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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A decent parallel to 1D, Simon and Larry Stylinson
"For once, I'm going to be the vicious one. For all the times I chose to whisper when I needed to roar."
3.5/5!
I really enjoyed this book! It was easy to get into and it got me out of my reading slump!! I really found it interesting to get this book from the perspective of a famous boyband, I couldn't imagine living like that, especially as an introvert but I think this really brings up the issues within the music industry. I couldn't imagine being forced into roles or treated as bad as these characters were and it honestly made me so frustrated throughout the story.
"-Everyone wants the world to see them as they are. The truth isn't the problem. The problem is the world doesn't always make the truth safe for us to share."
I also admired that this book brought up drug abuse, it's easy to try to shy away from substance abuse in YA but I liked that they didn't. I liked Angel's character and seeing his descent was really heartbreaking. That being said I really liked all the characters in the band. I thought they all were distinct enough but also had great chemistry together. The banter between them all was so fun and I really loved it. I think Zach and Ruben were a sweet romance and I really enjoyed it! The only complaint there really is the miscommunication trope. I don't always love that. Throughout I related a lot to Zach since I am also a people pleaser, and I understood a lot of his struggles with that. I think the ending was so sweet and had such a great message.
"I want him to whisper my name. I don't care that anyone could see us, because I know with everything I have that it'd be worth it."
Overall, this book was so good! I definitely recommend you read it!
3.5/5!
I really enjoyed this book! It was easy to get into and it got me out of my reading slump!! I really found it interesting to get this book from the perspective of a famous boyband, I couldn't imagine living like that
"-Everyone wants the world to see them as they are. The truth isn't the problem. The problem is the world doesn't always make the truth safe for us to share."
I also admired that this book brought up drug abuse, it's easy to try to shy away from substance abuse in YA but I liked that they didn't. I liked Angel's character and seeing his descent was really heartbreaking. That being said I really liked all the characters in the band. I thought they all were distinct enough but also had great chemistry together. The banter between them all was so fun and I really loved it. I think Zach and Ruben were a sweet romance and I really enjoyed it! The only complaint there really is the miscommunication trope. I don't always love that. Throughout I related a lot to Zach since I am also a people pleaser, and I understood a lot of his struggles with that. I think the ending was so sweet and had such a great message.
"I want him to whisper my name. I don't care that anyone could see us, because I know with everything I have that it'd be worth it."
Overall, this book was so good! I definitely recommend you read it!
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
[b:If This Gets Out|54738255|If This Gets Out|Sophie Gonzales|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1610723548l/54738255._SY75_.jpg|85387795], co-written by [a:Sophie Gonzales|17149007|Sophie Gonzales|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1555846398p2/17149007.jpg]/Cale Dietrich and wonderfully narrated by [a:Ramón de Ocampo|1298226|Ramón de Ocampo|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], is a sweet, moving, and enchanting YA romance about falling in love and following your heart. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to listen to a book about a boyband with friends-to-lovers and a forbidden relationship. But there’s so much more to this novel. The authors explore the difficulty of being queer when people make you fear openly expressing and being yourself and ask you to hide fundamental aspects of who you are—who you love and with whom you choose to share intimate parts of your life and yourself—with emotional authenticity, nuance, introspection, and insight. The audiobook captured hold of my complete attention and heart. I listened to the audiobook whenever I had the chance and had to make myself turn it off one morning at 5 a.m. because I got so engrossed.
De Ocampo narrates the novel from alternating, dual, first-person POVs of Ruben Montez and Zach Knight, eighteen-year-old members of the popular boyband Saturday, capturing the band’s experiences on their world tour. More than just a boyband or American’s latest teen heartthrobs, Saturday’s four members—Ruben, Zach, Angel Phan, and Jon Braxton—are best friends backstage and off-camera. Ruben and Zach, however, have always been closer friends, looking out for each other, listening, or simply being there. So, it’s no surprise that Ruben confides in Zach how isolated and frustrated he feels because the band’s management pressures him to stay in the closet. Moreover, the strain of the tour, little or no free time, restrictive schedules, fame’s/stardom’s pressures, and management's complete control of their identities/lives wears on the teens, and they all deal differently. Zach and Ruben spend more time alone, relying on each other for sanity and balance, their relationship shifting unexpectedly from friendship to romance. Management’s stifling control and restrictions affect their ability to adjust to, explore, and be in a romantic relationship on their terms.
Gonzales’/Dietrich’s vibrant description and detailed worldbuilding bring these characters and their stories so brilliantly to life you feel every moment of their tour and its aftermath so deeply and personally. Listening to the audiobook is an even more immersive experience with de Ocampo’s lively narration, filled with personality, intimacy, and emotion—especially during intense, dramatic scenes. The authors excellently explore the conflict between the teens’ true personalities and identities and their Saturday identities. De Ocampo’s narration beautifully gives voice to these well-drawn characters, capturing their distinctive personalities with pacing, attitude, tone, nuance, and accents. The band members’ interactions and performances/preparations details are among the best things about the novel. Of course, the relationship between Zach and Ruben is my favorite. It’s beautifully developed from the beginning—the foundation of their close friendship laid and sprinkled with seeds of their potentially requited romantic feelings. De Ocampo’s narration shines in their interactions, which are sweet, adorable, humorous, intimate, and affecting. Ruben’s and Zach’s pining and inability to simply talk to each other after their relationship starts changing are painful in the best way. Gonzales/Dietrich develop these characters so wonderfully. Zach’s evolution and maturation are so beautifully written. Initially, I wasn’t sure how I felt about de Ocampo’s voice. However, he won me over with his narration for Zach and his ability to perfectly express the emotional intensity of the confusing, awkward, painful, disappointing, angry, and joyful moments the teens experienced.
Following the tour allows readers to experience the highs and lows, demands, responsibilities, and sacrifices of being successful teen performers at the height of their careers and its effects on each band member—especially having your image/identity created and dictated to you, and your every moment planned and controlled by someone else. The authors explore many issues teens deal with in a hugely familiar setting—the fishbowl of celebrity, a boyband in particular—but the story and pacing never feel weighed down. Issues explored include drug use, teen alcohol, teen sexuality, depression, confusion about sexual orientation, coming out, and toxic relationships with parents/other adults. Narrative flow and pacing are balanced as each teen and the band face and deal with these issues organically within the novel’s progression.
[b:If This Gets Out|54738255|If This Gets Out|Sophie Gonzales|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1610723548l/54738255._SY75_.jpg|85387795] explores themes of friendship, sexual orientation, coming out, finding your soulmate, discovering who you are, who you want to be, what you want for your life, and how to fight for yourself and a life with the one you love in a down to earth way without being preachy. It’s a relevant, thought-provoking, intense, funny, sweet, emotional, and romantic love story I cannot recommend highly enough to fans of queer YA romances, boybands, pining, and friends-to-lovers romances.
Advanced review copy provided by Macmillan Young Listeners via Netgalley for review.
De Ocampo narrates the novel from alternating, dual, first-person POVs of Ruben Montez and Zach Knight, eighteen-year-old members of the popular boyband Saturday, capturing the band’s experiences on their world tour. More than just a boyband or American’s latest teen heartthrobs, Saturday’s four members—Ruben, Zach, Angel Phan, and Jon Braxton—are best friends backstage and off-camera. Ruben and Zach, however, have always been closer friends, looking out for each other, listening, or simply being there. So, it’s no surprise that Ruben confides in Zach how isolated and frustrated he feels because the band’s management pressures him to stay in the closet. Moreover, the strain of the tour, little or no free time, restrictive schedules, fame’s/stardom’s pressures, and management's complete control of their identities/lives wears on the teens, and they all deal differently. Zach and Ruben spend more time alone, relying on each other for sanity and balance, their relationship shifting unexpectedly from friendship to romance. Management’s stifling control and restrictions affect their ability to adjust to, explore, and be in a romantic relationship on their terms.
Gonzales’/Dietrich’s vibrant description and detailed worldbuilding bring these characters and their stories so brilliantly to life you feel every moment of their tour and its aftermath so deeply and personally. Listening to the audiobook is an even more immersive experience with de Ocampo’s lively narration, filled with personality, intimacy, and emotion—especially during intense, dramatic scenes. The authors excellently explore the conflict between the teens’ true personalities and identities and their Saturday identities. De Ocampo’s narration beautifully gives voice to these well-drawn characters, capturing their distinctive personalities with pacing, attitude, tone, nuance, and accents. The band members’ interactions and performances/preparations details are among the best things about the novel. Of course, the relationship between Zach and Ruben is my favorite. It’s beautifully developed from the beginning—the foundation of their close friendship laid and sprinkled with seeds of their potentially requited romantic feelings. De Ocampo’s narration shines in their interactions, which are sweet, adorable, humorous, intimate, and affecting. Ruben’s and Zach’s pining and inability to simply talk to each other after their relationship starts changing are painful in the best way. Gonzales/Dietrich develop these characters so wonderfully. Zach’s evolution and maturation are so beautifully written. Initially, I wasn’t sure how I felt about de Ocampo’s voice. However, he won me over with his narration for Zach and his ability to perfectly express the emotional intensity of the confusing, awkward, painful, disappointing, angry, and joyful moments the teens experienced.
Following the tour allows readers to experience the highs and lows, demands, responsibilities, and sacrifices of being successful teen performers at the height of their careers and its effects on each band member—especially having your image/identity created and dictated to you, and your every moment planned and controlled by someone else. The authors explore many issues teens deal with in a hugely familiar setting—the fishbowl of celebrity, a boyband in particular—but the story and pacing never feel weighed down. Issues explored include drug use, teen alcohol, teen sexuality, depression, confusion about sexual orientation, coming out, and toxic relationships with parents/other adults. Narrative flow and pacing are balanced as each teen and the band face and deal with these issues organically within the novel’s progression.
[b:If This Gets Out|54738255|If This Gets Out|Sophie Gonzales|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1610723548l/54738255._SY75_.jpg|85387795] explores themes of friendship, sexual orientation, coming out, finding your soulmate, discovering who you are, who you want to be, what you want for your life, and how to fight for yourself and a life with the one you love in a down to earth way without being preachy. It’s a relevant, thought-provoking, intense, funny, sweet, emotional, and romantic love story I cannot recommend highly enough to fans of queer YA romances, boybands, pining, and friends-to-lovers romances.
Advanced review copy provided by Macmillan Young Listeners via Netgalley for review.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
DNF.
Boy loves boy is usually my jam, however this is very slow moving. I’m at 23% and it’s still in the exhausting “build up” (going round and round).
Boy loves boy is usually my jam, however this is very slow moving. I’m at 23% and it’s still in the exhausting “build up” (going round and round).
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Alcohol
I am so happy my friend, Madi gifted me this book. This is about a boy band that is being controlled by their record/management company. One of the band members Ruben is queer and he’s been trying to come out, but the management company does not allow him to they keep pushing it off.
Zach, his other band mates, realizes that he’s bisexual and he and Ruben started a relationship and want to come out but again gets shut down by the management company.
Although the story is based on their relationship, it’s not just them that the management company holds something over. John is the son of one of the owners of the management company and he doesn’t like how he’s being managed.
And you also get some of Angel’s story which is not even his real name. They changed his name and he’s spiraling and turning to drugs, and that is being ignored by the company as well.
There were so many moving moments so many moments that you want to stand up and cheer, and I truly enjoy this book.
This is YA. Definitely recommend.
Zach, his other band mates, realizes that he’s bisexual and he and Ruben started a relationship and want to come out but again gets shut down by the management company.
Although the story is based on their relationship, it’s not just them that the management company holds something over. John is the son of one of the owners of the management company and he doesn’t like how he’s being managed.
And you also get some of Angel’s story which is not even his real name. They changed his name and he’s spiraling and turning to drugs, and that is being ignored by the company as well.
There were so many moving moments so many moments that you want to stand up and cheer, and I truly enjoy this book.
This is YA. Definitely recommend.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes