I really enjoyed this book. Speaking as someone who didn’t grow up in a religious household, this felt like a very genuine look into the Christian and conservative family scape. I loved the building of the camaraderie between the young women. Each relationship overcoming its own obstacles. Really enjoyed the overall concept of the breaking all of the seven deadly sins.

I know this is a story, but I also know this is how life goes sometimes. I love that Riley and Julia came clean about their feelings. And it feels weird to say I love the trauma there, but it feels very genuine. These young women grew up in an environment that was unwelcoming, but they found each other and are together now in this moment.

This was a really lovely book! I hadn't read the author's first book yet when I read this but I'm reading that now too! This book was exactly the book that many kids growing up in the church need. As someone who is a Christian myself, that added an extra layer of meaning to the story. The last several scenes in this book were some of my favorite in recent books and I've already reread them several times.

Amazing character development. Amazing plot line will definitely recommend to friends and family good job

This book follows Riley, who is forced (basically) to go to a Baptist church camp over spring break because she punched a girl at school. Whilst there, she decides to commit all seven deadly sins. Also there is her best friend Julia, who happens to be the Pastor’s daughter (he kind of sucks lol).

This book is super silly but also very heartfelt. There were parts that I was laughing over and then suddenly I almost started crying. I think that makes a good book, personally.

I really liked how complex the characters were! There was a lot of strained/messy friendships, confusion about religion, and a lot of serious talks about serious issues. It was a super realistic book and the characters felt very realistic as well. I think the sort of vague ending made it even more realistic. I’d love to read a novella about them in their senior year or maybe them in college!

Also, it has chapter titles! And they’re quite funny. Also lots of musical theater mentions.

Okay, so, I loved this book! Every aspect of it was so well-crafted and it was such a fun book to read, I could not put it down.

The story follows Riley, an outspoken theater kid who had to attend this week-long church camp to make up for smacking a girl in school. She’s also joined by her neighbor/best friend Julia, the pastor’s daughter. And after finding out the theme of the church camp this year is the seven heavenly virtues, Riley vows to take down her former pastor through committing the seven deadly sins instead.

First, I loved the found family situation with the six girls in the cabin, some of them being friends before church camp, some not so much. I also loved how different and distinct all the girls were, and how they were able to work past their differences.

I really enjoyed Riley’s character. She has a strong, intense personality, which in some other cases could be annoying, but I liked the way she wielded her personality (if that makes sense). Like helping the other girls go out of their comfort zones, always supporting them, it was really sweet.

I also really liked Julia’s character. She was the total opposite of Riley in some ways, being more reserved while Riley was the outspoken one, but they both really cared for each other throughout the book and I loved their friends-to-lovers dynamic.

Speaking of their relationship, I loved that you could see their feelings for each other from the start, even if they didn’t fully acknowledge or know it then. The little touches, looking out for each other, sharing secret smiles, it was so cute.

I also thought the religious aspect of this book was very well executed. As an ex-Christian, I could totally relate to Riley’s anger over her former congregation kicking out her sister. And I could also understand Julia’s predicament with being the pastor’s daughter and a closeted lesbian. I also appreciated how the religious aspects tied in with their developing relationship.

Overall, this book was so entertaining and I couldn’t recommend it enough for people wanting a fun, fast-paced, sapphic YA novel!

Oh man this was so special. Five stars easily. This story was a sparkling mix of pining, theatre kid nostalgia and the challenges of coming into your own that many teens face across the board. Riley is a fierce main character who loves her family and sticks to her convictions at ever moment. Throughout the book we see her come face to face with the reality of her religious upbringing and recon with the unfair system of her church. To see her choose her own path and build bonds despite the efforts of Pastor Young (yuck) was the hopeful salve everyone needs in these hellish days ahead. Julia's arc and insights were oh so painful but to see her get her form of a happy ending was just so sweet. This book will be so helpful to those in its intended audience and will provide them with a comfort that will be without a doubt life-changing and oh so affirming.

If you are looking specifically for a sapphic romance, this probably isn’t the book for you. If you are looking for a book about religious trauma and friendship with some very funny one-liners, you’ll probably enjoy this one. I was expecting more from the romance, but I’d say the romance was a subplot in this book. I enjoyed the side characters in this book and the way their stories were fleshed out. I appreciated the way the author demonstrated how some churches use fear to control their members, and the way this can hurt people.

Overall, this book wasn’t what I expected, but it was well-written and some of the lines actually had me laughing out loud.

This was a fun YA read that my students will enjoy. The critique of conservative religion is sharp and enjoyable.

I really enjoyed this book! It is very unfortunate but also comforting to know that others can relate to this religious trauma. But with a very happy ending to help us heal

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc. Thoughts & opinions are my own.

I honestly don’t really know how to feel about this book—probably because I’m not religious and have never been in a youth group or anything of the sort so I can’t really relate to it. It made me uncomfortable as someone who’s been the target of “religious” hate; but that’s the point of this book. It should make you uncomfortable, because everyone SHOULD be questioning exactly why we let certain people get abused all because of “religion.” There’s a lot of food for thought here, but I’m tired, so.

Either way, I just felt kind of odd after finishing because it was such a heavy topic handled in what felt like a…humorous, light way? Not really, I did shed a tear, but it just felt like it should’ve been way more serious to me.

Easy read though, and opens discussion for an important topic, so I give it 3 gay stars.

P.S I put “religion” in quotation marks because I personally believe if you are using God as a means to justify sexism, racism, or homophobia—that’s not a religion. That’s just hate. True religion to me is loving people no matter who they are, and being genuine in listening to their story unless they’re ACTUALLY awful (I.E pedos, rapists, etc). Again, big topic, lots to say, so this is my review. Wooo

I really appreciated the way this book tackles religious trauma and conformity. Riley has an agenda to prove the Pastor (her best friend's dad) wrong, but she definitely struggles with her complicated feelings about religion in general and the way her community is about it. Love a supportive family (Riley's) and I loved the way Riley and Amanda grew over the course of the book. Although sadly realistic, I wish the ending had come with actual consequences for the Pastor. Also really enjoyed the humor of this one, especially the chapter titles.

CW: homophobia, abortion, religious trauma

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

Say A Little Prayer is a queer church kid story turned on its head. After being forced to spend the school break at bible camp as punishment, she decides to commit the deadly sins that they are being taught to avoid.

It is an interesting take on complex feelings about religion after feeling judged and/or abandoned due to a "sin". It manages to be humorous while tackling big and serious topics. It is a triumphant story about being true to yourself despite the judgement of others. Having been to bible camp myself, I think the author does a great job at writing that experience.

Riley is a bisexual, high school theater kid with a whole lot of religious trauma. When she finds herself in the principal's office after slapping the daughter of Miss Teen Ohio 1998, she's given a choice: either miss out on the spring musical, or spend spring break at church camp. She reluctantly picks church camp, where she quickly realizes she might just have feelings for the pastor's daughter.

This was such a good little YA book. It's very relatable and I think it will be great for its intended audience.

The writing is funny and sarcastic, but Voris still manages to tackle some heavier topics. There's a lot of really great character development for Riley and the other characters. You see this great moments where Riley starts to see the other girls and camp in a different light and realizes they have some similarities despite different beliefs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Books for the ARC!

Say a Little Prayer by Jenna Voris is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel. The characters feel authentic, and the story touches on themes of hope, love, and personal growth. While the pacing was a bit slow at times, the heartfelt moments and rich emotional depth more than made up for it. It’s a moving read that stays with you long after you’ve finished. A solid 4-star experience that I’d recommend to fans of character-driven stories!

Wow there is a lot going on in this book, and I mean that in a good way. Our MC gets sent to the principal’s office for hitting a girl who was making fun of her sister who got an abortion and was cast out of their church. As punishment she is being sent to a bible camp on her school break, where each day they are going over one of the deadly sins. Not believing in any of that she sets out to commit instead of avoid the sins. What a a premise!

So obviously, religious trauma, bullying, homophobia, conformity so so so much going on. Riley isn’t welcome in the church being bisexual. Her sister having got an abortion is also not welcome. Church is a big deal and the pastor is her friend’s father.

I can’t imagine being in Riley’s shoes and I’m glad I don’t have to be, however I very much enjoyed this book and her journey. The characters and settings felt very real. While there was so much going on it felt genuine. The only thing I hoped for was maybe a bit more loose ties at the end being figured out.

say a little prayer review

riley is so cute i love her vibe !!
julia and riley would be so cute together !

i’m glad this book actually talks abt the struggles of being queer within a church setting

i soo feel the feelings riley is dealing w, when i use to go to church i was told i’m going to hell bc i was dating a girl or bc my depression was bad and at one point i started having such severe panic attacks i completely stopping going to church and now i’m not even christian anymore

the last half of this book is soooo good !!

the church scene of them standing up against the pastor is super good ! and the limo scene like yesss !!

(i was able to read this as a arc for a honest review)

I was so intrigued by the concept of this book. Riley gets in trouble at school, and she is forced to spend her spring break at a church camp. Riley and her family haven't attended church since Riley came out as bi and Riley's older sister had an abortion. Riley's family no longer feels welcome or comfortable at church. The other problem is that Riley is neighbors with the church pastor and she is best friends with his twins. Riley has feelings for Julia, but she knows to keep that to herself. When Julia kisses Riley, she is shocked but so happy at the same time. Their falling out was hard to read, but I'm glad they could work things out.

At the camp, Riley is forced to bunk with girls who used to be friends with her sister, but they have turned their backs on her. The whole situation is so awkward, and I felt for Riley.

I appreciated the take on complicated feelings about church, and I found that very relatable. I struggled with feeling like there were no consequences for the pastor. No matter what he did or said, the church community just seemed to accept it and go along with it.

The ending felt too ambiguous to me. I know it's a YA book, but I would have loved to see into the future to see what happens to Riley and Julia. I wanted to see if anything happened to the pastor too. The story just felt incomplete.

Say a Little Prayer by Jenna Voris is my favorite book of 2025. Voris' is an undeniable talent. What I thought would be a light, possibly hilarious revenge tale was something much more heartrending and triumphant. Voris' writing style helps to elucidate the many troubles most teens face in these modern times and makes me feel their pain all over again. But she also makes me feel the joy and love of finding your family, friends, and partners in support. Overwhelmingly enjoyed! Please go buy and read this book.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Penguin Teen Canada for the advance copy of this book!

This book simultaneously broke and healed my heart and I loved every minute of it! While it starts out very lighthearted, it quickly goes much deeper and there are so many beautiful moments. I really really loved the complex way these characters were written, and the way that Riley realizes there is so much more to everyone than what she sees on the surface. The focus on female friendship and solidarity is SO amazing and well written.

There are heavy themes of catholic guilt and the way it can hold on for far longer than you expect, while also showing a more positive side of religion as well. It felt like a very raw portrayal of what being a queer teenager in a strict religious community can be.

This book was sweet and tender, real and raw, and I absolutely could not put it down! It sucked me in from the first chapter title and it is one that I will think about often. I wish only wish my teenage self could read it!

This book was such a fun read. I’m a sucker for a YA romance, especially if you throw in a little religious trauma humor, and this one delivered. The chapter titles alone were absolute gold.

While the focus of the book is mostly Riley’s attempt at committing all seven deadly sins, there are clear lessons imparted along the way. I love the focus on the grey areas in the things we are told as children, both in and out of religious institutions. Riley’s character growth is not lost on me either; the author did an incredible job of showing her open up over time in a way that felt very natural.

The only thing I might say is that the progression of the book is a little off-kilter. Some things in the book felt really rushed. I understand camp only lasts a week, so there are limitations, but it sometimes felt a little too sugar-coated because of that. Overall, I would still highly recommend the book.