Fact: You’re never too old to enjoy a YA novel — especially if it’s penned by a pop star who’s been dubbed “Lesbian Jesus” by fans. That’s right: Singer, actress, and internet darling Hayley Kiyoko is writing her first YA novel.
On Wednesday, Kiyoko announced on Instagram that the book, inspired by her 2015 hit song and subsequent music video “Girls Like Girls,” will debut on May 30, 2023 — and it’s officially available for pre-order now. “Writing a coming-of-age YA novel based on Girls Like Girls,” reads the overlay on Kiyoko’s Instagram Reel, which shows the triple threat typing away on a typewriter. The caption: “Girls Like Girls that pre-order Girls Like Girls the novel”.
“I just know this book will be going on my ‘queer books that healed my soul’ shelf on goodreads,” commented one fan, while another wrote, “omg… girls like girls is the reason i realised im a lesbian and now there’s gonna be a BOOK im so excited.”
Kiyoko’s girlfriend, Bachelor alum Becca Tilley, publicly expressed her support in a reel Kiyoko shared last week that first announced the book. “WE ARE READY” Tilley wrote, alongside the heart-eyes emoji.
The “Girls Like Girls” song and music video depicts a sweet and subtle love story between two best friends — one of whom is in a relationship with a boy. In the end, the two girls kiss and become an item.
Kiyoko previously shared in a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone that the concept for her breakthrough hit was rooted in her own reality of being in a platonic relationship with her best friend. Although her real-life story was one of unrequited love, Kiyoko was determined to give the music video a different spin “of what I’d always dreamt of seeing in a relationship between two best friends.”
“We never kissed,” she told the publication of her own experience. “We would tell each other we loved each other and hold hands under the table. She would cuddle me and tell me she missed me,” she added. “When I went to kiss her, she looked at me like I was crazy and broke my heart.”
We can only hope for a happy ending, but wouldn’t be upset if Kiyoko tugs at our heartstrings once more by drawing a closer parallel to her story of heartbreak. That’s what makes YA novels so epic, right? The anticipation, the hurt, the satisfying ending — it’s the makings of a feel-good, tear-inducing novel that will be the topic of every book club meeting, brunch outing, and group text chat to come. We can’t wait.
