Reviews

Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram

sweetrosegirl76's review against another edition

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4.0

I liked it! It reminded me a lot of If This Gets Out. I do wish I got to know the guys more. We only got to know Hunter. Books like this remind me why it would suck to be famous

jennireadsmaybe's review

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funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-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
Does this even begin to compete with my love for Darius the Great? No. But it was still a delightful contemporary romance (very light on the romance imo) following a gay boyband member. As a former boyband obsessed girly, this served up so much commentary on fandom, the disrespect that most people have for boybands, and the pressure that society puts on gay men to be the perfect wholesome, brunch going, gay man. 

I really love Hunter as a character and his struggles don't feel unique to him. Khorram also doesn't hesitate to speak to the privilege that Hunter has as a white cis man, especially when his bandmates and openers are BIPOC boys. 

Overall, I would recommend this to boyband lovers (past and present), people looking for the typical Adib Khorram charm, and anyone looking for a queer YA book. 

bethany6788's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-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

4.0

I really, really liked this book. It’s about Hunter, who is in a boy band with his best friends. Some not-so-flattering texts are released by his ex that talk about their sex life and relationship, and his label is not happy with the image it puts out. 

This was so fun to read and it was a perfect way to end the weekend.

Hunter and his constant worrying about not messing up and only being seen a certain way was so relatable. His anxiety and frustration were easy to feel. I loved the supportive friends he surrounded himself with, as well as the manager, family, and security. I admit I was also suspicious of Kaivan at first because of those interviews we (as the reader) got to see before Hunter, but he grew on me. I truly cannot imagine having to not be myself and being sold as an image. Some of the things the boys had to do made me cringe. I did love the cute dates Hunter and Kaivan went on, their kisses were all pretty magical. 

That ending though!!! I loved it so much 😭🥹. All of the boys coming together and supporting each other. And the cute little make up between Hunter and Kaivan. I truly enjoyed myself. 

oa_'s review

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challenging emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

notblue's review

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4.0

I have so many mixed feelings about this book. It was fun, it was inclusive, and it kinda understood stan culture. It kinda fell short with a lot of commentary about race (felt one-dimensional at points but when it hit it HIT). Overall it was a pretty fun read!

3.5/5

optimisticbooknerd's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5⭐

This was really well written. The pacing of it is a bit off but the characters were ok and I kinda got similar vibes to 'If It Gets Out' by Sophie Gonzales


I really liked Hunter but I do wish the other side characters were more fleshed out but I am a stan of boy bands so I think I'll definitely come back to this one and reread it

bluebirdsongs's review

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emotional lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

hotleifuice's review

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5.0

Truly the best read of the year

sadhbhprice's review

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funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.75