Ride or Die was one of the first Y.A. novels I've read in years and was personally, a breath of fresh air. I went into this book with a list of tropes, stereotypes, and standard expectations typically associated with a Y.A. novel. This book blew my expectations out of the water.

I enjoyed that the protagonist has depth to her character and doesn't fall into the overdone weak-female-role-looking-for-romance trope. Instead, Loli is humorous, likeable, and frustrating in all of the right ways. The other characters in this book hold their own and I think Gail-Agnes does a great job of giving each character their own personality and style, which I believe is executed well and easily-absorbed by the reader.

My favourite part of this book is the mini yet wild ups and downs. Just as you think there's conflict-resolution or a potential lull in the book, Gail-Agnes adds a twist in the story. My most read genres include thrillers, mysteries, and suspense, and I appreciate that some of those elements were added in Ride or Die. Personally, I feel like the addition of suspense provides something new to the Y.A. genre and makes the reader excited to continue reading Ride or Die.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book as someone who almost never reads Y.A. novels. If you're looking for a traditional sappy, stereotypical Y.A. romance, you most likely won't get your fix from this book. However, if you're interested in slowly easing yourself into the Y.A. genre with something more thrilling and fun, Ride or Die is an easy way to do that. While the characters aren't particularly complex, I think that the story speaks for itself and is just a genuinely light and funny read that may make your jaw drop at some points - mine definitely did.

Very few YA mystery/thriller books hit the mark, and unfortunately this was not one of them. It took me a literal year and some change to read this, and I went into it with low expectations, but this was just… not good. The beginning had me hooked, but for me it lost steam around the 45% mark. I skimmed through the last 55% and the ending didn’t redeem the story. It was too much, not believable enough. These are young adults, this is not a James Bond movie. I didn’t like it.

Interesting coming-of-age story that had a little bit of everything. Definitely a entertaining mystery.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy, this did not impact my rating.

Musikavanhu’s writing is sharp and witty, packed with humor and heart. Loli’s voice is refreshingly bold and confident, making her a character you can’t help but root for, even when she’s making mistakes. Her journey of self-discovery is both relatable and inspiring, filled with the ups and downs of teenage rebellion, romance, and the struggle to stay true to yourself in a world full of expectations.

While the story is fun and fast-paced, there are moments where certain plot points could have been more fleshed out, particularly in terms of character development outside of Loli and Ryan’s friendship. However, the book’s energy and emotional core compensate for these minor shortcomings.

I really enjoyed this YA mystery / coming of age story about 3 best friends in High School. I loved all the "typical" High School milestones like Prom and skipping classes and your teachers with boxes of cellphones in their desk! It was such a well written throwback to my teenage mindset; I had no trouble imagining how it would all feel to be that age again. The mystery of the story was really exciting and kept the pace moving forward, the use of letters and texts was a fun mix. I loved how each chapter was a song title! I say read this if you like mystery, YA and a little bit of romance but not the main plot line. The growth of these characters was solid, typical teenage emotions and fights and getting into trouble and it all flowed so well. I can't wait to read more by Musikavanhu.

This book was a easy read, once you started it you didn't even realize how far along you were until you looked up.
To me some parts of the story were too cliché and mixed in with the memories of other books.

the way I love this books.. its kinda concerning because I really didn't even realize I finished reading I just kept reading and couldn't stop and I love it so much! god everything its good with this books!

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Ride or Die is an interesting story that effortlessly captures the spirit of teenage rebellion and the pull of danger. With Loli Crawford at the helm, the story bursts with energy, drawing readers into a world where rules are made to be broken and adrenaline runs high. The introduction of X adds a mysterious and thrilling element to the story, propelling Loli into a daring game that tests her boundaries and her resolve. As the stakes continue to grow, so does the tension, keeping readers engaged with each twist and turn.

Voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of NetGalley, the Publisher, and the author, Gail-Agnes Musikavanhu.

I started the book loving everything – especially the speed at which I was reading it. It usually takes me a while to get into the reading when I'm starting a new book, but this time I actually read it very quickly because the rhythm was very good and engaging. Until 80% of it I couldn't barely drop it – I was reading while eating, walking, brushing my teeth etc.

The story itself is good, and as its protagonist we have Loli, a high school teenager who is absolutely fearless. She's not afraid of anything or anyone – our school queen bee who loves getting into trouble for pure pleasure.

Until she meets (or doesn't) X, the male version of herself. And then, a game of challenges between the two begins and the rules are: don't find out who the other is and don't fall in love. The mystery and the missions were very intriguing and I loved the unpredictable character (even though he ends up being a total freak)

Although the protagonist is a hater of clichés, the whole story itself is a dramatic cliché. I liked most of the book, snf despite Loli being extremely unpalatable at several moments, the development is great.
The author manages to keep the suspense of who X is for a reasonable time without it becoming tiring (but although the character isn't someone we were expecting, which was nice, the revelation is a bit disappointing)

But in the final stretch of the book things start to get pretty rough and a bit thrown together, as if the cool ideas had run out and from a certain point onwards the author had to improvise just to finish it somehow.

At certain point I was so disappointed with Loli that I didn't even want her to be with the person she ended up with because he really didn't deserve all the sad things she put him through. I was so sad and angry at her that it took me a while to accept their happy ending.

After all, it's a YA book, so I didn't expect so much depth, and despite some gaps not being filled and the large (unnecessary) number of characters mentioned, the reading held me enough for me to enjoy the book to the point I can ignore the nonsense at the end and give it 4 stars. ⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

Ride or Die and its heist and prank atmosphere makes it a quick read. Not only do you want to find out who this mysterious figure is, but each prank, heist, and dangerous nighttime escapade sweeps you away. Full of puzzles, riddles, and letters Ride or Die is perfect for anyone who likes the idea of pushing ourselves and of meeting someone who will up the ante. It's also a story deeply rooted in friendship and trust.

Personally I am a huge fan of young adult books and don't often struggle with the writing or voice being for a completely different demographic than myself. With this book though, I did find myself struggling. I enjoyed the overall story and the characters were decent. I just really struggled with some of the Gen Z lingo and actions.

I would likely only recommend this one to readers within the target age group.

Profile Image for Christi.
Christi
8 reviews

Follow
December 29, 2022
Ride or Die was one of the first Y.A. novels I've read in years and was personally, a breath of fresh air. I went into this book with a list of tropes, stereotypes, and standard expectations typically associated with a Y.A. novel. This book blew my expectations out of the water.

I enjoyed that the protagonist has depth to her character and doesn't fall into the overdone weak-female-role-looking-for-romance trope. Instead, Loli is humorous, likeable, and frustrating in all of the right ways. The other characters in this book hold their own and I think Gail-Agnes does a great job of giving each character their own personality and style, which I believe is executed well and easily-absorbed by the reader.

My favourite part of this book is the mini yet wild ups and downs. Just as you think there's conflict-resolution or a potential lull in the book, Gail-Agnes adds a twist in the story. My most read genres include thrillers, mysteries, and suspense, and I appreciate that some of those elements were added in Ride or Die. Personally, I feel like the addition of suspense provides something new to the Y.A. genre and makes the reader excited to continue reading Ride or Die.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book as someone who almost never reads Y.A. novels. If you're looking for a traditional sappy, stereotypical Y.A. romance, you most likely won't get your fix from this book. However, if you're interested in slowly easing yourself into the Y.A. genre with something more thrilling and fun, Ride or Die is an easy way to do that. While the characters aren't particularly complex, I think that the story speaks for itself and is just a genuinely light and funny read that may make your jaw drop at some points - mine definitely did.

This was such an easy read! It took me back down memory lane with all the references to the 90s. The characters were relatable and the ending was great. Would recommend to others.

this was a quick read but in no way thrilling.
it was lots of build up just to be let down, the ending was not satisfying and i wanted more suspense

Loli Crawford is known for doing outrageous things for just the sake of it. She’s out there, over the top, and constantly seeking new ways to get over her overarching boredom of her life. Her besties, Ryan and Cairo, are along for the ride.

Loli finds herself in a coat closet of a party that she inadvertently threw (kind of impressively) trying to retrieve a necklace that was taken from her when she meets X. X sees her take/ back the necklace and starts up a conversation and from there Loli and X make up a game to see who can outwit each other. Then things go sideways.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I loved the ace spectrum representation in the book. I liked most of the secondary characters but Loli is so unlikable because of her narcissistic selfishness- it just got to be too much. The ending was also kind of a letdown and a bit too abrupt.

Thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press for this ARC. Ride or Die is out now.

This book was not at all what I expected and I'm so thankful I was blessed to read it. It brought me back to my high school days of the 90s, the music, the friendships, the drama. Love the characters and the way flow and readability of the story, the development growth, the friendships within the cast of characters, the romance... it was an easy read that I would pick up again

3 Stars

Ride or Die is a wild ride full of mystery and intrigue. Loli was a fun main character who acts authentically herself and is always up for a new adventure. The story starts off with a strong setup but towards the middle, it loses this momentum and falls off. While an interesting premise, the narrative felt one-sided with the reader only seeing Loli complete challenges whereas X completes everything off-screen.

Do you like the kind of suspense that flutters deep in your belly? Angst that leaves you tearing to pick your book back up? Then start Ride or Die NOW! So good!!
4 stars