I wanted to like this one but I had the hardest time even getting into it. It already had that dynamic I'm sick of in YA where the Black girl mc is the only Black person in their friend group of rich white kids. And the writing just felt very flat and dated.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This young adult read is the perfect YA suspense thriller. We quickly learn how cunning and ruthless Lolli is with her scheme to get "her" locket back. When she meets Mr Mystery in the closet she soon finds out she met her match.

Loli plans a massive party that will be talked about for weeks at school. But she has a secret motive for planning this party - while sneaking into a closet to pull off her mission she meets X or "Mysterious Voice". What follows is an intense ride of dares and missions that become riskier and riskier until it all comes to a gripping conclusion.

I was very intrigued by the story and plot itself. The premise was fun and the first riddle Loli received got me excited for what was to come. I figured it out and felt eager to keep reading. Unfortunately, the riddles stopped coming or become too specific to the characters so that the reader could not figure them out. This left me disappointed,

Then Loli's actions were such a turn off. She is truly a horrible friend. I won't spoil anything but at one point she destroys the property of one of her best friends. This feels unforgivable and something that was brushed aside too easily in the end. She continues to make bad choices which just left me feeling annoyed.

I think it is possible that I am just not the intended audience. I would still recommend this to teenagers and fans of the Young Adult thriller genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and Soho publishing for an advanced e-copy for this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

High schoolers Loli Crawford and her best friends Ryan Pope and Cairo Dahmani live for thrill seeking adventure and reckless car chases in Ride or Die. Although she is the ringleader, they enable her high jinks. When Loli throws a "rager" at her ex-boyfriend's mansion to create a diversion so she can steal back a necklace Ryan gave her from her ex's new girlfriend, she gets trapped in a closet with an unidentified boy she calls Mysterious Voice or MV. He challenges her to a game of risky undertakings that she can't resist. They communicate via letters and anonymous chats challenging each other to increasingly dangerous dares. Ryan and Cairo have her back but are more and more critical of what she is doing. Loli selfishly puts the dares before her safety and friendships. When she ultimately discovers MV's identity and he challengers her to disappear with him, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Reminiscent of the film Baby Driver, including Ryan's prized blue Mustang called "Baby," as well as his passion for music, highlighted by a predictive track at the beginning of each chapter, this high octane thrill ride will keep readers turning pages to see what is coming next.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Ride or Die is a teen read and perfect for fans of young adult fiction. The book follows teen best friends Loli and Ryan who are the personified Bonnie and Clyde of their high school. They are known for snack swapping and other misdemeanors until Loli meets a boy in a closet who dares her to a game she cannot pass. Her strange new friend leads her to one wild ride. It's a thriller perfect for those starting their mystery/thriller journey.

Title: Promising Diversity, Flawed Protagonist

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Ride or Die by Gail-Agnes Musikavanhu is a diverse and engaging young adult novel. The unique asexual representation and intriguing side characters add depth to the story.

However, the main protagonist, Loli, is a polarizing figure. Her self-centered and spoiled nature creates a challenging reading experience, as she constantly endangers herself and those around her without consideration. Her actions appear whimsical and thoughtless, leaving little room for empathy or redemption.

Despite Loli's shortcomings, Ride or Die remains an engaging novel, with Musikavanhu's writing style capturing the essence of the story's unique premise. The book's exploration of asexual representation and its diverse characters contribute to its overall appeal, making it a notable addition to the young adult genre.

I kinda like the plot however, the characters especially the main character was just overbearing with me. It was just too much, and she seemed very winey to me.

Ride or Die is a thrilling and captivating mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat. With a lovable protagonist at its core, this high-octane, character-driven tale is sure to delight readers of all ages. From the very first page, I was drawn into the world of our hero as she navigates the twists and turns of a complex and dangerous plot. With each new clue and revelation, I found myself more and more invested in the outcome, eager to see how it all ends.

This was about a group of high school friends who throw a huge party that is talked about for weeks to follow. At the party Loli has a chance encounter with X in the closet which is the start of a game of dares. Some of the dares she does I still don’t know how she pulled off. I didn’t think it was going to turn the way it did at the end. This isn’t usually something I would read but I enjoyed it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This story follows best friends Loli and Ryan. The two are known to do some off the wall things. Loli and Ryan’s friendship is complex. Loli is impulsive at times and Ryan seems not to be able to talk her out of things. A yes man in sorts. Loli meets the mysterious X at the party that she threw to get a necklace back and the pair do several challenges sometimes dangerous. Overall this was a decent read. This pacing was good. I had a hard time liking Loli because she seemed so selfish and she really didn’t care about the choices she mad. Some things that happen during this book are inconceivable and aren’t really what I would expect but I have to remember this is fiction. Rating 4/5

Thank you to Soho Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I very much enjoyed this book, and The Children’s Book Review will be publishing my review in the coming weeks.

This book for me is okay. At first, I really love the premise of it, but the execution of the story is not good. What I liked about this novel is the exchanges between Loli and X and their dares. I find the 'Ride or Die' aspect to be underwhelming and there needs to be more stake in the story. Ryan and Loli's romance needs to be explored more because I feel that it came out of nowhere. Overall, an okay read.

I appreciated the twists and turns. Ride or Die tries to hard to be an adrenaline rush, but it felt forced the whole. I really wanted to love it, but I think I needed just a bit.... more.

Though I had some issues with it, I really liked this book until a little over half-way through. The main character was selfish and her friends deserved better. I didn't like the reveal of X, but I stopped liking that character, so I guess it's a good thing it wasn't who I wanted it to be. The plot got a little too ridiculous for me the closer it got to the end.

Loli Coleman, a mischievous teenage girl who enjoys throwing parties and missions to steal items, is set on throwing the biggest party no student at Wooldridge High has ever seen. No one knows Loli’s intentions behind throwing a party at her ex-boyfriend’s parents' estate. Loli, however, is on a mission to steal back her locket necklace from her ex-boyfriend’s current girlfriend. Loli manages to steal her necklace back at the party, but meets a mysterious guy in the process. The necklace was given to her by one of her best friends, Ryan, when they were in the fourth grade.

Disappointing

I really wanted to love this story, but it just didn’t work for me. Loli wasn’t likable at all. The dynamic of her being the only Black girl dealing with a circle of rich white boys turned me off. I saw potential in the plot to go through a bunch of risky missions with a mystery boy. The suspense of finding out his identity and their next mission kept my attention. The journey to get there left me feeling like this just wasn’t believable. The dialogue didn’t feel authentic. The dynamic between Ryan and Loli came off as more weird than cute.

SPOILER ALERT: this paragraph will contain spoilers. I don’t usually include spoilers, but I can’t let this slide. At one point Loli sinks Ryan’s car into a lake. Her parents scold her and then buy a brand new Mustang to replace his car. C’mon son! I thought the story was going to redeem itself towards the end. Then there was a ridiculous sequence of Loli and Ryan jumping from a moving train (that they had to sneak onto) into a dam. They swam to the shore (in their prom attire) and one of their friends happened to be waiting for them in Ryan’s new Mustang. From there, they went to get chicken tenders and fries in their sopping wet prom clothes. Then they lived happily ever after. Ugh! I was so disappointed in that whole scene.

I found myself rolling my eyes way too many times trying to get through this book. I gave it a generous three star rating. Thank you to NetGalley, Soho Press, and Gail-Agnes Musikavanhu for this advanced copy to review. #RideorDie #NetGalley

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was such a success! I loved all of the characters so much, especially Loli with her striking confidence. You can definitely learn a lot from her. The book was also definitely a ride of emotions and never left me bored!
It even felt like a literary fiction sometimes because I highlighted quite many pages.
I expected a little bit more for the ending but all in all it was a great story, perfect for mystery lovers!

I would like to first thank NetGalley and Publisher for ARC Copy


I really didn't connect with this YA a first for me. I don't if it was because I dislike Loli, so much and the she treated Ryan and her parents I just couldn't get with it. Ryan really cared for her felt he deserve better. The book was center around games and mission. At time I felt the book was interesting like when Loli left the Prom and what happen with Clay. My favorite Characters were Ryan, Cairo, Wolf, even though I didn't enjoy this book as I want it was still not a bad read. And yes I would read this Author again.

Small Business BookTok ARC Reviews: “Ride or Die" by Gail Agnes Musikavanhu

Note: This ARC was given to me for free by the author and I am reviewing this book voluntarily.

Loli Crawford and Ryan Pope have been pulling pranks, chasing thrills, and getting into all sorts of adventures ever since they were kids! When her Ex boyfriend's new girlfriend unknowingly has something that belongs to her from Ryan, Loli tries to get it back by plotting an elaborate heist!
On the night of the heist, when a mystery stranger, X, interrupts her plans and proposes an interesting proposition, Loli agrees to join in on his game of missions and secrets! Will these games, and the possible chemistry between her and X, be what drives Loli to fulfill her adrenaline rushed fantasies or will her decisions destroy her and the most important thing to her; her friendship with Ryan?

This read definitely made quite the entrance as an excellent debut novel from Gail Agnes Musikavanhu! First, we need to discuss the atmosphere of the book! This book, with its modern day setting, gave off some serious "Baby Driver" vibes. The book also paid homage to the anti heroes and complex characters of 50's and 60's cinema such as the titular protagonists from "Bonnie and Clyde" and Jim Stark from "Rebel Without a Cause".

Loli Crawford and Ryan Pope by far had the most interesting relationship dynamic. Loli was impulsive, acted on adrenaline, and constantly challenged herself to do reckless things just to feel alive and stray away from the "typical teenage cliches"! While Ryan went along with Loli's antics most of the time, he was the most rational of the two as he acted as the voice-of reason and a calming center for Loli, whether she recognized it or not.

Their relationship as a whole was neither good or bad, but rather complex. There are moments where we see Loli looking out for Ryan's well-being, taking responsibility for certain actions, and doing drastic things for the sake of their friendship and his happiness.There were also moments, however, where her impulsive decisions, especially when X is involved, resulted in her abandoning her friend, asking too many favors from them, and thinking more about themselves than their friend's feelings or situation. You will get an understanding of why Loli is the way she is and Gail does a good job of fleshing out her character arc and getting her to learn and grow from most of her mistakes. Thus, allowing her and her friendship with Ryan to be repaired and grow stronger.

X was by far the most complex character I've met in YA fiction. His reckless, methodical, and philosophical demeanor and behavior felt slightly reminiscent of JD from "Heathers" combined with L Lawliet from "Death Note". I don't want to give away too much about this character, but let's just say his unpredictable and mysterious nature will make you question whether to be amused by them or downright cautious of them. If you’re looking for a witty, action-packed YA Coming-Of-Age book that sends your dopamine on a high speed car chase, don't miss this book when it hits bookstores and online shelves on June 6th, 2023!

Rating: 5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


- Tropes to Expect: Coming-Of-Age, Self Discovery Narrative, Friends-to-Lovers, Love Triangle, High School Narrative, and Secret Missions and Heists!

- Trigger Warnings: Toxic Relationships, and Strained Friendships.

“Ride or Die” is the motto of three high school childhood friends: Naloli (AKA Loli), Ryan, and Cairo. Loli enjoys doing things that are daring and dangerous; Ryan and Cairo go along with her as her trusty sidekicks. However, that changes the night she meets a stranger in a dark bedroom while in the act of trying to retrieve a necklace Loli’s ex-boyfriend took from her. She doesn’t know who the stranger is nor what he looks like; she only knows his voice (the same with the stranger). Realizing they both enjoy challenges, they devise a scavenger hunt type of game involving rules, letters, texts, and deadlines. Loli’s friends think the game—and the stranger--are dangerous, but Loli loves danger and never shies from it. But is she getting over her head this time and sacrificing her friendships all in the name of a game with a mysterious stranger?

“Ride or Die” is told from the point of view of Loli, and she comes off very selfish and self-centered that one wonders why her best friends put up with her and her antics. She clearly only thinks of herself and doesn’t realize the consequences until she pushes one of her friends just a little bit too far.

This is a coming-of-age novel great for middle school and high school readers, as it is a story of friendship and discovering who you are and who you’re meant to be. It’s full of mystery and action, with just a hint of the start of a romance thrown into the mix. One of the characters is in a band, so music is also in the background. The story will keep readers glued to the page as each challenge becomes more daring and dangerous, and Loli is put into situations that soon spin out of her control.

My only criticism is the reader is kept in the dark about the fate of one of the characters by the end of the novel. But perhaps that was on purpose, since there are a lot of unanswered questions, and the author is pondering whether to continue the storyline with a prequel or a sequel. However, if this is meant to be a stand-alone novel, then an extra final chapter answering those questions would have tied things up nicely. We will have to wait and see.