Bi-sexual Riley will be the lead in the play Shrek and is compelled to slap fellow student, Amanda at school. But instead of a simple suspension, she is compelled to attend the Pleasantville Baptist Youth Camp in Kentucky. But Amanda is at camp too. Pastor Young has plenty of rules for the campers but Riley decides, in anger, she will commit every one of the 7 deadly sins while she is there. But what she doesn't realize in her fury, is that the kids there may be just as compassionate as they are rabid about their faith and there are many moments of wonder as well as gasps!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This queer read was more enjoyable than I anticipated. The setting, premise and characters all came together nicely and the religious setting was the icing on the cake.

Riley's dislike of Pastor Young, the pastor of Pleasant Hills Baptist Church, began after he preached a sermon on the dangers of homosexuality (as she is bisexual), but metamorphized into a profound hatred after he publicly condemned her sister, Hannah, for having an abortion, and expelled her from the church. Having strong disdain for a pastor would normally not be much of an issue; there are other churches one can attend, other religions one can practice, or no religious expression at all. However, Riley's best friend and next-door neighbor, Julia, is Pastor Young's daughter, and the two families used to be very close. What irks Riley the most is how no one stood up for her sister; even her closest friends abandoned her.

After slapping another student (her sister's former best friend, Amanda) for saying inappropriate things about Hannah, Riley is faced with a choice -- a one-week expulsion, which means she will miss out on the school play, which she has been working so hard on, or spending her spring break at the Pleasant Hills church camp, and then writing an essay about the experience. She will be joined at camp by Julia, her brother Ben, and other people Riley knows, including Amanda, as well as high schoolers from other area schools. The theme for the week is the seven deadly sins, with each day devoted to practicing the virtue that contrasts the deadly sin (temperance instead of gluttony, patience instead of wrath, etc.). Riley quickly sees an opportunity, intending to commit and convince other campers to commit the seven deadly sins and show how these alleged sins can actually be positive and useful in some situations. She wants to expose Pastor Young as a fraud, showing that he is often wrong in what he says. Her plan will not go as intended -- in fact, in some ways it will go catastrophically wrong -- but she will have experiences and conversations with friends, former friends, new friends that will expose and explore the anger she has been clinging to, and help her realize that others, including Julia, question the lessons espoused by Pastor Young but that fear, uncertainty, and peer pressure prevent them from finding the courage to speak out. However, Pastor Young will eventually go too far, and his attempt to publicly shame Riley will meet with some resistance.

Mixed-in with the virtue versus vice battle is a story about some people accepting themselves and others for whom they really are. There are also some pretty humorous moments in the story.

The story begins with Riley slapping Amanda. Faced with the options of Bible camp or suspension, Riley chooses the former. The narrative centers on Riley's quest for retribution against Pastor Young. This book is highly recommended for all readers.

Say a Little Prayer is a YA novel about a queer theater kid who (because plot) winds up at Baptist camp, where she decides to prove Asshole Pastor wrong by committing all seven deadly sins in seven days without being smited or whatever, a plan further (un)calculated to win the eternal friendship (could one possibly wish for more?) of Asshole Pastor's lovely daughter Julia—a plan so foolproof it couldn't possibly go wrong.

Say a Little Prayer is sharp, silly, heartfelt, painfully real despite its utter absurdity (a trick good YA shares with the more surreal side of experimental literature—perhaps one reason I'm drawn to both). To be clear, Riley is an idiot. But she is oh so very 17. Oh so painfully, awkwardly, believably 17.

In the end, the novel earns its five stars the only way a book with a glowing halo over the “y” in prayer really can—by being so much fun it hurts. Sure, there are some awkward moments and some thinly-sketched characters—but there are also some incredibly cathartic, emotional set-pieces. I don’t want to give too much way, but for those who’ve read it, I’ll just say—the “wrath” scene, you know the one—and from there, the white-knuckle emotional intensity of this silly little book caught me off guard. I read the last few chapters twice in a row, just to experience them over.

If you've ever wondered just how meaningful holding hands can really be, this is your book.

Say a Little Prayer is the kind of story that I, as someone who grew up surrounded by religion, could have really benefited from, and I suspect that this would/will be the case for many individuals in similar circumstances. Yes, there are certain stereotypes that are laid out and followed throughout the story, and it's difficult to say if there was anything particularly surprising or groundbreaking about the plot progression, but there there are plenty of dimensions with which the characters approach each other and their surroundings. No, I don't think that this work necessarily reinvents the wheel, but at the same time, I don't think it sets out to do just that either, and that's totally fine! The balance between that "goofy" sort of summer camp vibe versus the harsher realities of growing up and growing into oneself is well-maintained through and through. My bottom line: I had fun. Good fun.

After posting this review, I will promptly be contacting those who are familiar with my prayer-laden days and will be having a laugh sharing this often-times too relatable ride. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 because this is exactly the kind of upbeat (even if at times heavy-handed), easy read I needed.

My thanks to the author (Jenna Voris), the publishers (Penguin Group + Viking Books), and NetGalley for providing the eARC through which I was able to read the work and write this review.

As a bisexual girl who grew up in the Midwest going to church every Sunday, this hit some places I'd forgotten about. I wish I had this book when I was younger.

If there ever was a book written for a person, it was this book for me. As a lesbian who attended many a church camp (as well as private Christian school), I started internally screaming the first time I read the synopsis and I don't think I've stopped yet. I'm so so grateful I was able to read an early copy through NetGalley because tbh I don't think I would've made it to March...

Let's start with what I loved:

Ben. Obviously. Need I say more?

Riley and Julia's relationship. I'm a sucker for a good friends-to-lovers plot and boy did they deliver. I was rooting for them the whole way through and I felt that the relationship was believable and well-written, I really enjoyed their dynamic. Also, I really appreciated the on-page explicit labeling of their sexualities -- no dancing around the words bisexual and lesbian. That's always refreshing to me.

I also really enjoyed the discussion surrounding religion and the candid abortion representation. I loved that religion wasn't so black and white, good or bad. Hannah tells Riley she still believes in God even after leaving the church and I loved that it was shown that characters could still believe in something and not stand for the hate of the church they were in. It was very realistic to me and an overall just thoughtful portrayal of religion.

I also loved Riley. I love that she's flawed, a little bit angry, and not always nice. I liked that she messed up sometimes and was quick to speak her mind. I'm tired of female characters always having to be nice. Let them be more than that. Riley cared for others deeply, was passionate about injustice, all while grappling with her own view of Christianity. I'm always here for complex FMCs and Jenna Voris does them so well.

The church camp setting works for this too. Perhaps because I'm so familiar with it is why I liked it so much but either way, I definitely think there's an untapped market for religious camp queer stories LOL so I'm glad someone finally got on it!

There are so many more good things I could say about this book, but I'll wrap it up with I was obsessed with the chapter titles. "God Gives His Toughest Battles (Surviving Church Camp) to His Gayest Soldiers (Me)" was a personal favorite. Oh, and the "Every Time You Hear That Song" allusions. There was a certain one where I nearly screamed and threw my phone across the room.

Now on to what unfortunately didn't work as well for me. I'd like to preface this with this is still nearly a five-star read for me, so all of these things were very minor.

I think my biggest issue was just with the pacing of the story. The timeline takes place over like a few weeks, with the bulk of the plot happening over a few days. When you keep that in mind, everything feels very rushed. I understand that it makes more sense for it to be a spring break camp, just with the school/possible suspension aspect (and I even went to church camps during school breaks so I get it!) but I think a summer camp would've allowed more time for everything to be fleshed out. I really loved Torres and Delaney but with everything else going on I didn't feel like I got to know them well enough. Also, Amanda and Greer felt like the same character to me -- I kept forgetting who had done what in regards to Riley/Hannah.

Which brings me to my second minor issue: I think maybe we were trying to do too many things at once. We have Riley at camp attempting to commit all seven sins, her relationship with Julia, the abortion storyline/Amanda and Greer and the drama there, Ben and Hannah, Julia's own personal religious/sexuality crisis, and Riley's issues with Pastor Young. I felt like maybe if the focus was narrowed down a little, it would have given more time for things to be expanded on and given full resolution.

Riley and Julia's relationship gets the most satisfying conclusion, which I love, obviously, but other plotlines were tied up a little less neatly. For example, Riley's essay is like The guiding plot line, but then she just essentially says never mind and writes what she's supposed to, which is fine of course, but as a reader is just a bit like, oh. okay.

I know it seems like I'm complaining a lot, but I want to reemphasize that I LOVED THIS BOOK. All of that combined only took off half a star for me. I will be rereading this asap too. What it does well, it does VERY well. I related a lot to this, and I think middle school me needed this book badly. I only noticed some of the things I pointed out because it struck such a deep chord in me and I always have the urge to overanalyze books I'm obsessed with haha.

Anyways, Jenna Voris is so talented and should continue writing about messy queer girls for the rest of forever, methinks.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

This book is both riotous and heartwarming, blending humor with genuine emotion. Riley's fierce determination to rebel against the confines of her conservative upbringing is relatable and inspiring, making her a character you can’t help but root for. The sharp, witty banter between her and Julia kept me laughing out loud, while the exploration of Riley's identity as a bisexual girl in a space that feels unwelcoming is poignantly depicted. This book isn’t just a hilarious romp through ‘sin and rebellion’; it’s also a powerful commentary on self-acceptance and finding one’s place in the world. With its smart writing and engaging plot, this story is a vibrant celebration of love, friendship, and the unapologetic embrace of who you really are! I absolutely loved reading it.

First of all, the chapter titles are gold. Though I never went to church camp, I was forced to go to a Baptist private school in elementary (in Texas) which I could argue is probably way more intense than a week of summer camp. And I'm pretty sure this book brought up some lingering trauma, and helped in a way too. This book is light-hearted with positive message, I wish I would have read this when I was younger.

This is probably the first five-star prediction I've ever made, and boy, did it deliver.
Riley Ackerman is not welcome in her church congregation; apparently, being gay is a one way ticket to Hell. Recently, her older sister has also been shunned from her community for getting an abortion. With almost the whole town whispering about her sister's sin, Riley finally breaks, slapping a gossiper, and is sent to church camp for what she can only assume is an attempt to make her a pious and golden child. However, Riley has other plans. For each heavenly virtue she's forced to endure, she'll counter with a "deadly" sin.
This book is for anyone who has ever felt othered by organized religion, and especially the queer folk in that number. Riley is a powerful mouthpiece that I hope will endure for future teens that, unfortunately, have this experience. Even with this tough and heavy topic at it's center, this book is still about the ups and downs of being a teenager, friendships, and young love. I fell in love with all of these characters... well... most of them. The girls and Ben at least. They're all so wonderfully written through Riley's lense, and I'm very quietly holding out hope that a companion novel may exist at some point...
Please, please read this if you've ever been to a camp, if you're queer, if you know someone who's queer, or if you've ever doodled on the handout while a sermon is being given.

Review will be posted on Instagram and The Storygraph on October 13th, 2024

I really love and appreciate this book. It’s a gay camp story that’s significantly less gritty than others I read at the target demographic age and I’m so glad there’s more options for lgbt youth now. I was reading incredibly sad incredibly painful queer books when I was 12-17 and I loved them! But it would have also been nice to have something a little more lighthearted that still touches on the exvangelical rage.
The anger of reckoning with religion is very real and relatable.
I always love a gay Jesus book, this one is no exception. It is written for a younger audience which I love. I wrote in my notes if I’d read this in middle school I would have combusted. I love that this exists now.
I would have liked a little more grit but then it is a YA book. The stakes were real and tangible. There was a moment where I genuinely felt my chest tightening and felt the weight of the tension with the characters. I love that so much that’s all I’m asking for in a book. Make me CARE about them. And I did! This was very well done. I was a little disappointed when I saw it was friends to lovers just because that’s a trope that bores me a bit but it’s a well done book and I really enjoyed it. I read it in two days and I love to make quick progress on an enjoyable book.
Notably this did not make me cry which is always a possibility when we’re talking about gay kids and Christianity, but it’s definitely better for it. I appreciate this book specifically for its lighter handling of these topics. In my mind I’m comparing it to The Miseducation of Cameron Post and while that’s a great book and I’m glad I read it when I did- I didn’t have many options to read about queer kids not getting aggressively traumatized on every page.

After seeing this book pop up on my Tik Tok FYP, I was SO excited to get the opportunity to read it! And boy did it deliver!

Usually YA books aren't my thing but this was done super well to the point I even forgot it was a YA book. There were a lot of moments where I laughed out loud, but also moments I cried, while giving perspective of what it must be like to be part of the LGBTQ+ community and having such a religious background.

Lots of bonus points for having Taylor Swift references and fun chapter titles too!

This book was entertaining from start to finish. It captivates the reader in a way that makes you want to never put it down. The book had an excellent balance of comedy and love, while also diving into deep issues. Highly recommend!

Another banger for the queer, small town girlies. Riley's voice leaps off the page and I loved her relationship with Julia. It reminded me of my own church camp days--the good, the bad, and the ugly. I think teens are really going to love this one.

This felt like a very quick read! I found it pretty hard-hitting while being humorous in all the right places. Riley's character was very compelling and the whole camp setting made for a very intriguing dynamic. Overall, a great read and takes on important topics when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the digital advanced copy!

OHHHHHHHH MY GOD
OMG OMG OMG
this is on the level of my one day-obsession-read of imogen obviously
HOLY SHIT THIS WAS SO GOOD
please please please read this, i have never related to a book more in my life
thank you jenna, thank you for giving me julia and letting me feel seen, thank you for giving me riley and showing me there is hope.
i am so forever grateful that there are people out here dismantling hurtful systems and doing it in the most incredibly written and inspiring ways. i want to get to the point of making this type of change. but until then, i just appreciate having the space to giggle today and remember what it feels like to crush on a girl <33 OHHHHHHHH MY GOD
OMG OMG OMG
this is on the level of my one day-obsession-read of imogen obviously
HOLY SHIT THIS WAS SO GOOD
please please please read this, i have never related to a book more in my life
thank you jenna, thank you for giving me julia and letting me feel seen, thank you for giving me riley and showing me there is hope.
i am so forever grateful that there are people out here dismantling hurtful systems and doing it in the most incredibly written and inspiring ways. i want to get to the point of making this type of change. but until then, i just appreciate having the space to giggle today and remember what it feels like to crush on a girl <33

I absolutely love reading Jenna Voris' work, something about it really captures the feeling of being a queer girl in a space that's never been for you. I've been to church camp, worse even, Mormon church camp. This brought back all those feelings of "Does anyone else think this is wrong?" and feeling othered simply for existing. The rage that comes with being personally hurt by the church or people in the community and not giving forgiveness.
Voris' main characters in both books I've read of hers are deeply flawed bisexual girls that just don't belong where the universe has put them and they're angry about that. The characters feel so personal and her writing is so easy to visualize, and to feel the desperation of each character. There's more to life than being in a congregation or a small town and her work would have done wonders for me as a teen. Truly, she deserves more recognition. Another thing I deeply appreciate about this novel is the references to Every Time You Hear That Song. Those references had me jumping for joy, just little inside jokes for the people who get it.
I may be a 21 year old trans man now but this book placed me right back to being a queer girl in a small town with religion driving everything in the community.

Funny and sweet! A great and easy read. While lighthearted, it explored so much of the guilt and pressures that come with religion. I would love to see this plot expanded as an adult fiction. Likable characters but I didn't seem to connect with them. I do love the openness of Delaney and Torres. Great to see a good bit of character development by the end. I would def check out more of Jenna Voris' works! As always, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! 3.5/5 stars!