A coming of age story that will stand the test of time. The perfect look at 2 young women overwhelmed by the world around them facing the trials of finding yourself as a queer person in a conservative state. And learning how to be better people along the way.

Good Christian Girls felt like a step back in time to read my own diary posts as a young queer person. Like Lacey I was raised in a very uptight religious household. And similar to Jo I was punished by family and peers when it was discovered that I liked girls as more than friends.

This book was so thoughtfully written. I believe it will ring true to most young people going through the self discovery every young quuer person finds themselves approaching as they enter the world as a fresh faced and overwhelmed young adult.

The struggles and thoughts of these girls are so authentic. I felt like I was joining them on their adventures. And mishaps.

From one co fused and overwhelmed queer kid to another. This is well worth the read.

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book

camp lavender is a summer camp of activities and religion and Jo Delgado has been sent there by her aunt after an incident to sort her out

Lacey Heller has been at the camp her whole life and this is the last summer that she is hoping to do... she is off to uni if all her plans work out, what she didnt know that year was she was about to meet jo and things might change.....

this is a pleasant read that will entertain the younger generation....

Thank you to NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books and Elizabeth Bradshaw for an advanced reading copy of Good Christian Girls.

This book was not exactly what I expected. The cover looked so eerie and since I am a big thriller reader, I assumed that this was a thriller as well. However, it is not- but was a beautiful story of friendship and finding oneself.

Our two main characters: Lacey: our poet and eternal good girl, and Jo: our convalescing young gay woman who should be at space camp are both incredibly well developed and thought out. I loved reading from both of their perspectives. Both girls are in their late teens and are questioning everything they thought they were and who they are. Jo has been sent to christian camp because her aunt is hoping to cure the gay out of her, where as Lacey lives at the camp (which her parents run) and has begun to question what she's been taught all her life.

This book definitely felt nostalgic for me, as a millennial (who also went to summer camp, deep in the heart of Texas and yes we had to rise and shine and give god the glory, glory every morning). I remember being very lost with who I was and being very unsure about the concept of friends. I also HATED the Blob-do all camps need one of these? Regardless a lot of teenage memories rang true while reading.

All of the emotions and developments made by the characters were complex and added more depth to each of them. I loved that although sent to christian camp, Jo managed to learn more about herself and become more confident in who she was.

This was actually a very quick read for me. I think I read it in several days (usually before school started when I got to work early). I needed to know what would happen to our two main gals. I feel like this a great book for anyone currently questioning their faith, what they've been taught at home or in the church and for anyone who is told that they should not be who they are. Although I am someone who is nonreligious, this book shows that whatever you believe there is a place for you in the world.

Great YA read. I will read something by Bradshaw again!

This book had laugh out loud funny bits and I made so many highlights throughout reading.

Lacey and Jo are the main characters in this book. Lacey's parents run Camp Lavender, a Christian girls camp. Lacey has always been the good girl and has done everything her parents wanted. That is until Jo comes to the camp. Jo's aunt finds her and her girlfriend together and sends her to the camp so she can be reformed. Jo meets Lacey and the two of them start spending time together at the camp. Jo gets Lacey to spread her wings a bit by believing in herself and her writing. What begins to happen is seen by everyone and not everyone is happy.

I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received Good Christian Girls by the publishers via Netgalley in return for a review. Even though I was gifted the arc, this review and rating is entirely my own opinion.

I first came across this arc as I was in the LGBTQ section, I myself am a part of the community, and I think it's great that more and more written representations are being published daily. I being gay, tend to look for more sapphic based books, as in recent years they have been few and far between. I came across Good Christian Girls in the middle of the night at some unnatural hour due to insomnia and I read the synopsis and thought I needed to apply, as the book kind of hit a little close to home for reasons I will explain within my review.

Good Christian Girls is a coming of age story steeped in the blatant religious indoctrinated South, in the big ol state of Texas. It follows one short summer at a Christian Summer Camp, Camp Lavender. The story follows two girls from separate walks of life on separate paths in life, yet both at the crossroads of adulthood and what they feel is right; they start a journey on a singular road. That soon turns out to be a summer that both would more than likely always remember. I gave this book 5💫. I will be talking about the book in points and reflecting on the characters, the story, my connection, how it resonated and Bradshaw's writing, and how Bradshaw portrayed this topic.

The story follows Josephine "Jo" Delgado, a latina, who comes from a very it appears stereotypical Latino family, where Catholicism rules the thoughts and outcomes of every aspect of their life. She makes a couple of comments, which may have the reader believe she is from a slightly poorer background than her peers and perhaps not from the same side of town they might be from. Not only this, but she admits she is actually an atheist. She is a gay teen, who in the eyes of her overly pious Tia (Aunt), is deemed a sinner in the clutches of the devil himself on a path to fire and brimstone, because Tia stumbled upon her kissing her girlfriend while in Jo's mom's car. So instead of Jo attending Science Camp, her family ships her off to Camp Lavender, a super religious summer camp to get right with the Lord and free from the "clutches and debauchery of sin."

I quickly connected to Jo. Everything about her resonated within me and my experience as being a "closeted gay" daughter in a Latin family that was very religious, Catholicism and Mainstream Christianity (later years of childhood), coursed through the very fiber and lifeline of my family. Though I was the only one of my mother's children whom was baptised not Catholic, but Methodist (my father's religion); I still attended a private Catholic school on scholarship, did the weekly masses, holiday masses at St. Mary's, while my weekends were spent Saturday, kids youth group and Sunday Schools at Placentia Methodist. I had heard the comments and phrases in a negative manner about the LGBTQ community my entire life. It scared me to pieces as I used to be a very God-fearing child. Unlike Jo, I swallowed my feelings and buried them deep down, terrified if anyone found out, especially because of the views my own mother had on it. I wish I was like Jo, when I was younger, I think my life would have been a lot different and probably for the better and saved me a lot of regret.

So seeing Jo be who she is, though a little nervous and shakey about it, made me think she was so brave to be just her, just Jo and not the packaged version her Tia and family wanted her to be. She was authentically herself and remained that way throughout the books entirety. She was kind, thoughtful, and sweet. Though she did receive a couple of nasty homosexual remarks from different campers, she pretty much was just Jo throughout, and I definitely admired her for that!

Bradshaw did a terrific job at portraying Jo's start to what could have been an horrendously horrible experience which could have broken every fiber of her, into 6 weeks of her being herself, showing tolerance and respect and friendship even when the world she was thrown into didn't understand her or her feelings.

At Camp Lavender, Jo meets a girl named Lacey Heller, who happens to be the daughter of the guy who runs the camp. She is a girl who is caught in a family who is holding onto her so tightly as to keep her away from the "depravity" in the world that she is home-schooled, lives at the camp with her very very religious parents all year round. She is the stereotypical dictionary definition of a "preachers daughter." She is 17 and on the cusp of adulthood and starting to pull away from the coddling control of her parents, their rules, regulations, their hate, and questioning their faith. Though when you are force fed scripture daily from a young age, and everything you do is monitored and they have secluded you and sheltered you in the name of "love and the lord" destroying any sort of individualism or creativity that isn't deemed "praiseworthy", how can a little duckling become a Swan? She meets Jo at the camp and befriends her and slowly let's her church walls down and soon begins to show sides of herself and experience things her good christian parents would have set East Texas on fire to probably "save" her and her soul from "eternally being damned".

I connected to Lacey, personally, due to it hitting close to home. This was the reason I decided to apply to read this book. My gorgeous and wonderful partner; we will call her L, too, grew up in Texas, East Texas, to be exact. She, too, came from an overly religious and homophobic family. In her early teenage years, she was sent to a Christian Summer Camp, Camp Pine Cove; for "spiritual guidance." I have never really asked her about that time in her life because she said it was horrible. The world she grew up in was drenched in indoctrination, purity culture, modesty rules, blatant sexism, and God. This absolutely affected her and her thoughts and feelings. When she talks about growing up in Texas it isn't good memories, she knew people who were sent to conversion camps, and explained although not one, Pine Cove with the religious rhetoric it pushed was not far off. I could not imagine anything like this, and while reading this book, especially Mr. Hellers outbursts about alcohol, Jo and how the camp pushed purity and modesty made me feeling sick and terrible, cause all I could picture was the love of my life sitting there as a young girl and having this thrown at her every...single....day. I have apologised to her so much since reading this for what she went through. I can't even imagine, and I don't think the world understands the lasting effects it can have on a person who was brainwashed and bashed by family and religion. So to those of you, like L, like Lacey, I am so so sorry you had to endure that!

The author, as you can tell, has done a brilliant job of exposing what life in the bible belt can be like. When I read the acknowledgements at the start, I was surprised to read that Bradshaw was once too a camper at Pine Cove. When talking about Camp Lavender to my partner, she mentioned it sounds so much like Camp Pine Cove. It's so strange. Then I confirmed the author had attended the camp per the acknowledgements, and she was a little surprised. It was like I was meant to read this, perhaps to understand L and her past a bit more than I already had. So thank you, Bradshaw, for that and for taking something that could have been dark and triggering and keeping the story light and airy with so many adorable, happy, and sweet moments between Lacey and Jo.

I feel Bradshaw did a phenomenal job at showing the world what it is like to be an LGBTQ teen in the south, showed what it's like to have religion and fear it and have it chucked at you at every turn. I think also displaying how individualism isn't a bad thing, and you can go into the mainstream world and survive no matter your background.

I think this is a book anyone could read, and it shows a good mix of intolerance and tolerance and how a connection, a friendship can lead to something beautiful and more. Rapunzel and Einstein and their story was one I will reflect on and I hope perhaps there is a second book showing how Lacey does in the mainstream society alone, without the confines of her bible thumping parents, does she get to NYU? Does she and Jo start something?

Thank you again to the publishers and Netgalley for the arc. Thank you to the author for writing a story that impacted me in a positive way and brought me closer to understanding my partners history. Thank you to whoever continued to read my review and get this far. You should read this book.

''Good Christian Girls'' is a thought-provoking and fascinating YA novel about identity, faith, and friendship set at a Christian summer camp. Elizabeth Bradshaw masterfully navigates issues of faith, self-discovery, and social norms, crafting an underrated and captivating story that calls into question traditional ideals of ethics and equity. Elizabeth Bradshaw's ability to construct a genuine and thought-provoking narrative makes ''Good Christian Girls'' a stimulating and contemporary novel that will resonate with me, and it seeks an in-depth examination of subjects relating to faith, friendship, and self-acceptance. But my main issue with this novel was that I couldn't fully get into it, as I wanted to.

Thank you netgalley and bold strokes books for the ebook ARC

This book was unexpectedly healing. I loved the story and the characters. I could see myself in both mains.

The writing itself was fantastic. The storyline was compelling and drew me in. I would absolutely suggest this book to others.

My first ever LGBTQ+ read, and I definitely was not disappointed! The typical good girl/bad girl trope was transformed into something I've never read before and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only reason I have given Good Christian Girls 4 stars, is that I wish there was a little more development in the past endeavours of the characters eg. What happened to Lacey's Father that made him turn to Christianity, why did Jo break up with her previous girlfriend etc. Apart from that one criticism, I absolutely loved this book, and will be looking into more of Elizabeth Bradshaw's work!

I really enjoyed ‘Good Christian Girls’ by Elizabeth Bradshaw. Jo and Lacey were richly drawn characters and I felt at home in both of their POVs. The pacing of this story is as fantastic and despite it being a relatively short book nothing felt rushed or left behind. I also liked the level of ambiguity in the ending.

This is a tender coming of age book about two 17-year-old girls at a Christian summer camp. Jo was sent there by her conservative Latinx family after she was caught kissing her a girl. Lacey is the home schooled, sheltered daughter of the camp directors who lives year round at Camp Lavender.

The two become fast friends as they sneak out after curfew and talk about poetry.

I was drawn to this book because of the title. I used to be a "good Christian girl" before I happily became a "queer atheist boy." I also had one of my first queer relationships at a summer camp. (All girls-summer camps are so gay, no matter the camp directors tell you!) So I had to read this.

This book has homophobic rhetoric you'd expect from a certain type of Christian. But it's balanced with the support and connection that Jo and Lacey find in their friendship and from a few affirming adults they encounter outside their parents. That's what makes the book entirely enjoyable to read.

As an adult, the shenanigans that the teenagers get up to in this book exhaust me. I am not sure they sleep much at all. But I think it's realistic for what kids will do to find fun and connection in a stifling environment.

This is a young adult book and I think it will be a cathartic and affirming read for certain kids who find themselves in similar situations.

The book treads gently on what may be sensitive topics for its audience. A trusted adult lets Lacey know there are other types of Christians who feel differently than her parents about certain things, but don't push that on her. Jo and Lacey never do anything more physically intimate than briefly touch hands. The worst swear word someone says is "hell" once, and largely they try not to swear. The biggest trouble they get into is some underage drinking, but I think that's fairly common conservative Christian girl behaviour.

Good Christian Girls is definitely a safe and fun book for young readers who want to explore being queer without too much of a culture shock. And for queer adults who want to relive a certain time in their lives!

Tenderhearted. The perfect description for Bradshaw's tale. I got major the But I'm A Cheerleader and Miseducation of Cameron Post vibes which is a good thing. We still need YA tale that help the youngins. Thoroughly enjoyed and will share with my niece.

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC for an honest review.

Please read trigger warnings before reading, as this is a relatable topic for many lgbtq+ people who grew up conservative/evangelical.

Lacey's journey of self-discovery and acceptance resonated deeply with me as I read this captivating story. From the very first page, I was drawn in by the complex and dynamic characters, each struggling with their own personal challenges and inner demons. Lacey, in particular, stood out to me as a strong and relatable protagonist. Her struggles with her identity and sense of belonging in the conservative Christian community she grew up in struck a chord with me, as I too have experienced similar conflicts in my own life. As the story unfolded, I found myself completely engrossed in the plot and invested in the characters' well-being. The writing was beautifully crafted, with vivid descriptions and powerful emotional depth. I was moved to tears by some of the more poignant moments, and couldn't help but root for Lacey and her friends as they navigated through the ups and downs of growing up and finding their place in the world. One of the things I appreciated most about this story was the way it portrayed Christians. Rather than painting them with a broad stroke of stereotypes, the author presented a diverse range of beliefs and practices within the Christian community, adding a layer of depth and authenticity to the story. This inclusivity and respect for different belief systems was refreshing and added a level of realism to the plot. Overall, this was a beautifully written coming-of-age story that I will not soon forget. It serves as a reminder that we are not alone in our struggles and that there is always hope for finding ourselves and our own path, no matter what challenges we may face. As someone who has personally faced similar obstacles as Lacey, I appreciated the way the author handled these sensitive topics with care. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a thought-provoking and emotional read that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

Sweet lgbtq coming of age story of two girls from different world. One a homeschooled girl who lives on a Christian camp for girls year round (her parents are the owners). The other whose aunt sent her out of anger after an “incident”.

A nicely written YA book that immersed me in the story and in likeable characters . Hope to see more from this author-would love a follow up book with these characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Book for this enjoyable read.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Lacey and Jo. The use of a Christian camp was unique and added greatly to the story. I love that christain's were shown as diverse characters and not pigeon holed as perfect straight laced individuals that no wrong.

I liked reading the story from Lacey and Jo's individual viewpoints. It revealed their own inner turmoil and helped me become emotionally connected to them.

I highly recommend this book. The author did a great job.

Recommed.

cute and fun queer romance which was really well done and the christian school setting was fantastic. thanks for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reader copy to me in exchange for honest criticism.

Good Christian Girls is a heartwarming coming-of-age story, set at a summer church camp.

Jo and Lacey are two young girls with very different backgrounds. Jo is a lesbian from a poor, Catholic family, sent to an all-girl’s church camp as punishment for being caught kissing her (ex) girlfriend. Lacey is the sheltered but intelligent daughter of the leaders and owners of the church camp, raised to walk in faith and little else.

As someone who grew up steeped in southern Baptist culture, parts of this story really resonated with me. The suffocating, insidious nature of this camp permeates the page, and it is clearly written by someone who is intimately familiar with this type of environment. There were times reading this when I was thrown back into my own church camp experience, knowing that something was off with what I was being taught but not having the ability to put my doubts and fears into words. The staff of this camp - with their ridiculous nicknames - are very real, I've met them in Georgia, South Carolina, Florida. Well-intentioned and kind, but oblivious to the fact that there's more than one way to live.

This story is told in first-person, switching from Jo to Lacey's point of view as the story calls for it. Both girls have their own unique voices, so it was easy to tell who was narrating even without the header. They chemistry between them is immediate and believable, and their relationship feels natural. The side characters of this book also feel like human beings, like they've lived full lives and they weren't just created to push the narrative forward.

*Mild spoiler alert*

The subplot with Lacey's online friend turned incredible creeper felt forced and unnecessary. From the moment someone with "boi" in their username comments on Lacey's poetry, there is a sense that he doesn't care about what she's saying, only that she's a girl and he can get something from her. It did feel like this section took away from the main story a bit, turning it from a story about a sweet first love into a strange revenge fantasy.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is deconstructing, who has gone to church camp and felt like everyone could see that they weren't truly walking in faith, or to anyone who likes first love stories. I really enjoyed reading it, and I can't wait to see what Bradshaw does next.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This is a book about self discovery and love and is a great representation of anyone who grew up as a closeted queer person in a extremely religious house hold.

We are following lacey and jo (yes its dual pov!!!!) and much to her mothers dismay Lacey is obsessed with poetry. Lacey has grown up at this religious camp called Camp Lavender which is for young girls and she has been shut off form everything and has been completely bubble wrapped her entire life, not going to public school, rarely leaving the camp and when she does it is always with her parents or other camp leaders. so she doesn't really know anything of the outside world she only knows the one sided view which is her parents view and she hasn't been given the necessary space that she needs to form her own opinions. But this will all change when she meets headstrong Jo on the first day of the camp.

Jo's family is catholic but jo is atheist and jo is obsessed with science and she was hoping to go to a science summer camp but then her family discovered that she was gay and her aunt decided to send her to Camp Lavender instead jo is devastated but she wont let that stop her from trying to do science experiments.

I absolutely loved this book and it deserves so much more hype I highly recommend!

Lacey Heller goes to a Christian summer camp for girls, and she is sure that this camp will be boring because nothing interesting ever happens there. Jo Delgado is sent to the camp under duress after a mysterious incident that turns her expectations upside down. The first problem between Lacey and Jo is differences in understanding - Lacey wants to be a good girl and princess and hates science, but Jo is interested in science. However, they begin to develop a relationship as they realize they both have problems with who they should be.

This is a classic story of coming-of-age where familiar clichés are presented when opposites attract and form unlikely friendships. The characters of Lacey and Jo offer readers a chance to interrogate the themes of identity, expectations, and being oneself. However, the story and character development should be so attractive that readers must read it. The writing style is barely an art but rather a craft.

For readers looking for a light and easy-to-read book, this novel will satisfy them; however, for those interested in a more profound reflection on coming-of-age issues, this book will not be sufficient. In the end, the book deals with known ground in a rather ordinary way.

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Truly enjoyed this book! Easily could be a book that could amass a group of fans! As someone with religious trauma growing up queer, this was a book that I feel could help people who also may be feeling unsure or perhaps alone. Lacy’s character was very well portrayed as a sheltered teenager. I think her coming to terms with everything was also well done. The handling of the big conversations with people around her(like Dr.Dan & Maddie) felt very genuine and not forced. Jo’s character felt very relatable as well, someone who knew who they were and did not feel that is was wrong. They both had their own voice, which is wonderfully pulled off for the switching POVs. Their relationship was beautiful, and I felt almost giddy at their banter or secret moments in crowded rooms.
I really only have one critique and that is that I felt the ending was very quick and left me wanting more closure? It’s not a Cliff hanger but not a full circle I suppose.
Love this book a lot, and plan on doing a reread soon.