Girls Like Girls

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House Children’s and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

The story follows Coley a girl grieving the loss of her mother, moving to Oregon and living with her father she’s not seen since she was 3. Then she starts to fall for Sonya a beautiful but complicated girl who’s not ready to admit her feelings for Coley.

Where do I start? I have so many feelings and thoughts on this book I’m not sure where to start if I’m honest, and I don’t think I can even fully express how much I loved and enjoyed reading this book, but I’m going to try.

This was incredible, beautiful, touching, heartbreaking, funny, raw and so so real. What an experience this book is and Hayley Kiyoko is such an incredible writer.

The story is so gripping, I was literally sucked into it from the instant I started reading, Coley made me laugh right away and I knew I was gonna love following her story. The story is so deep and sad in so many places with her coming to terms with all her grief, her struggles within herself, dealing with the changes, the anger inside of her. I honestly loved how she continued to progress, how she grew and how she dealt with it all honestly. She’d been through a lot in her life and it all built up inside her. She was such an amazing character to follow though.

The relationship between Sonya and Coley was hot and cold. I fell though, I fell so hard and couldn’t help but just want them to admit it, to rise up against everything and love each other. I really liked that we saw the additional parts of the relationship aka Sonya’s parts through AIM what a flash back, but also I loved how it just worked so perfectly. I can tell you now when you read this book which you must, you will get roped into these girls relationship instantly, you will feel all the feels with them and it will shatter you deeply.

There were some bad parts, well not in writing but we had one character Trenton that was such a complete asshole so abusive and manipulative and evil. You aren’t supposed to like him, but like I really didn’t like him at all from the first instant we meet him. He is a perfect representation though of a horrific male asshole that acts like he knows best and that he can control someone if he chooses too. My goodness did I hate him so much, he had my blood boiling. Also I was cheering Coley on so much later in the story.

This is the kind of book that I wish existed openly when I was a young adult/teen, a book that shows what it’s like to fall in love with a girl as a girl, that’s it perfectly fine, that it can be messy but also so beautiful. That being scared is fine but when you let yourself go it can be the most perfect and beautiful thing in the world. I’m so happy this book exist now and it’s beautiful and real.

I really loved this book and read it all in one sitting, I was so gripped and enthralled in the story, with the characters feeling like I was right there watching it all happen. (Well I was reading it all happen) I felt so many emotions and I swear they changed in each chapter, the writing is so perfectly done, the story told so deeply with so much heart to it.

I really recommend reading this book, especially if you connect to Coley and girls like girls. You will feel everything and get attached to the characters and fall into the romance, dive deep into the emotions, to the ups and downs, to the raw and realistically written lives of these characters. Its really worth your time I assure you.

This debut, angsty, YA novel is based on the music video of Kiyoko's song, Girls Like Girls.

It's summertime and 17 year old Coley is new in town, having just lost her mother. She's dealing with reconnecting with her father who she hasn't seen in 14 years.

When she meets Sonya, it's instant attraction, but is Sonya ready to admit her feelings?

This book deals with several hard hitting topic. Coley and her father's blossoming relationship was heartwarming.

My main critique is that it was too short as I felt like some things could have been explored more.

All in all an excellent debut, looking forward to more of Kiyoko's work.