This was just not for me. I wanted to like this book so much but the writing was basic. There was not much in the book to enjoy. Not my cup of tea

I thought that this book would be sort of fun and camp-y but it was not at all. Entirely too much sex, which would be fine if the author leaned into it, but instead there are moments where the main character talks about how being gay is much more than just sex. He's entirely correct but those bits feel like afterthoughts when you consider just how much sex occurs in this book.

REVIEW ⭐️⭐️ The Wizard of Pride by Ryan Field is a gay parody of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Here we see young Darius getting caught making love with one of the farm hands and then being threatened with exposure by the town’s wickedest old woman. He runs away with his dog and is soon caught in a tornado that whisks him away to a beautiful and nonjudgmental land called Pride where all the citizens are open and accepting. And through his adventures and the men he meets along the way, Darius learns to free himself of shame and self loathing. ⠀
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This queer fairytale follows the 1939 film almost religiously differing only by name changes, an abundance of sex and a smattering of gay culture. I was expecting a creative and inspirational retelling but instead found a predictable story lacking in originality and creativity. The central message of pride and self acceptance resounds, but it might have been a bit more impactful if Darius had not been portrayed as a sex starved “slut” who manages to sleep with nearly ever man who crosses his path. I began this book with high hopes but was left unfortunately disappointed. ⠀

DNF

I was ready to stop reading at the introduction where Field mentions it is a satire of the movie, no mention of the book series. I shook it off, calling myself out for being too quick to judge. Then the book happened. And oh boy, was this not the book for me. There is more to being gay than having sex. I shouldn't have to say that in 2021.

I am also still annoyed that, of course, Toto was now a pit. Of course, this pit bit someone early on. I am so tired of so much about this book, but this is the thing that annoys me the most. I half expected everything else.

This book, ya'll! I was very invested in it. I was worried about going into it because the cover threw me off, but I do love anything Wizard of Oz. and anything Gay to be honest. I was pleasantly surprised by the enjoyment I got out of reading this story. The characters were fantastic and highly entertaining. This original and fun take on a classic lives up to the name and allows new fans to enjoy the story in a different way. Highly Recommend!

Thank you Riverdale Avenue Books for this free e-book copy in exchange for an honest review!

I was provided a free copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was awful. First, it was full of sexually explicit scenes that do not match with the ideas of the Wizard of Oz. Next, it does not reinvent the story, but rather just makes it LGBTQ oriented. This will certainly be a disappointment to the LGBTQ movement and 21st century America. Do not recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Riverdale Avenue Books for the arc!

This book is a gay reimagining of the Wizard of Oz, and despite some wonderful themes throughout, it just fell flat for me. It was basically a play-by-play remake of the old story, but gayer (obviously), and a lot of it just didn't fit.

It also felt a bit rushed and I wasn't a fan of the writing style.

It had some really clever parts and a few good one-liners, but overall I wasn't a fan of this one.

It was quite funny but sex in books usually bores me to tears and there's plenty of sex in this book.
I had fun but it's not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I have been chosen by NetGalley to read The wizard of pride by Ryan Field before its release.
I requested it because I’ve always loved The wizard of Oz and LGBTQ+ literature and from the plot this retelling really seemed my cup of tea.
I gave only 2 1/2 stars to this story because it is quite heavy on the sex scenes and because I found some passages written in too much a simple style to really convince me. Surely there are and there will be people praising the writing, but to me it was all too simple.
The book is very readable and I enjoyed the most of it because it focuses on pride and the courage when coming out and choosing to live your life as happily as you could when “coming out of the closet” even if the society isn’t enthusiast about your choices.
Even if the writing style is very simple, the author delivers some powerful messages, and I enjoyed the book in its entirety, it just needs some good polishing to become a great story.

So if I was going to rate this on Goodreads, it would be a 1 but I'm hesitant to do that based on the email I received when I was approved for the book. Look this is my kind of book, a retelling of the Wizard of Oz, YES! However, while sex scenes are a definite plus in a book, this was non stop...one right after the other, it was just too much.

DNF at 53%-
Too. Much. Sex. There is no sex in the Wizard of Oz. Now I'm not against a couple of sex scenes in a book even three or four might be alright. But eight. Not even in the whole book. In eleven chapters. There is nothing on the cover or the description that would tell you how much sex is in it. This book is basically the Wizard of Oz stuffed with gay smut. And I loved the Land of Pride. It was amazingly written and I loved how everyone was completely accepted in it. One of my favourite things about it was the fact that the title King and Queen could be used interchangeably. Unfortunately, though, the sex put me off. I think that Ryan Field ruined the great idea he had with all that sex. Overall, I would say that you would have difficulty reading it if you're not into sex a whole lot. I don't have a problem with it yet I found it too much to continue. I think it is only up a very select group of people's alley.

Despite so much potential, this gay Wizard of Oz really fell flat for me.

First of all, I was expecting a lot more creativity.

The novel follows the plot of the 1939 film to a fault, forcing intimate gay encounters into the existing narrative rather than creating something new and fresh.

And the keyword here is force.

Everything felt forced, from the immature writing style to the not-quite-funny-enough trio of misfits that Darius meets along the journey.

I liked seeing different types of gay representation, from femmes to leather daddies, and seeing each subsection of the culture celebrated.

But the sex-positive tone and theme of self-acceptance weren’t enough to make this lackluster effort interesting.