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Pride Must Be a Place
Ezra Caine is gay. He’s sort of out at school but not at home, where he fears the wrath of his father’s bigotry. When Ezra's flamboyantly out friend Alex Mills takes one too many beatings from homophobic bully Will Carter, Ezra finally snaps. Fed up with the situation at school, he decides to do something about it.
With the help of his BFF, Nettie, and some unlikely allies, Ezra rallies to create their small-town school’s first gay-straight alliance. The Rainbow Alliance Club is formed. But the changes don't come without hiccups, one of which being a messy scandal involving Alex and a gay hook-up app.
As Ezra and his friends attempt to sway their school into an alliance of tolerance and acceptance, Ezra experiences a few surprises of his own on the home-front. He also learns the hard way that friendships out of convenience aren't always a good idea, just as some enemies might not be as bad as he originally imagined them to be.
With the help of his BFF, Nettie, and some unlikely allies, Ezra rallies to create their small-town school’s first gay-straight alliance. The Rainbow Alliance Club is formed. But the changes don't come without hiccups, one of which being a messy scandal involving Alex and a gay hook-up app.
As Ezra and his friends attempt to sway their school into an alliance of tolerance and acceptance, Ezra experiences a few surprises of his own on the home-front. He also learns the hard way that friendships out of convenience aren't always a good idea, just as some enemies might not be as bad as he originally imagined them to be.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 28, 2021
About the author
Kevin Craig
27 books230 followersKevin is the author of seven novels: SUMMER ON FIRE (MuseItUp Publishing, 2011),SEBASTIAN'S POET (Musa Publishing, 2012), THE REASONS (Musa Publishing, 2013), BURN BABY BURN BABY (Curiosity Quills Press, 2014), HALF DEAD AND FULLY BROKEN (Curiosity Quills Press, 2015), PRIDE MUST BE A PLACE (MuseItUp Publishing, 2018), and THE CAMINO CLUB (Duet Press/Interlude Press, 2020). Look for Kevin's 2 new YA novels; BOOK OF DREAMS (Duet Press/Interlude Press, 2022) and WHERE IS ETHAN SINCLAIR (Duet Press/Interlude Press, 2023)!
Kevin is a 5-time winner of the Muskoka Novel Marathon’s Best Novel Award. They are also a passionate and accomplished playwright. They've had twelve plays produced.
Kevin is a 5-time winner of the Muskoka Novel Marathon’s Best Novel Award. They are also a passionate and accomplished playwright. They've had twelve plays produced.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 29, 2018
This book was fantastic.
It reminded me of The Rainbow Boys.
It's the best YA novel with LGBT characters I have read in a long time.
It felt so real, it was incredible.
The issues tackled in this book transpired with authenticity.
In no other LGBT book have I felt this kind of truth. The pain of the characters in this book is truly felt by LGBT people every single day. This book is filled with history of the LGBT community too and the heartbreaking rejections and hatred they constantly go through.
It's all here, and it was heartbreaking!
But this book was also warm and filled with love and hope. It showed how far LGBT people have come and how much better things are becoming. And it was also filled with joy and humor. A book that manages to tackle difficult subjects with a light tone.
Own voices matter because authenticity matters. If you want to truly know what it means to be LGBT, read this book.
I loved all the characters, especially Hank and Alex! I know, I know... But Alex was my favorite.
Also many parts were hilarious, laughing out loud funny!
What a wonderful book! ❤️❤️🌈❤️❤️
It reminded me of The Rainbow Boys.
It's the best YA novel with LGBT characters I have read in a long time.
It felt so real, it was incredible.
The issues tackled in this book transpired with authenticity.
In no other LGBT book have I felt this kind of truth. The pain of the characters in this book is truly felt by LGBT people every single day. This book is filled with history of the LGBT community too and the heartbreaking rejections and hatred they constantly go through.
It's all here, and it was heartbreaking!
But this book was also warm and filled with love and hope. It showed how far LGBT people have come and how much better things are becoming. And it was also filled with joy and humor. A book that manages to tackle difficult subjects with a light tone.
Own voices matter because authenticity matters. If you want to truly know what it means to be LGBT, read this book.
I loved all the characters, especially Hank and Alex! I know, I know... But Alex was my favorite.
Also many parts were hilarious, laughing out loud funny!
What a wonderful book! ❤️❤️🌈❤️❤️
April 29, 2018
This book was fantastic.
It reminded me of The Rainbow Boys.
It's the best YA novel with LGBT characters I have read in a long time.
It felt so real, it was incredible.
The issues tackled in this book transpired with authenticity.
In no other LGBT book have I felt this kind of truth. The pain of the characters in this book is truly felt by LGBT people every single day. This book is filled with history of the LGBT community too and the heartbreaking rejections and hatred they constantly go through.
It's all here, and it was heartbreaking!
But this book was also warm and filled with love and hope. It showed how far LGBT people have come and how much better things are becoming. And it was also filled with joy and humor. A book that manages to tackle difficult subjects with a light tone.
Own voices matter because authenticity matters. If you want to truly know what it means to be LGBT, read this book.
I loved all the characters, especially Hank and Alex! I know, I know... But Alex was my favorite.
Also many parts were hilarious, laughing out loud funny!
What a wonderful book! ❤️❤️🌈❤️❤️
It reminded me of The Rainbow Boys.
It's the best YA novel with LGBT characters I have read in a long time.
It felt so real, it was incredible.
The issues tackled in this book transpired with authenticity.
In no other LGBT book have I felt this kind of truth. The pain of the characters in this book is truly felt by LGBT people every single day. This book is filled with history of the LGBT community too and the heartbreaking rejections and hatred they constantly go through.
It's all here, and it was heartbreaking!
But this book was also warm and filled with love and hope. It showed how far LGBT people have come and how much better things are becoming. And it was also filled with joy and humor. A book that manages to tackle difficult subjects with a light tone.
Own voices matter because authenticity matters. If you want to truly know what it means to be LGBT, read this book.
I loved all the characters, especially Hank and Alex! I know, I know... But Alex was my favorite.
Also many parts were hilarious, laughing out loud funny!
What a wonderful book! ❤️❤️🌈❤️❤️
February 15, 2018
Kevin Craig has a way of writing characters that could be people you know. They could even be you. In Pride Must Be A Place, we are led through the convoluted mind of Ezra, who knows who he is and knows what he wants but is afraid of going after those things because of what the consequences might be for himself and others around him. When circumstances come to a head, Ezra feels he can no longer stand by in silence, and is inspired to start a club to be an activist for himself and those like him.
I deliberately avoided using language about sexual identity in my summary above for a specific reason. Stories like Pride...are classic stories, stories that we all feel and face at some time in our lives. The best thing about Pride...is that it tells Ezra's story without stereotyping while addressing all of the stereotypes of each character head on before flipping those 180 degrees.
This is a love story to youth, to hope, to freedom of identity, and to love itself. It's for any person who finds themselves at the edge of identity, and will give the courage to find that place called Pride.
I deliberately avoided using language about sexual identity in my summary above for a specific reason. Stories like Pride...are classic stories, stories that we all feel and face at some time in our lives. The best thing about Pride...is that it tells Ezra's story without stereotyping while addressing all of the stereotypes of each character head on before flipping those 180 degrees.
This is a love story to youth, to hope, to freedom of identity, and to love itself. It's for any person who finds themselves at the edge of identity, and will give the courage to find that place called Pride.
March 20, 2018
Gay teen Ezra Caine is sort of out, but not really. He would like to live openly, but fears the reaction of his peers and his bigoted father. Seeing his out friend being bullied, he decides to create his school's first gay-straight alliance. While establishing the Rainbow Alliance Club, Ezra must simultaneously negotiate homophobia, toxic friendships and messy scandals. Along the way, he discovers (sometimes pleasantly, sometimes not) that the people around him are not always what he thought they were.
You expect a book with a gay protagonist to challenge LGBTQ stereotypes, and it certainly does that. However, Pride Must be a Place goes further by challenging many other stereotypes. Few characters in this book are who you expect them to be. The "best friend," the "crush," the "disapproving parent" - these are all trope characters in YA fiction, but Craig turns them around and lets them surprise us. He even plays with the boilerplate, flaming gay friend (Ezra refers to him as "walking stereotype") and gives him more depth.
If I have a quibble with the book, it's that Marc (the "crush") is too good to be true. His family situation is too ideal for the circumstances and he has the perfect reaction to every situation. He seems to be completely lacking in flaws. However, he is likable and does provide critical support to the protagonist.
Pride Must be a Place is important for its depiction of LGBTQ youth, but also has a much wider appeal.
You expect a book with a gay protagonist to challenge LGBTQ stereotypes, and it certainly does that. However, Pride Must be a Place goes further by challenging many other stereotypes. Few characters in this book are who you expect them to be. The "best friend," the "crush," the "disapproving parent" - these are all trope characters in YA fiction, but Craig turns them around and lets them surprise us. He even plays with the boilerplate, flaming gay friend (Ezra refers to him as "walking stereotype") and gives him more depth.
If I have a quibble with the book, it's that Marc (the "crush") is too good to be true. His family situation is too ideal for the circumstances and he has the perfect reaction to every situation. He seems to be completely lacking in flaws. However, he is likable and does provide critical support to the protagonist.
Pride Must be a Place is important for its depiction of LGBTQ youth, but also has a much wider appeal.
March 12, 2020
It gets better, they say to young people trying to come out of the closet, and that is true. But for the individual going through that process, it can be overwhelming. Kevin Craig authentically weaves a story of the adolescent journey of self-acceptance and the need to be loved. His characters come alive in their teenage angst and drama. I found myself falling in love with the main characters, Ezra, Marc, and Nettie. I could change the names and be right back in my high school so many years ago. Craig develops multi-dimensional characters and realistic scenarios. No one is perfect, and few are pure evil. Each little struggle is resolved artfully and in doing so, Craig teaches lessons about love, fear, and acceptance. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Teaching about diversity and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people is as important today as it always has been. Kindness is the key. Bravo, Kevin Craig! You brought tears to my eyes numerous times. Loved "Pride Must Be A Place!"
March 20, 2018
I was a bit uncomfortable with the blatant fat shaming and food shaming in some of the earlier chapters, but otherwise was a very nice book to read!
February 25, 2018
This book is so many things. It's about being a teenager, caught up in a swirl of conflicting emotions. It's about equality and being able to live your true self without shame, without fear, just being who you are without having to look over your shoulder. Everyone knows how hard the teen years are to navigate to begin with, but dealing with issues of sexuality, identifying as LGBTQ and the often related intolerance make those coming-of-age years that much harder. Kevin Craig's novels get right in the nitty-gritty of his protagonists' emotions--he writes emotional teens dealing with issues. Ezra Caine is gay but not really out. Because of anti-gay bullying at his high school, he becomes instrumental in founding his school's gay-straight alliance club. The reader is put directly in Ezra's shoes as he is confronted with not only the ugliness and homophobia on the part of a popular student athlete, but his own father's homophobic attitudes as well. There is also the pain of awkward, unrequited love--the full spectrum of the teenage experience.
My own son's small high school did have a GSA club. This is only four or five years ago, in a suburban area near Los Angeles. I was always happy to see the openly gay and lesbian students feeling confident about being themselves in this nurturing, supportive, protected environment. But I also knew this scenario was not the norm. It still isn't. Attitudes are changing, but hate crimes still exist. The current culture wars here in the United States are evidence that there is still so much education that needs to be done, so many little towns where kids have to hide who they are. We are still fighting over who gets to use which bathrooms! So it often seems that we take one step forward and two steps back, but things are better now than they used to be--a topic that is effectively, harrowingly explored in Pride Must Be A Place. I write all of this because I think Pride is a really important book--for not only young people to better understand their LGBTQ peers, and so that LGBTQ teens can see their own stories in print--but for adults as well to understand what their kids are dealing with.
Pride Must Be A Place shows the evolution that happens with education and knowledge. People do change, they do grow more accepting once they've met someone who is different. (We humans fear that which is unknown to us.) I teared up a bit a couple of times, thinking about the story from a parent's perspective regarding the teen/parent relationships in the book as Ezra deals with his father, and also in his interactions with his friends' parents.
I hope this book finds its way out into the world--its message is powerful. I hope for a time when every person can be their true version of themselves openly and freely without hiding.
My own son's small high school did have a GSA club. This is only four or five years ago, in a suburban area near Los Angeles. I was always happy to see the openly gay and lesbian students feeling confident about being themselves in this nurturing, supportive, protected environment. But I also knew this scenario was not the norm. It still isn't. Attitudes are changing, but hate crimes still exist. The current culture wars here in the United States are evidence that there is still so much education that needs to be done, so many little towns where kids have to hide who they are. We are still fighting over who gets to use which bathrooms! So it often seems that we take one step forward and two steps back, but things are better now than they used to be--a topic that is effectively, harrowingly explored in Pride Must Be A Place. I write all of this because I think Pride is a really important book--for not only young people to better understand their LGBTQ peers, and so that LGBTQ teens can see their own stories in print--but for adults as well to understand what their kids are dealing with.
Pride Must Be A Place shows the evolution that happens with education and knowledge. People do change, they do grow more accepting once they've met someone who is different. (We humans fear that which is unknown to us.) I teared up a bit a couple of times, thinking about the story from a parent's perspective regarding the teen/parent relationships in the book as Ezra deals with his father, and also in his interactions with his friends' parents.
I hope this book finds its way out into the world--its message is powerful. I hope for a time when every person can be their true version of themselves openly and freely without hiding.
March 25, 2020
Pride Must be a Place
By Kevin Craig
MuseItUp Publishing, 2018
Four stars
I mostly loved this book – loved the writing, loved the characters (especially the central teenager, Ezra Craine), loved the story arc that took things in slightly different directions than the basic coming out in high school story.
In a provincial Canadian town, Ezra has to deal with a hostile and (he’s sure) homophobic father on the one hand, while on the other hand coping with his second-best friend Alex Mills. Alex has been friends with Ezra since middle school, but is much more obviously gay (or so Ezra thinks) and thus a target. When the school jock king, Will Severe, bloodies Alex’s nose once too often, Ezra decides – with the encouragement of his best friend Nettie, that their high school needs a gay-straight alliance. The book is essentially the story of the creation of this alliance, and the various complications – some of them pretty dark – that ensue.
The twist in this book is the unhappy truth that not all gay people are automatically good people. The rather painful moral dilemma raised in this book – and effectively raised – is this: at what point does one lose sympathy for someone gay, even when they have been victimized – sometimes violently – by homophobes? This is central to Ezra Craine’s journey to realizing what really matters to him in a friendship. When does redemption come for a bully? When does friendship die? At what point do victimization and social prejudice no longer excuse bad behavior?
I held off one star on this mostly wonderful book, because I am not happy EVER with the idea that a gay person EVER “has it coming.” I was also not happy with the idea that bloody violence against another person is EVER justified. Sure, people disappoint us and might deserve to lose our friendship, but nobody ever deserves to be beaten to a pulp. Never.
Secondly, I think the parents in this book – a flaw I see in too many YA LGBTQ books – were far too weakly drawn and inactive, with the major exception of Marc Tremblay’s amazing family. Ezra’s own father gets a pass that he really does not deserve.
I urge people to read this and decide for themselves. Craig’s a wonderful writer and this book will really make you think.
By Kevin Craig
MuseItUp Publishing, 2018
Four stars
I mostly loved this book – loved the writing, loved the characters (especially the central teenager, Ezra Craine), loved the story arc that took things in slightly different directions than the basic coming out in high school story.
In a provincial Canadian town, Ezra has to deal with a hostile and (he’s sure) homophobic father on the one hand, while on the other hand coping with his second-best friend Alex Mills. Alex has been friends with Ezra since middle school, but is much more obviously gay (or so Ezra thinks) and thus a target. When the school jock king, Will Severe, bloodies Alex’s nose once too often, Ezra decides – with the encouragement of his best friend Nettie, that their high school needs a gay-straight alliance. The book is essentially the story of the creation of this alliance, and the various complications – some of them pretty dark – that ensue.
The twist in this book is the unhappy truth that not all gay people are automatically good people. The rather painful moral dilemma raised in this book – and effectively raised – is this: at what point does one lose sympathy for someone gay, even when they have been victimized – sometimes violently – by homophobes? This is central to Ezra Craine’s journey to realizing what really matters to him in a friendship. When does redemption come for a bully? When does friendship die? At what point do victimization and social prejudice no longer excuse bad behavior?
I held off one star on this mostly wonderful book, because I am not happy EVER with the idea that a gay person EVER “has it coming.” I was also not happy with the idea that bloody violence against another person is EVER justified. Sure, people disappoint us and might deserve to lose our friendship, but nobody ever deserves to be beaten to a pulp. Never.
Secondly, I think the parents in this book – a flaw I see in too many YA LGBTQ books – were far too weakly drawn and inactive, with the major exception of Marc Tremblay’s amazing family. Ezra’s own father gets a pass that he really does not deserve.
I urge people to read this and decide for themselves. Craig’s a wonderful writer and this book will really make you think.
April 22, 2018
I have yet to read a book written by Kevin that I didn't enjoy. He has a sort of magic that gives life to his characters. In this book, from the hero to the bully, these are people I could have gone to high-school with. Everyone knew a 'Nettie', everyone loved to hate a 'Will' and day dreamed about their 'Marc'. And all of us can relate (in some way) to the struggles Ezra has and admire his courage and conviction.
I was drawn in from the start and genuinely relived some of that long forgotten YA stress - and yet I could not put it down.
This is a book that I will encourage my kids to read when they get to high school. There is a lot they can take away from it: relationships, peers, bullies, family, loyalty, doing the right thing, about the importance of being open-minded and being true to yourself.
PS I can't be the only one who could see this being turned into a film....
I was drawn in from the start and genuinely relived some of that long forgotten YA stress - and yet I could not put it down.
This is a book that I will encourage my kids to read when they get to high school. There is a lot they can take away from it: relationships, peers, bullies, family, loyalty, doing the right thing, about the importance of being open-minded and being true to yourself.
PS I can't be the only one who could see this being turned into a film....
February 23, 2019
Aw this gave me some high school GSA feels. It was a big effort for my school's GSA to get off the ground, and it was fun (mostly? Some of the situations the characters get into are quite serious) to read about this group of students trying to get theirs going. I also really liked that the topic of toxic friendships also got addressed in the narrative. Overall a solid time.
August 11, 2018
3.5 stars. A really well paced read, and a sweet story as well! I was really uncomfortable with the constant use of blatant slurs, and one of the characters really peeved me the entire story.
Full review to come!
Full review to come!
February 24, 2019
Amazing! It took me a chapter or two to get into, because of the vernacular of a high school boy. But I sure did get into it! I laughed quite a bit, and I cried ugly tears. To me, that's what makes a good fiction piece.
I look forward to reading more of Kevin's work.
I look forward to reading more of Kevin's work.
September 7, 2019
This story is many things... it's part romance, part coming-of-age, part drama... it's got a bit of everything. I loved the main character, Ezra. He's a smart, little bit unsure, teenager trying to figure himself out.
November 24, 2018
Fabulous!
Such an unexpected book... in the best way possible. I know this word is overused, but it feels right... this book is authentic. Read it!
Such an unexpected book... in the best way possible. I know this word is overused, but it feels right... this book is authentic. Read it!
May 1, 2019
Very enjoyable book. Written for young adults but the author had a way of taking me back into time when I was young.
Lovely characters and theme. Shout out for a sequel.
Lovely characters and theme. Shout out for a sequel.
November 26, 2019
Terrific story of high school, coming out, first crushes and a first boyfriend.
December 20, 2020
Absolutel6 loved this novel. Will definitely be recommending to a lot of my students!
March 10, 2022
This was such a heartwarming story. It was very relatable and made me cry tears of joy.
June 10, 2019
This was a read that went the whole spectrum of emotions, as if you could ascribe a color to each emotion and then run the gamut. At times you will laugh, cry, burble with anger, grow silent with sadness, grind your teeth with rage, feel your heart swell with love, and those are just a few of the emotions felt between these covers. To say it simply: this book shredded me. It eviscerated me. I am changed. I will never be the same, and that's okay. Thank you, Kevin, for writing this book, and for being you. Thank you for imbuing your characters with authenticity and charisma, and telling a story unlike any other I've read. We need this book, and many more like it. Must read.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews