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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
emotional
relaxing
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:
Yes
This baby is officially off into the world today! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did! :)
•••
Before getting into my review, let’s clear the air first because I’ve been seeing some very distasteful comments towards the authors. 1) I love One Direction!! and 2) This is not about One Direction, you weirdos. I am not sure who on earth thought that 1D invented shipping boy band members??? Y’all, MCR fanfic on LiveJournal came waaay before your Larry fics. I’m going to assume most of the people bashing especially Sophie are too young to even know what LiveJournal is (oh gosh, this is the first time I’m sounding so old and cranky). But bottom line is: let’s not attack the authors. If you’re finding it your personal mission to defend One Direction over a book that has nothing to do with them, then I’m just going to have to assume you’re the one obsessed with Larry. Strange as hell.
•••
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
5 STARS. HANDS DOWN.
When I first saw the announcement for If This Gets Out, I was bit skeptical...it definitely sounded like a promising premise, but the execution could either go very, very well, or very, very poorly. I am so happy to say that this book exceeded my expectations in more ways than I could have imagined. Let's get down to the basics:
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Essentially, this is a boy band romance. Two members of the band struggle with some confusing feelings, fall in love, and then have to face the seemingly unbreakable control that their record label has over their personal lives. This is certainly not a new idea--I have seen it occasionally in fiction books, and mostly have seen it in fanfiction. And of course, I've seen this trope a million times in real-life discussions (see: social media) as people speculate the lives of actual people in actual bands who have not made any actual declarations of true love and romance within their bands. I am not going to name names, but if you grew up with (or are currently getting into, or never outgrew the "phase" of) certain bands from a variety of genres, especially if they were/are all-male bands, then you'll probably be familiar with this plot too. And if you are familiar with this plot ("plot"...or sometimes a real-life set of rumors), you'll probably understand why I was skeptical. Right off the bat, people online have been speculating that the inspiration for this book was based off of real people. Let's be honest here: fandom culture can be invasive, toxic, obsessive, and sometimes just downright rude. I was a little worried that this book might be hitting a little too close to insensitive, boundary-breaking rumors that exist in our very much not fictional world. However, this book had unique characters and was written in a respectable manner, so if anyone had the fear that I had, don't worry.
THE PLOT
As mentioned above, this is a YA fiction contemporary romance about a boy band romance. Because I was so familiar with this trope, I was a bit afraid that there would be nothing new to this book--that it would be completely predictable and cliche. If you've read, oh, maybe even just one fanfic of this genre then you'll definitely notice some cliches, but that really wasn't a bad thing at all. If This Gets Out takes a very well-known storyline in fandom culture and adds its own little twists and turns. It's been awhile since I've literally not been able to put a book down, but Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich threw in so many fun and shocking surprises that I was *sneakily* reading this book at the dinner table, under my desk at work, during class, while watching a movie with my parents, in bed as I tried to fall asleep, etc. etc. I was having a good time, okay? Seriously, this book made me gasp out loud multiple times. I'm usually a more character-driven person than a plot-driven person, but the balance between character development and plot was great.
THE CHARACTERS
Long story short, I loved this band to pieces. Our two main characters Zach and Ruben were lovable, with just a perfect handful of moments where I wanted to shake them and scream "GET IT TOGETHER ALREADY!!!!!!!" I really enjoyed their development that took place throughout the novel--because there was definitely some major development--and the conversations and actions that took place in order to achieve that development. I also adored the other band members, Angel and Jon. Although they were side characters, their presence and significance was not ignored. If you love lighthearted, supportive friendships full of unconditional love and understanding, this book is for you. I really loved the romance in this book, but I was expecting to enjoy the romance. What I was not expecting was to fall in love with the friendship between the band members. Everyone had such distinct personalities with beautifully balanced strengths and flaws, which made all the interactions and dialogue so vivid and readable.
THE WRITING
This is 100% young-adult-audience writing. However, I am a frequent YA reader so, yay! I didn't mind one bit. I think YA is a rather broad genre since YA on the younger end is geared towards people who are still pretty much young kids and YA on the older end is geared towards people who are pretty much almost adults. The writing has that teen-flare to it where the characters still kind of sound young, but they're starting to explore "adult" things. That's my favorite type of voice, so I enjoyed the writing. I will say this though: this book reads like fanfiction. The plot, the writing style, the two POVs...this was reminiscent of something I would find on AO3 when I was 14. NOW, this is not necessarily a bad thing! I strongly believe that there is fanfiction out there that is of better quality than some professionally published books. The only reason I am mentioning this is because I know it won't be for everyone. It's the kind of emotionally-charged, dramatic writing that I grew up loving, but it probably won't be everyone's thing.
DUAL POVs
Another thing that worried me about this book? The fact that it was written by two authors. I can't think of many books written by two authors that I've actually enjoyed. Furthermore, I tend to dislike books with dual point of views. The combination of two authors and two point of views can sometimes be clunky and confusing. But once again, I was surprised. Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich have pulled off a two-author, two-POV book that still flowed well and felt cohesive, while still making both main characters stand out from one another. Writing a book is no easy task, but writing a book with another person--and having it turn out great--can sometimes be even harder to execute. I applaud the authors for making this work.
THE BOTTOM LINE
If This Gets Out is a sweet, exciting coming of age book full of boy band drama, solid friendships, and tender moments. I had a blast reading this and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good fast-paced YA contemporary romance.
TWs: drug use, alcohol, non-explicit sexual content, homophobia, disordered eating (only a small comment is made about this), car crash, manipulation, controlling parents/companies
•••
Before getting into my review, let’s clear the air first because I’ve been seeing some very distasteful comments towards the authors. 1) I love One Direction!! and 2) This is not about One Direction, you weirdos. I am not sure who on earth thought that 1D invented shipping boy band members??? Y’all, MCR fanfic on LiveJournal came waaay before your Larry fics. I’m going to assume most of the people bashing especially Sophie are too young to even know what LiveJournal is (oh gosh, this is the first time I’m sounding so old and cranky). But bottom line is: let’s not attack the authors. If you’re finding it your personal mission to defend One Direction over a book that has nothing to do with them, then I’m just going to have to assume you’re the one obsessed with Larry. Strange as hell.
•••
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
5 STARS. HANDS DOWN.
When I first saw the announcement for If This Gets Out, I was bit skeptical...it definitely sounded like a promising premise, but the execution could either go very, very well, or very, very poorly. I am so happy to say that this book exceeded my expectations in more ways than I could have imagined. Let's get down to the basics:
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Essentially, this is a boy band romance. Two members of the band struggle with some confusing feelings, fall in love, and then have to face the seemingly unbreakable control that their record label has over their personal lives. This is certainly not a new idea--I have seen it occasionally in fiction books, and mostly have seen it in fanfiction. And of course, I've seen this trope a million times in real-life discussions (see: social media) as people speculate the lives of actual people in actual bands who have not made any actual declarations of true love and romance within their bands. I am not going to name names, but if you grew up with (or are currently getting into, or never outgrew the "phase" of) certain bands from a variety of genres, especially if they were/are all-male bands, then you'll probably be familiar with this plot too. And if you are familiar with this plot ("plot"...or sometimes a real-life set of rumors), you'll probably understand why I was skeptical. Right off the bat, people online have been speculating that the inspiration for this book was based off of real people. Let's be honest here: fandom culture can be invasive, toxic, obsessive, and sometimes just downright rude. I was a little worried that this book might be hitting a little too close to insensitive, boundary-breaking rumors that exist in our very much not fictional world. However, this book had unique characters and was written in a respectable manner, so if anyone had the fear that I had, don't worry.
THE PLOT
As mentioned above, this is a YA fiction contemporary romance about a boy band romance. Because I was so familiar with this trope, I was a bit afraid that there would be nothing new to this book--that it would be completely predictable and cliche. If you've read, oh, maybe even just one fanfic of this genre then you'll definitely notice some cliches, but that really wasn't a bad thing at all. If This Gets Out takes a very well-known storyline in fandom culture and adds its own little twists and turns. It's been awhile since I've literally not been able to put a book down, but Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich threw in so many fun and shocking surprises that I was *sneakily* reading this book at the dinner table, under my desk at work, during class, while watching a movie with my parents, in bed as I tried to fall asleep, etc. etc. I was having a good time, okay? Seriously, this book made me gasp out loud multiple times. I'm usually a more character-driven person than a plot-driven person, but the balance between character development and plot was great.
THE CHARACTERS
Long story short, I loved this band to pieces. Our two main characters Zach and Ruben were lovable, with just a perfect handful of moments where I wanted to shake them and scream "GET IT TOGETHER ALREADY!!!!!!!" I really enjoyed their development that took place throughout the novel--because there was definitely some major development--and the conversations and actions that took place in order to achieve that development. I also adored the other band members, Angel and Jon. Although they were side characters, their presence and significance was not ignored. If you love lighthearted, supportive friendships full of unconditional love and understanding, this book is for you. I really loved the romance in this book, but I was expecting to enjoy the romance. What I was not expecting was to fall in love with the friendship between the band members. Everyone had such distinct personalities with beautifully balanced strengths and flaws, which made all the interactions and dialogue so vivid and readable.
THE WRITING
This is 100% young-adult-audience writing. However, I am a frequent YA reader so, yay! I didn't mind one bit. I think YA is a rather broad genre since YA on the younger end is geared towards people who are still pretty much young kids and YA on the older end is geared towards people who are pretty much almost adults. The writing has that teen-flare to it where the characters still kind of sound young, but they're starting to explore "adult" things. That's my favorite type of voice, so I enjoyed the writing. I will say this though: this book reads like fanfiction. The plot, the writing style, the two POVs...this was reminiscent of something I would find on AO3 when I was 14. NOW, this is not necessarily a bad thing! I strongly believe that there is fanfiction out there that is of better quality than some professionally published books. The only reason I am mentioning this is because I know it won't be for everyone. It's the kind of emotionally-charged, dramatic writing that I grew up loving, but it probably won't be everyone's thing.
DUAL POVs
Another thing that worried me about this book? The fact that it was written by two authors. I can't think of many books written by two authors that I've actually enjoyed. Furthermore, I tend to dislike books with dual point of views. The combination of two authors and two point of views can sometimes be clunky and confusing. But once again, I was surprised. Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich have pulled off a two-author, two-POV book that still flowed well and felt cohesive, while still making both main characters stand out from one another. Writing a book is no easy task, but writing a book with another person--and having it turn out great--can sometimes be even harder to execute. I applaud the authors for making this work.
THE BOTTOM LINE
If This Gets Out is a sweet, exciting coming of age book full of boy band drama, solid friendships, and tender moments. I had a blast reading this and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good fast-paced YA contemporary romance.
TWs: drug use, alcohol, non-explicit sexual content, homophobia, disordered eating (only a small comment is made about this), car crash, manipulation, controlling parents/companies
What can I say, this book was everything I wanted it to be. It centered around Zach and Ruben and their band, Saturday, with their friends Jon and Angel.
One of the most beloved things of this book was the writing style. There was a perfect split in between the dual P.O.V of Ruben and Zach. There was thought behind every word and meaning behind every thought. Without the P.O.V split, I think the rating would have gone down and it just wouldn't have been the same. I guess I also like looking at the drama from both sides. I felt more connected and invested in the story being able to see it and experience it from both sides because I can be mad at both of them for being completely oblivious and stupid then smile so much my cheeks hurt when they are both so very in love.
Now to the story. Ruben is basically Zach's bi awakening. Ruben has liked Zach for a while however, he never acts upon it because he was scared and didn't want to ruin their friendship. To Ruben's surprise, Zach is the one who acted upon his feelings which eventually leads to them falling for each other. After an enraging miscommunication trope (which I could see from both sides which just pissed me off even more) and a fear-driven feud, they became a 'happy' couple.
When they eventually came out to the band, everyone was really happy for them and everything was going great. Until it wasn't. Fucking management refused ANYTHING to get out. They banned all relationship questions in interviews, moved Zach and Ruben away from each other during interviews, photo-shoots and performances and when they were eventually ready to come out, they prevented them from doing that. Not to mention that Jon's dad (their manager), shat on Zach and did not let him expand in his song writing. When the boys were about to reveal their relationship on a live show, SOMEONE UNPLUGGED RUBEN'S MICROPHONE! I was ready to fight someone right then and there. When an employee (I think) reconnected the mic and the boys finally revealed who they are, and they got the respect that they deserve, I was very happy and it was a perfect way for them to disclose their relationship.
Ruben's mother is the worst mother and Jon's father is the worst father. They aren't even parental figures, they just use their children for money. Ruben's mother just completely destroys his self esteem and mental health 24/7 and completely ruins him 'because she loves him and wants to make him better'. The ONLY thing I like about her is that she pushed Jon and Ruben together, even if it was for her own personal gain. She's a very selfish woman.
Angel's problems is so under-looked until he finally breaks. His drug abuse story made me super upset and I hate the fact that there are people who feel the same way that he does. His meltdown in the city made me think he was going to die...I was so scared. His rant about his name change made me cry.
Jon is the best person in the entire book. He cares for all of him mates so much and is really the designated mum friend. He really didn't deserve the sit father he got given. He defied him and was really a pivotal point of his character.
It really opened my eyes to the behind the scenes shit that celebrities have to go through. The paparazzi and the pressure they get and how much of themselves they truly have to hide from the world - whether they want to or not.
I'm so proud and happy that the boys eventually leave their management and defy Jon's dad. When they become themselves, the story becomes even better than I could ever imagine. It ended perfectly and I couldn't ask for a better story.
One of the most beloved things of this book was the writing style. There was a perfect split in between the dual P.O.V of Ruben and Zach. There was thought behind every word and meaning behind every thought. Without the P.O.V split, I think the rating would have gone down and it just wouldn't have been the same. I guess I also like looking at the drama from both sides. I felt more connected and invested in the story being able to see it and experience it from both sides because I can be mad at both of them for being completely oblivious and stupid then smile so much my cheeks hurt when they are both so very in love.
Now to the story. Ruben is basically Zach's bi awakening. Ruben has liked Zach for a while however, he never acts upon it because he was scared and didn't want to ruin their friendship. To Ruben's surprise, Zach is the one who acted upon his feelings which eventually leads to them falling for each other. After an enraging miscommunication trope (which I could see from both sides which just pissed me off even more) and a fear-driven feud, they became a 'happy' couple.
When they eventually came out to the band, everyone was really happy for them and everything was going great. Until it wasn't. Fucking management refused ANYTHING to get out. They banned all relationship questions in interviews, moved Zach and Ruben away from each other during interviews, photo-shoots and performances and when they were eventually ready to come out, they prevented them from doing that. Not to mention that Jon's dad (their manager), shat on Zach and did not let him expand in his song writing. When the boys were about to reveal their relationship on a live show, SOMEONE UNPLUGGED RUBEN'S MICROPHONE! I was ready to fight someone right then and there. When an employee (I think) reconnected the mic and the boys finally revealed who they are, and they got the respect that they deserve, I was very happy and it was a perfect way for them to disclose their relationship.
Ruben's mother is the worst mother and Jon's father is the worst father. They aren't even parental figures, they just use their children for money. Ruben's mother just completely destroys his self esteem and mental health 24/7 and completely ruins him 'because she loves him and wants to make him better'. The ONLY thing I like about her is that she pushed Jon and Ruben together, even if it was for her own personal gain. She's a very selfish woman.
Angel's problems is so under-looked until he finally breaks. His drug abuse story made me super upset and I hate the fact that there are people who feel the same way that he does. His meltdown in the city made me think he was going to die...I was so scared. His rant about his name change made me cry.
Jon is the best person in the entire book. He cares for all of him mates so much and is really the designated mum friend. He really didn't deserve the sit father he got given. He defied him and was really a pivotal point of his character.
It really opened my eyes to the behind the scenes shit that celebrities have to go through. The paparazzi and the pressure they get and how much of themselves they truly have to hide from the world - whether they want to or not.
I'm so proud and happy that the boys eventually leave their management and defy Jon's dad. When they become themselves, the story becomes even better than I could ever imagine. It ended perfectly and I couldn't ask for a better story.
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
I really enjoyed this book a lot. I thought it was a fun and fast read. I really liked the friendship of the 4 characters.
I am glad that I got to read an ARC of this.
I am glad that I got to read an ARC of this.
this was so good! i thought this book did an amazing job showing how queer artists are marginalized in the entertainment industry. ruben and zack were absolutely adorable!
4.5 stars!
THIS WAS AMAZING!
I love Sophie Gonzales and I knew that this book of hers with Cale Dietrich was one that I couldn't miss.
We follow Ruben and Zach, members of super famous boyband Saturday. The two along with Angel and Jon, the other two members of the band, have created an unbreakable fanbase and a super tight knight relationship backstage. During an European tour, under all the pressure of performing and all the tight schedules the band is put under, Zach and Ruben end up spending more time together than usual. Until eventually they realise they are falling for each other.
This is absolutely adorable with just enough angst and tension to keep you glued to the page. I'm serious, I read this in one day!
It's so much fun to be reading about the ups and downs of just normal teenage boys who grown famous too quickly and just want to be themselves.
Absolutely a must read for everyone everywhere!!!
THIS WAS AMAZING!
I love Sophie Gonzales and I knew that this book of hers with Cale Dietrich was one that I couldn't miss.
We follow Ruben and Zach, members of super famous boyband Saturday. The two along with Angel and Jon, the other two members of the band, have created an unbreakable fanbase and a super tight knight relationship backstage. During an European tour, under all the pressure of performing and all the tight schedules the band is put under, Zach and Ruben end up spending more time together than usual. Until eventually they realise they are falling for each other.
This is absolutely adorable with just enough angst and tension to keep you glued to the page. I'm serious, I read this in one day!
It's so much fun to be reading about the ups and downs of just normal teenage boys who grown famous too quickly and just want to be themselves.
Absolutely a must read for everyone everywhere!!!