want to skip. It has the potential to be very triggering to those who are still processing.

I was first introduced to this book via a tiktok video that was posted by the author. A bisexual teen dedicated to commit the seven deadly sins instead of the seven heavenly virtues? Add to it a potential love interest with none other than the pastor's daughter? Sign me up! I absolutely loved the concept of the plot, so I was excited to see it offered on Netgalley.

Like I said at the beginning, there's a lot in the book that could be triggering for people who have not dealt with religious trauma. I went to a Nazarene church in high school, but eventually decided that my reasoning for going was because my friends were there, not necessarily because I believed fully in the message being taught. (Though I will say the church I went to was NOTHING like the Baptist one portrayed in the novel.) I mention all this because, even though I don't have underlying trauma associated with the church, there were parts of the book that were uncomfortable.

I enjoyed the characters of the book. At times, I did find Riley irritating and immature, I still felt like it was an accurate portrayal of being a teenager. Because let's face it... who wasn't irritating and immature when they were 16 or 17?

Overall the book was enjoyable, and I did like the ending. It's not exactly a rush out and grab it type of book. But if you can pencil it into your miles long TBR, it's worth the read.

God knows i love a queer camp story, and this was serving camp at camp. The threat of the father preacher was real, but god bless knowing that sins are just the inverse of virtues

I love Riley and how unapologetic she is. The inciting incident, defending her older sister from bullies after getting an abortion, tells you right away that she fiercely protects the people she loves and doesn't listen to the church calling her sister a sinner. The problem is, what happens when such an independent personality is forced to go to church camp with the pastor's daughter? The romance is very sweet, but also a bit stressful because the pastor is kind of scary and I was worried what would happen if he were to find out.

Julia and Ben (the pastor's kids) are complex characters because they were raised in a very restrictive environment with parents indoctrinating them into the Christian conservative mindset, But they've formed their own opinions about who they want to be and who they want in their lives. I thought it was great this book didn't bash all religion, but it doesn't have any patience for homophobia or other bigoted beliefs that often pop up in Christian circles.

Voris delivers another riveting and complex queer love story full of humor, heart, and small town family feeling, proving herself unafraid of tackling the fraught and underrepresented perspective of gays who pray. By developing a broad range of Christian characters of different sexualities and faith interpretations, Voris invites the reader to consider the intersection between faith, community, and identity, allowing room for characters (and readers) to love, reject, or embrace mixed feelings about church without a sense of judgment. As a queer Christian, I know I'm biased, but seeing books like this one hit the market makes my heart sing. Love is messy; church is messy, and Voris captures the reality perfectly.

Thank you Jenna Voris and Viking Books for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. This was a book I deeply needed in high school/middle school. I grew up raised catholic and left the church in college. I always grew up questioning like Riley and I felt connected to her in that way. It was such a tasteful way of addressing hypocrisy in the faith without bashing the faith all together. So many moments in this book made me tear up, and I know that so many LGBTQ+ youth will benefit from this book. I want to give the author a huge hug for acknowledging and putting to life this character that I connect with deeply. My only critic is I would’ve liked more descriptors of the characters, AND also I understand this may have been the point of not giving a lot of descriptors (don’t just a person by their appearance). The ending was predictable but satisfying, and I felt like it was wrapped in a beautiful bow. So much praise for this YA masterpiece!

With a cute, brightly colored cover, one may think "Say a Little Prayer" is going to be just a quick, easy read. However, it was a pretty intense read, but with a lighthearted tone.

I loved the note by the author that set the tone, that characters were on different journeys with their faith, and they still are at the end. The novel seeks to share different viewpoints and experiences, and doesn't set out to make anyone feel a certain way as right or wrong.

The premise was a bit odd, with a school principal sending a student to a church retreat for spring break, and using it as an opportunity to avoid punishment. It doesn't really set the best tone, in my opinion.

However, I loved the goal of our main character setting out to implore themselves in the seven deadly sins. It was interesting to read how she interpreted things and was set out to show that they are not bad in moderation, avoiding the extremist mindsets.