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lifewithjoce 's review for:

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko
4.0
dark emotional funny hopeful fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
When Hayley Kiyoko, a pop artist nicknamed “Lesbian Jesus”, announced that she was writing a book, I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. When I found out that said book was based on the plot of her hit song “Girls Like Girls”, my eyebrows went up even higher. After all, while songwriting is an impressive skill, it’s not at all the same as writing a novel, and I wasn’t sure how Kiyoko’s reputation would hold up under the pressure of this new endeavor. I’m happy to say that my fears were unfounded, and Girls Like Girls is an adorable Young Adult novel that made me both laugh and cry!

For those of you who didn’t watch the “Girls Like Girls” music video on repeat while locked in your bedroom in 2015, the basic plot is that two girls become friends, and that friendship escalates to something romantic. The entire time, one of the girls, Sonya, has a maybe-boyfriend that constantly gets in the way of the two girls being happy. That, combined with each of their internalized homophobia, keeps them apart until the very end.

The book keeps this same basic premise while delving into the characters more deeply. Coley is new to town, having moved in with the father she doesn’t know after losing her mother. Sonya is a popular girl with a big friend group and an ex-boyfriend that’s still in love with her. The conflict and budding romance is the main focus of the novel, but the girl’s life stories are fleshed out as well.

Full Review: https://writethroughthenight.com/2023/07/22/haley-kiyokos-girls-like-girls-is-filled-with-angst-and-longing/
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