ARC Review: Have a Little Faith in Me by Sonia Hartl
10:00
Series: None
Author: Sonia Hartl
Published September 3rd 2019 by Page Street Kids
Goodreads Synopsis
"Saved!" meets To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before in this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy that takes a meaningful look at consent and what it means to give it.
When CeCe’s born-again ex-boyfriend dumps her after they have sex, she follows him to Jesus camp in order to win him back. Problem: She knows nothing about Jesus. But her best friend Paul does. He accompanies CeCe to camp, and the plan—God’s or CeCe’s—goes immediately awry when her ex shows up with a new girlfriend, a True Believer at that.
Scrambling to save face, CeCe ropes Paul into faking a relationship. But as deceptions stack up, she questions whether her ex is really the nice guy he seemed. And what about her strange new feelings for Paul—is this love, lust, or an illusion born of heartbreak? To figure it out, she’ll have to confront the reasons she chased her ex to camp in the first place, including the truth about the night she lost her virginity.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
This book was just fantastic. When I read it, I was a bit upset as it was my last day on my cruise, and we were at sea all day on our way back home. With not much to do except wander the ship that I'd been exploring all fortnight, I decided to find a nice comfy chair and sit with my iPad and read this as the North Sea went past the window outside. And, let me tell you, I am so glad I did. This was funny, and heartfelt, and just lifted all of my spirits.
In Have a Little Faith, CeCe is reeling after her boyfriend, Ethan, dumps her. He's now become a born again Christian, reclaiming his virginity, and wants nothing to do with CeCe for enticing him. She doesn't understand how he can do this, but will do anything she can to get him back, including spending her summer at Jesus camp - real name Camp ThreeSixteen - if that's what it takes. She knows absolutely nothing about Jesus or Christianity, so it'll be difficult, bu best friend Paul, does. He spent most of his summers when he was younger at the same camp, and he agrees to go with her, to try and help her through it all. However, her plans all fall apart when she gets there and it's revealed that Ethan has a girlfriend - one he's always had - with Mandy, a True Believer, who knew nothing about CeCe, and is one of the nicest people. So, CeCe ropes Paul into pretending to be her boyfriend, which is difficult for him when he's always had feelings for her, but it could just be the making of them.
Now, I'm not really religious. When I was younger, I would go to church with my grandpa on a Sunday, but that was honestly more because I loved spending time with him, not because I loved the church. As I've gotten older, studied more history and seen what religion - all religions - has done to the world, it's really turned me against religion, so I didn't know what to expect with this book. CeCe is actively nonreligious, but I loved how this book helped her, and me, if I'm being honest, to see the good parts in believing. A lot of this book was seeing what religion and faith means to different people, and on the most part, the characters in the book were truly good. However, some of the characters, namely Ethan, the Pastor, and other leaders, had twisted their faith into something unrecognisable, and used it against people, not for people. Now, I hated the pastor and Ethan, but everyone else was a character I liked.
Another thing I loved about this book was how sex and body positive it was. CeCe actively argued against the outdated and unfair traditions that were at the camp - such as the boys were allowed to be shirtless, but the girls had to be covered as much as possible, and that no form of sex education could be taught or discussed. CeCe is very much against this, and from her cabin, she, and later the other girls when they become more comfortable, talk about everything that they should be - condoms and other protection, consent, enjoyment, respect, masturbation, periods, oral sex, and everything else besides. This does get CeCe in trouble, but it's worth it to ensure that all the girls understand what they need to, and haven't been let down by what the Pastor believes to be correct.
The romance was so swoony. The chemistry between CeCe and Paul was there from the get go, which made it believable from the beginning that they were in a relationship for everyone at camp. Whenever they were together, I was rooting for them, and wanted it to be real. They were honestly relationship goals, and I am glad that they went through the summer in order to see what was in front of them,
As Hartl's debut, this was amazing, and I'm already planning on pre-ordering her next book as soon as I can. This book is definitely one I wish I had when I was younger, and I'd recommend all teens read it for how confident and real it is.
Dates Read:
August 23, 2019
Rating
4 Stars
August 23, 2019
Rating
4 Stars
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