I adore Hayley Kiyoko for her music and artistry that she constructs her videos with, so when I found out that ‘Girls Like Girls’ was being written I was excited but also nervous about how the storyline could fill a whole novel.
Overall the whole book feels well written and the characters feel well rounded in their own rights, so a great read for anyone regardless of whether they know the original video. The jumping off point is Coley’s move to rural Oregon, she is seventeen and attempting to deal with the loss of her mother. Sonya is a bit lost in the way she is simply going through the motions of high school but is still unsure about where she fits in. The two girls bond instantly, a magnetism that they cannot fully explain because they don’t yet have the words for how they feel.
There were some uncomfortable moments within this read such as the characterisation of Trenton. Throughout the novel he becomes more aggressive and manipulative with Sonya and although Kiyoko never shies away from the angst and backlash that can come with living freely and honestly, it did at times feel aimed a little more at an older reader. This lean away from the general YA audience does fit with the wider age range of Kiyoko’s fanbase which I completely understand. For me it was a really great read because I could relate so much to that teenage, intense, first love and the overcoming of obstacles.
All that being said the ending was so rushed and with the promise of a follow up I feel like there was enough scope to deal with the final scene in more detail, this would have added so much more depth to Coley and Sonya’s journey. Although one positive for me of ‘Girls Like Girls’ is that I think it will be an amazing first step for many into LGBTQIA+ literature and that is always a positive.

I think I was looking forward to reading this book and I couldn't fully connect with the love story, but with Coley's growth process, although I can't understand some of the decisions he made.

I'm going to go little by little, breaking down what I said above.

Coley finds herself in a complex situation in her life, where she feels that no one can understand her (and that is the case), where her life has changed drastically and the only person with whom she feels emotionally close seems to be a wall, and sorry Sonya. .. but not even at the end of the book I managed to connect with you.

I didn't like the romance story that Girls Like Girls presents us with. And that is much of what the book is about. About the friendship and romance between Coley and Sonya, and I didn't like it.

What I did like about the story is how Coley grows up, despite the fact that he ends up making certain decisions that did not convince me, I could see a growth in the way he behaved with his father and that was what I liked the most .

Maybe it's not something important for everyone, but it bothered me a bit that alcohol and drugs are present in many places, maybe that's normal in adolescence (it wasn't my case, that's why I couldn't tell you exactly), but it became repetitive and tiring, at least for me.

I liked Hayley's way of writing, and I was also interested in the way she portrays certain situations, so I put a vote of faith on her and I would like to know what other things she could write. I think it has great potential.

Thank you Penguin Random House UK for the ARC which I read via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was….. okay. For a debut novel it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t really good either. I think the idea that it followed the music video plot was cool but I’m not sure it really worked well in practice - it kind of felt like the characters were no more fleshed out than they were in that video.

The writing was fine, not good but writing is bloody hard and so this was still a fairly decent effort. But it still had a distinctive Wattpad kind of vibe to it.

I think my biggest issue with the characters - I didn’t really like any of them, didn’t find them particularly interesting or sympathetic and all of the relationships were pretty unhealthy. As a result it was hard to get invested in the plot or really care what happens to them.

And honestly I just think it was a shame that none of Sonya’s toxic friendships were addressed and I didn’t like that it seemed like we were meant to be rooting for her and Coley to be together.

I think with a bit more skill and nuance this book could be been good but unfortunately it just missed the mark for me.

Thank you to Penguin Random House UK and Netgally for an arc I exchange for an honest review.

eARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

CW grief, death, suicide, toxic relationships, abuse, drugs and alcohol, abortion, homophobia/biphobia

A story that should of about finding love while in the grasp of fresh and raw grief after losing a parent, instead, we had the harsh juxtaposition of it circling between toxic teenage lust and bits about grief interspersed. Grief should have been in the undercurrent of the whole story but was often forgotten about, especially with how fresh the death was, for the lust of the rich girl she just met.

The love interest, Sonya, was not very likeable, struggling with internalised biphobia/homophobia she made sure to take out her confusion on Coley and continued to be toxic throughout the book. Although starting to feel sympathetic, reading her POV other than the AIM messages, I believe, would have positively contributed to her being seen in a more positive light.

Even though this story was intended to be the reflection of the Girls Like Girls music video if you take the 'romance' out of this romance book, it shows a sweet damaged girl finding her place in a new town, sharing memories with her previously absent father and creating new ones. Overall it was a good idea but not given justice in its writing and editing.

This really hurts my heart to write this.
I *love* hayley kiyoko. And I have done for years.
When she announced that she was turning her girls like girls music video into a novel I was ecstatic and jumped to pre order it.

As soon as I started reading I found it very hard to read.
Hayley has clearly tried to write in a poetic way but its very jumpy and just doesn't flow well.

She overly describes things and it really takes you out of the moment making it hard to get immersed.

I did DNF (did not finish) but the mc really annoyed me.
She just met Sonya and was instantly following her. It just didn't make sense to me.

I really wish I could write a glowing review, but this was just such a miss.

I really feel hayley would write a bomb poetry book though.

I was 21 when the Girls Like Girls music video came out, and needless to say, it proved to be a pivotal moment for me. I was obsessed. So naturally, I was really excited for this book, and I was mostly satisfied.

I felt that the characters seemed pretty true to teenagers in that time, and whilst I think sometimes they seemed a little one-dimensional (Trenton and Brooke in particular), I could empathise mostly with their decisions, as I remember all too well the way hormones mess you up at that age. I also lost my mum when I was about 5 years older than Coley, and I know how much that influenced me, so her hurt and anger seemed very real to me.

I did think that there were a few too many plots going on - either some should have been cut, or the story should've been longer in order to fully explore them. In particular I would've liked to know more about how Coley's parents split up. The situation with Blake and Alex also never really gets resolved, and I was left with a few questions.

That being said, I loved the gradual relationship growth between Coley and Curtis, and I loved the small details we get, for instance about the choker necklace, and the jacket choice. The imagery of the town itself was vivid and really enhanced the picture already presented in the music video. It took me right back to both being in my early twenties listening to this song for the first time, and to being a teenager having my first crush on a girl and trying to figure things out. And when we finally heard the story of *that* moment by the pool, I felt like I just sighed in relief and understanding. It meant more than I would've thought it could to me.

I don't think this is a perfect book, but I really did enjoy it. Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC (and to lesbian jesus for writing it).

Content warnings: parent death, suicide, homophobia (external & internal), underage drinking and drug use, violence.

cute, and pretty adorable to read the book that inspired so many of my generation to come out :)

perfect for all queer young adult readers, or the readers who grew up with hayley’s girls like girls music video!

I needed a few chapters to get into the story. When I finally did, I knew that I was in for a ride. Altough I think the writingstyle wasn't really my favourite.

At first I was a bit annoyed at how obsessed Coley was with Sonya, it didn't seem healty. But then again when you are a teenager, all of your emotions are hightend. Everything needs to be felt extremely.
The more I read on, the more I rooted for Coley. I wanted her to get what she wanted, to get the peace in her mind that she deserved.
The struggle both girls were in was portrayed amazingly well, I haven't been in both of their situations but I could feel their desperation.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

The Pride month reads continue 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Coley is new in town and is feeling super lonely and bewildered by moving to the middle of nowhere when she bumps into a group of kids her age and that’s when she meets her. Her name is Sonya and to Coley she’s perfect. But, there’s a catch. Sonya is stuck in an on and off relationship and is struggling to figure out and find herself.

This is a more in-depth look into the story and background of the ICONIC music video for Girls Like Girls. I wasn’t sure really how it was gonna be built on, but Hayley has captured the essence of the video and has expanded and adapted it to a novel well.

Although the writing isn’t perfect the soul and message for the story is. It’s essentially a coming of age journey of two girls figuring out their sexuality to the backdrop of a melancholic summer.

The story is mostly told in Coleys POV but there are plotted diary entries from Sonya which are a nice touch. It was great getting an insight into how both of the characters were feeling towards each other.

One thing I liked a lot was the occasional references to some of Hayleys song titles! A nice little Easter egg for her fans 😄

The story is nothing too climatic but again it’s more the message and what it represents. It’s perfect for the target YA audience. It handles some serious topics such as depression pretty well. That being said sometimes I felt it a little repetitive it parts.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a YA and on the whole not too bad for a debut.

Huge thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this in exchange for an honest review. Girls Like Girls is out now in the UK!

Girls Like Girls, based on Hayley Kiyoko's song and music video, follows Coley, a 17-year-old who has recently moved to a rural area where she meets the charming Sonya who she immediately falls for. From there, the novel focuses on Coley's difficult and confusing relationship with Sonya, and how she is settling into her new home.

Yep, this book has insta-love. It's one of my least favourite tropes and throughout the novel I was wondering why Coley even liked Sonya. I get that Sonya was struggling with her sexuality, but she treated Coley horribly and I just didn't see the appeal from Coley's point of view. The happy ending also felt completely unearned as Sonya seemed to completely change who she was in order for the ending to happen, and her personality change just happened way too quickly to feel deserved.

This is by no means a fluffy romance, and whilst I wasn't expecting one, I also wasn't expecting the book to be as dark as it is and at times Coley was put into situations where she wasn't entirely safe which wasn't great to read.

The choice to set this book in 2006 also won't appeal to everyone but considering Hayley Kiyoko's age, I imagine this year has personal significance to her in the same way that 2007 has personal significance to me. The references to things that were popular in 2006 were done well and the time period itself felt believable and was well-done.

Overall it was a solid debut effort from someone who isn't known for their writing, but I wish the romance wasn't as fraught as it was and that the development of their relationship was done better.

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House Children’s and Netgalley for giving me this book to read for free so I could review it.

This book follows Coley after the death of her mother where she arrives to a new town with her dad that left them when she was a child. She then meets Sonya and her world is thrown upside down. The two girls start a strong friendship… or more?
This book is a written format of the song Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko (the author).

Warning, check the trigger warning for this book as it deals with heavy topics.

I was very excited when I learned that I was chosen to have this ARC because I really love Hayley Kiyoko and she really changed it for queer people with her songs.

I rated this book 3,5 stars. I feel like this could have been a better rating if the story was not ending this way. It was very abrupt and I wish we could have seen a little bit more of Coley and Sonya together and happy. I wish some subjects were discuss a bit more.

“There is no me. There is no her. There is just us.”

On the other hand, this book is really well written especially for a first book by the author. It was easy to go into the story and quick to read. The sapphic representation is also well written and I’m glad we also had MLM representation as well.

first of all this song was a cultural reset for young gays like me x

anyways the actual book was not the most well written thing i've ever read yet it made me cry and remember being a teenage and scared of being gay and confused about my best friend and also dealing with daddy issues so . yeah

I hadn't seen the video to the song this is based on before reading this, or even heard the song but I love my summer gays so I went for it. This is a really well written debut, the only problem I had with it was that I really hated the love interest.

I always felt that the story wanted us to root for Coley and Sonya, but Sonya is toxic and unpredictable, with opinions that are pretty much homophobic and an alcoholic, something that strangely is never addressed. She's drunk or about to get drunk for the majority of the book, and I thought it was strange that it was never addressed.

I did love Coley and seeing her stuck in this dead end town with the constant toxicity around her was difficult, I just wanted her to have the ability to leave. I couldn't see her and Sonya's relationship actually lasting, but I liked that we started to see Coley find herself in the final chapters.

I have difficulties rating this book. It was a nice story and contains some important topics but that's it: nice.
I had a little higher expectatins for the book that is based on Hayley Kiyokos iconic music video with the same name.

Partially I felt like that many topics were just brushed over and not really talked about (e.g. abuse) and was therefore a little normalized and played down. I thought that the music video did a better job at potraying the problematic parts.

Coley moves to her dad, who was never there for her, because of her mum's death. In some scenes we see a development in their relationship but I had wished that there had been more. I know that the dad-daughter-relationship was not fokus of this book but I wish it had been a little more focused on.
Moreover we see these "typical teenager things" (e.g. alcohol, drugs, secret parties) all over the story and the dangers never get mentioned which I felt like played these down a bit too.
But since the target audience for this story are young adults I feel like there should have been a content note about the serious topics this story included but did not talk about in more detail.

All in all it is a cute, queer story for the summertime.

Content Warnings: death of a parent, homophobia, drug use, violence, suicide (mentioned)

In this expansion of the story told in the Girls Like Girls music video, we follow Coley as she moves to a new town after the loss of her mother and meets Sonya.

I remember listening to Girls Like Girls on repeat back in 2015 and I viscerally remember how surreal and exciting it felt to listen to an explicitly lesbian song. When the music video came out I know I watched it over and over, so when this book was announced I was beyond hyped for it!

So going in, I definitely had the thought that this was written by a pop star, not a professional author, which definitely tempered my expectations, but I was very pleasantly surprised! I basically read this in a single sitting, and I found it very easy to read - I thought it flowed nicely and was well paced. I also definitely liked the lil Cliff's Edge reference (and lesbian Jesus getting snuck in there lol). Coley and Sonya both felt like very real, genuine characters, and it was fun getting to know their story in more detail than the music video. The story felt really authentic, and I was just generally very impressed by it!

Thanks to NetGalley, Hayley Kiyoko, and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

It captures a sad teenagers tangled feeling well, the heartache of a first love that's not easy and the difficulty of a summer in a new, small town.

Unfortunately, the book is (still)very messy. It needs more Show, don't tell, and a proper second round of editing.
And it really needs a proper ending. The way it is, it all just hangs in the air. Sonya said something, ok, bur there is no development here. And what works in a song (T hitting C and her hitting him back) doesn't work like that in a novel. This, and also Alex' storyline need resolving.

"That's the thing about falling. Sometimes you crash."

Firstly, I would like to thank Penguin Random House Children's and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this for an honest review. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko is a beautiful, heartfelt coming-of-age story which follows the exploration of sexuality between two teenage girls. I adored how real, raw and emotive the writing was and how gripping it was. We get to understand Coley and Sonya at a deeper level, seeing how they both grapple with their sexuality and developing feelings for each other.

Many tears were shed as I read, my heart aching for the girls many times over. I think Hayley Kiyoko did a wonderful job of showing what teenagers are really like, the mistakes they make along the way. It wasn't so much of a miscommunication trope as it was depicting how difficult it is to be a teenager, nevermind a teenager in love.

I would also highly recommend listening to and watching the Girls Like Girls music video as it puts the whole book into perspective, showing where the inspiration for the book came from and making those heartbreaking scenes hit a little harder.

This book was beautiful, emotional and touching; I know it will stay with me for a long time and I will be quick to recommend it to others.

2.5 stars and I KNOW, this rating hurts my little gay heart.

hayley kiyoko is an amazing singer, songwriter, choreographer, director, & dancer but i don't think she's the best author YET. that's not to say it was total shit, (i did finish it !!) but i do think this needed another couple edits, a second opinion, a collaboration. kiyoko's voice is apparent, but it's also clunky and needs nurturing.

other major issues aside from the writing;
• half finished storylines - there was a lot packed into this novel that just didn't get a chance to be explored
• an incredibly predictable narrative
• one-dimensional characters
• cringe dialogue (i swear people didn't talk like that in 2006??)
• events were super repetitive
• the ending was rushed and coley did a total 180

i get having a main character being a little shit is usually whimsical and easy to love, but coley was too sarcastic, too blunt. and most of the things she said weren't funny. this made it difficult to root for her. however, for younger readers, it did represent the turbulence and chaos of teenage life. girls like girls also handled mental illness, parental dynamics, and struggling with identity + sexuality fairly well. and i'm sure many readers will be able to reconcile with this.

unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. BUT, i'll always have me watching the music video over and over again in my 6th form cafeteria totally not relating way too hard with it.

Girls like Girls was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, as I love the song and music video of the same name. . It’s a quick read with a sapphic romance , that I would definitely recommend there are also more serious subjects explored during the book such as grief.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc

Four stars

3.5 / 5 stars

If you was obsessed with the music video when you was younger then this is definitely for you.

Girls Like Girls is a coming of age story, telling a story about finding love and acceptance. It follows Coley as she tries to come to terms with her mother’s death and live with her dad in Oregon who she barely knows. There, she meets Sonya and her friends and thus starting the beginning of Coley’s feelings.

Being set in 2006, Hayley Kiyoko does an amazing job in portraying life in small town America with the two main characters battling homophobia and internalised homophobia. It was such an easy novel to read and I really enjoyed the writing style and multi media. Coley and Sonya are in no way perfect, at times I felt like Sonya was a little two mean and constantly putting Coley down, even when Coley was just wanted to get to know her but you can tell she was clearly struggling.

Fans of other YA and LGBTG+ fiction will love this book and I am definitely here for more lesbian and wlw representation.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a honest review.