Pride High: Book 5 - Blue

Pride High #5

by Jay Bell

Nobody said that growing up would be easy! After the brutal attack on Anthony, his friends gather around him protectively, but he’s more interested in exploring his newly discovered self. Cameron struggles with anger and a broken home, finding an unexpected ally in Diego… and an unwilling rival in Omar. Keisha feels the strain of dating the enemy, Mindy is determined to land her first boyfriend, and Ricky wants more romance from his man. All is fair in love and war, but can you truly have one without the other?

Chaos and drama ensue for the LGBT students of Pride High as junior year culminates in a high-stakes standoff that will change their lives forever.

362 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 30, 2025

About the author

Jay Bell is a proud gay man and the award-winning author behind dozens of emotional and yet hopelessly optimistic stories. His best-selling book, Something Like Summer, spawned a series of heart-wrenching novels, a musically driven movie, and a lovingly drawn comic. When not crafting imaginary worlds, he occupies his free time with animals, art, action figures, and—most ardently—his husband Andreas. Jay is always dreaming up new stories about boys in love. If that sounds like your cup of tea, you can get the kettle boiling by visiting www.jaybellbooks.com.

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. This was well written however, When comparing this series to the “Something Like” series, it feels like something is missing. Even though the “Something Like” series started off predominantly about teenagers, it still felt much more relatable to adult readers. I feel that the “Pride High” series is definitely written for a teen audience and am sure younger readers will love it.

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Principal Preckwinkle does not lose her job by the end of this series I will riot. 😡 This has got to be the most "high school" YA series I have ever read and I am here for it!

[Isaac Lutterodt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colours of the pride flag suggests there is one book left which is a travesty because i need at least 5 more

[SebFox · Rating 3 out of 5]

A middle book that is a little middling

Well we’ve hit that mid point in this 9 book series and this one definitely has those middle book vibes about it. After book 4’s heavy hitting story which dealt with a lot of complex issues, book 5 seems to be treading water for much of the semester, feeling more of a place holder rather than a worthy volume in this otherwise great series. And that’s because nothing new really happens here.

Now don’t get me wrong, there’s some really good stuff in here: dungeons and dragons, a sleep over party and a snowday, but so much of the “drama” seems to be a rehash of Jay Bell’s favourite subject, the “love tryst”. You see we have Deigo’s attraction to Mindy despite him already being Ricky’s boyfriend. On top of that we’ve got Ricky’s feelings towards Cameron despite Cameron’s relationship with Anthony. Then of course there is Anthony’s yearning to be with Omar despite him already being with Whitney. But that’s ok because Omar is secretly still in love with Silvia even though Keishas still got the hots for her whilst pursuing a secret relationship with Hope. Now have I missed anyone out? Oh yes, Mindy has not one but two boyfriends on the go… well kind of. You see there is quite a lot of love pining going on and it’s starting to push these books into soap opera melodrama territory. Which is such a shame as I had hoped the author was trying to do something new rather than rehash his themes from his “Something like..” series.

I know the author thinks he is exploring the lives of these teenagers but so much of the potential he had shown in the previous books felt like it had been thrown out of the window. And from a character growth point of view, it didn’t feel like we went anywhere. It was great getting to know newer characters like Galen and Vonn more in this book but not at the expense of our main characters. Aside from Omar and Silvias night together, everyone else’s scenes just felt a little empty and lacked the emotional weight we’ve seen in earlier books.

Although there are a couple of major story arcs plot points in this book, it felt like this might be one to skip because most of the characters were still in the same place at the end of the book as they were at the start of it. Now you might argue that that is just how things are in real life… people don’t go through major character arcs every month! But in a novel… come on, there needs to be more than that. Otherwise this just becomes another trashy soap opera drama where a story arc is sacrificed in favour of serialisation. We’re invested in these characters and want to grow with them. Character growth is so much more interesting to read than just episode of the week drama. Now of course I’ll read book 6 when it comes out, if only to see some of the great writing from books 1-4 return in the final half of this series.

[Leandro · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 rounded down.

This was my least favorite of this series latest books. Once again, Jay Bell circles back to those same themes explored in the Something like series: cheating, loving two people at once, trust issues. Honestly, the way it's handled just doesn't sit right with me.

The author seems to push this lighthearted vibe like these things are no big deal:
Ben kissing Tim else while in a relationship with Jace? Apparently okay if you "love" that person too.
Anthony and Omar simulating a handjob? Fine, because Omar is straight (even though Anthony loves him).
Cameron getting a boner hugging an ex-fling? Just "what happens to everyone", totally normal!

That's the feeling I get, like the story is trying to normalize these situations. And that's where I really disagree. I’m not naive, of course people can still feel attracted to others even when they’re in a relationship. That’s just human. But feeling something and acting on it are two very different things. Whether it’s conscious or not, you’re still making a choice, and that’s where the guilt comes in. It's especially frustrating because Cameron has been one of my favorite characters for a couple of books now, I really see myself in him (no surprise, since he's clearly based on Jace from the Something Like series, who was also my favorite).

Another issue I have is with Anthony’s storyline—his so-called "platonic" love for Omar comes across as anything but healthy. He’s completely obsessed, chasing after someone he can’t have, and it’s painful to watch. Cameron had every right to break up with him. But then the story tries to frame it as some big revelation when Cameron realizes he was "wrong", like it’s suddenly "okay" that Anthony was pining after Omar the whole time while supposedly being in a relationship with Cameron.

This whole "broken love triangle" thing is portrayed as something we should just accept, like it’s normal to obsess over someone who doesn’t want you back. But it’s not healthy. And with all the friends supporting it, going out of their away to further fuel his obsession, it feels like a romanticization of unhealthy attachment.

So, while it's great seeing a character I connect with portrayed so well, the same problematic handling of these delicate topics keeps pulling me out. This was exactly my issue with the Something Like series, and it's still an issue here. The author hasn't changed my perspective at all. It feels like the same topic, the same approach, and me having the same strong disagreement all over again.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

While being an OK read this book will not win any literary awards. There is a place for serialised teen soap opera as testified by the plethora of television and streaming shows of that genre since the 1990's. This series, the "Pride High" series, of which this is the Fifth in a planned set of seven is another of that genre with a cast ensemble of characters; strong black vs white, good vs bad and moral values that skew very left. And while not being exactly wrong, there was an element of Hallmark "preachiness" socially and emotionally to it sometimes. Fine if you have already gotten into the series and want to continue the journey or are a fan of the author or these books, but do not commit yourself otherwise.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m reviewing Blue from my advanced Patreon edition.

Unlike the Something Like series, the nine books of the Pride High series break out chunks of time during the characters’ high school years, so rather than a big sprawling book about one person’s lives it almost comes across like episodes of a television series.

In Book 5, Anthony’s transition continues, Diego comes closer back into the fold, having great moments especially with Cameron and later Anthony. Silvia’s focus on her future was incredibly inspiring, especially given the state of the world as I write this in 2025.

Now more than halfway through the series, I’m very interested to see where these characters end up!

[Daniel Ricken · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Jay Bell and his character development continues to be wonderfully nuanced in capturing the adolescent years. I don't love staying in high school land, which I know is the series. I feel like I'm reading these just because it's Bell and I want to support him more than out of actual desire. For the intended audience of adolescents, great job. For me, it's just not my thing (but I'm sure I'll read the next when it comes out).

[Derreck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't want this series to end

I know we still a few books to go, but I dread this coming to an end.

Now for a brief review, I think I liked this one more than the previous one. It was darker, and oh yes, there's plenty more to come. Because man, I have so many questions.

Mr bell has a way of keeping you guessing. Its not what I would label as predictable, but that's a good thing. I'm still so invested, probably more now than before!

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

Follow-up to Pride High: Book 4 - Green (2024/98, 3½/5). More of the lives of the kids at high school in Pride, Kansas in 1993-4.

Rating notched up by the storyline for Anthony, whose exploration is becoming more real and certain. Difficult to say much about anything without spoiling books 1–4. It's still a fun read, with significant changes coming to the friends in future books.

[Alan Villafana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from Jay Bell. His character development is always amazing. No matter which character you’re reading about, there’s always something you can relate to in some way. Like the Something Like series, you get lost in this universe and feel as if you’re an onlooker at Pride High. I’m already looking forward to the next one!

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cliff hanger

I was talking to a friend today about this book and what I said is, I taught this age. All this stuff is so believable. It must all come from diary entries. Well now we wait for 6




That

[Jamison Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got so angry while reading this book that I had to walk away. Multiple times. This may be more of a testament to my volatile emotional state, but I'll credit it to Jay Bell's excellent characters and the relationships in which he's made me invested.

[Shawn E Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Story

I want more! What a cliff hanger! I really enjoy the Pride High series. I can't wait for the next book 😊

[Luke Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ricky is my absolute favorite character and should be protected at all costs!

Another great book. I’m really excited to see where this series goes!