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 🤍

This one had me laughing from the very first page. I just loved how this crew of kiddos took it upon themselves to investigate what happened at school. The principal was really something else! There were definitely moments where I couldn’t believe how the adults were behaving, but I really enjoyed the sleuthing. The friendships forming felt like the kind that would last a lifetime.
Ina Marie Smith does a fantastic job bringing the characters to life and kept me engaged all the way to the end.

This was a fun read. It was very reminiscent of an 80s camp horror but modernized. There was some decent scares but there was also plenty of fun and light hearted spots. The mcs felt real and while the whole situation of the book felt exaggerated they didn't. As a whole I really enjoyed this as a fun horror romp.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The moment I saw this cover, I knew I wanted to read this book. After reading the synopsis, I insisted that NetGalley give me an ARC. So you can imagine my disappointment when I did not love it. Don’t get me wrong, it was fine. Ina Marie Smith’s narration was outstanding, and there are some important overarching messages, but I don’t know if this book is meant for me, and that’s ok.
I have never been a queer teen in the American south, and I would never claim that CL Montblanc Is fabricating any lived experience, but it sounds unbelievable. I am not saying that Canada is some Utopian land of tolerance, but schools here have policies and a lot of the stuff that these kids face are human rights violations that the media would be all over if the schools didn’t shut it down first. If that is what Texas is like, wipe it from the globe.
In fact, there were many things I had a hard time believing. All of the antagonists- adult and teen alike- are depicted as cartoonishly evil, so I can’t believe the state and position of power the LGBTQ club has at the end of the book. Not in this town. I cannot believe that a man who went to high school in the 80s and presumably worked at a high school from the 90s onward would not know who Mario and Luigi are-- I can suspend my disbelief no longer!
I appreciate the realism of the teenage characters making foolish decisions, but it didn’t make me any less frustrated with them. I did not find Noah’s antics funny. Salim and Tyler, however, need to be protected at all costs! There were many times I was worried for the characters; the stakes felt high and there were so many moments of hopelessness, but the gang were so supportive of one another, I knew they’d be ok.
My favourite scene was the confrontation at the Homecoming Dance. I was very happy that Talia was at fault since I didn’t like her from the jump.. This scene was the perfect balance of tension, comeuppance, and resolution, so I was a bit disappointed with how everything after it was summed up with exposition.
Overall, this book will find its audience and I will make sure it does by purchasing it for my library and recommending it to readers I think it will resonate with.

Pride or Die was a fun almost murder mystery with a cast of inclusive and intriguing characters. When the LGBTQ Club holds an emergency meeting during a pep rally, they find themselves as the primary suspects in the almost murder of the head cheerleader.

Eleanora and friends are on the case to clear their name and protect their club. With homophobia everywhere in their small Texas town the odds are not in the club's favor. The group of friends has to enlist support where they least expect it to try to solve the case.

This was an intriguing mystery and the audio narration kept me immersed from beginning to end. I enjoyed this! I would recommend it if you've liked books by Karen M. McManus, or Holly Jackson you will definitely enjoy this! Thank you to the publisher for providing an ALC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hmmm idk!

After looking at reviews, I fear I’m an unpopular opinion! 😩 literally every review I’ve seen people are loving this. They think it’s dark and funny and had a whole lot of humor, but I just didn’t see it! I mean right in the synopsis. It says it’s a dark comedy debut, but I don’t think I laughed one time 🤷🏻‍♀️ I will say the concept was fun. I liked the idea of an LGBTQ club trying to solve a mystery and figure out what happened to a fellow student. Also wait most of the characters I liked their relationships with each other and how they were so supportive and always there for each other and they really didn’t turn on each other. I thought it was pretty obvious why Kinley wanted to talk to the group, so that little romance wasn’t much of a surprise to me, but it was fun to kinda see it unfold. I wish there was more Besides what was happened at the end. However, my biggest complaint about this is that it felt so unnatural? Like characters were just jumping to conclusions and it didn’t really make sense how we got from point a to point b 🤷🏻‍♀️ and the conclusion at the end about who did it didn’t make any sense to me. I don’t understand how all the clues that were given, added up to that answer.

Overall, not a winner for me, but the audiobook narration was fantastic!

Unfortunately this one didn’t work for me. I loved the queer rep, and appreciate that this is probably geared towards younger audiences, but it was just not believable. Parents were cut out of every aspect of this with no communication that their kids were put on academic probation, interviewed by the cops - multiple times - and that there was an assault in the school.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to “Pride or Die,” a captivating mystery novel perfect for young readers or those seeking a low-stakes murder mystery. The story follows Eleanora and her friends as they navigate high school drama and clear their names after being framed for an attempted murder. The blend of dark comedy and timely social commentary makes for an engaging listen. The narrator does an excellent job bringing the characters to life. Overall, it’s a fun and suspenseful tale with a vital message about identity and acceptance.

Pride or Die is a fun YA thriller that centers on LGBTQ characters who are being targeted by an unknown person. The plot twist at the end was great! This is a must for all YA collections where thrillers are popular.