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bookhoarderbea's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Outing, and Racism
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent
davidbythebay's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.5
As with Abid Khorram's Darius duology, this book has LGBTQ+ characters. Ans as in the Darius duology we get a Persian (Irani). But thats kind of where the similarities end. Well, one more is the fantastic writing style and tone of the piece, but subject matter ends with those two similarities.
Our main POV throughout the narrative chapters is a gay boy in a boy band, Hunter. We do get emails, texts, interviews, and other things from various people showing other perspectives. The main focus, however, is Hunter. Hunter is dealing with being a celebrity at only 17 years old. His every move is to maintain a particular image. Things go off the rails, on the rails, and all around the rails.
This is more adult in its content. There is talk of sex and there is a lot of more adult themes of becoming a beacon of good in the world. A bit of mental health discussion. But nothing like in the Darius duology, which I loved and read both last year.
Of great note is the FANTASTIC use of the LGBTQ+ spectrum! There is a nonbinary drag performer and activist who sort of briefly mentors Hunter. There is a young gay country music star. The spectrum of gender identities and sexual orientations are present here, even in passing characters in the bands meet and greets with fans. And that is what brings a huge smile to my face.
Romance is not a big focus here. The focus is living your life authentically by your rules, not the rules of others. Hunter talks about how his record label dresses him to appeal to the public for ticket sales by "meeting their expectations" of what a gay person dresses like. Then when the scandal hits, they rework him to be that particular subsect of the gay community's stereotypical posterchild. Heck! The band is making a documentary and the filmmaker actually asks Hunter yo act more gay, and especially more feminine gay. It's these harmful microaggressions and stereotypes that persist. It was wonderful seeing them called out.
I loved this book. My one drawback is this: I wanted more. I don't mean simply that I could have continued in this story. Yes, I could. What I really mean is there were a few things introduced that just scream for more time. The nonbinary drag performer and activist, Masha Patriarki, is one of them. The story of Kaivan (the Irani gay boy from the tour's opening band) is another. The ending left me with questions. I'll leave it at that. I think this would do well with a sequel or a companion short story collection. I want to know about Hunter and Kaivan! This is all in the description. I just want more. And I want more of the other boys.
This cast was diverse. The boy band Kiss & Tell is 5 Canadian friends, each with different backgrounds. And Khorram treats race with the same reverence as gender identity and sexual orientation.
Because I was left a little with a "that's it?" Feeling at the end - and I do mean a little feeling of that - I can only give this a 4.5 stars. It is a fantastic novel. Abid Khorram's a favorite author of mine, to be sure. Each of the three novels I've read have just been handled so wonderfully and written beautifully. I absolutely recommend this to anyone, especially if you are seeking some LGBTQ+ content that includes some representation beyond the white gay/lesbian representation books often see. I will read everything Abid Khorram writes.
Our main POV throughout the narrative chapters is a gay boy in a boy band, Hunter. We do get emails, texts, interviews, and other things from various people showing other perspectives. The main focus, however, is Hunter. Hunter is dealing with being a celebrity at only 17 years old. His every move is to maintain a particular image. Things go off the rails, on the rails, and all around the rails.
This is more adult in its content. There is talk of sex and there is a lot of more adult themes of becoming a beacon of good in the world. A bit of mental health discussion. But nothing like in the Darius duology, which I loved and read both last year.
Of great note is the FANTASTIC use of the LGBTQ+ spectrum! There is a nonbinary drag performer and activist who sort of briefly mentors Hunter. There is a young gay country music star. The spectrum of gender identities and sexual orientations are present here, even in passing characters in the bands meet and greets with fans. And that is what brings a huge smile to my face.
Romance is not a big focus here. The focus is living your life authentically by your rules, not the rules of others. Hunter talks about how his record label dresses him to appeal to the public for ticket sales by "meeting their expectations" of what a gay person dresses like. Then when the scandal hits, they rework him to be that particular subsect of the gay community's stereotypical posterchild. Heck! The band is making a documentary and the filmmaker actually asks Hunter yo act more gay, and especially more feminine gay. It's these harmful microaggressions and stereotypes that persist. It was wonderful seeing them called out.
I loved this book. My one drawback is this: I wanted more. I don't mean simply that I could have continued in this story. Yes, I could. What I really mean is there were a few things introduced that just scream for more time. The nonbinary drag performer and activist, Masha Patriarki, is one of them. The story of Kaivan (the Irani gay boy from the tour's opening band) is another. The ending left me with questions. I'll leave it at that. I think this would do well with a sequel or a companion short story collection. I want to know about Hunter and Kaivan! This is all in the description. I just want more. And I want more of the other boys.
This cast was diverse. The boy band Kiss & Tell is 5 Canadian friends, each with different backgrounds. And Khorram treats race with the same reverence as gender identity and sexual orientation.
Because I was left a little with a "that's it?" Feeling at the end - and I do mean a little feeling of that - I can only give this a 4.5 stars. It is a fantastic novel. Abid Khorram's a favorite author of mine, to be sure. Each of the three novels I've read have just been handled so wonderfully and written beautifully. I absolutely recommend this to anyone, especially if you are seeking some LGBTQ+ content that includes some representation beyond the white gay/lesbian representation books often see. I will read everything Abid Khorram writes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia, Homophobia, Sexual content, Racism, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, and Vomit
internationalreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Xenophobia, Sexual content, Racism, Homophobia, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Car accident and Death of parent
theromanticace's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Homophobia
Minor: Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
regal_leaves's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Emotional abuse
Minor: Racism, Cursing, and Death of parent
wrensandroses's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Alcohol, Homophobia, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, and Body shaming
Minor: Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, and Fatphobia
shamelesslyash's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Once again Khorram grabs me by the heart and won't let go! His writing is just so prefect. This was his first book out without Darius and it doesn't disappoint. The book is written through traditional chapters, interviews, gossip sites, and social media. It's a fun way to read the story of Hunter Drake.
Khorram doesn't shy away from what it's like to be young, gay, and famous. He brought out the truth and how it's not all sunshine and rainbows. I really like that Khorram also doesn't shy away from mental health in this book. I know in his Darius books there is talk of depression, so I wasn't sure if this book would also talk about mental illness, but it is brought up. Along with racism and some homophobia.
I really enjoyed this one. It's one of my top reads of the year.
Khorram doesn't shy away from what it's like to be young, gay, and famous. He brought out the truth and how it's not all sunshine and rainbows. I really like that Khorram also doesn't shy away from mental health in this book. I know in his Darius books there is talk of depression, so I wasn't sure if this book would also talk about mental illness, but it is brought up. Along with racism and some homophobia.
I really enjoyed this one. It's one of my top reads of the year.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Bullying, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Death of parent, and Eating disorder
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
4.5
While very different in style from Khorram's previous books, there's still the same heart and emotion pulsing behind this story. Apparently I've been on kind of a boy band kick lately, and I'm happy to say this book didn't disappoint. From the beginning, I didn't want to put this book down!
One of the things that works so well for this book is the news articles, blog posts, email chains, and text conversations between chapters. Not only does it help provide context for Kiss and Tell's success as a band, but it also provides the reader with what's happening in the broader pop culture elements of their world. We also get character growth in these articles, and they're just so clever.
And the characters! If there's one thing that Khorram excels at it's writing characters. Yes, Hunter is messy and a bit self-centered and a boy who thinks he has to take everything on by himself. The dynamic he has with Kaivan evolves and it's quite adorable, honestly. They had great chemistry as a couple.
Underneath the boy band drama of the book, Khorram also touches on important issues, like society's expectations for gay people in the spotlight, racism in the music industry, and the tolls of a public persona. While I do wish that some of the race stuff was explored a little more, Hunter does grow a lot in this aspect. By the end, I do feel like he realizes he has privilege in ways that his band members do not.
I do wish that there were maybe like 30 more pages in the story? I just wanted a bit more resolution at the end, to see a little more after all that goes down with Hunter and the band. Plus, I wanted to see Hunter and Kaivan's relationship expand a little more there at the end.
All in all, this is a fantastic addition to Khorram's already fantastic books, and I can't wait to see what he does next!
One of the things that works so well for this book is the news articles, blog posts, email chains, and text conversations between chapters. Not only does it help provide context for Kiss and Tell's success as a band, but it also provides the reader with what's happening in the broader pop culture elements of their world. We also get character growth in these articles, and they're just so clever.
And the characters! If there's one thing that Khorram excels at it's writing characters. Yes, Hunter is messy and a bit self-centered and a boy who thinks he has to take everything on by himself. The dynamic he has with Kaivan evolves and it's quite adorable, honestly. They had great chemistry as a couple.
Underneath the boy band drama of the book, Khorram also touches on important issues, like society's expectations for gay people in the spotlight, racism in the music industry, and the tolls of a public persona. While I do wish that some of the race stuff was explored a little more, Hunter does grow a lot in this aspect. By the end, I do feel like he realizes he has privilege in ways that his band members do not.
I do wish that there were maybe like 30 more pages in the story? I just wanted a bit more resolution at the end, to see a little more after all that goes down with Hunter and the band. Plus, I wanted to see Hunter and Kaivan's relationship expand a little more there at the end.
All in all, this is a fantastic addition to Khorram's already fantastic books, and I can't wait to see what he does next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Body shaming, and Racism
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Alcohol, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Car accident, and Fatphobia
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual harassment, Racism, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness
joensign's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent