I will read absolutely anything Jenna Voris writes - she never misses the mark.
Riley Ackerman is a headstrong teenager semi-forced into attending church camp following an incident with a peer. At camp, she sets her mind on completing the seven deadly sins to prove the local pastor (her best friend’s father) is a fraud. In the midst of attempting to overthrow the pastor, she’s trying to navigate her own gay panic and feelings for her best friend, while also navigating the intense hurt she feels for how the church ostracized her older sister.
Jenna does a wonderful job of really immersing you in the story; with great details of the setting, complex characters you love and hate a little, and humor scattered throughout, she’s become an auto-buy author for me. As a former church camp goer, she has accurate descriptions that brought up memories I’d forgotten of my summer at a YL camp while navigating my own gay panic 😂

A huge thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Say a Little Prayer. I can’t wait to reread and recommend to literally everyone I can when it’s released in March!

As someone who grew up in a high demand religion, this book made me feel seen and understood in a way no YA novel about religion ever has, beyond potentially Autoboyography by Christina Lauren.

Centering around a church camp that the main character is forced to attend, Voris portrays high schoolers raised in high-demand religions with grace and love, acknowledging that all of these kids were raised in a church, and as such, are capable of learning how to love and protect that which they don't understand. It's powerful because no character here is evil except the preacher who has made it his mission to terrorize a small town and warp religion in his own image. Even those kids who do believe in God are given the space to do that in their own unique ways. I loved this book. It healed something in me. Beyond all that, as well, it's just a fun time. The characters are fun and dynamic, their interactions with each other feel genuine, and the writing is quick-witted beyond belief.

Voris transports readers into a small, conservative town, but don't worry, there's still plenty of fun to be had. This small church camp is about to experience sinful anarchy.

Pastors like this guy are the reason so many people have religious trauma....but for real though, I felt like I was back in my childhood attending weekly youth group at my local Baptist church. Those weren't good memories either, especially when you're queer or queer-curious. Voris does a great job at depicting the guilt, fear, shame, and confusion that I remember feeling at that age. I remember the backlash a friend of mine faced when he came out as gay to his church peers and this novel reminded me of that time in a lot of ways.

I think some aspects of this book could have been executed better, but overall, I liked this novel and its premise. I thought the chapter titles were fantastic and hilarious. I thought the romance was sweet and appropriate for YA readers.

I loved the characters in this book! They were so cute and I’m a sucker for romantic tropes, and this book had a lot. I really liked this book, and I would definitely read another by this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love the premise and camp stories are generally fun, but this one dragged a bit too much and I found that I kept putting it down. Regardless, I really appreciated the message and think it's a solid YA story.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to receive an eArc in exchange for an honest review

Say A Little Prayer is the representation, visibility, and storyline that is invaluable for so many queer adults and young adults who have grown up in religious environments. Specifically, for those experiencing homophobia within the communities that raised them.

This was a book I was eagerly awaiting and with confidence I can say it didn’t disappoint.

Riley, her family, and friendships offer an array of heartfelt moments, empathy, rage, and self discovery.

When Riley finally has enough and snaps at one of her schoolmates at her religious school she is reeling in trying to figure out how to keep her role in the upcoming school play while also not compromising her own values. Enter the compromise- she attend bible camp over the schools break.

Here is where we see Riley blossom and become a menace, a driving force, and at the end of the day someone who is trying their absolute darndest to stay true to herself and stand up for herself and her family all the while refusing to compromise in the eyes of religious and community expectations.

This is a book that will have you riveted into Rileys plotting, laughing alongside her, and being immersed in what is the lived experience of so many adults and adolescents.

5 gooses

This book delivers everything it promises and more—a righteous takedown of hypocritical religious structures, a swoony sapphic romance, a found family arc, and a voice-y, bitter, burn-the-world-down-to-protect-the-ones-she-loves (and to fight for her values!) protagonist. I almost wish I had more church trauma so I could feel even more catharsis at the finale. Another slam dunk from Voris!

Let me preface by saying I am a former fundamentalist baptist kid myself.
So...man this book....
Every chapter was like a gut punch that shredded me to bits but then sewed the pieces back together by the end.
I loved Riley and her loyalty to her sister and family. She felt real and substantial, along with the other main character Julia. (funny enough I also had a crush on the pastor's daughter growing up haha)
I know this is a YA book but as an adult that is still dealing with the trauma of church congregation judgment, it was so nice to see it through their teenage eyes again and to hear the characters that were affected and how they saw it from the inside, unlike Riley who was now on the outside.
The premise of the book was super cute and I loved seeing Riley's plan unfold at church camp. ( I ALSO had to play capture the flag in the woods during church camp) (( Did we all experience the same traumatic childhood?? haha))
The chapter titles also made me smile and laugh, I loved every single one. This is a book I will definitely want to reread this and own a physical copy.

My only gripe really is the ending didn't feel finished. It felt like it needed like two more chapters to really set in stone all the characters were okay. Even if it was an epilogue with the characters being in college or something. The resolution didn't feel complete with the church itself, but I also know first hand this is the slow progression of trying to make a change in a community, so I liked it but also didn't, if that makes sense.

This was a cute little YA novel that I got through pretty quickly. A nice little palate cleaner haha while still covering some heavier topics (religious trauma, homophobia) I love the chapter titles, they were quite iconic. I don’t normally read YA so I think the fact that this kept my attention and I enjoyed it speaks volumes!

Thank you as always to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC before the publish date. If you’re in the mood for a quirky story about finding yourself through the oppression that some types of faith can express, this is the perfect book.

After a year away from her small town's Baptist church community, Riley, a bi-sexual theatre kid, finds herself forced to participate in the youth group's annual week-long sleep away camp. Now she must face her emotions regarding how the pastor and his congregation treated Riley's sexuality and her families other indiscretions that caused them to leave the church. Riley finds herself determined to turn Pastor Young's teachings on their head by committing all seven of the deadly sins during her time at camp. Will Riley succeed in showing the pastor's followers that he praises hypocrisy and blind faith over truth and acceptance? Or will she destroy her friendships in exposing his lies, especially with her best friend, Julia, who is Pastor Young's daughter?

Say a Little Prayer follows a unique perspective through the eyes of a queer teenager figuring out how she fits in a world designed for a person that she can't be. It was truly interesting to explore really deep and complex topics through Riley's mind. Growing up in the church, I found many aspects of the story very relatable. I enjoyed watching both Riley and Julia discovering their best selves while together even though their ideals and personalities differ.
While I do think it was intentional, I didn't love Riley's mean personality, as it made it difficult to read at some points. Some of the choices she made felt cruel while I think different options with a little more kindness would had held the same weight.
Overall though, I think this was a thoughtful story with a fun, unique flare that was able to shine a light on many topics that should be at the forefront of young adult literature and conversations. I would recommend to anyone looking to dive into a LGBTQ+, coming of age, best friends to lovers story.

I thought this book was so great and it covered some extremely heavy topics with care and a touch of lightheartedness that didn't make it seem disingenuous.

Say A Little Prayer follows Riley, a bisexual teen, who recently left her church after coming out but has remained best friends with the pastor's daughter, Julia. When Riley gets in trouble for fighting at school, her only way to remain in the school play is to spend her Spring Break attending church camp. The lessons at camp for the week are over 7 virtues to combat the 7 deadly sins and Riley decides to fight back against the pastor who has hurt her and her family by trying to commit all 7 sins over the week.

This book managed to make me laugh out loud and evoke a visceral reaction to some of the judgement and religious preaching done by Pastor Young. I honestly felt like Riley was so relatable and her feeling lost and like she was a little crazy for being the only one upset by the pastor's words felt so real to me. The book does touch on heavy topics such as teen pregnancy, abortion, coming out of the closet, religious persecution, but it does so delicately and with care. I also absolutely loved the chapter titles, which I feel like is something missing from most modern books.

The only thing that kept this from being rated higher for me is that I was expecting an LGBT+ teen romance, and I felt like even though a relationship ends up coming from the story, the book was mostly about Riley as an individual and to consider it a romance, the book would need to focus more on the relationship of the couple.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

(4.5⭐️) Say a Little Prayer has exactly the charm and wit you’d expect from a book with a main character whose biggest passion is playing Donkey in her high school’s rendition of Shrek the Musical. It has chapter titles that will make you laugh out loud. It’s so YA in the best possible way and manages to balance its complete silliness with truly sincere emotional beats.

This story follows Riley, the bi fmc, questioning her place within organized religion while she’s forced to attend church camp. It juxtaposes the deadly sins and the heavenly virtues with characters figuring out how to exist in the in between spaces. No matter your religious affiliation or lack thereof, this book is very accessible. I think everyone can relate to the internal and external pressures of reconciling who you are with who you want to be. Jenna Voris does a skillful job at capturing the heart of a good coming of age story. There’s joy, angst, and a healthy dose of teenagers going through an identity crisis.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Hey there! Would you like to relive your religious trauma in the relatively safe space of a sapphic novel? Neat, because that's pretty much what we're doing here.

At times, I felt that Riley, our main character, was a little too flippant and snarky, but as the story progresses, the emotions also gain depth. I will admit that I was often quiet uncomfortable reading this because my IRL experience of Christianity has been so consistently negative. At the same time, I have people in my life who find so much comfort and community in their faith, including people in the alphabet mafia. I was surprised, and somewhat gratified, that this book's basic thesis is that some people use faith as a way to bully and control people, while still acknowledging that there are welcoming and inclusive spaces in which to practice faith. That's a tricky line to walk, and I think this book did a pretty good job of that.

In terms of story and characterization, "Say a Little Prayer" doesn't break the mold, and I was never moved, for example, to the point of tears. I did enjoy this story and the message, and the relationships between the various characters were complex and continued to shift and evolve over the course of the story. Riley in particular starts off fairly flat, but as she grapples with her anger, both her self-awareness and her perceptions of other people evolved. Around chapter three, I was getting worried that the book would be dominated by pithy one-liners and sarcasm, but I'm glad I wasn't deterred, because Riley's attitude is challenged by her community even as she challenge's that community's apathy about their pastor's poor behavior.

At times, I felt that the author could have dug a little deeper and lingered more with certain uncomfortable questions or scenes. On the other hand, I was already getting pretty wound up by moments that tied to my own experiences within the church, and the fact that things stayed relatively light and upbeat made it easier to get through some of the more upsetting and/or frustrating scenes.

Riley's anger rings true to me, and I suspect that there will be readers who find her relationship with her faith and her congregation to be cathartic. The book also serves as a bit of a call to action for people who have faith but recognize when it's being used to harm others. I have a lot of feelings on this topic, so I'll end this here by thanking NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I read it absurdly fast, since I had trouble putting it down once I got into the story.

Say A Little Prayer is a queer YA novel about Riley, who ends up attending church camp over spring break, and her best friend Julia who also happens to be the pastors daughter. At church camp, Riley decides to commit all of the seven deadly sins to prove that they are not as deadly as a pastor makes them out to be. Readers follow Riley as she struggles with her feelings for her best friend while also navigating growing up and feeling like an outcast at church/church camp.

This was a perfect queer coming of age story that sends a powerful message to young queer people who are struggling with their faith. I definitely think that at times this was cheesy at times but that’s expected with YA novels. Honestly, I would have liked to see more romance between our MC and her love interest. I didn’t feel a connection between them and felt that their relationship from friends to lovers wasn’t as fleshed out as it could have been.

Overall, this is a good read for teen readers looking for a fun and lighthearted sapphic read.

I loved this book so much!! As someone raised in a very religious household that has a much different relationship with religion as an adult it really spoke to me. I identified with so many of Riley’s feelings. Funny, cute, and oh so relatable!

My overall feelings about “Say a Little Prayer” are mixed. I think this novel excelled in exploring religious trauma, and that honestly was the larger theme of the novel more than the romance. I was worried that it would end up being a more preachy than I anticipated and that Riley would reconnect with her faith and somehow find a way to coexist as a bisexual woman and a Christian. And she doesn’t really. I worried that Paster Young would somehow be moved by Riley and Julia and re-evaluate his Baptist teachings. But that doesn’t happen. I think that was the most realistic portrayal of dealing with religious trauma as a gay individual. As a lesbian and ex-Catholic, though I tried to find a way to keep up my faith for a few years after coming out, truthfully the two just weren’t meant to coexist for me (unless everyone gets real cool about about a bunch of stuff really quickly). I really think the author excelled in portraying all the nuances of religious trauma and internalized homophobia.

I was glad too that Julia isn’t forced to have a coming out scene at the end. I think, especially in a religious-centered story such as this one, coming out would typically be a major plot point and central conflict, but the end chapter shares that Riley and Julia are keeping their relationship private for Julia’s safety and that once Julia moves out in a year, they’ll be afforded more freedom to live their lives more authentically. As someone who felt pressured to come out when it would’ve been wiser to keep the secret a little longer for my own convenience, I’m really glad the author shared a message of “come out when it’s safe to do so.” There’s a beautiful message about how remaining closeted for a bit longer doesn’t make invalidate your experience as a queer individual.

In terms of all my more negative thoughts…I just don’t think this book broke away enough from traditional contemporary tropes. That’s not entirely the fault of the novel, I just think I am not much of a contemporary reader these days, and certainly not a YA reader anymore. Now that I’m the ripe old age of 25 with a fully developed prefrontal cortex and all that jazz, I couldn’t stand reading about high school drama and found myself glad to be so far separated from that stage of my life. And I also just find contemporary novels to be written a little too cringe at times with their hyperspecific modern references that inevitably age out in a year or two (although the chapter titles were funny, very Percy Jackson inspired). Ithink there were also too many characters for each of them to get proper development. And I was visibly cringing at the “No, I’m Radio Rebel!” inspired scene at the end when Pastor Young is trying to figure out who wrote the homoerotic journal entry. I felt it would’ve been more impactful if it had just been Riley claiming the journal, but I get that it was good to have the other girls in the cabin show their allegiance to Riley too, albeit I wish it had been done a little more tastefully.

I also just didn’t know what the book really wanted to be by the end. The plot of going to camp and writing the essay kind of goes out the window once the camp gets rained out and Julia kisses Riley. Yes, some pieces are wrapped up in little ways, but the big themes that carried 75% of the book, like Hannah’s social repercussions from her abortion and Riley’s relationship with Pleasant Hills Church and commitment to the theater department just didn’t seem to get the closure I was looking for. It’s true that Riley’s ideals change, and the people around her change, but then why did we put so much emphasis on those other factors of the story for SO LONG without them getting a proper send-off?

All in all, “Say a Little Prayer” did some things differently than its contemporary counterparts and tackled some religious and homophobic themes well, but unfortunately I don’t think it made up for my problems with the novel.

I liked this book! It enticed me from the start with the blurb and the plot of it because it just sounded so interesting to me. The characters were well thought out, particularly the main character, she was so well-developed, and written, that it was easy to find myself relating to her. Even though I'm not religious, the church camp setting seemed realistic, and I loved the background characters. The plot was engaging and fast-paced, and the book overall was easy to read in one sitting. Even though it was more of a comedy book, it dealt with some heavier themes at the end which I thought she wrote fabulously. There's one scene in particular that is my favorite and the author wrote it SO WELL, I felt like I was in the room with the characters, watching everything happen. Overall it was a very enjoyable book, and I would recommend it to anyone else who is also enticed by the blurb.

I read Say A Little Prayer expecting a sapphic love story set in church camp, and while I did get that in this book, I also got so much more! This story is an absolute roller coaster of emotions. It involves a fair bit of growth and nuance while speaking about religious trauma and different ways to deconstruct from it. As someone who did not grow up in a church BUT did grow up in Texas, this book was healing to me and I greatly appreciated the grace (ha) that was given to character's who were still deeply entrenched in church culture and following the beliefs they grew up in. The only small part of this book that bothered me was the ending feeling a bit unrealistic, however it was a sweet and hopeful journey. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I have to say that the humorous chapter titles were one of my favorite parts- especially "The epic highs and lows of church camp capture the flag"

Say a Little Prayer by Jenna Voris is an emotional rollercoaster that dives into themes of faith, love, and forgiveness. The story follows a protagonist grappling with a personal crisis of belief while navigating complex relationships and heartache. Voris does an excellent job of portraying real, raw emotions, making the characters feel relatable and grounded. It’s not just a romance; it’s about growth, understanding, and the messy, beautiful process of healing. The pacing can drag in a few parts, but overall, it’s a powerful and heartfelt read.

Honestly when I first read the synopsis I was ready to get my hands on this books
And reading especially the beginning I think took me a second to fully get into because it brought back some of my own religious trauma and issues
I wanted a little more of the romance between between Riley and Julia but the story is also more than just that
I honestly enjoyed this read