I did not enjoy this book overall. I ended up skimming a lot of it because I just wanted to find out who did it, and the reveal didn't even feel earned because there weren't really clues throughout (or the one actual clue the protagonist found was too easy). Also, the adults weren't great. Like, wouldn't they be more involved with a literal attack that happened at school? Plus, there was an extremely unnecessary amount of cussing, and the references felt weird and not right for a book set in 2025 (Poptropica???). While it was definitely intriguing, it just wasn't for me.

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

I picked up Pride or Die expecting a campy slasher spree led by the pride club—and while that wasn’t what I got, I still found something cozy in the chaos of this queer mystery. Instead of murderous hijinks, we get a Scooby‑Doo-esque group of LGBTQ+ teens banding together to clear their names—and that ensemble vibe, oddly enough, won me over.

Eleanora Finkel and her club are accused of an attack on the cheer captain. In theory I wanted campy gore, but what I got was a spirited sleuthing teen gang: group chats, crochet hooks, anxious jokes, and sticky-note brainstorming sessions. It’s less gory thriller, more queer cozy mystery—and the shift feels deliberate: micro‑betrayals, small-town prejudice, and that contrast between self‑righteous indignation and teenage vulnerability.

I admit I missed the slashy mayhem I’d imagined—but the gentle, witty energy held me. The romance is low-key—the kind that sneaks up on you in hallways and over text threads—and the friendship dynamics are the true heart: protective, messy, supportive. They aren’t sleuths by trade, just teens doing their best when everything lands at once.

By the end, the mystery resolves cleanly and the stakes feel both high and heartfelt. It’s not a wild ride, but it is thoughtful and warm. If you go in curious about queer teen camaraderie, witty banter, and mystery without the gore, this book scratches that itch. If you’re craving horror or slasher fuel, it might feel like a cozy campfire tale when you were expecting fireworks.

I had high hopes for Pride Or Die. The premise sounded interesting, and while we shouldn't judge books by their covers, this one caught my attention.

I honestly found the characters all unlikeable. And the mystery aspect of the story was lacking. The main character kept saying there was a killer on the loose, yet no one was actually murdered.

This was the author's debut novel. I feel like they have promise, but this book just didnt hit for me. I would be open to trying another book by them in the future though.

I hate that I was clearly not the target audience for this but it would be dishonest to say I liked this.
The book itself is a bit misleading. Part of that is due to it being from the perspective of a teen and, as someone who teaches teens, I know how quickly they can assume things and create whole realties of their own. It was just a bit much here.
Pros:
Quirky and realistic characters

Cons: Rushed ending and Not Really a Thriller/horror

It is just a bit disheartening to think you're going to get a slasher and instead get a contemporary novel. The characters were the saving grace, even with the protagonist being oblivious for far longer than she needed to be. I'll be checking out this author again but I think this one was just a miss for me.

This story was unique and well written. I liked Eleanora lot and thought she was a great main character.

This was a bit of a mystery/ thriller type story, but it was also kind of humorous and a lot of fun. Serious issues such as bullying, homophobia, and assault are discussed in a manner that brings attention, but also keeps you entertained in the story.

Eleanora is definitely the leader of the LGBTQIA+ club and also of her friend group (which are essentially one and the same). Everyone gives input, but she is the driving force. The rest of the club are as diverse in their personalities and backgrounds as they are in their identities.

Villains and potential attackers abound in the story, namely the homophobic principal and the school’s security officer. Especially since the principal is so eager to blame everything on the LGBTQIA+ club since they were the first on scene after the attack of the head cheerleader.

The club gets up to all kinds of hijinks as they try to figure out not only who the attacker is, but why the attack happened in the first place. And why the members of the club are now being targeted.

The club gets help from some unexpected allies along the way, some I predicted, others I did not. I am happy to say that I was surprised by some of the things that come to light at the end of the story, but not by who the initial attacker was or why they attacked the cheerleader in the first place.

There are a couple of cute romances along the way, and I really enjoyed the ending, especially the club’s name change.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC for review consideration though NetGalley, on behalf of the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pride or die review
This book was just okay. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t really good either.

I found that I couldn’t really connect with the characters, and that’s what usually makes me love a book. They just didn’t do much for me in this book unfortunately. None of them really stood out as interesting or even annoying to really make me care about them in any way. I just felt so ambivalent about all of them.

I also found that the mystery didn’t really hold up for me. The reveal of who the perpetrator was felt disingenuous to the character and felt to me like it came out of nowhere. I felt like there weren’t any clues about it to make it feel believable, so finding out about it felt not like a nice plot twist but more like a slap to the face. It just didn’t seem realistic and I couldn’t predict it at all, which seems to me like poor writing.

My biggest gripe with this book, though, was the focus on the name of the LGBTQ club. The fact that it was called the LGBTQ club so that the homophobic principal could refer to it as “the BLT club” and another character could call the main character “sandwich girl” in response really irked me. This was such a big part of the story, but I wish it hadn’t been. Had the club been referred to as a GSA instead, which allows for closeted kids and allies to feel welcome to join, this wouldn’t have needed to be a focus. I get what the author was trying to do, but it bothered me that it was such a huge part of the story. There was even a character who decided not to join the club after the initial “BLT club” fiasco because she was closeted and didn’t want to be associated with a club that was being targeted for harassment (and I can’t say I blame her). It just felt really unnecessary for homophobia to be such a big focus of the book, especially in a way that seemed so avoidable.

Overall, this book just didn’t do much for me. I wish I had liked it more because it had a lot of promise, but it just didn’t live up to its potential for me.

It’s not like Eleanora didn’t have enough problems to deal with already. As the founder of her Texas high school’s LGBTQ club, she was hoping to pass the torch on to the next generation when she and her friends graduate this year. But the club is WILDLY unpopular, and no underclassmen are interested in joining the club, let alone taking the reins. Enter an even bigger problem to deal with: while the rest of the school attends a pep rally, a popular cheerleader is attacked and left for dead in the hallway. The only people who skipped the pep rally are the members of the LGBTQ club, and they become the prime suspects. Eleanora and her friends need to solve the mystery in order to clear their names…but in doing so, they may become the assailant’s next targets.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a fun YA thriller with a narrative voice that sounds like an actual teenager. There’s a big cast of characters who have distinct personalities without feeling like cliche archetypes. And I enjoyed the sweet little love story that serves as a subplot. If you’re an adult looking for a book for the teen in your life, this is a great choice. And while you’re at it, get yourself a copy too! It’s perfect beach read material.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Growing up I always loved a good mystery, so of course I was intrigued about this book. Well, I am no longer a teenager but a full dang adult.

Maybe it is because I am now older that this book wasn't it for me. It wasn't bad, the mystery was in itself interesting but I felt like it took somewhat too long. The little romance that was thrown in here was... meh.

All in all it was alright.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. I came to this as I started reading in June and it felt perfect for Pride Month. I had no clues where this was going and loved it for that. There is no way I can think of that someone could pin point early who the guilty party truly was but more power to those who were able to figure it out before the big reveal. It definitely felt like it was a teenager doing the investigations with silly mistakes and mistrust of the authorities although it was very much warranted in this case. I won't go back for a re-read but did enjoyed this as it happened. 3.5 stars.

I saved this book to read in June, for pride month. The cute mystery was enjoyable but I did find the depiction of bullying and teenage slang to be a bit too stereotypical so it lessened my enjoyment of the book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

This was really mid and there was no real thrill or mystery with this one. I felt like we got a lot of backstory but nothing to really say why the LGBTQ club was the target for murder aside from where they were at the time it occurred. Trying to protect the club and her friends from danger Eleanora was willing to risk everything to clear their names but again WHHHHY is still my question the blame never made sense. But if you’re a fan of One of Us Is Lying you might enjoy this book!

Pride or die is a ya thriller book where a girl is attacked in school while there is a school event which the Lgbt club skipped so they are accused of being the prime suspects and to save themselves and the club they try to solve the mystery while also becoming friends with the girl that was attacked. The characters live in a homophobic town and it affects the story and them in many many ways.
First of all I loveddd this book, It was exactly what I needed when I read it for taking me out of a killer reading slump. The motive of the attacker did feel a little silly to me tho and it didn’t feel as satisfying as I would have liked it to be but it gave me Scooby doo vibes and I love Scooby doo with my whole heart. I think this is a very good story for younger audiences to read and for a younger ya demographic so it felt a bit young to me at some points but I did really really enjoy it. The characters are lovable even with all their mistakes and I really liked the little sapphic romance that happens. The friendships were very cute and I loved the characters and their relationships with each other. It is an overall very good book that I really recommend. Cant help but be mad at the authority figures in this book ( police, principal…) for being absolutely incompetent and trying to blame an almost murder on a group of kids simply cause they are queer and at the wrong place in the wrong time.

"Pride or Die" is a perfect dark comedy murder mystery. Well, minus the actual murder. The characters are divine and beyond engaging. Truly, this prose is so entertaining and lush, filled with absolutely breathtaking roasts on nearly every page. Our core queer friend group (Eleanora, Tyler, Salim, and Noah) are all so unique yet lean into the same naturally bouncy group dynamics. I could read an entire book with their conversations on even the most mundane topics, because their super power (besides their stellar skills at applying glitter, of course) is making the most simple scenes into a buoyant pinball machine of back and forths. They're chaotic and messy, but always the brightest spot in your day. Apart from Eleanora's passion for the LGBTQ+ club's success and safety, anxiety is the driving force in her life and the way it's depicted here is startlingly accurate, which is very much appreciated. I dare you to read the first captivating chapter and resist chapter two. I'd advise you don't take me up on this dare, however, because it's an opener for the ages that lures you right in.

This was such a fun read. I loved all of the characters, I laughed so many times and honestly I just flew through this. I really really enjoyed this and didn’t want to put it down. I will absolutely be reading more from Montblanc!

This was a great YA mystery with twists and turns—perfect for a light summer read. That doesn’t mean there aren’t triggering topics, like bigotry, racism, and bullying. I loved the extensive representation within the book, including gender, sexuality, and race. Montblanc did a great job of interweaving these darker themes with the lightheartedness of the friend group.

The main character was fun but was also determined to stand up for her friends and what’s right. Even she has flaws that Montblanc addresses, which I appreciated. At no point did I feel anyone’s life was truly threatened; however, that doesn’t mean there weren’t stakes involved. Everything wrapped up nicely with a HEA, which was exactly what I was looking for in a YA mystery.
If you’re looking for a light mystery full of LGBT representation for June, this would be a perfect pick.

This was a fun read but I feel like it would have made more sense to set it in the past, even ten years. There were some parts where it would have felt more modern if social media had played a role in the story.

This would be the perfect book for younger teens who are just starting to get into thrillers.

I was hoping this would not end up being as cliché as the premise sounded, unfortunately...I was proven extremely wrong especially with the lack of real ability to tell what time frame this is in.

I guess I was expecting a bit more dark horror, a bit less junior detectives. But it was a overall entertaining read. Eleanora and the rest of the queer club were likable and flawed in equal measure. There was definitely some Scooby-esque hijinks at play. Good for fans of mysteries that don't take themselves too seriously.

It's been a while since I've read a YA book, so my expectations weren't super high, but I loved this one! I picked it up simply because the premise sounded fun, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much more depth was there once I actually dove into it.

There was a lot to like about this book I loved the dynamic of the friend group and I found their banter fun. I also greatly appreciated how intentional the representation was. When I picked the book up, I wasn't expecting any romance, but I actually really liked that element. I found the budding pairing endearing and I was rooting for them! I'd definitely say that this book leaned more dark comedy than it does mystery/thriller, but I didn't mind that in the slightest as the book kept up enough suspence to carry through to the reveal.

In a time when we're seeing attempts at queer erasure in schools, I think this book is both very relevant and encouraging. I wish there were more books like this when I was a teen!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!