Friday I'm in Love

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC of 'Friday I'm in Love' by Camryn Garrett.

'Friday I'm in Love' by Camryn Garrett is one of those perfect books that is easy to follow along but means the absolute world. Queer black representation is so necessary in this world and our main character is probably one of the most realistic and the most easy to love. The story was such a short read and from the story was heartfelt and beautiful. I'd highly recommend.

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.

Friday, I’m in Love is a celebration of everything YA should stand for.

Camryn Garrett is one of those authors that just has it. Her spark and determination to place pressing issues at the forefront of her writing is commendable, while also creating wonderful characters and storylines that bring hope and joy.

This is an unashamedly joyous look at queer joy, Black pride and coming of age, mixed with a realistic look at family, financial struggles and friendship. It is what rom coms wish they could be. That love letter to the beauty and vivacity found in our comfort films and books is deeply felt here. It captures the magic of that first glance and the slow build of a romance, while also celebrating friendship. The balance of those types of love is brilliant to see, emphasising the importance of platonic bonds and reaching out to your future.

Mahalia is a fantastic protagonist, learning and trying to find her way. Her voice was so engaging and relatable, with an infectious joy at times and a heart-breaking honesty at others. She has that head over heels type love that endeared me to her completely, though she does recognise eventually that she cannot just be consumed by love. Garrett just creates these snapshots of life that are so realistic. Here, Mahalia’s relationships with her parents form a key dramatic tension. With her dad, there is no easy resolution or magical happy ending, but an authentic realisation of her worth.

Friday, I’m in Love highlights just why Garrett is such an underrated force of nature in YA contemporaries. She just has that ability to capture a moment and let it sparkle.

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.

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.