Pride and Joy – M.L. Rice

I don’t quite know how to describe a book that is both incredibly depressing and a page-turner. I felt so sad reading this but I couldn’t stop reading, despite the domino effect of each event playing out on the page.

Don’t get me wrong, this is a great book – I’ll even want to read it again, but the attempted rape, homophobia, conversion therapy and life-changing accident are hard hitting so make sure you’re in the right place to read this before you start.

The book is split into parts – spanning approximately 10 years of the main characters life, starting with senior year in high school. Bryce’s realisation that she’s gay came a little quickly for my liking but her comfort level with the realisation is a welcome change of pace. I really enjoyed the friendship group that features around Bryce, especially as they’re another great example of chosen family.

This is a quick read, which despite it’s heavy storyline has lots of redeeming features and is well worth the time to read.