A joyful read - the sort of book I wish had been available when I was a teenager. Sure to make a positive difference to young people.

I received Friday I’m in Love by Camryn Garrett for free on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for my advanced copy!

I was so excited to read this book! A sapphic story based on one of my favourite songs (Friday, I’m in Love by the Cure), sign me up!

The story has a great portrayal of privilege especially when it comes to things like race and money and being friends with people who may not understand you things you go through. I really liked how the author put the savings goals at the start of each chapter as well, it really shows how hard it can be to save and also that crushing feeling when you feel like you’re getting somewhere and then something goes wrong or breaks and you’re back at square one. I also really liked the message as well that as long as you have good friends and supportive family around you, then you don’t need the big fancy party!

Friday I’m in Love is a very entertaining and enjoyable story!

Loved this book, very cute and sweet. I liked Mahalia's family situation especially. I am glad I gave the author another go.

Loved this book! Such a fun and heartwarming read. Will 100% be recommending this to students and popping it on my suggestion board.

I loved Mahalia. She was such a great relatable and flawed character and I thought she was written amazingly. Her struggles with money, relationships, and her future were all so realistic and made it impossible not to root for her.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

DNF50%
Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me. The premise sounded interesting, however the story fell flat. I found the main character unbearable, and couldn’t get past her selfishness. I will say the budding relationship was cute, and i would have liked to see it develop. However, i just couldn’t bear to read anymore of the book in Mahlia’s pov! That being said while the book wasn’t for me, i could definitely see the appeal. Even tough this book wasn’t for me i will definitely be checking out more of the authors books, as I’ve heard great things!

This is an incredible book. I was hooked right from the very first word and I couldn't put it down. The representation is also fantastic in this book. I would highly recommend it.

I first heard about Camryn Garrett’s books back in 2019 whilst at YALC. Soon after YALC, I read her debut and thoroughly enjoyed it. Because of that, I picked up her second novel, which I also enjoyed. So, of course, I had to pick up her third novel. I went into this knowing Camryn Garrett’s writing style and was sure it would be a good read, which it was!

Mahalia Harris wants a big Sweet Sixteen, super cute Siobhan to like her back and she wants a break from her worrying. It’s too late for a Sweet Sixteen, but what if she had a Coming Out Party? This idea lights a fire in her and soon she is saving, taking on extra hours at her job and awkwardly flirting with Siobhan, all in preparation for the Coming Out of her dreams. But, it is not long before she is buried in unfinished schoolwork, bills and a whole host of drama.

Mahalia is an excellent main character. She is so passionate towards her friends, family, music and especially her crush. We see all of Mahalia’s feelings jumping off the pages. There are some points in the book where I feel she was a little inconsiderate of those around her. But, I did understand that the reason for this was her frustration and anger. I may not have agreed with the behaviour but she is a teenager and she is growing and learning. That is one of the things that makes Mahalia an excellent main character.

The romance in this book is adorable. It develops slowly and we see it grow authentically. I loved watching the pair get closer, work through issues and seeing how patient they were with each other. This allows them to grow a healthy relationship and it is lovely.

Friday I’m in Love discusses the topic of financial difficulty in an honest and raw way. We see Mahalia and her mother’s struggle with money and how this can easily become worse quickly. The addition of Mahalia’s bank balance at the beginning of each chapter may seem simple but it reminds readers of the pressure she is under.

At points, this book did feel a little rushed. I feel the story jumped around from part to part very quickly. It meant that the character’s emotions aren’t fully explored and we don’t get to see all things play out. I’d have happily had this book be longer to allow for these things to be explored more.

Camryn Garrett is definitely an author I will still be picking up books by. Her writing is unique and covers so many topics in a sensitive and honest way.

Overall, Friday I’m in Love is a wonderful read. It is one I’m sure those beginning to read YA will enjoy. I’d recommend giving this one a read!

Have you ever seen a more joyful cover than the one on this book? I knew that I was going to adore this story before I even opened it and I’m happy to report that it did deliver!

Mahalia Harris and her mum didn’t have the money for a Sweet Sixteen but Mahalia has a plan. She’ll save the money up herself and have a Coming Out party. But it seems that the road won’t be smooth. Bills need to be paid, bosses need to be impressed, parents need to be navigated, school work needs to be done and to top it all, there’s a cute new girl called Siobhan. Can Mahalia juggle it all and still have the funds for her dream party?

Mahalia’s mum is very religious and the two go to church every Sunday. So, Mahalia is used to the judgements of church ladies. However, she isn’t sure she believes in a God that allows his flock to undergo so much suffering. Religion isn’t a huge feature in the book but it’s definitely there and of course, it’s a very relevant, important part of Mahalia’s upbringing.

Mahalia’s friends all come from wealthy families and the tension that this causes occasionally shows. Her best friend Naomi doesn’t always understand Mahalia’s struggles and while she always has good intentions, they are sometimes misplaced. However, I really loved watching their beautiful, genuine friendship and never had any doubts that they’d be very close for life.

Siobhan dates an irritating, popular boy called Danny and this makes it harder for Mahalia to know whether she would ever have a chance with her. I really admired how self-aware Mahalia was. Perhaps the fact that she has grown up Black, gay, female and poor has forced her to mature quicker than her peers but I was really impressed with how she handled the tough situations she was thrown into with kindness and forethought.

Friday I’m In Love is a really wonderful, smile-inducing YA queer romance and the story seemed to shine out of the pages. Mahalia wants to work in radio and there are also several eclectic playlists scattered throughout the book, forming a soundtrack. Full of warm heart and self-acceptance, this is a gorgeous, musical, romantic treat that will leave you twirling the night away.

Ahhh! So much gay, so much longing, so much music stuck in my head. This book was a delight to read. The idea of a coming out party is so wonderful to me as a queer woman. The idea of everyone coming together to celebrate your sexuality and show you that they accept you is just so affirming.

It was good to see a book about someone scraping the money together to get what they want. I feel like so much of YA has become about rich kids recently and it's definitely been hard to find queer literature about people who don't have loads of money. There's a few more books this year that have come out about working class people and it's been good to see.

There was so much longing in this book too. It was painful at some points, but in a good way. It was a very good representation of the agony of having a crush.

Definitely a good read for feel good vibes even if it takes a little while to get there.

All of Camryn Garrett's book are full of joy, powerful messages and celebrate the importance of standing up for what you believe in. This is another wonderful tale to add to that list.

Friday I'm In Love was a sweet and joyful read, with a very satisfying ending. I read it in one day - I was invested in finding out what happened, and if Mahalia would achieve her goals. It's not without its flaws - the characters could have been better developed, and I'm not sure how long the book's plot will stay with me. However, this is a joyful read - I think it shows (positively) that the author was still a teen herself when she started writing it. The book feels very current and real, whilst still having great heart.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I absolutely loved this book!!!

Although yes it was a queer romance where being queer was the main focus for the character, it wasn’t full of cliches and predictable plot.

I love the music references throughout and the inclusion of playlists gave me songs to listen to as I was reading, helping my reading mood.

Mahalia is used to trying to do things herself. Being the only child of a single mother, she’s accustomed to having to watch the pennies and to plan ahead. After her best friend’s Sweet Sixteen party Mahalia is determined to have her own party, to celebrate her coming out.
We follow Mahalia as she struggles through work and school, trying to save enough to have her party. Things conspire against her, but she tries her hardest to continue to plan. Though this is the main focal point of the plot, the real focus was on how Mahalia grows as she tries to develop her understanding of herself.
I felt, on occasion, that some of the characters were presented rather superficially but I liked the positivity surrounding her relationship with Siobhan.

A sweet coming-of-age and coming out tale where our protagonist decides to buck the trend of having a party to celebrate her sweet 16th and instead will have one to celebrate being queer.
The confusion of teenage friendships, family troubles and first love all mix throughout and the YA audience should enjoy this.

This is an absolutely delightful YA contemporary sapphic romance. Mahalia’s mum couldn’t afford to throw her a sweet sixteen party, but after her best friend’s celebrations she’s determined to have something for herself - and what would be better way to announce her queerness than to have a coming out party? But while navigating the financial pressures of organising it Mahalia is distracted by the beautiful new girl at school, Siobhan. Even though Siobhan has a boyfriend, and Mahalia doesn’t know if she even likes girls, there are immediate sparks between them.

The first thing that hit me when I picked up this book was the VOICE: the prose is suffused with Mahalia’s character, which is relatable and engaging. As a protagonist Mahalia is… a sixteen year old girl, who is self-absorbed and passionate and frustrated with school and chafing under familial restrictions. She doesn’t know how to balance lust and love with the rest of her life so it consumes her, sometimes at the expense of her other relationships. It was lovely to read about a teenager being just as intense as in reality, while maintaining an accessible reading style - I think this is perfect for the lower end of YA (12-16) but it’s enjoyable for any age.

Garrett skilfully navigated the pressure that differing financial situations can put on friendships as money starts to matter. There were also some great conversations about the intersections of Blackness and queerness in relation to Christian faith. The characters are all a little flawed but committed to trying, and it creates a compassionate atmosphere for explore all the difficulties of being a teen.

What a beautifully written book. The intersection of love, family dynamics, relationships and sexuality are explored in a detailed and soft manner. Mahalia does not have it all like her friends or age mates, she had to grow up a little bit earlier than her friends because of the hardships her mom had. But she didn’t turn out bad, just more responsible and fragile. Her world tries to fall apart but still had to keep it all together, I can imagine the weight she had to carry. And having to be queer on top of it all, it’s really not a simple life for a young girl but she handled it well. This book is amazing. I loved it.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. I haven’t read anything from this author previously, and had not seen many other early reviews for this so I was not sure what to expect when going into it; but I absolutely loved it. I loved everything about it from the characters to the plot, and I adored the amount of representation it had. I would recommend this book to absolutely everyone, and it’s an easy 5/5 stars for me.

Friday I’m In Love is a book I knew I needed to read as soon as I read the synopsis on NetGalley. The cover first drew me in with the gorgeous pride dress and I’m so glad I indulged. Mahalia didn’t have a Sweet Sixteen like her best friend Naomi but she is determined to have a celebration – why not throw a party to come out? I loved the idea of this – and the confidence that we don’t all feel! Her best friend knows she likes girls but Mahalia is yet to tell her church-going mom for fear that she won’t be accepted. Of course, there are ups and downs along the way but this book did not disappoint. Mahalia’s crush on Siobhan reminded me of what it is like to have those moments where you are first falling for someone and they become your entire world, thought and breathe.

Mahalia is a wonderful protagonist. I loved how passionate she is: toward music, her friends, family, her crush. Mahalia really does feel and it seeped through the pages. She faces tough times throughout the book almost losing her friendship with Naomi and the ever growing question of whether or not Siobhan likes her back.

For me personally, one of the best things about this book was the way that it did not shy away from looking at financial difficulty. Mahalia and her mom don’t have much money and the challenge becomes even more difficult as the book goes on. Mahalia develops some really complicated feelings towards her mom in relation to this and it was really relatable – she loves the bones of her but sometimes resents their situation, especially when she compares her life to Naomi’s. I thought it was done really well in the book and I was glad to see it.

Friday I’m In Love is fluffy, cute and Mahalia is a relatable protagonist.

Friday I'm in Love by Camryn Garret is a funny, emotional, heartfelt read. This book balanced real life struggles - financial problems, familial issues, friendship growing pains. The book looked at queer joy yet balancing that still with the fear of not being accepted by those nearest and dearest to you. I loved how this book commented upon that people should not need feel forced to come out, or have to state their sexuality (why is straight the default?) and yet did not deny Mahalia wanting to celebrate announcing her sexuality on her own terms.

I really enjoyed the romance in this! I loved how it developed slowly (maybe on not Mahalia's part, that was basically lust as first sight) and how it grew authentically. It wasn't always easy with them - but I loved how Mahalia and Siobhan were patient with each other, even if they didn't understand. And there were some issues - Siobhan had a habit of ignoring Mahalia when things got tough, but I liked how this was talked about between the two characters.

I didn't always get on with Mahalia. Some points in the book she made me mad, I thought she was being selfish and inconsiderate - particularly when it came to her mums' financial problems. But on the other hand, I understood her anger and her frustration and that this was her lashing out. And while I don't agree with her behaviour, and do still think at points she can be unlikeable, I think this was a good thing. She's a teenager, she's learning, she's growing. And people aren't likeable all the time lol. I think it made the book feel more realistic and authentic to show this teenager with issues (issues that many teens deal with - family issues, financial problems, school stress) not always navigate them perfectly, but still come out on the other side of it.

I really liked the addition of Mahalia's bank balance at the beginning of each chapter. It was a simple thing to do, but it reminded me of the pressure she was under when seeing her bank balance, compared next to the amount of money she wishes to have saved for her party. I also really liked the addition of the text message elements / song titles / playlist. I think it broke up the prose nicely, and it contributed to the storytelling well.

The reason why I haven't rated this a full 5 stars is because at times I found some parts to be a little rushed, jumping from one part to another without fully exploring the consequences or the characters emotions.

But overall, I really did enjoy this, and I think Camryn Garrett is a powerhouse of an author. I look forward to her next.