Pride High: Book 1 - Red

Pride High #1

by Jay Bell

Bold, nostalgic, and unapologetically queer, Pride High is a coming-of-age romance series for adults who remember the thrill—and the heartbreak—of falling in love for the first time.

Rewind to the ’90s. Six teenagers. One unforgettable school year. Meet your new friends:

Anthony Cullen: Being in the closet is hard enough. I’m also in love with my straight best friend. Do you think he’ll ever notice me?

Omar Jafari: I’m flunking most of my classes, but hey, a pretty girl talked to me today. So maybe I should stop secretly hooking up with a dude.

Silvia Diaz: Listen, my parents are undocumented. I don’t have time to worry about boys. Or girls. Or which I like more.

Cameron Huxley: My home life might suck, but when I meet my dream guy, we’re going to show the world what true love looks like!

Mindy Beaumont: People think I’m a perfect little princess, but I feel invisible. I’ve never even kissed a boy!

Ricky Nishikawa: I’m starting freshman year in a new town. As if that wasn’t bad enough, I keep getting picked on by a bully. And he’s really, really hot.

The ultimate high school experience awaits you in this full-length novel filled with passion and self-discovery. Enroll in Pride High today!

Genres: Young Adult, Queer, Contemporary, LGBT, Coming Of Age, Fiction, Romance

454 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 27, 2022

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

[Cyndi (hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! I loved that a fairly big cast of characters was introduced slowly and in a way that never felt overwhelming. I also loved that they eventually earned their own POV chapters and became more than just side characters as the friend group, which initially began as just Omar and Anthony, began to grow. This could so easily be a TV show that I would love to watch. The characters were diverse in race, class, sexual orientation and upbringing. Some who I thought I would dislike at first (based on, yes, stereotypes) became my favorites by the end (Mindy!). I found the different family dynamics really interesting and compelling. I also felt a ton of 90's nostalgia, especially in the music that Anthony and Silvia geeked out over. I've had "Ceremony" by New Order on repeat all week.

While reading this, I had to shut my 43 year old parent brain off and really remember what it was like to be a sophomore in high school. I kept expecting these kids to act like adults. When I was finally able to let that expectation go and dig up all of those old memories of my 90's high school days, it made it easier to accept the bad decisions, hidden secrets, misunderstandings and hasty love declarations that were definitely a part of my teenage experience. In the end, I laughed, cried and cringed with these characters and I can't wait to see where life leads them next.

[Gabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Loved it!
Excellent YA story
90's setting 🤩🎸🤘
Multiple points of view (boys, girls, straight, queer)

... will continue to read/listen to this series. Tavia Carver is a very talented narrator. ♥️

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars ...

There was a lot to like about this ...
there was a lot that was just CRINGE!😣

The author creates and develops
a wide variety of characters ...
and his writing strength is
definitely in snappy dialogue.
However, the plot/storylines
are quite cliche and predictable.
If this is an accurate portrayal
of the 90s high school experience ...
I'm SO glad I missed it! UGH! 😣

I will continue the series ...
prob'ly ...
maybe ...
eventually ... 🤷‍♂️

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read all three books in the trilogy now. As usual, Jay Bell writes very authentic characters and engaging storylines. These books were definitely a bit to YA for my tastes but I’m rating four stars because I would’ve loved to have had books such as these at a much younger age.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pride High is another success for Jay Bell, who has written so many incredibly touching stories.

I identified right away. Anthony was me in so many ways. Who didn’t fall in love with some straight friend? I love that this story branches out further than that with bringing in great characters to build a fully fleshed out world we want to live in. Anthony and Omar hold down the center of the story while exploring other characters in a well planned back and forth. I was so satisfied with this story and I cannot wait until the next one!

[Nick Vallina (MisterGhostReads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly Jay Bell does it again. I was a little wary when the main characters were all fifteen? But I immediately fell in love with literally everyone. All of the characters feel unique and real (with the exception of Dave and David but that's the joke). I 500% would've dated Anthony if we were both in high school together. Omar? Best dude bro. Mindy? A loveable idiot who needs to stop falling for gay dudes. Sylvia and Cameron? Both incredible. Ricky? Exhausting but so sweet. He just needs friends!

UGH I finished this at 1am and immediately picked up the second book to keep reading as the second book picks up directly as this one finishes. I'm so excited to see what more shenanigans the Pride High kids get up to!

[Phil Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I was sad to see the previous series ("Something Like..." ie: "Something Like Summer" etc) end, I've been rejuvenated by this new series from the author, Jay Bell! This book was difficult to put down as Mr. Bell has again given us an amazing insight into his characters (of whom many I found quite relatable!) and natural dialogue to boot. The book grabbed me from the beginning and took me on the journey of all the characters, through their inner thoughts and interactions with old and new friends, self-acceptance journeys as well as other angsty or fascinating developments. The fact that it is set in the early 1990's with plenty of excellent music references is just gravy on this wonderful meal of a book. This will definitely be a story I revisit again and again!

[Jim Senter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good! All the characters, major and minor, are real to me and the dialogue is pure Jay Bell, funny, heartfelt, and true. I especially fell for Ricky. Can't wait for more in this series.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first installment of Jay Bell's new Pride High series is off and running. This awesome start takes us through a tangled web woven by Anthony, Omar, Mindy, Silvia, Cameron, and Ricky as they make their way through the craziness we call high school, forging and trying to understand relationships. There is so much going on chapter after chapter. There is never a dull moment as these kids try to figure out their friends and themselves. These colorful, well-developed characters are written in true Jay Bell fashion. I highly recommend this book and am already super excited about the next one.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a big Jay Bell fan. I’ve read almost all his books including the whole “Something Like…” series. I love this book. I love the characters and the situations they put themselves in. Looking forward to the sequel. While mostly everyone’s problems got resolved, there’s sure to be more bumps down the road.

[Guy Venturi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to Pride, where being gay is habit-forming

Pride High may be an imaginary school and City, located close to Kansas City. Yet many of the places and streets exist in the real Kansas City, MO and Kansas City, KS metropolitan area. It was an exciting adventure to get flashbacks to the many places mentioned, even if they have changed considerably in my lifetime.

I grew up just a couple of blocks East of the Westport area, living at 3 different houses just South of 39th Street on the Missouri side. I lived a very crazy life growing up and working many jobs to get my education after high school at the McGee and Westport early campuses for the Metropolitan Community College as the school grew throughout the city. These two initial campuses were replaced by Penn Valley in Penn Valley Park, near the Liberty Memorial and Union Station. I rode my bicycle all around the city. I worked for Hallmark Cards, Crown Center, hospitals, shopping centers, schools, warehouses, office buildings, manufacturing, utilities, apartment buildings, hotels, residences, KCI Airport terminal buildings and control tower, restaurants, Worlds of Fun, Royals Stadium, Chiefs Stadium, and even underground storage caves in the KC area doing engineering design for many major construction projects. Helping the city grow made me feel a part of the city.

The characters may be Imaginary, but the situations and challenges they faced are very real and made me feel if I was right there with them. I would not recommend using the street names and locations without checking maps as there are discrepancies between the two Kansas Cities with street names, but since the city of Pride is fictional, or at least not among the almost a hundred small towns and communities that used to exist around the Kansas City area with many being absorbed into the city by growth surrounding them or merging.

Kansas City has a lot of parks, boulevards, green areas, and cruising areas still, but fewer than when I was growing up. I spent many hours in the Westport Public Library on Westport Road, one of my favorite places growing up.

I take pride in Kansas City and my experiences there are amazing. I still try to help young adults find their potential in life by paying attention to all the opportunities to learn and make their lives better for themselves and their communities.

Reading, researching, studying, questioning, talking, walking, visiting, asking, and sharing can make life so much more interesting and rewarding.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Jay Bell’s Pride High: Book 1-Red is a profound, heart-felt, and deeply moving novel. If you’re familiar with his ‘Something Like’ series, you already know of his unique ability to capture the joys, sorrow, and angst of teenage life.

Because Bell is introducing so many major new characters in this first book of his 'Pride' series, the first part starts off slowly as each is brought into the narrative. Among them are seven Pride High students - Anthony Cullen, Omar Jafari, Riku (Ricky) Nishikawa, Cameron Huxley, Diego Gomez, Silvia Diaz, and Mindy Beaumont, as well as an extraordinary high school journalism teacher, Mr. Finnegan, each of whom I expect we’ll see more of in future volumes of the series.

Once the first case of mistaken identity occurs, however, the story certainly moves along quickly.

Be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end. It’s incredibly moving. In it Bell explains how very personal one of the events that transpires in this novel is to him.

Once again Jay Bell has not only written a compelling romance novel, but he also continues to shed light on the tragic toll that any form of discrimination can have on young people.

[Bernard Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read yet a book by Jay Bell I didn’t like. This also goes for Red, the book one in Pride High series. It’s a fantastic collage of queer teenagers who try to figure out themselves and who they love. A story full of great characters with a deeper message. Looking forward to moving on to book two!

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update for 3/26/23:

I just re-read this book in anticipation of Book 2: Orange, which I got courtesy of Patreon and will start shortly. During the first reading I found myself confused by portions of the plot, and of course read Something Like Daybreak after, which has huge implications for the characters in this novel, so re-read with that in mind.

It really enhanced the book, knowing what we know about the Something Like characters. Some lines jumped off the page. Cameron loves cats and is older than his years. Omar and his grandmother. Anthony and his music. Some characters don’t quite line up, and others may not yet have arrived, but I really got more out of the book reading it with that context in mind. It really enhances both series.

As to what confused me in the first read, I feel like in Something Like, we crossed decades with characters, many of whom were introduced across novels, well spread out. Red takes place over two months, and while a strong effort is meant to delay characters (we start with Anthony and Omar, get to Cameron later, and other characters have yet to receive a focus) it was difficult for me to track the whole story, especially given that the characters are all lying to each other and all have the wrong end of the stick.

Beyond what’s listed below, some of which didn’t bother me in this read, what did throw me this time was Ricky’s plot with Cameron. When did Ricky figure out who Cameron was? During their BBS conversation, Ricky has no idea who Cameron is at Pride, Cameron says he knows who Ricky’s partner is in journalism class, which is Omar, making Ricky think he knows what happened between them, but Cameron thinks he’s talking to Anthony and whose partner is Mindy. Ricky theorizes who Cameron could be, Cameron asks Anthony if they can talk outside, and Ricky comes outside clearly having figured it out, but was it because someone told him Cameron’s name? It was a big moment for the character and I felt like I was on the outside.

Hopefully going forward, now that we’re getting people on the same page, I’ll be more grounded.

Five full stars. Great stuff.

As I’ve stated in prior reviews, I’m not the target audience, but Jay Bell’s novels are fully accessible and (up until now) have told a wide ranging story over years, from birth until death (and beyond.) Pride High is a chance to slow down the storytelling and focus on the day to day, and overwhelmingly it works very well.

I’ll admit I was anxious by the description when I started, because while we’ve had the opportunity before to delve into one character’s storyline before, we were never dropped in with so many people so at once. It didn’t happen. We start with Anthony, slowly expand to Omar, to Ricky, to Silvia, and beyond. The cast is huge, we’re in everyone’s heads, but I mostly hung in there.

Freely, I admit I was reading another book at the same time and the time away did me no favors. When Whitney remarks that Ricky is a good guy, I blanked on their past interactions. Anthony tells Cameron about Omar’s secret and that breach of trust never really came up later. Ricky was supposed to hang out with Anthony and Omar on a Saturday and I’m not sure if that ever happened, and Ricky feels that Anthony got Omar’s secret from Cameron, when it was really from Omar himself. Life is messy, things happen off screen, people make assumptions, and that the story held together fairly solidly despite obvious efforts to add coincidence and misunderstanding.

I’m assuming Book 2 will start midway through sophomore year, and I’m admittedly excited to see the story roll out in real time.

Recommended!

Addendum - Something Like Daybreak has to be my favorite vignette in the Something Like series. Jay Bell really nailed the right amount of fantasy versus emotion, and the implications of the ending really impact Pride High as well. Excellent stuff.

[Dennis McCormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Jay Bells character driven novels. He reminds me of a young Armistead Maupin who wrote the “ Tales of the City” novels. His characters are always real and relatable and he has a knack for creating colorful humorous dialogue. I loved the setting of the early 90’s. Although not a teenager then , I remember them well. In fact I came out in 1992 at the age of 21, and can still relate to many of the experiences these young men go through! ( hello Griffith Park) I especially loved Cameron, Omar, Ricky, and Mindy. This is a wonderful start to his new series. There is never a dull moment. I laughed , I cried, and went the gammet of emotions. The story is engaging, and the universal theme of love will resonate long after you have finished it. I can’t wait to continue the story in the next novel. Please share with anyone in your life who is LGBTQ 🏳️‍🌈. Jays novels are always full of joy and hope. Things we desperately need right now ☮️

[Ernesto Rivas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo!

Anothony, Ricky and all their friends in the 90’s. Jay Bell knows his music for sure. It’s an endearing novel of all the right and wrong things, but as always love always wins! Bravo!

[Leandro · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up

I’m a big fan of Jay Bell’s writing. He really nails the portrayal of his characters in a way that feels authentic for their age. I’ve mentioned this in other reviews, but I often find that authors struggle to portray teenagers convincingly. Jay Bell does it very well.

On the other hand, this book introduces a lot of characters. It’s not like you lose track of who’s who, Jay Bell does a good job keeping things clear, but it’s still overwhelming. Even in the first book, there are just too many people... It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is kind of intimidating. Just a ton of characters to keep in mind.

And then there’s the point-of-view structure. It’s written in first person, but not from just one perspective. There are multiple POVs, every important character gets their POV, and every time you think you've met all the narrators, another one pops up. I know this adds depth, drama, and variety to the story, but it can feel like too much.

That being said, I actually prefer this approach over what he did with the Something Like series. There, the story kept repeating itself from different POVs, and if this book had followed that format, I’m not sure I’d stick with it. So even though the structure here feels a little chaotic, I think it works better. It’s still early, but that’s my first impression.

Another point where I can't help but compare this to the Something Like series is the plot—or rather, the lack of it. For all its flaws, Something Like always gave you a full story. Each book had a much clearer beginning and end, and most of the loose threads were tied up by the end. That gave each book a real sense of closure.

With the Pride series, though, it feels very different. It leans heavily into a soap opera vibe: a big cast of characters, lots of interactions, plenty of drama, love, hate, friendship—basically, all the soap opera ingredients are there. But because of that, it feels like there's barely a plot holding it all together.

If you're looking for an easy, drama-filled read, it works. But that's not what I expected from Jay Bell. I was hoping for something deeper, and not getting that felt like a letdown. I know the series continues and I plan to keep on reading it, but as a standalone book, this one just didn’t win me over.

[Derreck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about being transported back in time! Oh... the nostalgia...

The year is 1992 and it's the start of a new school year. You'll first be walking side by side with Anthony, a true music nerd. This guy beats to his own drum. You'll also get some of Omar, Anthony's best friend.

Now, originally I thought I might end up overwhelmed because on the original cover, there are six characters. Well, I can honestly say, don't worry about that. Jay Bell knows how to ease you in without thrusting you in 60 feet of water when you don't know how to swim. You truly feel like you are in the era of the early 90's. A little bit of late 80's is sprinkled in there but not very much. That's got to be one of the biggest highlights. Even though I was actually, just a small child during this year. Although, I do have an uncanny memory of the way things were back then.

Expect VHS tapes, music, pop culture references, characters you thought you wouldn't like but end up loving them. Jay Bell just has this magical way of making the unlikable TO likable. I swear, its sorcery!

I remember thinking I wasn't going to like Mindy or Ricky. Now I don't want to spoil anything, because believe me, Jay puts a spin on things to make them interesting. The book will end with the door wide open. So you will know this isn't the end. Thank god.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teen drama in this modern streaming media world is tired: this work follows that formula. And I say "formula" specifically, as there feels like a formula to this work, be it of a soap-opera/teen drama/ romance genre with modern politically correct LGBTIQ+ overtures.
There is potentially a new generation of young readers that need to see this inclusion in a US teen school scenario, and as such this novel by Jay Bell looks to be a great series launch to begin that journey; but those who have already invested the time in the "Something Like..." series will not get much. A new story, more modern sensibilities perhaps. For absolute fans of the queer teen romance drama genre this was a fun read.
That said, I appreciated the author's recommendation to the reader to not read the "Something Like Daybreak" short story appendix without strong familiarity with that earlier series. In fact, I would go further and recommend a reader not read it at all, as it did not contribute anything new to the series and felt more like a self-indulgent nostalgia trip that sought to challenge personal beliefs (or lack there-of in my case) in the after life.

[Michael S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been slacking on reviews, even for books I really enjoyed, but I need shout this one out for being a wonderfully nostalgic slice of teenage life. It’s like spending your day with a slightly updated version of The Breakfast Club, and in the best possible sense.

High school stories are iffy for me because of the amount of cringe involved. I went through the middle of the book in short sprints, waiting for all the dominoes to start crashing down, but my expectations for multiple catastrophic blow-ups and a frantic resolution were happily subverted.

I loved the different POVs and how unique they were. No two characters shared the same voice, and their thoughts and feelings were believable, at least based on what I remember of being a 90s teenager. Characters I thought I wouldn’t care about turned out to have some of most compelling storylines.

Even if you don’t normally go for ensemble casts with shifting POVs, I’d recommend giving this a try if you enjoy YA/coming-of-age themes. There’s plenty (age-appropriate for the protagonists) here for M/M interest, but the straight boy and the ladies have important roles as well.

[Peter McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of teenage love, of finding friends and finding yourself

This story is told from the point of view of various teenagers who attend Pride High School in Kansas. Anthony and his best friend Omar are sophomores starting a new school year aged 15. Anthony is gay but is in love with Omar, who is straight. When Omar falls in love with Silvia, a fellow Sophomore, Anthony has to deal with jealousy and having to keep his gay feelings secret. We also get to know Silvia and a friend of hers called Mindy. Lastly, we meet Ricky, a Japanese freshman, aged 14, who has moved from Colorado. He had a boy that he loved there, who seemed to love him back but then got a girlfriend. The scene is set for discoveries, fears and conflicts. The characters are well rounded and the story has a good pace. The resolution of various difficulties is hard-earned and is credible.

Jay Bell knows what he is writing about and has a good style. I enjoyed this novel and wholeheartedly recommend it to YA readers. It does have some very difficult scenes but they are resolved in a meaningful way and signposts to useful resources are given in the afterword.

[Travis Franklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pride High: Book 1 - Red by Jay Bell is a compelling and fresh take on the high school romance genre, blending emotional depth with engaging storytelling. Set in the vibrant world of Pride High, the book follows the lives of its diverse characters navigating friendship, identity, and first love. Jay Bell’s writing shines in its ability to capture the intensity and vulnerability of teenage experiences, while also addressing important themes of acceptance and self-discovery.

The protagonist's journey is heartfelt and relatable, marked by moments of joy, confusion, and growth. The pacing is well-balanced, allowing readers to connect deeply with the characters without the story dragging. What sets this book apart is its authentic portrayal of LGBTQ+ themes woven naturally into the plot, making it both inclusive and eye-opening.

If you enjoy character-driven stories with emotional complexity and a strong sense of community, Pride High: Red is a great pick. It leaves readers eager to continue the series and see where the characters’ paths lead next.

[Scotty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely the best youth book I've ever read!

First, I am not a young man by any means! I selected this his book to read as I have God children and wanted to be able to relate to them and the things that go on in a high school that they are facing on a daily basis! Many things were different in my high school and where lived. Alternate lifestyle were not expressed or accept nor could you find others like your own self to communicate or hang out with! Mr Jay Bell you have out done yourself I loved everything in this book. You made me, laugh, cry , understand and be proud of the characters that you have brought to life. This needs to be a Netflix or Amazon prime show! Listen up streamers this story need to not only be told in the great writing of this auth

[CT · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me a while. I was in high school in the 90s and I like that nostalgia aspect. Jay does a great jobs with banter and characters. I felt at times lost in the plots. There were so many characters I had to go back and remember who was straight and who was gay or questioning and which character had a crush on who. I felt there was a lot of wishful thinking. I knew of people that were out at this time and it was very VERY rough.

I do really appreciate that the author stay PG13 with intimacy. To many authors in this genre get stuck and go to far and it feels icky or to conservative and it feels fake.

Not sure if I will continue with these books. This one I kept abandoning for a long stretch then started back up again when I finished another book. I think it took 6-8 months.

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 1 of Rainbow High -- Gay Teen Life in the 90's!

Welcome to Jay Bell's newest series after "Something Like Saga" -- and I was again enraptured in the characters. I was a teen in the 70s which was scary and secretive and really not much has changed in the 90's. I take that this will be an 8 part epic -- going through each of the colors of the rainbow from Red to Violet. I am curious to see if the characters will get older in the series, or if new characters will be introduced in future books. Mr. Bell is a very good story teller and captures time and attitudes of his characters and soon you long to be a part of their lives.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put it down

I honestly couldn’t put this book down. Bell just draws you into each character’s storyline in such a flowing narrative that even though the POV of numerous characters are given through reach chapter. Beautiful storyline and I found myself hating the closer I got to the end because I didn’t want it to end. Luckily I don’t think this is the end of these characters’ stories as they were left open-ended but not abruptly. Just a “can’t what to see what’s next” type of way. Highly recommended!

[Shannon Everyday · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite things about Jay Bell's books are his characters. They are always excellent, and Pride High has another whole wonderful group. Set in the 1990's, Pride High is a high school set story about a group of friends. Each character is relatable, as you follow them through falling in love, heartbreak, feeling alone, and everything a teenager feels at that age. Jay Bell does an excellent job shining a light on issues that are current today. You really feel for each and every character, and the love and friendships they have, as they each find their way.

[Mark Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jay Bell always creates a vivid world full of characters who will tug at your heart strings. The ‘Something Like’ series is amazing; In this book, Jay Bell created a much more diverse cast of characters. This should alleviate the one limitation with the ‘Something Like’ series, which was that the majority of characters are gay. That always suspended the realism for me in a world that seemed so real with characters that’s I loved. I love this wider set of characters and should produce a world more representative of the real world. However, I must admit that the sexual aspect combined with some of the characters ages made me uncomfortable as an adult. That said, after some serious thought on if I should continue reading I found that those aspects did align with my own life experiences. Which when combined with the fact that he was not overly graphic kept me reading, but it was close. Overall, I am very pleased with the world this book sets up and am looking forward to the older versions of these characters.

[Samantha Dhanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anyone who is looking for LGBTQIA+ books this is for you. I enjoyed the book I started reading it a few mounts before I read it through but I stopped because it was a little slow but I am so glad that I went and started it over and finished it. I was skeptical about it because there is such a large cast but the author made it read easily and not forget who every person was because it wasn’t like every chapter was for that specific character and if they were all in the same scene the author would make it where you knew who was talking. WARNING: there is suicide attempt.

Hope this helped.🖤

[Grayce Connors · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant and Well Meaning

Sort of a “Sweet Valley High” for the non-het set, this story tries to pack a lot of happenings into one series setup. A lack of thorough character development however eventually makes wish one wish it were over about halfway through. Despite this, the intention is so earnest and well meaning that you completely hate it. I know there’s an audience out there that will absolutely love this book (and presumably its sequels) for while it is certainly a pleasant enough read, I prefer a little more meat on my plate.