oraclereadings 's review for:

Friday I'm in Love by Camryn Garrett

2.5

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This was just not for me.

I know that this is considered a young adult book, and I usually prefer young adult books to adult or even new adult, but this just felt so immature. I don’t know if it was because of all of the pop culture references, which I am not a fan of in books. One or two is okay, but for every page to be filled with reference after reference, is just a no for me.

And then there is Mahalia’s character.

Mahalia Harris wants.

She wants a big Sweet Sixteen like her best friend Naomi.

She wants the super cute new girl Siobhan to like her back.

She wants a break from worrying--about money, snide remarks from white classmates, pitying looks from church ladies . . . all of it.

This girl is supposed to be just a little bit of sixteen-years-old and she acts like she’s twelve. Literally in the first chapter she comments on how bratty she is. And being bratty is one thing, it’s a whole nother thing to just be a brat at that age. Especially with all that her mom is going through, being a single mother living in a shitty ass apartment while they both share a car to drive to school and work and while also dealing with medical problems on the side. Giirrlll, if you don’t stop acting like a damn fool. . .

And then the whole romance between Malhalia and Siobhan just seemed so unrealistic. Like, there’s this new girl that just moved overseas from Dublin, Ireland and is already the school’s most popular jock’s girlfriend. Sure, I couldn’t blame Malhalia for having a crush on the girl, but it just seemed so creepy to “want” after her when a) SHE ALREADY HAS A BOYFRIEND, and b) YOU DON’T KNOW IF SHE IS QUEER.

And then, oh my goodness. And then. . . Siobhan just decides to kiss Malhalia and break up with her boyfriend for “no apparent reason” other than she really likes Malhalia.

Lastly, is it too hard to just ask for some good bi/pan representation these days?