I wasn't sure how I would do with this book, but I actually loved it. While it was extremely fun, it was also gut wrenching about realities of growing up (and what a lot of folks face growing up). I wish I had something like it to read when I was a queer kid at church camp growing up because it felt very relatable. The characters were brilliant. I could not put this book down and read it very quickly (I think I read it in just under 24 hours, which is crazy considering I have a full time job, so you can see how eager I was to finish the story.) Jenna Voris really knocked this one out of the park and this book meant so much to this queer reader personally. I cannot wait to follow along for more of Jenna's books.

BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!!

Jenna Voris has done it again! While this is only my second book of Voris', she's rapidly becoming an auto-buy author for me. Say a Little Prayer has the perfect balance of romance, humor and the examination of religious (and small town) mindsets. Every chapter was named something laugh out loud worthy, and that element carried through most of the novel, helping to balance out some of the more absurd moments while keeping things from getting too serious when it came to heavy topics. While I loved the relationship between Riley and Julia, the relationships and bonds between Riley and the girls at camp were one of the other standout parts for me because of their complexity and contrast in beliefs - all without invalidating Riley and her family's experience. Overall, Say a Little Prayer is a book teen me needed and one that adult me loved, and I'm so happy that it exists for queer teens living in religious rural areas.

For the religiously traumatized, this one is for you.

It felt like my adolescence written into the pages of this book. It was a therapeutic experience, especially that ending.

The author really explores so many aspects of growing up with religion, then leaving that space behind, and the spaces it leaves behind in you. The people and experiences you miss even though it is an environment you can’t or won’t be a part of any longer.

This was deeply nuanced while also being extremely digestible. It was laugh out loud funny and also very serious at times. I really appreciate the focus on shame and guilt. This is excellent and I would HIGHLY recommend.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Jenna Voris, and the publisher for this ARC!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC of 'Say a Little Prayer'! This review is my full, honest opinion.

I've been in a reading slump for months, and this book has officially ended that! 'Say a Little Prayer' is about our main character Riley who is no longer an active member of the church having to participate in church camp to not jeopardize the school production of Shrek. While everyone is delving into the seven heavenly virtues, Riley tries to prove a point that the seven deadly sins aren't so bad.

I love and devoured this book! Even though I had been in a reading slump for four months, I went through this book in less than 24 hours. The writing and story are hilarious; I laughed out loud several times. I especially loved the chapter titles. The characters are dualistic and have both a good and a bad to them which makes each character very human. The main characters and side characters are so memorable. Ben and Julia have my heart and soul!

This book is easy to digest and has important messages about religion, caring for friends and other people as human beings, and how life and people have duplicities that don't follow the love and kindness we should be giving all others. I would easily recommend this to anyone. I am so glad to have read this at the time I did - now I'm excited to continue picking up other books! I need more like this. It makes reading fun!

Say a Little Prayer is a fantastic YA novel that looks at the role that religion can play in a small town, and the effects that one pastor can have on the whole congregation. I really enjoyed this one! It follows a girl whose family has fallen out of their church group and who ends up having to go to church camp to fulfill a school requirement. At camp, she fights back about sins being always wrong, and other conservative beliefs. There were times that I wished that things were handled with a little more nuance, but as someone who grew up in a small, religious town... it was also pretty accurate.

Thanks to Jenna Voris, Penguin, and NetGalley for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own!

Not too long ago I read Every Time You Hear That Song by Jenna Voris and really loved it. When I then got the opportunity to get my hands on Jenna Voris new book Say a Little Prayer, I grabbed it with both hands.

Say a Little Prayer follows Riley, who not too long ago left the church she and her family used to go to, not seeing a place for her bisexual self there. And after how her sister’s been treated and outcasted due to her abortion, Riley is angry. After a confrontation at school, her love for theatre leads her to accept an alternate solution to suspension, to not miss the rehearsals for the school play, which is how she ends up at church camp. There she has to deal with the pastor, who is the best friend she might like a little more than that’s dad, preaching about the seven deadly sins, as well as people she used to know, before they sided with the church instead of with her sister.

It is a really great book that deals with a lot of mixed feelings. Nostalgia over fond memories and the comfort of community clashes with anger and sadness over the homophobia, bigotry and rejection. Faith is nuanced, complex and not the same for everyone, sometimes it’s hard to ever reconcile with it after bad experiences and sometimes it might take a different shape. I found it a very comforting book, whilst dealing with a lot of hurt and anger. The queerness in this book was one that required quietness and caution, once again portraying the reality of a lot of queer people. Whilst not every problem have easy solutions that fix everything, you do what you can for the time being. Once again, a really great book by Jenna Voris, that explore the complexities of church, faith, queerness, acceptance, love and friendship. And just like with Every Time You Hear That Song, I’m looking forward to revisiting Say a Little Prayer in the future as well!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The chapter titles are honestly what drew me in immediately. They were so comedic but fitting for each chapter.
Riley makes the most classic teenage mistakes and missteps but with humor. This book is well written and emotional and overall has a very positive messaging

Thank you NetGalley and Viking Books for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. 3 ⭐️ This book was enjoyable enough and definitely had its moments, but overall felt a bit too far fetched for me and sometimes was more dramatic than it needed to be to make its point. Sometimes I feel like I hold this viewpoint a lot with YA and maybe I’m too old and crotchety. 🤪

This was my second Jenna Voris read and I was really excited for it to drop and even more excited to get an early peek, but unfortunately, was a bit let down. It was giving me Easy A’s Emma Stone vs. Amanda Bynes vibes but make it gay in the best of ways, but I felt like it was a bit too easy premise wise. 7 days to commit 7 sins? I like the theory that sins shouldn’t always be sinful and that what we see as a sin like gluttony or pride, can be a positive, but I feel like the idea wasn’t introduced the best way that it could be. This may be a better read for someone who wants to revisit their relationship with religion after leaving the church or along similar lines, and I do really really appreciate pointing out religious figures who would rather shame and outcast someone for false reasons than include and try to help and embrace them. All in all, I like the lessons at the heart and the ideas behind the plot, but I didn’t feel connected to the main character or invested in her story or how it shook out and was a bit disappointed with how it was painted

This one was just okay. It considered the seven deadly sins and how to use them for good while being at a church camp run by a bigot pastor. The LGBTQ themes kept the plot going, but were not heavily involved. Overall, it wasn’t my favorite thing I’ve read, but it was quick and I didn’t hate it.

I laughed so hard at a few innuendos made from the church billboard message, and chuckled over the line where Riley complains about the nothingness of Kentucky and her sister Hannah responds they shouldn’t make fun of other Midwest states considering they live in Ohio. Although the beginning of the story was a little too convenient, I liked the growth and progression and friendship developments of the main characters. This is sadly an aprópiate timely story told in a manner of stereotypical specifics that’s easy to understand, with lots of fun details and references.

Jenna Voris’ Say a Little Prayer is a heartfelt and emotionally resonant story about love, healing, and the power of second chances. The characters are deeply relatable, and Voris captures the delicate balance between faith, hope, and vulnerability. With its tender moments and rich storytelling, this novel is a touching reminder of the strength that can be found in both ourselves and others. A must-read for fans of heartfelt contemporary fiction.

This book was so relatable as a bisexual gal who was forced to attend church in my teen years long after I stopped believing. The voice was fantastic—Riley, though flawed, was immediately lovable. I also got a kick out of the premise: trying to check off all seven deadly sins while stuck at church camp. The friends-to-lovers romance was also sweet, though I found the evolution of Riley’s feelings toward Amanda and vice versa most interesting.

I was slightly disappointed that Riley’s plan got cut short since I really wanted her to see it through to the end, but I did think the show of support from her new found family was lovely. I also wanted to see the Pastor face more consequences for his cruelty, but I suppose that wouldn’t have been realistic.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

Really really loved this book! A queer reckoning and a sapphic romance and a romp through church camp!

This was a really fun read! I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately, definitely due to being a busy college student, but this was exactly the kind of book I needed to get me on my book grind again. This was such a fun rom-com! Riley is a high school student in Ohio (coincidence because one of my best friends is named Riley and my other best friend is from Ohio?) and lands herself in church camp. During the week fun Riley learns that there is more to her peers than she previously thought. Especially about her best friend, and the preacher’s daughter, Julia. If you like a queer YA rom-com, you will probably like this. It reminded me a lot of Dahlia Adler’s books in the best way. I am definitely going to read more from Voris (probably also in less than a day)

I loved the premise of this book. It was so original. The plot was well thought out and the characters were well developed. I really enjoyed reading this book. This book is cute and fun, while addressing some intense topics that teens in my area face. My heart went out to the characters in this book. It was an incredible read.

Thank you for the opportunity to read the e-arc of Say a Little Prayer. I read it the week of elections and conversations happening around booksta/gram about books being political or not and conversations with my religious family members who voted for trump. So it's safe to say that Say a Little Prayer was the perfect read and reminder that deconstructing is worth the after-glow. Though my one thing is I thought the cover said Slay instead of Say and that's just a missed opportunity. Slay a Little Prayer would have fit Riley's personality well.

Thanks for the ARC review. If you loved the cult classic saved. Read this very LGBTQ book that takes Saved, adds a dash of But, I'm a cheerleader and makes something even more magical.

Riley stopped attending church when her sister was publicly banished from the congregation, and when she realized that she would not be accepted there for being bisexual. Even though her next door neighbors are the minister and his family and the minister's twins are her best friends, Riley tries hard to avoid the church and anything associated with it. When Riley slaps her sister's former friend at school and her place in the school musical is on the line, Riley volunteers to attend the church's camp during spring break. Having to attend camp and write an essay for the principal feels like a better option than being forced to miss out on the musical completely. The theme of the week is the seven deadly sins/seven heavenly virtues and Riley decides to try to commit all of the sins to prove that sometimes things labelled as sins aren't necessarily bad. Riley starts to discover that she really missed church and some of the people there and that maybe she has judged people in the same way her sister was judged. What if she actually gained something good from the thing she's been actively avoiding for the last year? Very sweet and funny, but also a deep look into the power of faith in your fellow humans.

I really enjoyed this book! I love how unique the plot is, I don’t think I’ve read something like it before! As someone who grew up in the church, it’s crazy how accurate this book is!! It really handled themes like religious trauma very well and with care.