Pride and Persistence

Unveiling Aiden, Book 2

By: Joe Chianakas

Narrated by: Nick Monteleone

After a roller coaster of ups and downs last year, Aiden Rothe starts sophomore year on a high. After all, he's dating the boy of his dreams. What else matters? But Aiden's hopes for a drama-free school year are thrown aside when a new student captures everyone's attention: Michelle, an incredibly athletic, transgender black belt.

Fearing a repeat of last year's bullying, Aiden's karate club reaches out to Michelle, hoping to recruit her. To their surprise, she already has a team. Michelle is training with local police captain Decker at his MMA studio, the epicenter of LGBTQ+ hatred in and around Washington High. Soon after, Decker and his notorious partner, Washington High Wrestling Coach Krake, announce a new tournament with a $25k college scholarship as the grand prize. For some, like Mateo, it's a crucial opportunity—he lost his scholarship chances when he came out and quit the wrestling team the year before.

Can the true meaning of martial arts heal the divisions in this town, or will fighting only make things worse? A rousing story of love versus hate, where hidden truths and life-altering decisions lay behind every corner, Pride and Persistence celebrates the indomitable spirit within us all—the fighter that refuses to stay down, no matter how many times one falls.

©2024 Joe Chianakas (P)2024 Tantor Media

So good!

Another riveting coming of age novel from Joe Chianakas. It's a sequel, so you will want to listen to the first book before embarking upon this listen. You'll get the same lovable characters and loathsome villains plus a few more. You'll get new gut-wrenching personal dilemmas and the urge to keep cheering for the good guys.

But since the story is set in high school, the romance revolves around a couple of sweethearts having difficulty keeping their young love burning bright while also controlling their raging hormones and parental demands. It's about repeatedly getting knocked down but maintaining a growth mindset while also trying to push out of your mind that high school does not last forever and lovers going their own way after graduation is often what the universe has in store.

The major plot point is a bit silly: A group of misfits that the English teacher has brought together by teaching them karate has little choice but to enter an MMA tournament against the school's wrestling team plus assorted other bullies. Nevertheless, it couldn unfold and end more beautifully.