It’s senior year and Eleanor just wants more people to participate in the LGBTQ Club. But after some miscommunication about BLT club and sandwiches, their club is not as popular as it could have been. But one of the popular girls is found dead (by the lockers I think but can’t remember), and everyone blames the LGBTQ Club. Now they must clear their name or else.
I really wanted to like this book. However, at 49% complete on my audiobook, I remember almost none of it. It is very campy and feels a bit like the Breakfast Club meets Paul Blart. This book was so cheesy and over the top that I found myself letting my mind wonder which is how I got to 49%. I was listening to this in the car. The one place I can be fully engrossed in audiobooks, and this one did not engross me. I don’t know if I would like this book better if I read it, or if this book is just not for me. And while this was not my cup of tea, I do know some teens who will love this book.

A scooby type mystery with plucky gay teens and little too much tragedy for the setting, but fun and engaging. Great for upper grade kids looking for a reflection of themselves in a book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

Pride or Die follows Eleanora Finkel and her friends during their Senior year of high school in Texas. Eleanora has founded a LGBTQ+ Club at their school, which ends up playing a large role in this story. During one of their meetings, the school's head cheerleader, Kenley, is attacked right outside the classroom that the Club is meeting in, and she's fairly badly injured.

Hearing the assault, the Club members rush out into the hall and find Kenley there on the floor. Suddenly, they find themselves the main suspects. Why? I have no idea.

In order to clear their names, and ensure the survival of their Club, they must now investigate the crime and find out who really attacked Kenley.
I found the whole mystery a bit lackluster. Eleanora was running around like the sky was falling in, claiming she had to protect her friends because there was a homophobic murderer on the loose, yet no one was murdered and the person attacked was a popular straight girl who wasn't even a member of their club?

It just seemed like, out of all the mysteries you could have developed, a very odd choice to me. Even after the Scooby-Doo like reveal, I was left scratching my head about it all.

Sadly, as you can tell, Pride or Die was not a hit for me. I love YA Mystery-Thrillers and do read a lot of them. Going into this, I was excited to get a strong Mystery, set in high school, following the members of an LGBTQ+ group. Unfortunately, the MC, Eleanora, I found her personality to be so incredibly-grating, it was hard to focus on anything else. I'm happy she had a bit of self-reflection at the end, but it was too little, too late.

Honestly, I feel like the author did the story a disservice by only having that one perspective. I really enjoyed Noah and Tyler, Eleanor's friends, as well as Kenley. I wish I would have had the opportunity to get to know all of them more, but Eleanora was so self-absorbed, I really feel like I didn't know anything about anyone else.

I hated the way every SINGLE PERSON, besides Eleanora's three friends, were portrayed. Even the people showing her kindness, Eleanor judged and said critical things about. I just found her perspective and outlook completely exasperating. There was zero nuance allowed and every single character was a stereotype of what that 'type' of person should be.

There were also so many odd, cringe-worthy moments, that I can't really get into here without giving away important plot points, but yeah, chapter after chapter of that type of thing gets old quick. I will say, the audiobook narrator, Ina Marie Smith, was really great. She was believable, vocally, as a teen, and she exuded emotion and sincerity throughout.

At the end of the day, this just wasn't to my tastes. If you think the synopsis sounds intriguing though, I certainly encourage you to pick it up. Please don't take my word for it. I'm sure many Readers will have fun with this one.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Even though it didn't necessarily work for me, I'm glad I gave it

Pride or Die by C.L. Montblanc is a darkly funny, LGBTQ+ young adult mystery full of voice, found family, and chaotic sleuthing energy.

Eleanora Finkel just wants to finish high school and escape her small Texas town, but when the cheer captain is attacked during one of her club meetings, Eleanora and her queer friends suddenly become prime suspects.

With the club’s future — and their freedom — on the line, this group of unlikely detectives decides to solve the mystery themselves. What follows is a twisty ride with crushes, anxious thoughts, a whole lot of drama, and just enough absurdity to make it all work.

The main character is snarky, nervous, and relatable, and the found-family vibes are strong. While the narration wasn’t a standout for me in audio, the story still kept me hooked.

Tropes & Themes:
• LGBTQIA+ rep
• YA mystery
• Found family
• High school drama
• Queer club chaos
• Awkward teen crushes

A fun, chaotic, queer teen murder mystery with great rep and a relatable, voicey main character. Not perfect, but definitely worth the read if you want a whodunit with heart (and humor).

3.75
A good story, with moderately well fleshed out characters. The plot was good, and the twist was really unexpected, but I just couldn’t connect with it the way I wanted to.
I found that there were a few things that really stood out to me that I disliked. It felt like we were being pushed a little too hard into stereotypical neurodivergent LGBTQI+ zones, and I’d rather not be shoved so hard. It felt like there was always something being added to the list of “quirks” for our FMC and I don’t love it. Yes, I freely admit, as a member of both factions, none of these quirks were actually a negative representation, and I did see a lot of my own experiences and feelings represented, but for whatever reason, it felt like I was being force fed her “oddness” and that’s a no for me.
I loved the LGBT club, and I wish there had been something like this for me in highschool. This collection of friends was so fiercely protective, but also called each other out for crappy behaviour. That is such a hard thing to do with friends, and i absolutely loved it.
The narrator did a stellar job with this one! Ina Marie Smith, I don’t know that I’ve experienced many narrated by her, but would 100% pick up an audiobook specifically because of her narration from now on. The emotions came through wonderfully, without feeling over dramatic.
In the end, I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it. I would read more from this author in the future.

3.5⭐️ this quick and fun thriller was a pretty enjoyable read! with a cast of funny, unique characters and a 'who done it' plot line, it makes for an entertaining read
though i wish the book was developed a bit more, i still enjoyed it for what it was!

I’m so enjoying my self-imposed task of reading all the YA books I bring into the library.

This one was a super-fun, murder-ish mystery with a touch of romance, a vast and varied cast of characters, and lots of LGBTQ+ rep.

It gave Save Ferris vibes, if Rooney was even more hateful and felonious.

Can’t wait to get this one out to our patrons.

These teens take Be Gay Do Crime and instead decide to Be Gay Solve Crime and I was so here for it! This book was so optimistic and exactly what queer teenage me needed. And honestly what adult queer me needs too. The world is rough but watching these teens push back against the system brought me a lot of hope. The queer found family made my heart melt and the mystery had me hooked. I'm very excited to see what this author writes next.

The audio was fantastic! I blew through it in a day because I didn't want to put it down. The narrator did a fantastic job of portraying all the side characters and keeping me engaged in the mystery the teens are trying to solve. I definitely recommend picking up the audio if you have the chance.

I wanted to like this story; the idea was good. The execution was not. It's described throughout the book that there is a "murderer" but no one died. The big reveal also left much to be desired.

I really wanted to like this one but I just struggled to get into it. The concept was interesting but wasn’t executed to my liking. I was not a fan of how the principle was treating the students. They were guilty until proven innocent which I get is a good plot device for murder mysteries but this time I just didn’t work for me. Overall this was an infesting concept but the execution struggled to keep my attention.

Audiospecific: the narrator was not my favorite but not the worst I’ve heard. I think the narrator partially contributed to my middle of the road enjoyment of the book

It saddens me that this one just wasn't my cup of tea. I liked the concept of an LGBTQ+ club trying to figure out a murder mystery. I also liked the fact that there was a lot of queer representation and topics touched on that many LGBTQ+ people face in life. Now the thing is I didn't find this funny or believable. It's marketed as a dark comedy, but I am almost positive I didn't laugh once. I also felt that things were over exaggerated which made it not believable at all. The way that characters, adults and teens, were depicted was like an evil villain from a cartoon. All that was missing was the evil laugh. I understand that this is a young adult mystery, however I've read many and none are depicted in this way.

As an avid reader of YA mystery-thrillers, I was disappointed with the execution of how the mystery unfolded. It felt so unnatural as to the things that were happening and how the mystery was solved. I felt certain things were confusing as to how things were being pieced together, while also finding it predictable. Then what really got me was the explanation of everything at the end. I was like I expected this, but also like HUH.

The narrator did a great job, so at least there was that.

Overall, this one wasn't for me. However, I'd still recommend it to a younger YA audience (12-15).



Thank you Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners and NetGalley for providing me with this audiobook for honest review. I'll also be sharing my thoughts in my monthly wrapup on my YA YouTube channel

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the author, CL Montblanc, for providing me with the opportunity to be an early reader for your debut novel! Thank you as well to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio/Macmillan Young Listeners for the audiobook. It was a lovely surprise to be approved for the audiobook after receiving the physical ARC from CL, and it was especially fun to fully immerse myself in the story by taking turns reading the physical book and the audiobook.

The audiobook is narrated by Ina Marie Smith, who did a lovely job at keeping the tone light and fitting for a high school story, but also nailed the drama and the comedy! I loved her voices for different characters and never found myself distracted by how she was telling the story. Very immersive, very easy to listen to.

Pride or Die takes place in small town Texas, following the high school’s LGBTQ+ Club as they try to prove that they really didn’t attempt to murder that cheerleader, they really just happened to find her in the hallway!! (As an ex-small town Texas LGBTQ+ Club member who was also a cheerleader, this plot really grabbed me LOL)

The main character is Eleanora, the founder/president of the LGBTQ+ club. Eleanora is passionate and headstrong, I admired her ability to be resilient in the face of hardship, defend her friends, and to create a safe space for queer (and still figuring it out!) kids at her school for many years to come. I sincerely adored all of Eleanora’s friends, Noah and Tyler are wonderful and well-written, but Salim was my favorite. There is one specific scene involving Salim that I won’t spoil but it genuinely made me laugh out loud. I had to hunt down a highlighter just so I could refer back to it with ease when I need a smile. The victim of the attack, Kenley, develops really interestingly throughout the story as well! I wouldn’t want to give anything away, but I didn’t expect that I’d eventually find myself so intrigued by her and her motivations! I found Eleanora and Kenley both very relatable! The utterly moronic homophobe principal and useless cops were also simultaneously so amusing and made me want to rip my hair out the whole time. Unrealistic to some, painfully relatable to anyone who grew up in areas like this.

I flew through this book in a few days. I was so enticed by the plot and finding out who the real attempted murderer was, and every new path we went down hooked my immediately. I had my suspicions… but regardless of what I wanted them to pursue I was so happy to be along for the ride. I had so much fun reading this and getting to know these characters. Perfect read for anyone looking for a funny found family of adorable LGBTQ+ teens and/or a murder mystery! :)

Thank you NetGalley for a copy to review!

This was a fun read! I really connected to the characters, especially our main lead Eleanora. The mystery aspect had me guessing the whole time (although I will admit that I'm terrible solving 'murder' mysteries). I would love to read more about these characters- sequels please?

This is delightfully narrated by Ina Marie Smith. Ina's tone was light, playful and fun. For me the narration faded into the background and really allowed the story to shine. It felt at times like Eleanor was catching us up on her life as much as telling a story. It was a wonderful balance.

This is a really cute cozy mystery set in a high school and I honestly loved it. The main character, Eleanor, is the founder of her high school LGBTQIA+ Club. The transphobic & homophobic school principle listed the club as BLT, which I thought kinda creative for a bigot. When a cheerleader is hurt outside their club meeting the few members of the club are blamed. They set out to clear the Club of wrongdoing and prove to their own innocence.

This is mostly light and fun with only a few upsetting details or adult subject matter. This is squarely for young adults but okay for middle grade readers as well. I appreciated how effortlessly inclusive and intersectional this story was. Without feeling preachy or awkward, which is a tough balance. I think it really reflects on and speaks to how our society functions. I love that this lovingly calls-in 'allies' on their rainbow colored lack of action. It offers examples of thoughtless oppression and the path forward to recover from it. This is incredibly well done.

I sincerely hope we get a sequel featuring
'The Be Gay, Solve Crimes Club' because I thoroughly Eleanor and her friends. My closeted middle & high school inner child thanks this author. 🥰

Thank you to CL Montblanc, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

I LOVED this book. It was so funny and relatable (not the attempted murder part). I had the best time listening. The narrator was perfect & I would love to listen to more of their work. I took 1 star off the story because the actual mystery didn't have the highest stakes. I was more concerned about the future of the LGBTQ+ club than the actual safety of the characters. I still had the best time with this story, but there could have been more suspense.

#ad many thanks for the advance copy @wednesdaybooks #partner
& @netgalley + @macmillan.audio for the ALC

Pride or Die
Releases: April 15, 2025

Pride or Die by CL Montblanc is a humorous suspense that will keep you entertained throughout. A quick and fun read that blew through every expectation I had.

Elenora vowed to never let another student at Hillview High to feel like they were alone ever again. She started a LGBTQ+ Club despite the mocks and push back she got for it. But during one of their meetings head cheerleader and bully Kenley is attacked and the club members become prime suspects number 1.

They need to clear their names and cannot depend on anyone to do that besides themselves. The LGBTQ+ Club has been shut down and will only reopen when and if the club is cleared.

This was a fun read with many giggle moments. But behind the humor, real and timely issues are explored. The mystery of who was behind the attack of Henley kept me flipping the pages - having to know what really happened and who was responsible.

The characters are dynamic and relatable. This book will take you right back to your high school days. The principal, who called the club the BLT club, is unbearable - it’s mostly the other characters that are relatable (most not all lol).

Memorable: Sloppy Joe

Themes:
LGBTQIA+
Bullying
Attempted Murder
Fear and Anxiety
Friendship
Identity

A solid read. The perfect ending! The audio was perfect!

This was a fun murder mystery, with excellent queer characters. A recipe for a book that I would love. I liked this one, but didn’t truly love it. A few of the characters fell flat for me, but overall I had a fun time with this one.

This book is a lot of fun, but also has a lot of depth and tackles some heavier themes that we need more of in YA books. I love the main cast of queer characters, love the found family, and the twists and turns the book takes. A fantastic debut.

As far as a YA LGTBQIA+ tale this was for me wasn’t bad. It had all the elements of a (almost) murder mystery that I love. It was a great story about friendship and sticking it to the hatful bigots of the world.

Such a fun 🎧 I thoroughly enjoyed this, fictional as it may be, it touched real topics at the same time. Perfect for the Trans Rights Readathon 🏳️‍⚧️
It also had me on the edge of my seat, I love a good mystery. I literally couldn’t pin it, but of course… I should’ve known who it was from the start. It was entertaining from start to finish w/ fun lines like
“Lego hair shaped as*hole” lmfaoo. I was fr cackling w/ some of the quotes in this book 😭😭😭😭 I really couldn’t pick a fave, but Tyler ate everybody up w/ their speech *🎤 drop fr. Truly loved how everything played out, the ending was so wholesome, but left room for expectation for another book!! Which I highly look forward to 🤍