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A review by morganthebee
Say A Little Prayer by Jenna Voris
4.25
When I picked up Say a Little Prayer on a whim, I had no idea that much of the book takes place in my home state of Ohio and our neighbor Kentucky. Oh, the number of times I’ve driven by the referenced “Hell is Real” billboard, and I can personally attest that the mindset that can be so prevalent in small Ohio towns is no joke.
The story here focuses on Riley, who is angry and feels out of place. She’s left her church after coming out as bi, her sister has been ostracized for having an abortion, and her schoolmates won’t stop putting her sister down. In order to avoid suspension for slapping one such schoolmate—which would prevent her from performing in the school musical—Riley agrees to attend church camp over spring break.
Riley’s best friend Julia, the pastor’s daughter, is the “good girl,” expected to set an example for others and not stray from the path her father demands, but there are cracks in the veneer. Together, along with Julia's twin Ben and their cabinmates, they navigate some pretty heavy topics, all while Riley attempts to subvert the pastor’s teachings by committing the 7 deadly sins over the course of the camp in an attempt to “prove” that he’s wrong.
Although I wasn’t raised in the church and have a liberal family, I really empathized with a lot of the characters and their experiences. It can be so hard to navigate through high school, with all the pressures, fears, and insecurity that can affect actions and decisions, and the growth for all of them was so realistic. I really appreciated how Voris handled all of that, and the redemption that came for some of the side characters was lovely. The story fell apart a bit at the end for me, which is why I’m going with the 4-star rating here, but it really is a great book overall.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley, but my review is unbiased and left voluntarily.
The story here focuses on Riley, who is angry and feels out of place. She’s left her church after coming out as bi, her sister has been ostracized for having an abortion, and her schoolmates won’t stop putting her sister down. In order to avoid suspension for slapping one such schoolmate—which would prevent her from performing in the school musical—Riley agrees to attend church camp over spring break.
Riley’s best friend Julia, the pastor’s daughter, is the “good girl,” expected to set an example for others and not stray from the path her father demands, but there are cracks in the veneer. Together, along with Julia's twin Ben and their cabinmates, they navigate some pretty heavy topics, all while Riley attempts to subvert the pastor’s teachings by committing the 7 deadly sins over the course of the camp in an attempt to “prove” that he’s wrong.
Although I wasn’t raised in the church and have a liberal family, I really empathized with a lot of the characters and their experiences. It can be so hard to navigate through high school, with all the pressures, fears, and insecurity that can affect actions and decisions, and the growth for all of them was so realistic. I really appreciated how Voris handled all of that, and the redemption that came for some of the side characters was lovely. The story fell apart a bit at the end for me, which is why I’m going with the 4-star rating here, but it really is a great book overall.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley, but my review is unbiased and left voluntarily.