Day’s YA: PRIDE OR DIE

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PRIDE OR DIE by CL Montblanc
9781250340474
4/15/2025
Wednesday Books
Ages 12-18

Egalley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

Eleanora is determined to do two things: finish high school so she can leave Texas, and ensure that the LGBTQ+ club she created on campus survives after she leaves, as a safe space for future students. After their club was bullied on campus the entire year prior due to a comment made by Kenley, the school’s head cheerleader, Eleanora is intent on having a better year. But when an inconveniently timed club meeting is planned right as Kenley is attacked in the hallway, she and her friends find themselves framed for attempted murder. With a principal who’s been searching for a reason to kick them off campus, and police who just want an easy out to solving the crime, they begin to realize that if they don’t want their futures to go down the drain, they’ll have to track down the culprit themselves. And in a surprising twist, Kenley is backing up their innocence and offering to help investigate. But they are far from professional detectives—when danger starts to come their way, can they solve the case before one of them gets hurt next?

This book is like if Casey McQuiston wrote A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER. It’s a laugh-out-loud funny investigative novel, with hilarious writing and banter, but at its heart, it’s an exploration of friendship and society. All of the characters—Eleanora, Noah, Salim, Tyler, and Kenley—were so vivid in my mind. They each had their own quirks, personality traits, and faults, all equally as important to the group dynamic, and Eleanora was an amazing, strong main character who loves her friends deeply. Personally, by the end of the book, I was a self-proclaimed Noah stan. As you read, you begin to feel like you’re in the friend group with them, following the twists and turns of each new lead. I was on the edge of my seat trying to guess who did it, how, and why, and the cliffhangers often left me unable to set the book down. The group investigated students and staff, they hit dead ends, and they often felt like giving up—but the threat against their futures, and the future of the club, kept them going. Just like most high school friendships, they hit occasional road bumps and dealt with miscommunication, which made it all the more realistic. 

At the core of this book is the message it conveys to readers. While it’s a thrilling, fast-paced read, it balances its mystery perfectly with important conversations, addressing the issues within the school and the community, and the fear that the students face for being themselves. It’s an important read about the realities of growing up as a queer teen in a town—and even in a world—that doesn’t want to accept you. As they try to push against the bullies and the administration that refuse to stick up for them because they are queer, they find comfort in each other and continue to fight for their right to be themselves and to help others do the same. And in the midst of it all, they face classic high school troubles—developing crushes, fighting with each other, attending parties, prepping for homecoming, and more. This is a debut you won’t want to miss, with a twist you definitely won’t see coming. Hand this book to fans of HEARTSTOPPER and the movie Bottoms!

Happy Reading!
<3 Margo

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