Say a Little Prayer by @jennavoris (releases March 4, 2025)

Rating: 4.5 stars rounded up

Review: I absolutely loved this book. I loved the interactions between Riley and Julia, I absolutely loved Ben. This was such a great read last week when the world felt like it was falling apart. To be able to spend time with Riley as she was figuring out when and how to create space for herself in the world without sacrificing who she is or feeling like she’s betraying the people she loves (both her sister and her best friend) was such a cozy space for me to exist for a while. I absolutely loved Every Time You Hear that Song by Jenna earlier this year and I was so excited for this book and it did not let me down. I loved that, as a girl whose only real experience with religion has been how unwelcome I’ve been made to feel by its members (looking at you, grandma), I saw so much of myself in Riley. You will not regret picking this one up. Absolutely loved it

Synopsis: Riley quietly left church a year ago when she realized there was no place for a bi girl in her congregation. But it wasn’t until the pastor shunned her older sister for getting an abortion that she really wanted to burn it all down.

It’s just her luck, then, that she’s sent to the principal’s office for slapping a girl talking smack about her sister—and in order to avoid suspension, she has to spend spring break at church camp. The only saving grace is that she’ll be there with her best friend, Julia. Even if Julia’s dad is the pastor. And he’s in charge of camp. But Riley won’t let a technicality like “repenting” get in the way of her true mission. Instead of spending the week embracing the seven heavenly virtues, she decides to commit all seven deadly sins. If she can show the other campers that sometimes being a little bad is for the greater good, she could start a righteous revolution! What could possibly go wrong? Aside from falling for the pastor’s daughter

I LOVED it! The cover is one of my favorites! I really liked the characters! This was my first book by this author in

I've read a number of queer books about religious trauma, and I think this one is officially my favorite. It's laugh-out-loud funny at times -- the chapter titles are hilarious, as are the church camp's mixing of memes and slang with Jesus -- but also very sincere, with a wonderfully sweet, sapphic friends-to-lovers romance. It criticizes the institution of Christianity and its toxicity instead of faith itself. The real message is support and love, of being yourself and standing up for what's right. My soul feels cleansed.

Anyway, here's "Wonderwall" (the Lord's version).

What an amazing read! This book has so much heart and quirk. I was a little afraid it would become too Jesus-y or have some of kind "saved" twist, but the resolutions were spot on. My heart dropped and leapt with all the characters' and I'm definitely going to now devour all of Voris' previous books. For any "sinner" who has been to church camp, this book is absolutely for you!

So, for starters, I am an agnostic woman who also happens to be a raging lesbian. This story was so beautifully told and regardless of the subject matter, it is at its heart, a story about female friendship and the humanity in misunderstanding and learning from one another. But as religion, abortion, and sexual orientation are literally part of the plot of this book, it is a great reminder to readers that books and the act of reading is inherently political.

From Riley to Julia to Hannah to Amanda and all the spring break church camp girls in between, Voris does an excellent job of creating real characters with just as real issues. Even those who don't get entire points of view chapters have appropriate and real reactions to the goings on around them. It reminds me of when I was the characters' age and coming out (albeit not in a tiny religious town).

A story of people managing to bridge gaps between beliefs - via religion - while remaining steadfast on human rights - this is the only thing I mean when I say I'm ok with having differing beliefs. Not in politics or human rights, but things such as religion. I do not believe in being tolerant of the intolerant.

I read this in October and I am writing this review on the morning of November 8. It has brought up feelings to say the very least.

A sapphic YA contemporary about a girl trying to prove a pastor wrong and falling for his daughter at the same time? Sign me up! I’m not always the biggest fan of reading about religion in books, but I think it works best for me when it’s about a character grappling with the ways that religion is harming people. During her time at church camp Riley is trying to prove to herself, and others, that embracing the seven deadly sins can actually be healthy instead of something that condemns them to hell.

The book is full of a lot of great moments of Riley standing up for herself and her sister. She also connects with other girls at the camp where initially she had different judgements of their character. There are also a lot of great moments of Riley’s development where she’s challenged by the other girls for the way that she acts towards them.

Riley is best friends with Ben and Julia, the pastor’s kids. So there’s a lot of complexity in what it means for Riley to be so close with people who are related to someone who is preaching hatred towards Riley’s sexuality, Riley’s sister’s abortion, and so many other situations. I appreciated Jenna Voris’ nuanced approach to the topic and where everything leaves off in the end.

The story overall and Riley as a character completely sucked me in, I read the entire book in one evening. If you’re in the market for complex YA contemporary stories that address queerness and religion, definitely check this one out.

I was cracking up at the titles for each chapter, as someone who went to church camp as a child who never actually went to church it was a good read. As someone who is part of the lgbtq+ community it was relieving to see the characters be supportive of their friends. There’s so much religion based trauma that threatens the lives of the lgbtq+ community that it was comforting to see a story that shows there’s another way out.

*I received a free ARC from NetGalley*

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book before the release!
I was not brought up very religiously so I can't understand the whole experience of growing up as a queer person in a religious environment. But thanks to Jenna Voris' writing I could feel what the characters were going through very well.
This book was written so nice and interesting that once I started reading it I couldn't stop until I finished it!It had very funny moments as well as serious and sad topics and I'm so sorry to every person and especially child that has to go through those experiences.

Riley and Julia's relationship. I'm a sucker for a good friends-to-lovers plot and boy did they deliver. I was rooting for them the whole way through and I felt that the relationship was believable and well-written, I really enjoyed their dynamic. Also, I really appreciated the on-page explicit labeling of their sexualities -- no dancing around the words bisexual and lesbian. That was great.

Very interesting take. I enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Say a Little Prayer by Jenna Voris is a wonderful addition to the queer YA genre! Voris' voice is easy and fun to read, and her characters have a surprising amount of depth for a YA book.

when riley is forced to attend church camp to avoid suspension from school, she decides she will not go down without a fight and takes the week's theme of teaching them about the seven deadly sins as a challenge to commit them all.

but she doesn't do this out of pure obstinence, she does it to try and show her community that heavy influence of the church in their town is not always for the better. their pastor is controlling, unaccepting, and sometimes hypocritical. his intolerance of riley's queer identity is why she quietly left the church a year ago, but when her sister is also cast out for having an abortion, riley returns with a vengeance to tear the pastor from his place of power. jenna voris beautifully balances riley's light-hearted refusal of church camp's themes with this undercurrent of real anger and hatred for a broken system. i instantly fell in love with her character who you really can't help but root for even when she's making...questionable decisions. decisions like dragging her friends (and enemies) into "sin" with her and DEFINITELY not falling for her childhood best friend, who also happens to be the pastor's daughter.

altogether, it's a heartwarming book about being yourself against all odds and, through that, giving other people the courage to be themselves too. and despite it being a fun, contemporary read, it touches on a lot of really current themes that are becoming increasingly relevant in today's society. i would definitely recommend this to any fans of becky albertalli or casey mcquiston who want a story about angry girls--queer and not--banding together to stand up to an outdated, hypocritical system.

and one last minor thing to mention, if you are a fan of funny chapter titles, this book will definitely give you a giggle or two. huge thanks to netgalley and penguin young readers for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review. all opinions are my own.

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Say A Little Prayer immediately caught my eye when I first saw it announced. The main character and her experiences overlap way too much with my own for it to not. Books like this one are the books I desperately needed when I was a teenager, to know that there is more out there and that my experiences were not isolated. However, these books were not available to me, so being able to read this now at nearly 30 was honestly cathartic.

Say A Little Prayer tells the story of Riley, a teenager who leaves her church after coming out. Through a, at times heartbreaking and others humorous, series of events, Riley is forced to attend her former church’s week long camp. Riley is flawed as hell, but also very much a teenager just trying to figure it all out. There are a lot of other interesting characters including Riley’s sister, friends, and fellow campers, along with a classic fire and brimstone pastor and a set of truly heartwarming parents. The depiction of being a queer teenager in a church like this is very on the nose, down to the exact words spoken from the pulpit and the little details like Church Camp Guitar Guy. Of course, everyone’s experience is different and that is not being denied at all. But for many people, this will feel all too realistic. This isn’t a therapy session so I won’t get into it all, but I really appreciated feeling like my experiences were validated through a story reflective of many elements of my own.

The writing was at times cheesy, and I’m definitely not used to reading much YA that isn’t horror these days. However, a line that made me cringe would be followed by a chapter title that would send me into a fit of laughter because of just how good it was. This book made me laugh and cry. I am so glad I was able to read this ARC! I rated it 4.5 stars.

I recommend this for anyone who wants a unique YA queer rom-com and isn’t bothered by religious critique and the jokes that tend to come from being sarcastic and having religious trauma. I especially recommend this for anyone who grew up in an extremely religious environment, feeling like you wouldn’t escape alive and that there was no other future, and especially for all the queer kids. This is for you.

Coming out (no pun intended) March 2025!

In this delightfully hilarious novel, we follow the spirited teenager Riley, who is forced to attend church camp—a plot twist that's easy to overlook when you dive into her camp antics. Furious with the church for excommunicating her sister, Riley concocts a daring plan to humiliate the minister responsible by committing the seven deadly sins, directly opposing the camp's lessons on the seven virtues.

But there's a catch—Riley is hopelessly in love with the minister's daughter, who also happens to be her best friend and neighbor. Throughout the story, Riley’s journey reveals the complexities of teenage life, as she slowly comes to understand that everyone has their own battles and the world doesn't revolve around her.

This is a sweet, relatable tale of a girl’s fierce love for her sister and her fight for justice. Even though Riley is part of the LGBT+ community, her story resonates with anyone who's been an unsure teen navigating the turbulent waters of growing up.

Say a Little Prayer is a salient novel that explores how we respond when those we love hold on to their rules so much that they can't see past them. Riley is being sent to church camp after she reacts to a fellow classmate saying awful things about her sister. Resulting in her inability to hold her anger in and hitting said classmate. But Riley left the church a year ago, before they kicked her sister out and now she has to return to a place full of people who've judged her sister, her family and herself.  

Riley knows who she is and hates how vindictive people were to her sister, so she sets out to expose the Pastor for all his misaligned preaching and lessons. However, her best friends happen to be the Pastors' kids. Also, she may have a crush on best friend and pastor's daughter Julia. 
This book weaves in the very real anger you can feel when your church decides that you don't fit the model and when you fight back against stricter ideals. I loved reading about Riley's exploration of the rules and sins and how that impacts her friendships and journey. 

Pick this up if you loved the movie Saved, if you like sapphic stories, and you value strong friendships. It's absolutely worth the read! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

4.5/5 Stars rounded up to 5 Stars

I honestly adored this book! I finished it in less than a day, that’s how captivating it was. I only have one negative that I can think of, that there weren’t books like this when I was a teenager. I would have come out long before 40 if that were the case! It was the perfect blend of reverent and funny for the topic, and I really enjoyed Riley and Julia. The whole cast of characters were pretty great, but they definitely made the story. This was so well written and engaging, I couldn’t stop until it was all finished. Great job and definitely read this book!

MORE QUEER BOOKS IN 2024!!!! I was kicking my feet giddy the whole time I read this book. You have to read it. The queer representation tugged at my heartstrings the whole time I read

This was described as “Saved! meets Casey McQuiston” which left me a little uncertain of what to expect. I think the Saved! comparison is a bit more accurate, but everyone wants to compare books to Casey McQuiston’s right now.

After an issue at school, Riley’s only option to not miss the school musical is to spend spring break at church camp. The same for the church she left after coming out and that kicked her sister out after having an abortion. Riley wants nothing to do with the people who have treated her sister so poorly, but if she must go she’s going to take advantage of the time with her best friend Julia and try to bring down Pastor Young.

Voris did a great job of quickly building up the bond between Riley, Julia, and Ben. This might work as a disadvantage later in the story as I don’t think we as readers get to know enough about all the side characters by the end. The bond they form is meant to be stronger than the teachings of the church and a bit more insight into them would have helped make this point. We get just enough of these secondary characters to pique our interest but not enough to really know what drives them all.

The ending was very cliche and predictable in how their friends support Julia. I would have liked to see more retribution for Pastor Young. The other thing I think was missing was a conclusion on the musical storyline. If we’re to believe that the musical is so important to Riley that she’s willing to suffer through what she expects to be a miserable church camp, then we absolutely need to know if that paid off.

Overall, this does deliver a similar vibe to Saved! where friendship triumphs over hateful rhetoric. This is worth a read if you enjoy that type of story.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

I almost expected me to think Voris' third book was going to be just good, but I cannot help to think a little part of me wanted this to be great

As someone who grew up, and out, of the church (Catholic. It's Baptist here, but the fundamentals are still the same), I really connected to the themes here. Church people who make themselves holier-than-thou as they shame and belittle others are part of the big reason to why people leave church, and Voris really hit the nail on the head in that portrayal here. From the outside, it's really funny that a grown man is beefing so hard with a teenage girl, but, in truth, pastors do really have it out for them simply for existing. I think Voris did a great job portraying that.

As for the characters, I have mixed feelings about them. Riley and her friends can be pretty funny and relatable, but there were some things that grated me. Such as when Riley was confronted with the fact that, gasp, the mean girl isn't a one-note mean girl but is complex and has problems of her own?? I know Riley is a teenager, and teens tend to think everyone's but them is perfect and put together, but something about it just irked me the wrong way. I dunno, the book's main lesson is that not everything is black and white, but that really doesn't apply to the characters, despite Voris' best efforts. There are a few other girls in Riley's group who didn't get all that fleshed out like Torres or Delaney, and the ones who are given that time still feel flat to me. This is a tendency I've noticed in the last Voris book I read, and I'm kinda bummed there wasn't much of an improvement on that front.

Which leads me to the romance. Despite them being friends forever, I never really felt that. The growth from friendship to romance was underdeveloped; I was more interested in the pastor dad conflict in their relationship than the goo-goo eyes they kept giving each other. It doesn't help that they fight immediately after their first kiss, then they immediately reconcile a chapter or so later (The narrative says weeks went by, but it does not feel like that).

All in all, this is a fine read. I think this would be a good book to recommend to a teen, but, despite the enjoyment I have gotten from Voris' works, I think this is where I stop. Unless her next book has a good premise, because those get me very easily.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The reviews were so good, so I was really excited to dive in. Unfortunately, the ARC copy I received is barely readable—there are so many typos, formatting issues, and odd spacing that it’s hard to follow the story. Plus, it is unfinished. I might give it another chance once the finished version is published since I can see the potential here. I’m hoping it’ll surprise me because, honestly, I wasn’t a fan of Jenna Voris's previous book, Every Time You Hear That Song. Here’s hoping this one turns out to be a better read when I try again.

I absolutely loved this book. It was so charming and entertaining and had the funniest chapter titles. Jenna Voris is becoming an author whose books I will always pick up. This is my favorite one of hers so far and I’m excited to see what she does next.