Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
i received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. all opinions below are my own.
in my arc august post, i mentioned my excitement for have a little faith in me, since it has some of my all-time favorite tropes – best friends to lovers, fake relationships, childhood friend romance and the clichést cliché – boy who pretends he doesn’t love girl but actually does, and it did not disappoint!
this book reminded me of frat girl by kiley roache, in which the protagonist, cassie, gave a sex ed class to frat boys. in have a little faith in me, the main character, cece, teaches her cabinmates and other female campers about safe sex and how to protect themselves, and i loved seeing girls who are raised and taught to view premarital sex as a sin treat this with open minds.
the author did a good job exploring the topics of sex and feminism. the parts about consent, and how women do not have to be responsible for dressing conservatively just to prevent sexual assault from males, are handled so amazingly well, and i loved it. i also loved how the characters are open about their sexual experiences and are not afraid to share what they know with the less experienced.
other than that, the friendship in this book is the best. cece’s cabinmates clearly know that cece’s not really a christian, but they don’t judge her at all, and even offer to become her friend. they even back cece up when she challenges the camp director’s values and how some people interpret christianity, and it was truly moving seeing them bond and trust in each other. they are the sweetest girls ever, and i love how they forgive each other quickly after a fight, and try to understand each other’s views.
paul and cece’s relationship was also so stinking adorable. they have a tradition of making up and telling stories to cheer each other up, and i was already rooting for them from the very beginning. paul is not perfect – after his dad left him and his mom for another woman, he starts to get himself into casual relationships to protect himself from getting heartbroken again, but i loved him so much because he always makes cece feel safe and loved, and he knows how to respect and properly treat women. must protect paul at all costs.
on top of everything, this book is hilarious. i was literally shaking with laughter when reading it (, earning me some weird stares on the train). cece is so sassy and funny and i love her personality and the way she narrates the story and describes everything. it made cece more three-dimensional as a character, and the story, so much more enjoyable.
this book has its flaws though. growing up catholic, and having attended a catholic primary school and an anglican secondary school, i have made many devoted christian friends, and none of them talk like the characters in the book. they don’t throw bible quotes at each other. they don’t refer to their ex as a “seductress sent to them by satan”. different people have different ways of worshipping, and i’m not saying the author’s depiction of christians is completely wrong, but i simply find it a bit unrealistic. still, i liked how the author showed in her writing that while some christians can be utter assholes, like cece’s ex, ethan, others, like cece’s cabinmates, can be amazing people.
have a little faith in me is a book full of important messages and beautiful relationships, served with a huge heap of laughs. i’m looking forward to reading more of sonia hartl’s books
in my arc august post, i mentioned my excitement for have a little faith in me, since it has some of my all-time favorite tropes – best friends to lovers, fake relationships, childhood friend romance and the clichést cliché – boy who pretends he doesn’t love girl but actually does, and it did not disappoint!
this book reminded me of frat girl by kiley roache, in which the protagonist, cassie, gave a sex ed class to frat boys. in have a little faith in me, the main character, cece, teaches her cabinmates and other female campers about safe sex and how to protect themselves, and i loved seeing girls who are raised and taught to view premarital sex as a sin treat this with open minds.
the author did a good job exploring the topics of sex and feminism. the parts about consent, and how women do not have to be responsible for dressing conservatively just to prevent sexual assault from males, are handled so amazingly well, and i loved it. i also loved how the characters are open about their sexual experiences and are not afraid to share what they know with the less experienced.
other than that, the friendship in this book is the best. cece’s cabinmates clearly know that cece’s not really a christian, but they don’t judge her at all, and even offer to become her friend. they even back cece up when she challenges the camp director’s values and how some people interpret christianity, and it was truly moving seeing them bond and trust in each other. they are the sweetest girls ever, and i love how they forgive each other quickly after a fight, and try to understand each other’s views.
paul and cece’s relationship was also so stinking adorable. they have a tradition of making up and telling stories to cheer each other up, and i was already rooting for them from the very beginning. paul is not perfect – after his dad left him and his mom for another woman, he starts to get himself into casual relationships to protect himself from getting heartbroken again, but i loved him so much because he always makes cece feel safe and loved, and he knows how to respect and properly treat women. must protect paul at all costs.
on top of everything, this book is hilarious. i was literally shaking with laughter when reading it (, earning me some weird stares on the train). cece is so sassy and funny and i love her personality and the way she narrates the story and describes everything. it made cece more three-dimensional as a character, and the story, so much more enjoyable.
this book has its flaws though. growing up catholic, and having attended a catholic primary school and an anglican secondary school, i have made many devoted christian friends, and none of them talk like the characters in the book. they don’t throw bible quotes at each other. they don’t refer to their ex as a “seductress sent to them by satan”. different people have different ways of worshipping, and i’m not saying the author’s depiction of christians is completely wrong, but i simply find it a bit unrealistic. still, i liked how the author showed in her writing that while some christians can be utter assholes, like cece’s ex, ethan, others, like cece’s cabinmates, can be amazing people.
have a little faith in me is a book full of important messages and beautiful relationships, served with a huge heap of laughs. i’m looking forward to reading more of sonia hartl’s books
I wish I had read such a detailed sex-positive book like this when I was a teenager attending Christian camps! The author is gracious to her heathen and Christian kids alike, which I appreciate. I kind of hate the fake-dating trope because the underlying romance tends to be so heavy-handed, but the emotional aspects of their friendship-turned-romance were realistic enough.
I don’t see this being a huge hit with YA-loving adults, but I think many teens will see themselves reflected in this book.
I don’t see this being a huge hit with YA-loving adults, but I think many teens will see themselves reflected in this book.
This book is not for everyone, but I enjoyed it. I loved the characters, the storytelling, and the honest conversations about consent, Christian culture, true faith, and friendship.
Losing your virginity as a teenager is a dramatic experience whether it turns out good, bad or just plain awkward. Losing your virginity and then being told by your boyfriend that you need to break up so that he can “absolve himself of sin and be Born Again” Is just about the most asshole stunt I can think of and is exactly what happens to CeCe our main character in this gem of a novel.
From this point, CeCe is a woman on a mission. She hatches a plan to win him back by going to the Christian camp that he goes every summer and show him he made a mistake. It took a little (or maybe a lot) of exaggeration on her part to be invited as a Jr. staff member but she figures it will be worth it.
Her best friend Paul even agrees to tag along. He has been to the camp before (though since his parent’s divorce, not in recent years) and figures she needs all the help she can get because shes barely religious and anything but a devout Christian.
The whole plan becomes a whole lot more difficult once they arrive and CeCe is devasted when she finds out he already has a new girlfriend who she has to bunk with! These changes though just seem to make her more determined then ever.
This book was wonderful. I appreciated it that even though Christianity was part of the plot the author of this novel did not try to shove an entire bible down our throats. The romantic parts were very sweet and hardwarming and hit me right in the feels. This novel was also funny with my favorite moment making me laugh out loud. I have 2 words for you. MuuMuu bathing suit. Are you intrigued? Then you should order this book!
From this point, CeCe is a woman on a mission. She hatches a plan to win him back by going to the Christian camp that he goes every summer and show him he made a mistake. It took a little (or maybe a lot) of exaggeration on her part to be invited as a Jr. staff member but she figures it will be worth it.
Her best friend Paul even agrees to tag along. He has been to the camp before (though since his parent’s divorce, not in recent years) and figures she needs all the help she can get because shes barely religious and anything but a devout Christian.
The whole plan becomes a whole lot more difficult once they arrive and CeCe is devasted when she finds out he already has a new girlfriend who she has to bunk with! These changes though just seem to make her more determined then ever.
This book was wonderful. I appreciated it that even though Christianity was part of the plot the author of this novel did not try to shove an entire bible down our throats. The romantic parts were very sweet and hardwarming and hit me right in the feels. This novel was also funny with my favorite moment making me laugh out loud. I have 2 words for you. MuuMuu bathing suit. Are you intrigued? Then you should order this book!
Wow I really enjoyed this! A really interesting look at Christianity, forgiveness, and consent that is also romantic, funny, empowering, informative, and simply fun :) Most of all I loved the characters! The protagonist CeCe is flawed without being frustrating and her best friend Paul is literally the king YA fiction deserves. You can keep your broody antiheroes and emotionally stunted studs — give me a sarcastic boy who drinks gallons of respect women juice and can hold his own in a scripture quote-off any day
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Religious bigotry
Minor: Sexual assault
This book has the clearest discussion of what consent means that I’ve ever read. A must read for teenagers.
“Losing your virginity sucks. Nobody knows what the hell they’re doing.”
- p. 320.
tw: religion, coercion, misogyny, victim blaming, mentions of homophobia/transphobia, depiction and description of underage sex and sex acts
representation: Sarina (mc) is queer (bi?), Autumn (sc) is Latina and possibly queer
CeCe loves Ethan, so much so that when he dumps her after they had sex for the first time to become a “born again virgin”, she decides to follow him all the way to Jesus camp, aka Camp Three SixTeen. The problem is, CeCe knows nothing about Christianity, and so manages to rope her jaded best friend Paul into coming with her. However, things get more complicated when she meets Ethan’s new girlfriend Mandy, a true Christian… and her roommate. Forced to fake both her religious beliefs and a relationship with Paul so she doesn’t look like a desperate ex-girlfriend, CeCe finds herself confronting her misconceptions about sex, consent, and religion.
Apparently I’ve been enjoying books with religious themes recently, because Have A Little Faith In Me was about as close to five stars as you could get without giving it the full five. I absolutely adored this book, and I can’t stop thinking about it even days later. Of course there are a few things which bothered me enough to dock half a star (EDIT: Okay, so maybe just 20% of the star can go, because I'm still thinking about how much I love this book), which we’ll get into later, but first let’s talk about all the things I loved about this book.
“I could look at you all day like this.”
“That’s really nice of you to say.” I was the actual worst at pillow talk. (p. 284)
First and foremost, this book contains so many important discussions about sex and consent, and handles them incredibly well. From CeCe’s realisation that what happened that night with Ethan was coerced rather than consensual, to the open-minded sex workshops Cabin Eight secretly run with the girls at camp to ensure that they’re well-informed, each and every topic relating to sex was presented in an informative but non-preachy way. Have A Little Faith In Me explores the relationship between sex and religion, and it makes it clear that there is room for discussions around sexual relationships and consent within faith, which I think is really important. It’s made clear that no matter what you choose – whether you want to have sex right then or wait until marriage – the most important thing is that it is your decision and you give consent, and I loved the fact that this was put into practice later in the book when (spoiler alert) CeCe and Paul admit their feelings and sleep together.
Speaking of Paul, he was one of the absolute highlights of the book, and is now the entire reason behind my new ‘best love interests’ shelf on Goodreads. Kind, respectful, and attractive to boot, Paul combines the bad-boy reputation with an absolutely dreamy personality, and I adore him. He’s the guy that teaches CeCe all about consent, and he’s that much of a sweetheart that when he realised that his own first time might have been upsetting for his ex, he called her up to apologise. I don’t think I’ve ever been so invested in a love interest, and it was made even better by the fact that his relationship with CeCe was so natural and full of chemistry and sexual tension (and humour – their scenes had some real laugh out loud moments). Friends to lovers might be my new favourite trope thanks to these two (and there’s fake dating too! What’s not to love?).
“We’re bonding over how much boys suck.” Mandy motioned her inside. “I know you don’t want to miss this.”
“Oh good.” Astrid pushed open the door. “Because we love both of you and hate Ethan, and we’d have to bury him in the woods if he broke up our cabin.”
“And then we’d go to Hell,” Sarina whispered solemnly. “For murder.” (p. 173)
Of course, I couldn’t write this review without mentioning another brilliant relationship in the book, and that is the one between the girls of Cabin Eight. Although CeCe starts out her time at camp believing she’s going to be roomed with a bunch of boring goody-two-shoes Christians, she’s forced to confront her biases as she grows closer to the girls. They immediately accept her – even when it’s revealed that she’s not actually a Christian - and they are so wonderfully supportive of each other throughout. CeCe’s friendship with Mandy, Sarina, and Astrid was so positive and empowering, and an absolute delight to read, and YA needs more female friendships just like this. Plus, I absolutely adored all three girls (especially Sarina, god I love Sarina), and I would honestly read a spin off about any of them.
“I don’t expect you to get it, since you’re not a real Christian.”
“That’s a weak argument. I may not know the Bible, but I’m familiar with another book called Merriam-Webster. And you better believe I know the definition of sacrifice.” (p. 231-232)
One of the biggest parts of this book is, of course, the religious aspect, and there are many serious discussions around faith and what it means to be a Christian. As you would expect, there are the Bible thumpers, those who use their faith to excuse their bad behaviour and misinterpret verses from the Bible whilst pushing the ones that fit their agenda (such as Ethan and Priscilla), but there are also the ones that use their faith to be good people, to promote kindness, and to spread love (such as Astrid, Sarina, and Mandy). This book is certainly not anti-religion or anti-Christianity, but it does condemn the people, like Ethan, who use their faith as a vehicle to shame others and to justify their own wrongs. CeCe and Paul never do convert or believe in God (or, as they call him, the guy that Paul’s mum used to date), but that doesn’t make them bad people as much as the people at camp’s beliefs don’t make them good people. It’s all about the individual person’s actions, and I think that is a really good message to have.
However, for me there were some mixed messages about the religion within this book. Camp Three SixTeen was described by Paul as one of the most conservative camps in the country, and yet CeCe and Paul didn’t really seem to face a lot of backlash for some of the things they were doing when you’d expect they would. For example, it’s mentioned that one of the characters was nearly expelled the previous year for having pornographic pictures in his room, an action which causes another character to describe him as a ‘pervert’, and yet within a week of knowing each other Sarina is perfectly comfortable to discuss her botched handjob attempt with the rest of her cabin. Furthermore, when the girls start giving covert sex-ed lessons, none of the attendees are too judgemental even though it’s implied that at least some of the campers believe that CeCe is a Satanic figure who tempted Ethan into having sex with her. Whilst I love how supportive the Cabin Eight girls are, it was very convenient just how quickly they were okay with CeCe not only having had sex, but having had sex with Mandy’s boyfriend to boot, and their openness (and Sarina’s mentioned queerness) makes me wonder why they would choose such a conservative camp to attend in the first place. Mandy especially surprised me with just how openminded she was, considering it’s mentioned that she was home-schooled with no social media to speak of. I felt like some of the views were a little conflicting and that it took these sheltered, devout characters way too little time to openly accept and defend CeCe; I felt as though there needed to be more questioning and discussion first before they could trust her and understand her perspective. That being said, I’m a little glad they portrayed these girls in such a positive light, because YA does not need any more girl hate, and I think the issue I have with the conflicting religious messages is more of a pacing issue than anything else.
There were a few other minor gripes I had, such as CeCe and Paul’s relationship escalating so quickly from “I love you” to “we must have sex now”, and CeCe’s absolutely awful defence of herself at the confessional bonfire, but overall I just couldn’t get enough of this book and I would recommend it to anyone. The graphic scenes in the latter half make it an 18+ book, but honestly I think anyone above 16 should read it because the message is just so important, especially at a time of their life when there is a lot of pressure surrounding sex and relationships. Heart-warming, hilarious, unapologetically feminist, and so incredibly significant, Have A Little Faith In Me is a wonderful book that everyone can learn a lot from. This book got me out of a loooong reading slump, so if you're in that situation, definitely give it a go!
"He didn't take advantage of me, or just plow his way in. He asked me, and I said yes."
"How many times did you say no first?" (p. 146)
[4.8 stars]
- p. 320.
tw: religion, coercion, misogyny, victim blaming, mentions of homophobia/transphobia, depiction and description of underage sex and sex acts
representation: Sarina (mc) is queer (bi?), Autumn (sc) is Latina and possibly queer
CeCe loves Ethan, so much so that when he dumps her after they had sex for the first time to become a “born again virgin”, she decides to follow him all the way to Jesus camp, aka Camp Three SixTeen. The problem is, CeCe knows nothing about Christianity, and so manages to rope her jaded best friend Paul into coming with her. However, things get more complicated when she meets Ethan’s new girlfriend Mandy, a true Christian… and her roommate. Forced to fake both her religious beliefs and a relationship with Paul so she doesn’t look like a desperate ex-girlfriend, CeCe finds herself confronting her misconceptions about sex, consent, and religion.
Apparently I’ve been enjoying books with religious themes recently, because Have A Little Faith In Me was about as close to five stars as you could get without giving it the full five. I absolutely adored this book, and I can’t stop thinking about it even days later. Of course there are a few things which bothered me enough to dock half a star (EDIT: Okay, so maybe just 20% of the star can go, because I'm still thinking about how much I love this book), which we’ll get into later, but first let’s talk about all the things I loved about this book.
“I could look at you all day like this.”
“That’s really nice of you to say.” I was the actual worst at pillow talk. (p. 284)
First and foremost, this book contains so many important discussions about sex and consent, and handles them incredibly well. From CeCe’s realisation that what happened that night with Ethan was coerced rather than consensual, to the open-minded sex workshops Cabin Eight secretly run with the girls at camp to ensure that they’re well-informed, each and every topic relating to sex was presented in an informative but non-preachy way. Have A Little Faith In Me explores the relationship between sex and religion, and it makes it clear that there is room for discussions around sexual relationships and consent within faith, which I think is really important. It’s made clear that no matter what you choose – whether you want to have sex right then or wait until marriage – the most important thing is that it is your decision and you give consent, and I loved the fact that this was put into practice later in the book when (spoiler alert) CeCe and Paul admit their feelings and sleep together.
Speaking of Paul, he was one of the absolute highlights of the book, and is now the entire reason behind my new ‘best love interests’ shelf on Goodreads. Kind, respectful, and attractive to boot, Paul combines the bad-boy reputation with an absolutely dreamy personality, and I adore him. He’s the guy that teaches CeCe all about consent, and he’s that much of a sweetheart that when he realised that his own first time might have been upsetting for his ex, he called her up to apologise. I don’t think I’ve ever been so invested in a love interest, and it was made even better by the fact that his relationship with CeCe was so natural and full of chemistry and sexual tension (and humour – their scenes had some real laugh out loud moments). Friends to lovers might be my new favourite trope thanks to these two (and there’s fake dating too! What’s not to love?).
“We’re bonding over how much boys suck.” Mandy motioned her inside. “I know you don’t want to miss this.”
“Oh good.” Astrid pushed open the door. “Because we love both of you and hate Ethan, and we’d have to bury him in the woods if he broke up our cabin.”
“And then we’d go to Hell,” Sarina whispered solemnly. “For murder.” (p. 173)
Of course, I couldn’t write this review without mentioning another brilliant relationship in the book, and that is the one between the girls of Cabin Eight. Although CeCe starts out her time at camp believing she’s going to be roomed with a bunch of boring goody-two-shoes Christians, she’s forced to confront her biases as she grows closer to the girls. They immediately accept her – even when it’s revealed that she’s not actually a Christian - and they are so wonderfully supportive of each other throughout. CeCe’s friendship with Mandy, Sarina, and Astrid was so positive and empowering, and an absolute delight to read, and YA needs more female friendships just like this. Plus, I absolutely adored all three girls (especially Sarina, god I love Sarina), and I would honestly read a spin off about any of them.
“I don’t expect you to get it, since you’re not a real Christian.”
“That’s a weak argument. I may not know the Bible, but I’m familiar with another book called Merriam-Webster. And you better believe I know the definition of sacrifice.” (p. 231-232)
One of the biggest parts of this book is, of course, the religious aspect, and there are many serious discussions around faith and what it means to be a Christian. As you would expect, there are the Bible thumpers, those who use their faith to excuse their bad behaviour and misinterpret verses from the Bible whilst pushing the ones that fit their agenda (such as Ethan and Priscilla), but there are also the ones that use their faith to be good people, to promote kindness, and to spread love (such as Astrid, Sarina, and Mandy). This book is certainly not anti-religion or anti-Christianity, but it does condemn the people, like Ethan, who use their faith as a vehicle to shame others and to justify their own wrongs. CeCe and Paul never do convert or believe in God (or, as they call him, the guy that Paul’s mum used to date), but that doesn’t make them bad people as much as the people at camp’s beliefs don’t make them good people. It’s all about the individual person’s actions, and I think that is a really good message to have.
However, for me there were some mixed messages about the religion within this book. Camp Three SixTeen was described by Paul as one of the most conservative camps in the country, and yet CeCe and Paul didn’t really seem to face a lot of backlash for some of the things they were doing when you’d expect they would. For example, it’s mentioned that one of the characters was nearly expelled the previous year for having pornographic pictures in his room, an action which causes another character to describe him as a ‘pervert’, and yet within a week of knowing each other Sarina is perfectly comfortable to discuss her botched handjob attempt with the rest of her cabin. Furthermore, when the girls start giving covert sex-ed lessons, none of the attendees are too judgemental even though it’s implied that at least some of the campers believe that CeCe is a Satanic figure who tempted Ethan into having sex with her. Whilst I love how supportive the Cabin Eight girls are, it was very convenient just how quickly they were okay with CeCe not only having had sex, but having had sex with Mandy’s boyfriend to boot, and their openness (and Sarina’s mentioned queerness) makes me wonder why they would choose such a conservative camp to attend in the first place. Mandy especially surprised me with just how openminded she was, considering it’s mentioned that she was home-schooled with no social media to speak of. I felt like some of the views were a little conflicting and that it took these sheltered, devout characters way too little time to openly accept and defend CeCe; I felt as though there needed to be more questioning and discussion first before they could trust her and understand her perspective. That being said, I’m a little glad they portrayed these girls in such a positive light, because YA does not need any more girl hate, and I think the issue I have with the conflicting religious messages is more of a pacing issue than anything else.
There were a few other minor gripes I had, such as CeCe and Paul’s relationship escalating so quickly from “I love you” to “we must have sex now”, and CeCe’s absolutely awful defence of herself at the confessional bonfire, but overall I just couldn’t get enough of this book and I would recommend it to anyone. The graphic scenes in the latter half make it an 18+ book, but honestly I think anyone above 16 should read it because the message is just so important, especially at a time of their life when there is a lot of pressure surrounding sex and relationships. Heart-warming, hilarious, unapologetically feminist, and so incredibly significant, Have A Little Faith In Me is a wonderful book that everyone can learn a lot from. This book got me out of a loooong reading slump, so if you're in that situation, definitely give it a go!
"He didn't take advantage of me, or just plow his way in. He asked me, and I said yes."
"How many times did you say no first?" (p. 146)
[4.8 stars]
I wish I had read such a detailed sex-positive book like this when I was a teenager attending Christian camps! The author is gracious to her heathen and Christian kids alike, which I appreciate. I kind of hate the fake-dating trope because the underlying romance tends to be so heavy-handed, but the emotional aspects of their friendship-turned-romance were realistic enough.
I don’t see this being a huge hit with YA-loving adults, but I think many teens will see themselves reflected in this book.
I don’t see this being a huge hit with YA-loving adults, but I think many teens will see themselves reflected in this book.