Review~ Pride or Die

Pride or Die
When the members of an LGBTQ+ club find themselves accidentally framed for attempted murder, it's up to them to clear their names before it's too late in “this dark and comedic mystery [which] deftly explores the gray areas between right and wrong, successfully addressing the complexity of people’s characters.” –Kirkus It’s kind of hard to graduate high school when you’re the prime suspect in an attempted murder. Seventeen-year-old Eleanora Finkel just wants to finish her…

This was a bit of a mystery/ thriller type story, but it was also kind of humorous and a lot of fun. Serious issues such as bullying, homophobia, and assault are discussed in a manner that brings attention, but also keeps you entertained in the story.

Eleanora is definitely the leader of the LGBTQIA+ club and also of her friend group (which are essentially one and the same). Everyone gives input, but she is the driving force. The rest of the club are as diverse in their personalities and backgrounds as they are in their identities.

Villains and potential attackers abound in the story, namely the homophobic principal and the school’s security officer. Especially since the principal is so eager to blame everything on the LGBTQIA+ club since they were the first on scene after the attack of the head cheerleader.

The club gets up to all kinds of hijinks as they try to figure out not only who the attacker is, but why the attack happened in the first place. And why the members of the club are now being targeted.

The club gets help from some unexpected allies along the way, some I predicted, others I did not. I am happy to say that I was surprised by some of the things that come to light at the end of the story, but not by who the initial attacker was or why they attacked the cheerleader in the first place.

There are a couple of cute romances along the way, and I really enjoyed the ending, especially the club’s name change.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC for review consideration though NetGalley, on behalf of the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.