I absolutely loved this book and found myself captivated not only by the vivacious Mahalia whose wonderful larger-than-life personality shines from the page.

Everything about Friday I'm in Love is so well written from the incredible representation of Mahalia as a black, bi/pansexual teenager who works hard to ensure her family survives to the creation of the world the book is set in. I wanted nothing more than to be able to step into the book and reassure Mahalia that she does indeed deserve every opportunity she wishes for herself from the celebration of self to the freedom of responsibility as she's just that lovely.

Her party idea and expression of self are so good, especially as her initial hopes to have the same level of celebration as her comfortably off friend.. but life isn't always fair as Mahalia knows all too well and there's also her internal conflict of what problems a coming out party could incur from those around her. I also loved seeing how Mahalia embraced the life she had whilst still hoping for more. She is very much like many teens too in the fact she isn't always willing to do more than necessary whether it be her work or other aspects of her life.

Camryn Garrett writes with the care and thought that is necessary for the various issues that are raised in the book and are a frequent issue for many teenagers. From racism, and queerphobia (can we finally stop with the ridiculousness of biphobia for example?), to bullying from other teenagers and sadly, the saviour complex of teachers who refuse to listen to the person who's suffering.

There are also moments that focus on abandonment and the familial responsibility that are so well done by Garrett and an unfortunate reality for many young people.

I loved this book, and am now wanting to read more of Camryn Garrett's work. My only real disappointment is that the Mahalia we see on the cover is your stereotypical skinny girl when she's described as being curvier. Surely the cover should have matched the author's description of the main character?

Loved being Camryn's conversation partner for this book at her launch. It was so cute. I definitely wish I'd read it as a teen - the sort of sweet romance that makes you want to curl up in bed with this book + a hot tea and just soak it all in.

i wanted to like this more than i actually did. i’m not sure if it’s me getting older so 15-16 year old troubles just don’t feel relatable to me anymore or if i just didn’t vibe with it or a combo of the two. either way, i wasn’t a fan. the religious trauma and paternal abandonment was related but the dating and drama surrounding it was so not up my alley. i thought Mahalia was an endearing MC but her relationship with Siobhan was not interesting and very immature. i think there were good bones here and Garrett’s writing wasn’t too bad at all so im giving it 3.5⭐️ but rounding down

I DNFed :( the MC just was so obsessed with her LI and there wasn’t much else going on in the story. The concept of the party really was kind of dumb too but I thought the commentary would give it some merit.

this is YA but leans even more towards middle grade for me. it read fairly young, with a simple plot: Mahalia wants to throw herself a coming out party (which i did find to be a pretty cute idea). she meets another girl and some sparks fly. issues of homophobia and racism are touched on, but not very deeply or extensively dealt with.

this is great representation for younger readers that i hope we see more of.

There was so much about this book that I loved. One, the cover, absolutely gorgeous, the thing that drew me to it actually. The main character! A queer Black teen named Mahalia. And lastly, emotion! this was a great little YA that packed a punch. This is a book that the younger community needs to read, needs to have access to.

After falling in love with Camryn Garrett's 'Full Disclosure', I was excited to dive into this one and find that same joy.

These novels were entirely different, this one centring more on joy and family and working hard to get the things you want and not necessarily having them work out. I enjoyed this! It was sweet, heartwarming and oddly reminiscent of the financial strain I've experienced myself whilst letting a coming out party be the big star of the show.

I've never known a coming out party was something I wanted, but this ending solidified that for me. It was so sweet and meaningful and this book ended up being a really quick, relatively lighthearted read that I quite enjoyed.

Because of how short/quick it is, I do think a slight further development on all the different relationships could've been beneficial and may have been what led to this book receiving a higher rating from me but all in all highly enjoyable!

I can't wait to see what Camryn Garrett releases next!

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Friday I'm in Love is a sugar sweet take on the 80's romcoms, modernized for today's teen. Yes the cheese factor is strong with this one, but I read that as the nostalgic nod to the 80's era it was coming from. There are some issues, the money aspect was a bit unrealistic in that Mahalia really has no idea how much things cost, or what it would take to save for a party, and in her circumstances, she would. Overall, it's so sweet it'll make your teeth hurt at times, but decent.

I am glad that this book exists. Mahalia, the main character is a Black, queer teenager who is trying to celebrate her identity. Friday I’m In Love is a novel that should be in every school library because teen readers with similar identities to Mahalia will see themselves in this book. My three-star rating is a reflection of my personal enjoyment while reading this title. Even though it is YA, I thought Friday I’m In Love read very young. I found Mahalia’s behavior throughout the story to be annoying and the romance storyline to be over-the-top cheesy. However, I do believe that the targeted audience for this book will love Mahalia and her story.

I did not finish this book. It was slow, and the characterization was inconsistent. While Mahalia was charming, the plan actually earn the money was bogged down in a lot of detail.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

What a fun, joyful romp! I loved seeing this coming-out party come to fruition, and was rooting for the characters from page one.

This was a really enjoyable queer YA coming of age story about friendship, family, money, coming out, and finding love. Mahalia’s mom always promised that she’d get to have a sweet sixteen party. But when the time came around money was too tight and there was no party. Even though her birthday has passed Mahalia has the idea to throw herself her own party, a coming out party to announce she’s bisexual. So she plans to save up a bunch of money, all while crushing on the new girl at school.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Mahalia Harris never had a Sweet Sixteenth, and she knows it's too late to have one, but after going to her best friend's party, she starts to think about having a Coming Out Party instead. The only issue is that not many people actually know she's bisexual, and money is tight. Convincing her mam to pay half of the party, it's all she can think of, other than the cute new girl at school, Siobhan. But as the bills mount up, and there's pressure coming at her from all directions, will Mahalia be able to have the party of her dreams?

I loved the idea of this book so much, and was so happy to get my hands on a copy of it. Mahalia's idea of a Coming Out party was great, and I was so happy she was able to get a party of her dreams. Hers and Siobhan's relationship wasn't the easiest, but it was worth the wait, at least in my opinion. My only real hang up with the book was how immature Mahalia could be at times. I know she is a teenager, but she's 16, working, and helping her mam out, and yet still acts extremely childish at times, particularly when it came to money. That aspect of the story, when compared with some of the really hard hitting themes that ran throughout, were so different, that it made it strange to read a bit. That being said, it was still a really enjoyable book, and one I'm recommending my school library buy for our students.

It's a 3.5 star read. I like it. I expects more of the party planning but other than that, it's cute

What cute, lighthearted fare! Fast-pacing and one to leave young hearts a flutter, it's worth a read. 4/5

This was such a charming read. Mahalia wants to come out and since she didn’t have a sweet sixteen, she’s using the opportunity throw herself a coming out party. The brilliancy of the plan is so striking I’m surprised that more teens don’t do this.

What I really liked about this was that Camryn Garrett did not shy away from the real issues a lot of teenagers face. As much as we want to live in this sunshine world of high school, a lot of teens struggle with problems that stretch beyond the walls of the school. For Mahalia, one of the biggest ones is money. Each chapter starts with an update on how much money is in her bank account, and how much she still needs in order to attain this dream party.

And yet through all of this, there is still Black joy, queer joy, and hope.

4 stars

Friday I'm in Love is a darling story about a high school student named Mahalia that didn't get the sweet sixteen she always wanted but has a dream that she can save up for the ultimate coming out party instead. Complete with a rainbow dress of her dreams, she spends the book planning every last detail and has a heartwarming queer romcom while we read,

This book is sweet and bubbly YA, and I was transported to the hallways of my high school. The big feelings, the uncertainty, and the relationship drama is all here, but Mahalia's story is wonderful as a queer, black girl being raised by a single mother. There is a sixteen year old reading this book that is absolutely over the moon to see themselves in Mahalia.

Oh how powerful this book will be to my teens and their friends. The education and inclusion of the black experience and the lgbtq+ experience was immensely inspiring.

I felt as though I was reading a love letter to life, literature, and all the in betweens.

I loved, loved, loved this book. It was such a sweet, lovely gem of a book. And while it was so much fun to read, and was so charming, it felt so real. Mahalia's struggles felt so real and so relatable, while also being colorful and louder than life.

Mahalia has wanted a sweet sixteen party since she was six years old. The only problem is, her sixteenth birthday was months ago, and there isn't any money for a big lavish party. She decides, instead, to throw herself a coming-out party, and she'll save up for it herself using the money she gets from her job. As she tries to save, though, things keep coming up, including helping her mom pay for the electric bill after she loses her job. Saving almost $1500 for a party is going to be really tough.

On top of that, she's dealing with the struggles of daily life. A new girl, Siobhan, has moved to San Diego from Ireland, and Mahalia falls for her--hard. Mahalia's got SATs to worry about, group presentations, scholarships, her dad and his new wife and their kids, and she has a rough time. All while Mahalia struggles, however, she finds joy in her best friend, and she has this dream of a party to pull her through. I loved how real this slice-of-life felt, and how beautiful it was.