I'm not sure why, but I was under the impression that this book was a horror and it very much is not. This one is definitely a murder (ish) mystery/thriller with a cast of lovely characters and an engaging story, though it did start to drag there a bit in the middle. The plot twist caught me by surprise- that doesn't happen often. All in all a fun mystery with enjoyable characters.

First of all, I LOVE THE title. Like 10/10 obsessed, so it pains me that I didn't love the book as much as the title. I think I was hoping for more queer horror rather than queer mystery solving, but if you're looking for that, this will hit the spot.

I really liked this one. It achieves the tone of a dark comedy with the main characters flaws and shortcomings often landing her in hot water. The premise pays appropriate attention to the difficulties that these teens are facing and the perceived burden of protecting not only herself and the current students but future students who would need community as well. I thought the mystery was pretty well done and the suspense builds well.

This book was so freaking good!

I went into this book expecting mystery, suspense, and unexpected twists—and wow, did it deliver! But what truly blew me away was how much heart and humor were packed into this story. The characters felt so real, like I could turn the page and find them sitting right next to me, bickering, laughing, and trying (poorly) to solve a murder.

When the tiny four-member LGBTQIA+ club finds themselves accused of an attempted murder, they have no choice but to investigate the crime themselves. What follows is a fast-paced, darkly funny, and wildly entertaining high school mystery with just the right balance of tension and hilarity. The friendships, the banter, and the awkward yet adorable romantic tension had me hooked from start to finish.

I adored Noah and his chaotic, loudmouth humor—the Mario and Luigi moment? I was CACKLING. And Eleanora? A stressed-out, anxious, reluctant detective with a crochet hook instead of a weapon? Absolute perfection!

This book completely scratched my itch for a sharp, clever high school dark comedy. If you love queer found family, witty dialogue, and murder mysteries with a side of heart, you need to read this. Not exactly a thriller, but 100% thrilling. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Pride or Die is about an LGBTQ+ group who are framed for an attempted murder at their school and forced to solve the mystery to clear their names, despite the bigotry and discrimination they face by students and administration. I disagree with the characterization that it's a comedy -- while there are many humorous parts, overall I would consider it a mystery or drama, not comedy. Certainly there's nothing humorous about how hateful people are towards these students. I really appreciated that the author created important nuance -- each character had depth, including the would-be villains--and even the "good" people had flaws and things to work on. The author also included important conversations about racism and intersectionality. I loved the diverse characters and the representation in the book. The plot twists were fun and kept me guessing. I think this would appeal to so many types of readers: certainly those who like mystery, teens solving crime, or suspense would enjoy it but there are also elements of realistic fiction, humor, and romance as well. This would be a great addition to any secondary school or public library collection. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

This was really well written and well done, just not really my cup of tea. However, I would fully recommend this though!

Thank you to St.Martin's Press for an early electronic copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

A murder (almost) on a high school campus is investigated by a group of harassed members of a LGBTQ+ school club. This seems to be book one of a future series. Young Adult in genre with some laughs and serious moments along the way, it had lgbtq+ vibes of the group of investigators featured in Scooby Doo. Each character has a distinct personality and brings their talents, or lack thereof, to the investigation.
When a popular cheerleader is seemingly attacked from behind and quickly blamed on the club, leader, Seventeen-year-old Eleanora Finke, rallies her group to prove their innocence. Her motivation beyond the obvious, is to keep the club going in hopes of providing a safe haven for future students.

The things I enjoyed about this book are: the lack of serious violence and the cozy-ish nature of the plot albeit with a serious statement to be made. The adults are from all walks of life and allies have a distinguished place among the characters. The guidance counselor was a breath of fresh air.

I enjoyed this read by Montblanc and the representation in the story. It was a nice mystery and had some good twists and turns. I think it is one that will be well received by my 9th graders.

I loved this book! PRIDE OR DIE was a funny debut about a high school's LGBTQ+ club trying to clear their names in a case of an attempted murder. The characters were all great and the voice felt authentic to today's teens. Highly recommend!

Well, this book is so good I can’t even realise that is a debut! Wow! This is more noticeable. The book is funny, the style is so light that, even when the story darkened, it’s never completely dark. I like that.
The characters are pretty solid (even if the adults are a little flat) and the plot is really well built. The mystery is solid. I like this book a lot and can’t say to discover what her this author can do!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

I was so happy to get a free kindle copy of this book from NetGalley. It sounded so good, and I really wanted to read this! So many books that sound good end up falling short, but this one exceeded all of my expectations. Loved it so much!

There were so many great passages from the book that I wanted to share on my feed, things that were so funny or emotional. With getting an advanced reader copy, I can't share any of them, though. I am sure other readers will share them later. There are moments that are so funny, but others that are very heavy, with the topics being dealt with.

At first, I had no idea who the murderer was. Then, I was 99.9% sure I knew who it was. I was 100% wrong. Didn't even suspect the person. Not a single clue.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free kindle book. My review is voluntarily given and my opinions are my own.

Triggers: homophobia, bullying, Islamophobia

In Pride Or Die von C.L. Montblanc dreht sich alles um die 17-jährige Eleanora, die eigentlich nur ihren Highschool-Abschluss machen und Texas Lebewohl sagen. Doch als während ihres Clubtreffens die Cheerleader-Captain brutal attackiert wird, geraten sie und ihre Freund*innen ins Visier der Ermittlungen. Um ihre Unschuld zu beweisen und den Club zu retten, bleibt ihnen nichts anderes übrig, als selbst auf Spurensuche zu gehen. Blöd nur, dass Eleanora nicht gerade mit detektivischem Talent gesegnet ist, stattdessen mit ihrer Angststörung kämpft, ausgerechnet für das Opfer schwärmt – und ihre Häkelnadel als Waffe eher ungeeignet ist. Chaos? Garantiert!

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Die Geschichte verbindet Spannung, Humor und queere Repräsentation auf eine erfrischende Weise. Eleanora und ihre Freund*innen stolpern mit viel Charme und einer ordentlichen Prise Chaos durch ihre Ermittlungen, während ihre Freundschaft im Mittelpunkt steht. Besonders gelungen ist die Vielfalt der queeren Charaktere, die ohne klischeehafte Darstellungen auskommen und sich authentisch anfühlen.

Der Kriminalfall selbst hält die Spannung lange genug aufrecht, auch wenn die große Enthüllung am Ende nicht völlig überrascht. Doch das wahre Highlight des Buches ist ohnehin nicht das Rätsel, sondern die enge Verbundenheit der Figuren. Ihre Dynamik sorgt für herzerwärmende, aber auch urkomische Momente, die das Lesen zu einem echten Vergnügen machen.

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Pride or Die ist ein mitreißender Mix aus humorvollem Chaos, queerer Sichtbarkeit und einer Prise Detektivarbeit. Auch wenn die Auflösung des Falls nicht perfekt ist, überzeugt das Buch durch seine liebenswerten Charaktere und die unterhaltsame Freundschaftsdynamik. Wer Geschichten mit Charme, Spannung und queerer Repräsentation liebt, sollte sich dieses Buch nicht entgehen lassen!

“Pride or Die” by CL Montblanc is a fun and fast-paced mystery with a great mix of dark humor and suspense. The story follows a group of LGBTQ+ teens who get caught up in an attempted murder case, and their dynamic is one of the best parts of the book. The humor keeps things light, even when the stakes are high, and there’s a nice bit of romance woven in.

That said, the characters don’t feel as fleshed out as they could be, and the adults in the story come off as pretty one-dimensional. It would’ve been nice to see more depth in both areas to make the emotional moments hit harder.

Overall, it’s an entertaining read with a solid mystery and plenty of queer representation, but it doesn’t quite reach its full potential.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book.

Eleanora Finkel created a club for LGBTQ+ students at the high school in her small Texas town, but not everyone at the school supports the club, especially the popular cheerleader and Eleanora’s nemesis, Kenley Stevens.

When Kenley is attacked right outside LGBTQ+ club’s meeting space, Eleanora and her group become the prime suspects for attempted murder. The only person who believes the group is innocent is Kenley herself, which Eleanora finds suspicious as heck. Why is Kenley suddenly so friendly to Eleanora after harassing her and the other club members for the past year?

As the homophobic principal narrows his focus on Eleanora and her friends as the culprits, putting their college plans in jeopardy, the group starts their own investigation in order to clear their names. The investigation turns their world upside down as former enemies become allies and friends become suspects.

The book aptly captures the complexities of life during the high school years with regard to friendship, relationships with adults at home and school, and discovering one’s identity. Fans of the slow burn relationship will definitely enjoy this one.

For any school librarians who need to be careful about what books they purchase for their collections, there is one scene where the characters use a fake ID to purchase beer for a house party and some swearing throughout the book.

When high school senior Eleanora Finkel calls an urgent meeting for the LGBTQ+ Club during Hillview High’s pep rally, she doesn’t expect her club to be the prime suspect in the attempted murder of Kenley Stevens, head cheerleader. Soon, it’s clear that the LGBTQ+ Club will not be cleared from suspicion (despite clear evidence suggesting otherwise). So, Eleanora and her friends team up to solve this case before they are found guilty for a crime that they never committed, and the LGBTQ+ Club at Hillview is gone forever.

“Even the greatest of revolutions started small, with individuals deciding it was time for change and taking action.”

Pride or Die by CL Montblanc is an obvious commentary on the social injustices that members of the LGBTQ+ community face on a day-to-day basis, especially given everything Trump is doing. But despite the seriousness of this issue, Pride or Die was a witty, lighthearted book. 

Montblanc did such a great job with the humor in this book that I actually laughed so much! My favourite is the way they described Tyler:

Tyler put a hand over their brow and squinted into the distance like an elderly sightseer.

And also this time:

“That’s a great idea. You need to stay safe—that’s the most important thing,” said Tyler, who was clearly the spirit of a wise old grandparent inhabiting the body of a non-binary Cuban teenager.

Chapter titles like “How I Returned to the Closet” had me laughing, but others were a hit and miss. Some of them spoil what happens in the chapter, but others are actually really funny, like that one.

Heads up: this isn’t a murder mystery, since nobody actually dies, but it was still engaging all the same! The plot was well-thought-out, especially when it came to what actually happened to Kenley (which I was kind of confused about, but that’s probably just me).

However much I found this book funny and enjoyable, there were two things I found annoying. First, it was annoying how Eleanora was constantly complaining about everything being her fault. I get it, but she has to recognize that some things are just out of her control. And then her mom used a cliché metaphor that had me cringe. It was something along the lines of “you have to accept broken pieces for what they are.”

Overall, Pride or Die is a book for anyone looking to read a funny, (almost!) murder mystery book that deals with the homophobia that is still present today. 

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for the copy of Pride or Die by CL Montblanc. This was a fun read about a great group of friends trying to solve an attempted murder. They’re the founding members of the LGBTQ+ club at school and are accused of trying to kill a classmate that bullied them. I loved their friendship and how they looked out for each other. The characters are the strongest part of this book, and Montblanc has succeeded in making them all interesting. As someone who went to high school long before the thought of an LGBTQ+ wasn’t something anyone had ever even thought about, parts of this book were really eye-opening, as were the attitudes in Texas. I think that this book would be a great addition to school libraries everywhere. 4 stars.

This felt really disjointed and read like a first draft. It's saving grace? A loveable group of friends.

CL Montblanc’s Pride or Die is an electrifying tale of resilience, loyalty, and the fierce bonds of community. With a fast-paced narrative and a raw, unapologetic voice, the story plunges readers into a world of high stakes and unrelenting determination. Montblanc masterfully explores themes of pride, survival, and sacrifice, delivering a gritty and unforgettable read. Perfect for fans of intense, character-driven dramas.

The uniqueness of this book is what will attract the teens. I truly think this Gen will love the dark comedy of this as well as the content. It's right up the proper ally of melodrama and fun.

Teens will adore it.

"𝑮𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒓 𝒓𝒖𝒎𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍."

Special thanks to @wednesdaybooks CL Montblanc & @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

👉🏼 swipe for synopsis ➡️

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was definitely a fun academia mystery w lots of great friends in play. Shows how hard life can be, just for being yourself and the seriousness of high school bullying.

I would say this is more of a coming of age mystery than a thriller, but still just as good of a storyline. It also incorporates a bit of high school romance as an added touch.

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
April 15, 2025


ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ Were you bullied in high school? Did you save anyone from being bullied?

AOTD - I punched a bully once for picking on a kid, it was liberating.

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #upcomingthriller #clmontblanc #prideordie
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