I was initially drawn in by the gorgeous cover of this one and I loved the idea of a Coming Out Party in lieu of a Sweet Sixteen. However, I think this was a case of the wrong time for me because I was just not overly invested in the story.

I did enjoy the music woven in throughout the story. I also loved the realistic nature of Mahalia having to budget accordingly to try to make her party happen. I did think she was just a little too self-involved throughout though. I appreciated her friend calling her out on this.

I also wasn't the biggest fan of the romance. Siobhan seemed to be leading Mahalia on for a lot of the story especially since she had a boyfriend. Then she would go through phases of ignoring Mahalia only to later just say 'sorry' and everything be ok. For me it just didn't make it believable that Mahalia would still be so invested in her.

I also wanted more from the actual coming out party than what was included.

I have seen a lot of love for this one so I think it is one many people will enjoy and be able to relate to, but unfortunately it wasn't for me when I read it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I loved this book. It was a great coming out story and full of first loves and so many sweet moments. I could not put it down.

This is a story about coming out on your own terms.  Mahalia Harris does not often feel like she fits in, whether at school, where she one of the few students of color; with her best friend Naomi, whose family is always welcoming but much wealthier than hers; with her dad, who has two new children with his new partner; or her mother, who seems like she may not be the most excited to learn that Mahalia is queer.   

Her mother can’t afford a Sweet Sixteen party, like the one Naomi’s parents threw her.  But Mahalia has an inspiration to have a coming out party — she’ll save her money from her part-time job and announce to the world, and her mom, that she is queer.   But soon she is waylaid by family issues, unexpected bills, and, most distracting of all, Siobhan, a new girl at school who Mahalia can’t help but crush on — even though Siobhan already has a boyfriend.  With all this drama, it seems like the party of Mahalia’s dream may stay just that: a dream. 

I really enjoyed this book.   Mahalia felt like such a relatable character — struggling with finding her place in her school, her family, and in the world while also dealing with many typical teen challenges.  The author deftly portrayed the pressure it can put on friendships when each friend has such different economic circumstances.   And the book captures well the complexities of coming out, and the varied experiences different people, or even the same people, can have.  

Highly recommended!

This book has so much heart and characters that you just want to hug. I am so happy to have read this and to have Mahalia's story in my life now! Next up, I'm off to read everything Camryn Garrett has ever written.

This book is as stunning as it's cover. Camryn Garrett has quickly become one of my favorite authors, and this book only exemplifies why that is so. Completely brilliant, all the way through.

I inhaled this sweet coming-of-age story about a Black teen who wants to embrace being queer by throwing a coming out party. It had everything I wanted -- romance, love and Black joy .

Camryn does such a great job of writing a beautiful story that has Mahalia trying to navigate all the things: finances, her relationship with her parents, juggling a job and school and of course a crush on Siobhan, the new girl in her high school. You can help but root for every single character in this book and of course you feel for Mahalia as she tries to figure it all out.

This was my first Camryn Garrett but it definitely won't be my last! I promise, if you read it, you'll love it as much as I do. Also, I might need Naomi to have her own book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random's House Children's for an Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I quite enjoyed this queer YA romance about Mahalia, a teenage girl who falls in love with Siobhan while planning a coming out party for herself. So many of the obstacles Mahalia faced — from money struggles to racist teachers and classmates to homophobia to shitty parental figures — were so real and well fleshed-out, but the book was so hopeful and uplifting in the end!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Knopf Books for Young Readers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Friday I'm in Love follows Mahalia as she plans a Sweet Sixteen-style coming out party for herself. Going into it, I knew it was going to be a cheesy high school rom-com, but it went above and beyond what I thought it was going to be. I absolutely loved how diverse the cast was, and how much the characters truly acted and sounded like teenagers. I cringed a lot at some of the things the characters said, but I actually enjoy that in a YA book because it shows the characters really are teenagers. I absolutely loved Mahalia & Naomi's friendship, and I loved how accepting and loving Naomi's family was. The ending was so cute and exactly what I'd hoped for.

If I had any criticism at all, it would just be that I wished there would have been more interaction between Mahalia and her dad, especially at the end. But that isn't a huge issue for me, it just could've added more to the story.

A catchy title and gorgeous cover caught my eye immediately and I wondered if the book could live up to its cover. It 100% does!

This is a book all about relationships- Mahalia’s with her best friend, new crush, parents, teachers, but also herself. The pressure on Mahalia is intense and only increases when she decides to throw herself a coming out party. Garrett does an excellent job of capturing Mahalia’s personality- her joys and struggles. Nuanced, multi-dimensional supporting characters fill out an uplifting, beautifully written book.

I'm so grateful to TBR and Beyond Tours for an early copy.

Friday I'm in Love is the story of Mahalia who wants, well, everything. She's 16, it's just her and her mom and they don't have a lot of money. Mahalia's BFF Naomi has a ton of money and you can feel the differences on the page between the two families. At Naomi's sweet sixteen party, Mahalia meets Siobhan and falls immediately into crush land but in true 16 year old style, she has no way to get in touch with her.

Siobhan just happens to be a new student at Mahalia's school and they become good friends rather quickly. Of course Siobhan has a boyfriend which just leaves Mahalia more and more confused. I really liked reading about the two and their journey into romance.

On the flip side of the romance comes some darker themes. One, Mahalia is not out to her mother and starts planning this massive party where she's going to come out to everyone and it's going to be amazing. Of course in true poor kid style, that doesn't happen. Mahalia's mom loses her job and is now depending on Mahalia to help with finances. This part really hit me hard. I have often referred to myself as the first national bank of Stacie because of the amount of times I bailed my parents out to help with bills and what not because they didn't have the cash to make ends meet.

As someone who grew up without a lot of money, with parents who struggled to make ends meet, Mahalia's money scrimping and saving and her relationship with her mom and money really had me deep in my feels. I so very much related to everything she was feeling and it brought back some not so great memories.

If you are looking for a light fluffy YA romance, this is not it due to some of the harder themes but it's a good read!

This was such a sweet YA book. I loved Mahalia and her relationships with the females and nonbinary characters; particularly her relationship with her mother, Naomi, and Siobhan. This book transported me back to highschool, although I have to say that these characters are *much* more mature than I was my junior year. There was not one instance of talking shit behind one another's back, and that gets kudos from me. This coming out story was beautifully written. I fell in love with Mahalia on page 1 and loved watching her grow and change throughout the book. Highly recommend!

Mahalia Harris was not able to have a Sweet Sixteen, unlike many of her classmates. After attending her best friend Naomi’s blowout celebration, Mahalia has an idea — she could have a coming out party instead, to share that she is queer with her mom and her classmates on her own terms. All she’ll need to do is save the money from her after school job to pay for the venue, the food, the decorations, and the perfect rainbow dress. But her best laid plans go awry when her family faces surprising bills, her school work piles up, her boss is giving her an hard time, and she finds herself obsessing over the new girl at school. With all these new distractions, Mahalia feels her party, and coming out on her terms, slipping away.

This is a heart-warming story about finding — and sharing — yourself with those in your life. Mahalia is a compelling character, and the story explores interesting issues related to identity, belonging, and what it takes for many people to get by.

Highly recommended!

How do I put into words how much I adored this book? I had so much fun reading this and I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters and the idea of a coming out party instead of a sweet 16 is so much fun. This book is really just an ode to black and queer joy and I can not recommend this enough!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars.

I LOVE THE COVER - that's basically what drew me in on top of it being a BIPOC representation of LGBTQ issues. I really enjoyed Mahalia's character, but I felt at some points there should have been some more development or at least someone who noticed the behavior changes with her from the stress relating to money and family life.

I also like how this tackled some issues of classism and money, as well as issues of BIPOC students, particularly in wealthy schools.

Overall, I enjoy how this centers on Mahalia's drive to having a coming out party (which is a great idea) and her having to save money for it. She also finds romance during it. I was not prepared to cry at the end, but I did.

Thank you to Underlined and Netgalley for an e arc of this book.

Okay first of all, I love this cover so much! But I'm so sad the girl on the cover isn't midsize like Mahalia is because that would make it absolutely perfect!!!


Mahalia never got to have a sweet sixteen party because there wasn't enough money, but her friend Naomi helps her cook.up a scheme for an even better party-- and a way to come out to everyone who matters all at once.

I love the premise of this book. Throwing yourself a coming out party to tell everyone how gay (bi) you are? Perfect. And Mahalia has to work to save up the money for it. There is also a side plot with her falling for the new girl, Siobhan, who has a boyfriend. Their relationship was cute and messy and I loved the way it wrapped up.

I also really liked Mahalia's relationship with her parents. I felt like it was a good mix of not super heartbreaking but also realistic if that makes sense? Like sometimes books have the perfect parent child relationships and I just don't find them believable. And other times they are believable but so sad. This had lots of ups and downs and I loved how things happened with her mom.

It was a little hard for me to understand why Mahalia was so set on having such an expensive party? Like I get the party, wanting it to be fun and and awesome, but her budget was literally the price of my wedding! That dress though...worth $300!

CW: homophobia, Biphobia, racism, surgery

Mahalia, who lives with her mom and whose dad has a new family, really wanted a sweet sixteen, but couldn't have one due to lack of funds. After her best friend Naomi's party, Mahalia is more determined than ever, and with her birthday having past, decides she'll have a coming out party instead. She wonders why coming out has to be a thing anyway, since straight people don't have to do it. She still doesn't have much money, so she plans the party for a few months out and tracks her finances. To her surprise, her mom agrees to match what Mahalia saves, not that her mother knows the new reason for the party, being a member of a conservative Christian church.

Each chapter starts with Mahalia's bank account balance and what she's spent--usually on things like gas and groceries, but occasionally party supplies or something to woo her crush, Siobhan. Siobhan is a new kid, arrived from Ireland and somehow immediately found a boyfriend, Danny, a dude with the annoying habit of carrying drum sticks everywhere and banging them on everything all the time.

The story includes tropes of is-she-or-isn't-she-gay, will-they-or-won't-they, being self-involved and risking an important friendship, and an estranged dad who isn't going to change.

sometimes when I read YA books I'm like "god these kids are dumb" and then I'm like "uh oh I'm old"! and like, teens do dumb things. their brains are still baking. adults do dumb things too and what's our excuse.

This book had a lot of moments that strained my credulity tho, like a big crux of the book is that Mahalia has a crush on Siobhan but doesn't know if Siobhan likes girls or not. So she's on high alert, analyzing all of Siobhan's behavior for any signs. Understandable! Relatable! And then she goes to Siobhan's house and meets here mom and they have this conversation:

"I've heard so much about you," she says, squeezing my shoulders. "I haven't heard Siobhan talk about anyone like this since Erin."

"Mum," Siobhan snaps. "Seriously?"

My gay senses start tingling. "Erin?" I repeat. "Who's that?"

"No one," Siobhan says.

"Our neighbor back in Dublin," Katie says at the same time. "Siobhan had a wee crush."

Oh. My. God. She had a crush on a girl?

And then the dad comes in and they don't talk about Erin anymore. But what I was really expecting to come up at some point is that, this is a verbal conversation! How did she know it was "Erin" and not "Aaron"? No pronouns are ever used for Erin. Erin/Aaron is a pretty 50/50 name in terms of popularity with genders. It's not like "Leslie" where technically there are boys named that but like, 1% of Leslies. Like if your whole thing has been obsessing about whether this girl likes girls or not would you not be on high alert to be like "Wait, girl Erin or boy Aaron??"

I was really expecting that to come into play but it's never mentioned again! Siobhan does like girls, apparently it was a girl Erin, but how were we supposed to know?

Just like stuff like that where I'm like, why???

Other stuff, like Mahalia seemingly being very obsessed with saving money and working and understanding the value of money but then impulsively spending money on dumb shit, sure, that seems reasonably teenage to me. (if still a little frustrating TBH)

ANYWAY, it's a cute story, LOVE the cover, and (view spoiler). Just not totally 100% my cup of tea due to weird inconsistencies that a reader who was more invested in the love story would easily gloss over.

**3.5 STARS**

Content Warning: racism, n word use in classroom setting, parental issues

What drew me to this book was the colorful, vibrant cover. The synopsis sounded intriguing and here is what I thought about the book:

+ This is a great book for teens. Mahalia has turned sixteen but instead of a big sweet sixteen party that her mom can’t afford she thinks of doing a coming out party instead. And she will save up her paychecks from her part-time job to be able to afford the party. I love that Mahalia has a plan, she works, she goes to school, and she helps her mom who is a single mother.

+ Mahalia is queer and I like how we get to see her crush on a girl and see how it goes. The representation in the story is fantastic. I loved the playlist Mahalia makes for Siobhan – it gave a deeper glimpse into Mahalia’s personality.

+ I like that Mahalia is sixteen, and acts sixteen. She’s going through a lot of teen related things like trouble in her friendship, crushing on someone and hoping something happens, stress from trying to save money for a party and helping her mom out when money gets tight. She’s very relatable! Her life isn’t perfect but this book was all about hope.

+ I thought the romance was cute – Siobhan is the girl Mahalia is crushing but she has a boyfriend. It’s very confusing for both of them but I think it’s realistic.

~ Adults may find this book a bit cheesy but remember this is for teens and I think it’s perfect for that age group.

~ There is the use of the N word when Mahalia’s class reads a classic novel in class but I like that it brought up race issues that Mahalia has to go through, such as feeling uncomfortable in class


Why you should read it:
*a great coming of age and coming out story for a black, queer sixteen year old
*Mahalia is relatable – she goes to school, works part time, and helps her mom out – she’s also falling in love and having some challenges with her bestie
*perfect book for it’s target audience

Why you might not want to read it:
*might read too young for adults — because it is targeted for teens

My Thoughts:

I think teens would love this book because Mahalia is a relatable sixteen year old. She deals with typical issues that a queer, black girl who is being raised by a single mother, would go through. Mahalia wants to through a coming out party, she wants the girl who she likes to be into her too and she wants her best friend to be on the same page as her. There are some challenges she deals with but I think she handles each situation very well. I like that she was putting in the work to throw her own party. I thought the tone of this book was hopeful, and I love the happy ending where Mahalia gets to celebrate how amazing she is.

This is a great LGBTQ+ book to start the New Year off!

For future digital release, I hope there is a digital link to Youtube or Spotify that links with songs when they are mentioned, or a Siobhan's Playlist feature ready to go on Spotify on day of release!

Definitely recommending to friends.

Special thanks to NetGalley.com for a free copy!

Friday I’m in Love follows sixteen-year old Mahalia, who rarely gets what she wants. A big sweet sixteen bash like her best friend Naomi celebrated? Not in the cards with the money troubles Mahalia and her single parent mom are dealing with. Getting the cute new girl at school to fall for her? Doesn’t look good since Siobhan has a boyfriend. Telling her mother she’s queer? Way too scary. All Mahalia wants is a break—a break from worrying about money, white classmates and their ignorance and having to hide her queerness.

But then inspiration strikes: what if, instead of having a Sweet Sixteen, Mahalia threw a coming-out party? A celebration of all the things that Mahalia loves about being queer?

Excited about the idea, Mahalia starts saving money, taking on extra shifts at her afterschool job and awkwardly flirting with Siobhan, all so she can live her dream. But before she knows it, Mahalia is faced with unfinished homework, unpaid bills piling up and enough drama in her blossoming friend/relationship with Siobhan to fill a Shakespeare novel. With the universe interfering in the worst of ways, can Mahalia make her party dreams still come true?

My Super Sweet Sixteen but make it gay? Sign me up! What makes Friday I’m in Love stand out is the way Garrett manages to connect so many plot threads into a cohesive, enjoyable story. From including lighthearted moments such as trying to figure out the perfect songs for a mixtape or planning the perfect queer coming out party to more complex topics such as financial struggles and friendship dynamics, this book delivered a well-rounded story.

Mahalia is a flawed character you can’t help but love. There are some choices made that bring unexpected consequences but nevertheless, Mahalia perseveres and learns from her mistakes. There’s of course also a romance that adds its own hurdles to the narrative but there are also incredibly sweet and fluffy moments between Siobhan and Mahalia that readers will love to swoon over. While reading the back and forth between Siobhan and Mahalia can at times get frustrating, I think that’s the intention behind it—to feel as torn as Mahalia does when it comes to whether Siobhan actually has feelings for her or is just dragging her along. Garrett aptly shows how difficult it can be to never quite know whether you’re being friendzoned or whether there’s more. Siobhan also goes through her own journey of accepting her sexual orientation and learning to be true to her heart which I know readers will connect with.

A personal favourite of Friday I’m in Love is Mahalia and her relationship with money. I appreciate realistic depictions of money issues in novels, especially geared toward teens, and Garrett completely delivered. The anxieties Mahalia feels whenever money becomes a topic in her low-income household, yet still wanting to treat herself to a bash celebrating her queerness was a gripping narrative and left me rooting for everything working out. While I won’t spoil the outcome, I will say that I loved the focus on how money isn’t necessarily what makes or breaks a party and that support often comes from unexpected sources.

Another highlight I need to address is the way music is weaved into the narrative. Beyond giving this stunning novel its title (if you haven’t heard of the song Friday I’m in Love, listen to it right now, please), Mahalia often refers older songs and bands that made my little music-loving heart dance. Now, I can’t say whether Gen Z is actually as invested in *gulps* retro music, but I (a millennial) adored the way Mahalia connected to iconic bands such as The Cure, The Beatles and so many more. Also, can we please bring back the act of making someone a mixtape as a gift? It’s the most romantic gesture, like, ever. Anyway, if you’re a fellow music fanatic, you’ll love the little nods and mentions!

A queer homage to Sweet Sixteens, celebrating your awesomeness and finding yourself, Friday I’m in Love is a cheerful romcom perfect for fans of Lyla Lee and Ciara Smyth!