This was an emotional read but a lot of the time it felt like it was trying too hard - like a teenage soap opera. Maybe it would have resonated differently if it had been written 15 years ago. I don’t think it ever says but based on the girls’ reliance on AIM, I’m assuming it’s meant to be set around that time. I’m just so over the internalized homophobia/gay tragedy trope at this point. I still probably would have rounded up to 4 stars if the ending weren’t so ridiculously rushed. I literally said “Is that it??” out loud. It felt completely unnatural. Worth a read - I did like Coley and the stuff about her mom and dad was pretty good, actually. But there are other tragic gay panic books out there that are better.

After her mother's death, seventeen-year-old Coley moved to Oregon. She thought she'd always be alone, but finds an instant attraction to Sonya. She's never been attracted to girls before and doesn't know how to be part of a healthy relationship. Coley and Sonya will have to figure out how to truly be themselves and be worthy of love.

Based on her song "Girls Like Girls," this is Haley Kiyoko's first novel. It takes place in 2006, the heyday of AIM handles and LiveJournal entries with nested comment replies. (Can you tell I look back on that fondly?) Coley is an emotional mess, with hints as to why her mother died that aren't explained until later when she confides in Sonya. Sonya is popular and affluent, used to being perfect and following her mother's directives for dance and dating the popular boy. While she's drawn to Coley right away, she doesn't admit to herself that she likes girls and her boyfriend is a bully, instead pushing Coley away. She's lost and literally doesn't know many people; it's not until she reaches out and tries to begin building a relationship with her father that she starts to come out of that spiral. He wants to know her for who she is, and they share memories of her mother. This helps her feel more confident in figuring herself out, even if she still hasn't entirely determined who that is.

This book captures the lost feeling that teens have, especially those that feel stuck in small towns living out the roles that others assign to them. There is the emotional back and forth of teen love, plus the fear Sonya has in coming out and possibly losing her family, and her boyfriend's volatile temper and disrespect. Too many people have lived this kind of life, and it's bound to resonate with those readers. The story ends almost abruptly, because we don't really see a happily ever after, but it's following the music video. Those don't really go into an epilogue phase, even though we're used to seeing it. Still, this is a YA romance where the girls figure out what they want out of love and romance. We see it more from Coley's POV, and she absolutely won't settle for being someone's hidden secret. She's worth more than that, and it's an important message to carry from the book.

The Girls Like Girls music video meant the world to me at 13. I used to rewatch that video in secret, and I still watch it fairly often. This book takes that 5:00 video and elaborates the story in a really beautiful way. Coley’s story is fully fleshed out and she becomes a really well-rounded character. Her arc is well-done and her growth is lovely. This book has everything I needed from representation as a young teenager, and honestly everything I need now. It incorporates aspects from the music video in really neat ways, almost like Easter eggs. I am so grateful that I was sent this book for review.

As a huge fan of Hayley Kiyoko’s music and her in general, I was excited to hear she was turning Girls Like Girls into a novel. That said, I think maybe it should have been handed off to another writer. With the understanding that it is Hayley’s debut as an author this book isn’t half bad, but for me, the voice of the novel got a bit too confusing. The inner monologue of Coley was just a bit juvenile and sounded like it needed to be a voiceover of a Netflix rom-com… and not that that’s bad but for a novel, it doesn’t work.



It is not necessarily a bad debut novel, it’s just not a well-written one. I could barely make it through the inner monologues, I think if that changed it would be a higher-rated read for me! 2.5/5 stars



Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Definitely made for a younger audience branching into romance and for that it is perfectly suited. not for everyone who reads queer YA, definitely a beginner

Girls like girls

Thank-you to the publisher and #netgalley for the #AdvanceReviewCopy

Release date: May 30 2023
Genre: Coming of Age - YA romance

Coley, a 17 year old is the epitome of the word lonely. After her mom dies, she moves in with her father, a man she doesn’t know. When her dad suggests she meet new friends, she sets out to try, and that’s when she spots Sonya; it’s love at first sight. Coley feels an instant connection but Sonya has never been with a girl so her reservations put a strain on what could be, in Coley’s opinion, a great thing.

Unlike a lot of early readers, I had zero connection to this author’s music and didn’t realize until half way through the book that it is based off a song with the same title. I literally went into this blind.

Overall, I liked it. There were aspects of the story I enjoyed and others I’d have wanted to see play out differently.

What I didn’t enjoy as much: Sonya. Her character was underdeveloped and I just didn’t like her. She didn’t deserve Coley, and I never rooted for them as a couple because they didn’t fit. There wasn’t enough time for her to get over her fears over being with a girl, so the ending was out of place, unnatural.
I didn’t understand the storyline with Blake. It did nothing to advance the story or main plot or help to develop Coley’s character.
I was also put off by the over-the-top use of drugs and alcohol. I mean, these are teens. This is a YA book after all.

What I enjoyed: Coley’s character and her growth throughout the story; there was a solid arc there. I loved her relationship with her dad, and her moments of grief and reflection over her mom’s death were real and emotional. To me, that was the meat and potatoes of this story, not the romance. As a Coming-of-age book, it hit the mark.

Watching the music video after I finished was a nice bonus and really brought the book to life.

If you enjoy the instant love trope, and aren’t put off by the things that bugged me, then you’ll love this one.

With lots to enjoy but with a few quirks, I landed on 3.5 / 5 stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

❓Are you familiar with this writer’s music?

#lgbtq
#girlslikegirls
#ya
#comingofage
#Yaromance
#arc

E-ARC generously provided to me by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!

3.5 stars. Based on the early 2010’s cultural reset/music video of the same name, Girls Like Girls is an interesting if a bit underdeveloped expansion of the storyline featured within it.

3.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me an ARC in exchange for a review! Hayley Kiyoko's Girls Like Girls music video is iconic to me and so many others so when I found out she was adapting it to a book I knew I needed to get my hands on it.

Obviously if you've seen the music video you know what the basic premise of the book is going to be. But in the format of a novel, Kiyoko is able to expand on the characters adding more backstory and depth. The main character Coley (the girl on the bike in the music video) has just moved to town to live with her estranged father after the death of her mother. Adding this element means that the book explores grief and loss in addition to the romance between the two girls. Meanwhile, Sonya the other main character struggles with self-acceptance and internalised homophobia which we do not see in the original music video.

While I did enjoy the book I think part of the effect was lost on me simply because I've aged out of the target YA romance demographic. The connection between the two girls was a little insta-lovey which we often see in YA, which is my pet peeve. I also don't really understand why the book was set in the early 2000s. But it doesn't super feel like it's set in a different decade other than the fact that they're all using AIM instead of cell phones. While this wasn't negative necessarily it just sort of didn't feel relevant.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My criticisms first - this book could have easily been a 4 for me if not for the ending. I think it cut very abruptly, with no real confidence for me that things would actually properly change and get better. While I sympathize with Sonya’s struggles in the book, we don’t get nearly enough of her POV for me to properly care for her or root for her as a character. I just ended up feeling badly for Coley, and rooting against this romance. I feel like I would have wanted it to end either a few chapters early for Coley’s first decision, orrrr to extend past the last chapter so we could actually see change rather than something that was said in what felt like the heat of the moment. I think the book tried to do a lot of heavy topics at once between Sonya’s struggles with coming out, Coley’s parental issues, Trenton as a character. It’s not necessarily poorly written, but it is rushed and I don’t feel like they were given the proper amount of focus as they could have been.

Onto the pros - I did enjoy the majority of this book! I really felt for Coley, and I got attached to her character quickly. It’s a fast read and really endearing, and I think queer teens - who I assume are the target demo - would have a great time reading this book. Despite my criticisms, there’s nothing I find particularly/significantly harmful in this book. I also loved the friendship for Alex and Coley, and wished it was featured a bit more because it was incredibly sweet to me!

Girls Like Girls review - 4 stars

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko follows Coley as she moves to Oregon and through the ups and downs she experiences during the summer she spends with Sonya. The beginning of the book was a little slow, and it took me a bit to get into the story. One thing that helped me get through the slow start was some of the questions I had that I wanted to see if they were answered (which they were). Although once I got into the story, I finished it the same day because I wanted to know what would happen.

I liked watching the main characters explore their feelings and relationships, not just with one another but with the other people in their lives. Another part I enjoyed was the little references to Hayley Kiyoko, her other music, and other aspects of her life that appeared throughout the book. When Hayley released This Side of Paradise EP in 2015, I played it all the time, so the little references from that album were enjoyable to see (and I found a few, but in all honesty, there could be others that I didn't pick up on). Another part I enjoyed was the way we get to see the perspectives of both main characters but in two different formats. It was a small touch that I really enjoyed.

I felt a few things did not add to the book, but that was my opinion on these smaller storylines. Because there was a balance of what I really enjoyed but aspects that pulled away from the overall story, that's why I rated the book 4 stars. I thought it was a great coming-of-age story, and while there are some rather heavy topics so I suggest looking up CWs to get an idea of some of the darker aspects of the book before jumping in because they could be a lot for some readers (this was something I was unaware of before starting the book)

Overall it was a good coming-of-age story. If you're a fan of Hayley Kiyoko or looking for a sapphic coming-of-age story, check out Girls Like Girls!

This book was everything I was looking for. Simple yet so complex. Easy to read yet emotional. I couldn’t put this book down. I loved reading about their journeys and self discovery. This book is about acceptance, bravery, grief, heartbreak and embracing your true self. I loved everything about this story. 5 stars for sure!

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I wish I had the words to express how much I enjoyed this. Hayley absolutely killed it! This transported me right back into the feelings I got listening to the song and watching the video. Kiyoko is a master of story-telling. I couldn't put this down. From the first page to the last, I was glued to my seat, unable to stop myself. This book is addicting and will be easy to binge. It's absolutely one I'd put on your radar!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for this book.

I really enjoyed the plot of the book. I thought the representation of being in the closet and the anxiety that surrounds it was well written.

However, this book had a lot of underdeveloped subplots and I felt as though it needed more rounds of editing and rewriting. I think it has the potential to be a really good book.

I also thought that it would have been better to be set in university due to the amount of drug/alcohol use and present.

I think, for a first time author it was a good debut and I look forward to see what else she has in store.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
While I’ve enjoyed Hayley Kiyoko’s acting work in TV movies like Scooby-Doo and Lemonade Mouth, and her guest role on Wizards of Waverly Place (belated Stalex shipper here!), I’ve never followed any of her other ventures, although I was of course aware of her growing popularity as a musician. Nonetheless, I was excited to try her first book, Girls Like Girls, inspired by the song of the same name (which I’ve since listened to and fallen in love with!), and I ended up flying through it and being delighted with the results.
Setting-wise, it sits in that delicate area between being historical and contemporary, as it’s set in 2006. I suppose for the target demographic, there will be an element of the historical to it, but for me, having lived through it, it felt more nostalgic, what with the references to older forms of communication, like AIM, and blogging through LiveJournal being a means through which one of the the leads communicates her thoughts. I can understand why Hayley Kiyoko made the choice she did, as this would reflect her own experience as a queer teen more accurately, as opposed to trying to imitate the experience of modern teens (something older writers don’t often do well). And, other than the aesthetics, the story does still feel fairly applicable to the modern audience in how it explores its central themes of self-acceptance, healing from grief, and reckoning with heartbreak.
Coley’s an incredibly sympathetic protagonist, and going through a lot. I felt for her as she reckoned with her mother’s death, but also appreciated the relationship she developed over the course of the book with her father, working through all the intense issues between them. She has a lot of baggage, and I appreciate that the narrative didn’t shy away from delving into her complex feelings.
Sonya took some time to grow on me, as she definitely had toxic moments. But she’s also similar to Coley in that she carries her own baggage and scars that she has to reckon with throughout, and I definitely understood her more as the story continued.
I enjoyed this book a lot, and while it isn’t perfect, I would read more from Hayley Kiyoko in the future, as well as following more of her career going forward. If you’re a fan of her other work (especially the song and video of the same name), this is absolutely worth your time. And even if you’re not, I’d recommend this book if you’re looking for sapphic YA contemporaries with flawed protagonists.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for review.


After being a fan of the author's music. i knew i had to pick this up and it didn't dissapoint. the book itself genuinely felt like you were in a Hayley Kiyoko music video and i highly enjoyed it.

I was so excited when I heard Hayley Kiyoko would be writing her own book! I knew that it could not disappoint. She has a beautiful voice, both in music and on paper. She can really do anything and I can't wait to see what she does next. Hopefully more books!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.

Fans of Emily Henry and Casey McQuiston may like this cute romance.

This book is amazing and has portrayal of a bunch of things actual teenagers in this generation go through. It’s an amazing contemporary romance story with also life lessons.

Hayley Kiyoko has done an amazing job at bringing a queer story to life, she does it in her songs and to be able to do it in a book is amazing.

Highly recommended read! I would say ages 15 and up.

There are quite a few content warnings ( I got an ARC so I don’t have the finished version but I’m hoping she adds a CW page!) :

-death of a parent
-suicide
-drugs
-alcohol
-divorced parents
-internalized homophobia
-homophobia
-domestic abuse ( closer to the end, ex boyfriend to an ex girlfriend)
-breaking and entering
-characters DUI

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Wednesday Books for the ARC through NetGalley!

I had never heard "Girls Like Girls" or seen the video before picking up this book, but I guess I can see the influence. I thought this was going to be a fun read, but it definitely did not go down that road. Coley is sent to live with the dad she barely knows after her mom dies. They move to a small town and there's just underlying issues there in the way of their relationship.

In comes Sonya, who Coley is immediately drawn to and she feels like Sonya is drawn to her as well, but has never experienced a same-sex relationship so these feelings are new to her. This ends up being a true coming-of-age story for both of the girls, but Sonya isn't very likable. Maybe that is what the author was going for since she is confused about her feelings and doesn't really know how to handle them.

While this is a YA novel, it is set in 2006. I'm not sure it will resonate with today's audience, but maybe it will if they focus on the true essence of the story. I struggled with this book mostly because there was no flow to me. It is supposed to be a romance, but I really just wanted to see Coley win on her own because I don't think she and Sonya were a good match.

Overall, I wasn't a huge fan of this book.

When Coley's mom dies, she is sent to move in with her dad who she essentially doesn't know, in a town that she also doesn't know. She quickly meets Sonya and her friends - Sonya and Coley are immediately drawn to each other but though Coley has liked girls before, this is all very new to Sonya. Not to mention that Sonya's ex-boyfriend is still a part of her friend group and actively trying to get back together with her. What follows is a true coming of age and discovering yourself story

There were parts of this that I did appreciate - I liked Coley as a character for the most part and thought the depiction of her trauma and grief was well done. The writing itself was also well done, particularly for a debut author.

However, by and large I really struggled with this book and ended up speed reading towards the end just to get it over with.

This is supposed to be a romance but I found myself actively rooting against the couple getting together in the end. I actually think it would have been a much more powerful message for Coley to choose herself and walked away from the toxicity of Sonya and her friends (or at least Brooke and Trenton). Sonya had so much growth to do and she did it all in the last 5% of the book and truthfully it wasn't enough growth whatsoever. Basically Coley deserved so much better than Sonya and it was actually genuinely disappointing to see them "end up together".

Trenton is one of the worst characters I've seen in a YA book - he literally has no redeeming qualities AND he doesn't have to answer for his abuses of both Sonya and Coley. I mean he literally assaults them both in the last 5% and we just hear that he left the party and that some of his friends yelled at him. I wanted him to SUFFER. The ending was incredibly rushed.

I also do not understand the intended audience for this book - it's a YA but it takes place in 2006... I'm not sure that young adult readers today will really relate to the book but it also certainly wasn't for me, an almost 30 year old who could theoretically relate to that time period from my childhood/teenaged years. The internalized homophobia that Sonya experiences was really hard to read - though I think Sonya's worries were probably accurate to the time period, I wonder how relatable it is to teenagers nowadays when the world (generally) is a much more open place.

If this hadn't been an ARC I probably would have DNF'd it at 50%. Again, this book just wasn't for me but I also just don't really understand who it is for. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I never watched the Girls Like Girls music video.

I’ve listened to the song a few times (who hasn’t?), but music videos generally aren’t for me. Beyond stumbling upon a few really popular ones, I haven’t really seen any music videos at all.

So I went into this book completely blind.

First of all, let’s talk about that whiplash of an opening. This book is a YA sapphic romance. I expected it to be cute. I expected a good, fun time.

Girls Like Girls begins with our main character, Coley, moving in with her dad after her mom committed suicide. Coley blames herself for her mom’s death, stating that she should have seen it coming, and that if she hadn’t been late coming home, she would have been there to stop it.

Definitely not what I was expecting from this book.

Very soon after that opening, we dive into the story. Coley, being new in town, is recommended by her father to find some friends to hang out with. She goes into town, not really expecting to find much, and instead finds Sonya.

I hated Sonya so much.

From the first meeting, Sonya didn’t seem like the sort of character I would like. She gave me the impression of one of those girls who would say “omg, please don’t be mad at me” before describing the absolute war crime they just committed. Someone whose motto in life was “gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss”.

And she never got better from that first impression.

Readers are supposed to really care for the relationship between Coley and Sonya, cheering them on throughout the book, but I couldn’t see a single reason why these characters should have stayed together. Coley never states why she’s attracted to Sonya, and Sonya reads like she should be the villain of the story rather than the love interest.

But the part that really had me questioning what was going on with this book was when Sonya states that two girls in a relationship is “wrong”, then says Coley can’t get into a relationship with anyone other than her because it would make her sad. And Coley agrees to keep trying with her! In a sapphic book!

And don’t get me started on how out of place that ending was.

I try my best with every book I review to find something good about the book. To say “this wasn’t for me, but you’ll enjoy it if you like this aspect”. But my biggest recommendation for Girls Like Girls is that you skip this book.