What pulled me in was definitely the title and book cover but I did end up enjoying the book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This was a very interesting read and I surprisingly liked it more than I thought I would. I definitely think other people would enjoy this a lot!

Review: Pride


Luke Miggs can feel the winds of change, at first nipping at his footy jumper and then roaring right along with the spectators lining the boundary fence, both the ones urging the Ulah Ravens on and those who want to spoil their game. In tandem with Luke’s on field odyssey, a mystery is brewing, slight at first but building inexorably into a storm of uncanny dimensions.

Pride has been written by one who knows how to read the patterns of play for that oddly-spinning ball, so we find ourselves out there on the oval with Miggsy as he faces down Claude Rankin, a bear of a man, ‘and known to let a punch or two fly behind the play’. With his generals running interference, the massive centre-half forward will do what it takes to win. Whatever that may be!

Even though the main storyline is set squarely on the footy field, you don’t need to love football to love this book. Everything you might expect from a book with football at its heart—morale and inspiration, a horrible case of the jitters, dealing with intimidation—has a parallel with personal motivation and achievement. We have all felt what it is like to be the underdog at some time, but we don’t have to accept it. No matter how big or mean our opponent.

When the Ulah Ravens take on the Little Rock Scorpions it’s war. The Ravens think they have nothing to lose, that all they have to do is stick with their brand of football, but the rivalry has ripped the bandage from a wound that has been silently poisoning the entire region. The stakes couldn’t be higher.

Like his protagonist, the author doesn’t shrink from a challenge. ‘There’s no bridge that exists between dreams and reality, not unless you make it yourself, and that’s something you don’t know you can build until you give it a try.’ In most books, the ‘Acknowledgements’ section is just a list of names, but this time the story behind the story describes a gaping sinkhole that Zigomanis has managed to bridge.

However you think the story might play out, it is likely to surprise you. This book could do with an extra star to recommend it.

Pride is one of those books, the ones that start like a small nudge and before you know it, you're sucked into an unraveling. I wanted to read this book when I saw it on NetGalley because I loved the cover and second, the description promised quite some story and turns out it did deliver mystery, life in a small town, secret pasts, football and racism. I'll say that this is quite a wonderful debut from the author and I hope to read more of his books in the future.

“Pride” is for a young man called Adam Pride, as told by our narrator, Luke. The book gives insight into rugby (footy) and small-town Australia, as well as the underlying issues of racism. Although Adam was intriguing and the storytelling was insightful, I struggled to connect with Luke and I felt like the plot was very slow. I’m sure fans of the sport will enjoy it, but it was simply not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book covered a lot of topics: first love, sports violence, racism, and coming of age, without overwhelming the reader. This book was well written,