Girls Like Girls

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 20 MAR 2023

Musician Kiyoko crafts a pitch-perfect tale about a grieving teen in 2006 grappling with first love in this touching debut, inspired by the viral music video of the same name. Following her mother's death by suicide, 17-year-old Asian American Coley moves to rural Oregon to live with the father she barely knows. After nearly being run over by their car, Coley falls into a friend group comprising chill stoner Alex, competitive dancer Sonya, and Sonya's bro-ish on-again, off-again boyfriend Trenton. As Coley struggles to untangle mixed romantic signals from Sonya, Coley also tries persuading her that Trenton's gaslighting and physically aggressive behavior are red flags. When the girls kiss, Sonya withdraws from Coley, and their connection ruptures. After a series of missteps, Coley finds stability working as a server at a hibachi restaurant and begins connecting with her father. But Sonya's sudden reappearance upsets Coley's newfound balance and reignites her buried feelings. Rapid-fire dialogue and Coley's biting narration drip with early aughts references that signal the time period. Coley and Sonya's messy emotions and insta-love attraction, plagued by personal fears and external conflicts, buoy this powerfully romantic read. Ages 13–up.