Friday I'm in Love

What does Mahalia’s desire to have a coming out party–and her dedication to working to save up the money for it–tell you about who she is? Why is the party so important to her?

What is Mahalia’s relationship with her mother like? How do their financial struggles impact their relationship? How does her mother’s religion impact their relationship? How does their relationship change over the course of the book?

What do you make of Naomi and Mahalia’s friendship? What effects do external pressures have on their relationship? How is Naomi’s life different from Mahalia’s? How does Naomi’s privilege affect their friendship? Why is it so difficult for both of them to talk about Mahalia’s economic realities and Naomi’s privileged life?

How does Mahalia feel about music? Why is it important to her to share a playlist with Siobhan? What role does music play in your life? What songs would you play at a party celebrating your true self?

Many chapters in Friday I’m in Love start with Mahalia’s bank account balance, occasionally including a list of upcoming expenses. How does this affect your reading of the novel? Why do you think the author included this information? How does the subject of money affect Mahalia’s decision-making throughout the novel? Why do you think the subject of money creates so much tension between Mahalia and Naomi?

“In most of the movies and shows I’ve seen, guys are the ones who like girls, and they’re almost always weird about it. They stalk the girls or act like a girl they spoke to once suddenly belongs to them. They’re territorial. Overbearing.” (Friday I’m in Love, p. 18) This pattern of behavior is often referred to as misogyny or toxic masculinity. Is Mahalia successful at avoiding this in relation to Siobhan? How else does misogyny, internalized misogyny, and toxic masculinity, show up in the novel?

After she’s asked what she wants to be when she grows up, Mahalia thinks to herself, “I hate when adults ask this. They want us to be children and adults at the same time.” (Friday I’m in Love, p. 119) What does Mahalia mean by this? How does the pressure affect Mahalia and her relationships? Why do some adults think it’s important for teens to have their future mapped out?

“I’m pretty sure you can’t trust any white person who has an unhealthy obsession with To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s not a proven scientific theory or anything, but on Wednesday, when Mr. Lewis starts class by announcing that his kids are Atticus and Harper, it makes me side-eye him.” (Friday I’m in Love, p. 241) What do you think of Naomi’s and Mahalia’s comments on race and racism in To Kill a Mockingbird? How do you think Mr. Lewis could have better framed the discussion to address their perspectives and concerns?

In Friday I’m in Love, Danny’s jealousy about Siobhan leaving him for Mahalia makes him act irrationally. What do you think his goal was in trying to out the two girls during the school assembly? Do you think Danny would have reacted similarly if Siobhan had left him for another guy at school? Why or why not?