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Title: Girls Like Girls
Author: Hayley Kiyoko
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Category: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary, romance
Release date: May 30, 2023
Synopsis: “Trailblazing pop star, actor, and director, Hayley Kiyoko debuts her first novel, a coming-of-age romance based on her breakthrough hit song and viral video, GIRLS LIKE GIRLS.
It’s summertime and 17-year-old Coley has found herself alone, again. Forced to move to rural Oregon after just losing her mother, she is in no position to risk her already fragile heart. But when she meets Sonya, the attraction is immediate.
Coley worries she isn’t worthy of love. Up until now, everyone she’s loved has left her. And Sonya’s never been with a girl before. What if she’s too afraid to show up for Coley? What if by opening her heart, Coley’s risking it all?
They both realize that when things are pushed down, and feelings are forced to shrivel away, Coley and Sonya will be the ones to shrink. It’s not until they accept the love they fear and deserve most, that suddenly the song makes sense.
Based on the billboard-charting smash hit song and viral music video GIRLS LIKE GIRLS, Hayley Kiyoko’s debut novel is about embracing your truth and realizing we are all worthy of being loved back.”
This moving, tender YA novel follows queer teen Coley during a pivotal summer when she falls in love while adjusting to life with a father she’s never known. As a fan of Hayley Kiyoko and the original song the book is based on, I worried that the book would simply feel like a dragged-out version of the music video or that the plot would feel too predictable–but that was absolutely not the case. Kiyoko expands thoughtfully on the characters and story of the music video, while artfully weaving in new themes of identity, mental health, and family.
Set in the summer of 2006, Girls Like Girls evokes a very specific time period while perfectly capturing the feeling of a life-changing season; the atmospheric lake town setting further immerses the reader in the nostalgia of summer. The writing carries a sense of melancholy and longing that comes with not knowing who you are or who you want to be. The love story between Coley and Sonya definitely feels true to the source material, but the story delves deeper into their journeys to come to terms with their queerness and feelings for each other. Coley’s voice feels raw and real, and readers also get snippets of Sonya’s POV through her LiveJournal entries.
The complex, slow-burn love story between Coley and Sonya definitely takes center stage, but there’s also a thoughtful storyline about Coley’s family. Her mother has recently died by suicide, and Coley has moved in with a father who has been absent for most of her life. As she and Sonya fall in love, Coley must also wade through her grief and feelings of abandonment while forging a new relationship with her father. These additions to the plot are deftly woven into the story, and the various elements all come together to tell a cohesive story about how incredibly scary it can be to love and be loved. It’s a YA novel where teens get to be messy, which will always be my favorite.
Girls Like Girls will be a hit with fans of Kiyoko’s music, but will also be loved by YA readers unfamiliar with her work. I highly recommend the audiobook, which has a cast of narrators including Kiyoko herself and includes immersive sound effects. The copy at my library was checked out as soon as it hit our shelves, and I know I’ll continue to recommend it to teen readers looking for an emotional, character-driven queer romance. Fans of Dahlia Adler, Leah Johnson, or Misa Sugiura will adore this one!
Have you read this one yet? If so, what did you think?
Books. Libraries. Also, cats. 