jdrosario_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
this is a great book!! it really draws you in and you get really into the characters and the plot. you will be incredibly mad. you will be incredibly frustrated. and you will be incredibly sad, and happy, and other emotions. however it’s worth it. lovely book thankyou for recommending jenna i love you 🫶🫶
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Suicide, Drug use, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Abortion and Abandonment
gingerbread814's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The last few chapters were good; however, it felt more like tropes than full character development, and that certain points of the plot were very rushed just to get to the "drama." The main character is somewhat likeable, but I would've appreciated more explorations of her personality besides the typical "dark and moody teen."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Homophobia, and Suicide
Moderate: Blood
elly_mc05's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide, and Homophobia
Moderate: Drug abuse
mcreasman's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I’m so bummed by this book. It was pretty anticlimactic. I know this is Hayley’s first book, but it was so obvious while reading it. It was also read by Hayley and I just wish it was read by a pro because there was definitely a lack of emotion? Idk I know I couldn’t be a professional at this. I think a different narrator would’ve made it sound less cringey. I didn’t like the characters. The main girl, Coley, had just gone through a serious trauma and is also 17 so I’ll give her some slack, but the other characters were all just huge jerks. The main love interest, Sonya, is awful to Coley and yet Coley still idolizes her?? Also the main conflict at the end was incredibly problematic and was brushed over so quickly???? The whole story just really didn’t sit right with me…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Death, Toxic friendship, Homophobia, Suicide, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Abortion
alex1's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Drug use, Grief, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Death of parent, Homophobia, Violence, and Suicide
ahopper7's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book reads like an independent queer film, and I’m here for it. It also was basically a combination of Kiyoko’s songs like Girls like Girls, Curious, Sleepover, and What I Need. Again, here for it.
Overall, it was a coming of age story for queer teens, one learning to love herself and accept love after trauma, and one learning love and accept herself because of internalized homophobia. Both of these girls exists in our queer community, I was one of these girls. I do think this needed a little more editing help, but I enjoyed the book, even as an adult outside of the market age, and I think it’s an important story to have out there. Kudos to Kiyoko for expanding her music into a debut novel!
Also, I highly recommend the audiobook. It has a full cast, is well produced, and the main character is voiced by Kiyoko. Definitely made the reading experience more enjoyable for me!
Overall, it was a coming of age story for queer teens, one learning to love herself and accept love after trauma, and one learning love and accept herself because of internalized homophobia. Both of these girls exists in our queer community, I was one of these girls. I do think this needed a little more editing help, but I enjoyed the book, even as an adult outside of the market age, and I think it’s an important story to have out there. Kudos to Kiyoko for expanding her music into a debut novel!
Also, I highly recommend the audiobook. It has a full cast, is well produced, and the main character is voiced by Kiyoko. Definitely made the reading experience more enjoyable for me!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicide, Grief, and Homophobia
micaelacccc's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Drug use, Suicide, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Violence, and Homophobia
Minor: Abortion
aelis_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Drug abuse, Alcohol, and Homophobia
Moderate: Death of parent and Suicide
kelsreadsthings's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
4.5
additional tw: internalized homophobia
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Homophobia, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
jennabeck13's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko
⭐️⭐️ (2/5)
Genre: Romance
About 305 pages
Sonya is your typical popular teenage girl. She can get any guy she wants, is a beautiful dancer, and gets invited to all the parties. Meanwhile, Coley just moved to town after losing her mother and is trying to make friends, which is how the two of them meet one day. From that day forward, their lives will change. They have an attraction neither has ever experienced before. But Sonya is afraid to come to terms with her sexuality, and Coley is terrified of being left behind again. If they never discuss their feelings for one another, can they ever come together in the way they hoped?
I’ve been a fan of Becca Tilley since she was on The Bachelor, and since she has been dating Hayley, that’s how I came to know Hayley and therefore this book. This was a cute novel, but not my favorite. I feel like it was targeted more at the young adult demographic, as the characters felt very immature at times. I was not a fan of Sonya, but I did like Coley and wish we got to see her stand up for herself more often. I also wish we got to read more about how her relationship with her dad grew, as I really enjoyed the little bit of that that we got in this book.
Favorite Quote: “We can’t control what people do— how they betray us or even why. How they leave our lives. So many people are running scared. And sometimes they run back to us and earn back our trust. But the ones who don’t come back— or who don’t work to earn back what they lost from us— we have to learn how to let them go.”
Content Warnings
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Sexism, Death of parent, Homophobia, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Blood, Death, Drug use, and Emotional abuse