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noalrmall's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
5.0
izanosaure's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
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
4.5
mnmille1's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
fernanda28's review
4.0
I read Kiss & Tell for the first time more than a year ago, and I thought it was fine, but I kept thinking about it for some reason. I just finished Darkhearts a few days ago and I wanted something with the same feel to it, and I could only think of two: Kiss & Tell and If This Gets Out, I chose this one.
This was better the second time, maybe because I knew the ending already. I still love the concept of having part of the story as news, social media and interviews, since this is a big part of being famous. It also makes the book more fun and if you've ever been in a fandom, more familiar.
I love the characters, I just wished we could see more of them but I understand that for it to happen a lot of things would have to be cut (and they probably would sacrifice the articles/interviews, and that's part of the charm of the book).
I would absolutely recommend it.
This was better the second time, maybe because I knew the ending already. I still love the concept of having part of the story as news, social media and interviews, since this is a big part of being famous. It also makes the book more fun and if you've ever been in a fandom, more familiar.
I love the characters, I just wished we could see more of them but I understand that for it to happen a lot of things would have to be cut (and they probably would sacrifice the articles/interviews, and that's part of the charm of the book).
I would absolutely recommend it.
renee_3011's review against another edition
2.0
comparing any book to 'darius the great is not okay' would be unfair to any book going up against it, but considering these two were written by the same author i have to compare and sadly, this one doesn't hold up.
really just expected more depth from a book that sells itself as an exploration of being openly queer as a member of a boyband, but i felt like most of the resolutions weren't gratifying or earned? we don't really see any of the characters working through problems together. in fact, most of the time i forgot this boyband was supposed to have five members and the author seemed to as well.
every single time our main character shared something he was struggling with another character called him selfish and went 'yeah, but what about my problems' which was so awful? sure, all of the characters had their own issues they were struggling with, but turning every single conversation into a competiton about who has it hardest isn't really constructive, especially when the side characters aren't developed further than 'i have issues too!'.
loved the mixed media element of this and i feel like it genuinely added to the story instead of just being a gimmick.
really just expected more depth from a book that sells itself as an exploration of being openly queer as a member of a boyband, but i felt like most of the resolutions weren't gratifying or earned? we don't really see any of the characters working through problems together. in fact, most of the time i forgot this boyband was supposed to have five members and the author seemed to as well.
every single time our main character shared something he was struggling with another character called him selfish and went 'yeah, but what about my problems' which was so awful? sure, all of the characters had their own issues they were struggling with, but turning every single conversation into a competiton about who has it hardest isn't really constructive, especially when the side characters aren't developed further than 'i have issues too!'.
loved the mixed media element of this and i feel like it genuinely added to the story instead of just being a gimmick.
rainbowbookworm's review
2.0
This was predictable and the main character was too immature for my taste.
5yr1_'s review
3.0
cute and cheesy, really good for a mindless read but overall just did not have that IT factor and several grammatical mistakes.
reefsharkie's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
drakoulis's review
4.0
Kiss & Tell is a book about a boyband that tries to tackle a lot of issues concerning the world of entertainment, media, management agencies and societal prejudices.
The main character, Hunter, is one of the members of the boyband "Kiss & Tell", a boyband he formed with his friends during high school and rose to stardom after a song he wrote for fun went viral on YouTube.
He is coming off a painful breakup with the twin brother of one of his bandmates, and is left confused about himself, where he stands, if he's ready to move on (and the sweet drummer of their opening group, Kaivan is confusing him even more) and how to deal with all the pressure, a pressure he feels strangling his creativity (he is the group's main songwriter), straining his relationship with his bandmates and questioning how much of his real self he shows and how much is his management's carefully created persona.
The book nails the way it deals with some topics: the prejudice of the society regrading how a gay teen celebrity should be and act, the "acceptance" of gay idol but "repulsion" when anything related to gay sex is aired, the media focusing on gossip and the personal life od musicians instead of their art, the invasion of privacy, the management and publicity agents trying to project a stereotypical image. I especially enjoyed the articles and media interviews in this book.
On this note, I disagree with what Khorram was insinuating in some other topics. He made it look as if Hunter was selfish because he was focusing on his own struggles and not seeing that some other people have it harder. Which was technically true, but it isn't a competition. One's problems aren't trivial because someone else is more unlucky than him. For example (mild scene spoiler) : when Kaivan was confronted about his comments trash-talking boybands in a past interview, he snapped at Hunter because "he doesn't get it, he has it easy, he isn't brown and of immigrant background". Like, what? Not necessarily wrong, but...apples and oranges? I also don't like how it was implied that Hunter, who was helping LGBT shelters and donating at them, "wasn't doing enough". Again, it isn't a competition, and someone who helps one cause doesn't have to help ALL causes. I'm sorry if it comes out harsh, but these two parts of the book felt like preaching, and preaching a view I don't agree with.
All in all though, Kiss & Tell it is a solid and entertaining book with strong messages about how gay people are portrayed in mass media, boybands, the world of music and a coming-of-age story of sorts.
The main character, Hunter, is one of the members of the boyband "Kiss & Tell", a boyband he formed with his friends during high school and rose to stardom after a song he wrote for fun went viral on YouTube.
He is coming off a painful breakup with the twin brother of one of his bandmates, and is left confused about himself, where he stands, if he's ready to move on (and the sweet drummer of their opening group, Kaivan is confusing him even more) and how to deal with all the pressure, a pressure he feels strangling his creativity (he is the group's main songwriter), straining his relationship with his bandmates and questioning how much of his real self he shows and how much is his management's carefully created persona.
The book nails the way it deals with some topics: the prejudice of the society regrading how a gay teen celebrity should be and act, the "acceptance" of gay idol but "repulsion" when anything related to gay sex is aired, the media focusing on gossip and the personal life od musicians instead of their art, the invasion of privacy, the management and publicity agents trying to project a stereotypical image. I especially enjoyed the articles and media interviews in this book.
On this note, I disagree with what Khorram was insinuating in some other topics. He made it look as if Hunter was selfish because he was focusing on his own struggles and not seeing that some other people have it harder. Which was technically true, but it isn't a competition. One's problems aren't trivial because someone else is more unlucky than him. For example (mild scene spoiler) : when Kaivan was confronted about his comments trash-talking boybands in a past interview, he snapped at Hunter because "he doesn't get it, he has it easy, he isn't brown and of immigrant background". Like, what? Not necessarily wrong, but...apples and oranges? I also don't like how it was implied that Hunter, who was helping LGBT shelters and donating at them, "wasn't doing enough". Again, it isn't a competition, and someone who helps one cause doesn't have to help ALL causes. I'm sorry if it comes out harsh, but these two parts of the book felt like preaching, and preaching a view I don't agree with.
All in all though, Kiss & Tell it is a solid and entertaining book with strong messages about how gay people are portrayed in mass media, boybands, the world of music and a coming-of-age story of sorts.