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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
actual rating is a 2.5 rounded down
this was just okay. modern fandom has such a weird stance with homosexuality, as it’s almost more beneficial for an artist to present themselves as gay than to actually confirm it, especially with the expectations that come with being gay in the spotlight. as such, i was really interested in this book, and though it did definitely cover that, it could’ve been done much better in my opinion.
the author mainly covered the issues of being gay in the public eye with the inclusion of some sort of article, interview, email thread, or texts, between every few chapters. but i personally didn’t enjoy that and would’ve preferred for these pages to be reserved for the actual story. the story moves so fast that it’s really hard to enjoy it to its full potential.
i LOVED that the author was willing to have characters call out hunter’s ignorance, as a cisgendered white gay, and his privilege, but as such, it made it harder for me to ‘root’ for him at times. like a lot of his arguments with kaivan had him being complete ignorant of the issues kaivan faces as a racial minority. i guess my issue is less with the inclusion of this ignorance, and more so that since the book moves so quickly, it doesn’t feel like hunter really learns or changes.
the book also ends really abruptly. after having a huge fight that you think both would need some time to recover from, hunter & kaivan are quickly perfect again. this would be less of an issue if the fight was due to an understanding, but they both had genuine frustrations.
since this book is such a quick read, you can try it if you want (the unique style becomes clear after the first few chapters), but i personally wouldn’t recommend it.
this was just okay. modern fandom has such a weird stance with homosexuality, as it’s almost more beneficial for an artist to present themselves as gay than to actually confirm it, especially with the expectations that come with being gay in the spotlight. as such, i was really interested in this book, and though it did definitely cover that, it could’ve been done much better in my opinion.
the author mainly covered the issues of being gay in the public eye with the inclusion of some sort of article, interview, email thread, or texts, between every few chapters. but i personally didn’t enjoy that and would’ve preferred for these pages to be reserved for the actual story. the story moves so fast that it’s really hard to enjoy it to its full potential.
i LOVED that the author was willing to have characters call out hunter’s ignorance, as a cisgendered white gay, and his privilege, but as such, it made it harder for me to ‘root’ for him at times. like a lot of his arguments with kaivan had him being complete ignorant of the issues kaivan faces as a racial minority. i guess my issue is less with the inclusion of this ignorance, and more so that since the book moves so quickly, it doesn’t feel like hunter really learns or changes.
the book also ends really abruptly. after having a huge fight that you think both would need some time to recover from, hunter & kaivan are quickly perfect again. this would be less of an issue if the fight was due to an understanding, but they both had genuine frustrations.
since this book is such a quick read, you can try it if you want (the unique style becomes clear after the first few chapters), but i personally wouldn’t recommend it.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
It’s weird to have read 2 boy band books in the same month, but it just worked out that way. This was a quick read, fun, not super subtle, but read-able. I kinda wish it was multi-perspective, I think that could have been interesting.
The main character was kind of whiny sometimes (like calling a fan giving him a rainbow feather boa a "microagression" ????) But obviously it was justified at times. He should've stayed single and both his new love interest and his ex were just not really all that good for him! But whatever. It was a bit enjoyable but I didn't really feel like finishing it around the 75 percent mark and I feel like it's pretty forgettable. The band members other than ashton also all blended together and were just there to support Hunter even as he realized they're not as 1 dimensional as he thought they were.
“It’s easy to focus on how messy and imperfect people are, but the next generation is already making their voices heard…and that’s just the loud ones. There are the quiet ones too, who are making powerful statements just by living, just by existing, just by surviving in this system that wants to tear them down. still they rise.”
Hunter never expected to be a boy band star, but, well, here he is. He and his band Kiss & Tell are on their first tour of North America. Hunter is the only queer member of the band, and he just had a breakup with his boyfriend, and now everyone expects him to play the perfect role model for teens. But Hunter isn’t really sure what that even means. Does it mean dressing up in whatever The Label tells him to wear for photo shoots and pretending never to have sex? Does it include a new relationship with Kaivan, the star of the band opening for K&T on tour? When The Label finds out about Hunter and Kaivan, it spells trouble—for their relationship, for the cameras, and, most importantly, for Hunter himself.
Adib Khorram is definitely a new auto-buy/favorite author of mine. I LOVED the Darius the Great books, and I've been looking forward to reading this one since I finished them.
Every review of this book says this, but it needs to be repeated: this book is very different from Darius the Great, from the tone to the writing. Which I find amazing because it just shows Adib Khorram’s range !!! His characters are all wonderfully complex and flawed, and I always love them.
I don't read them that often, but I love stories about the cost of fame. I also love stories about bands/musicians. Mostly because I've been/am on fandoms for musicians, so many of the discussions feel familiar to me.
Even though I never really had a boyband phase (I feel like this is controversial but I never had a One Direction phase, and I apologize
Hunter never expected to be a boy band star, but, well, here he is. He and his band Kiss & Tell are on their first tour of North America. Hunter is the only queer member of the band, and he just had a breakup with his boyfriend, and now everyone expects him to play the perfect role model for teens. But Hunter isn’t really sure what that even means. Does it mean dressing up in whatever The Label tells him to wear for photo shoots and pretending never to have sex? Does it include a new relationship with Kaivan, the star of the band opening for K&T on tour? When The Label finds out about Hunter and Kaivan, it spells trouble—for their relationship, for the cameras, and, most importantly, for Hunter himself.
Adib Khorram is definitely a new auto-buy/favorite author of mine. I LOVED the Darius the Great books, and I've been looking forward to reading this one since I finished them.
Every review of this book says this, but it needs to be repeated: this book is very different from Darius the Great, from the tone to the writing. Which I find amazing because it just shows Adib Khorram’s range !!! His characters are all wonderfully complex and flawed, and I always love them.
I don't read them that often, but I love stories about the cost of fame. I also love stories about bands/musicians. Mostly because I've been/am on fandoms for musicians, so many of the discussions feel familiar to me.
Even though I never really had a boyband phase (I feel like this is controversial but I never had a One Direction phase, and I apologize
“it’s easy to focus on how messy and imperfect people are, but the next generation is already making their voices heard…and that’s just the loud ones. there are the quiet ones too, who are making powerful statements just by living, just by existing, just by surviving in this system that wants to tear them down. still they rise.”
✼ thank you to penguin random house for sending me an arc of kiss & tell in exchange for an honest review.
kiss & tell follows hunter, an openly gay boy band star as he and his best friends/bandmates embark on their first major north american tour. fresh off a painful and public breakup, hunter finds himself under immense scrutiny from all ends - their label who wants to shape hunter into a palatable queer person to boost sales, & the public who expect him to be the perfect queer role model.
stories about the cost of fame are my achilles heel. there’s something about it that makes my chest physically ache every single time.
this book has a lot to it. there’s the way privilege and marginalization overlap. there’s the heightened standards that queer folk are held to, especially those in the spotlight. how the industry picks you apart into digestible pieces, disregarding inconvenient parts of the narrative, molding it, reshaping you into something more acceptable.
there’s the relinquish of control that accompanies fame. who are you truly, when others treat you like a doll? when rules are set and you don’t even have a say in how you dress, let alone express yourself. the way everyone thinks they know you, but do you know you?
the mixed media format is executed so well here and its just. so zestful !! with short energetic chapters interspersed with social media posts, texts, gossip columns and emails (perfect for this adhd brain tbh!). it’s so immersive and you can’t help but get riled up and feel frustrated both for, and with, these kids.
it may be instinctive to compare this to the darius books, and while this has similarly quiet and vulnerable moments, its also very different. adib khorram’s range !! but throughout, adib excels at creating such wonderfully flawed and multi-faceted mcs, and i’m so very happy to read anything that he writes ever.
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes