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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Real rating 3.5/5 rounded down.
I think this book was really cute. I liked the format of it with the articles, interviews etc kinda giving you more in-site to the characters and plot. I loved how queer and diverse it was too. Hunter and Kaivan were very cute even though I felt like they could’ve used more time to help flesh out their relationship more. I think I just needed more from this overall.
More chapters to help develop the conflicts and fix them, if felt kind of rushed at the end. There were lots of great conversations being made about queerness, sex positivity, racism, homophobia, the industry etc, but for some reason I just felt the conflicts in the story and the way they were unfolding just felt like I needed more from it. I still enjoyed myself, liked the banter between the band mates and liked all the characters, but again I just need more chapters in this book because I felt like lots of the conflicts in here were just glossed over and didn’t really have much resolve to them and it felt kind of anticlimactic at the end.
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"We're still dreaming what queer futures look like. Especially for Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, fat people, disabled people. I'll tell you what doesn't work: conforming. Giving in to the expectations that the white supremacist hetero patriarchy puts on our behavior, on our expression of ourselves, our identities, our love. The future won't be built by us becoming them. It'll be built off of them slowly, painfully, learning that we're human too."
There is something magical about a new [a:Adib Khorram|17199325|Adib Khorram|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1507168111p2/17199325.jpg] book. In a post Darius Kellner world, what will we be graced with? I recognize that I am completely biased and will read anything that Adib Khorram puts out in the world. I started this book right after I bought it. I had no idea that this book was set in late March & April 2022. There was something so magical about reading this book at the same time in real life as it was in this book. I found myself both wanting to race through this book so I could read about "the future" but also wanting to read it slowly so I could read about that day on the actual day it was happening. Ultimately, I ended up reading ahead because I had to know what was going to happen with Hunter and Kaivan.
Kiss & Tell follows boy band star Hunter Drake. He's proudly out as gay and is dating his bandmate's brother Aidan. When Hunter and Aidan decide to call it quits, the press is all over this and releasing a slew of personal information about Hunter that he is forced to reckon with both publically and on his own. At one point, Aidan actually shares text messages between him and Hunter when they were dating and let's just say they cast a dark light on the innocent Hunter that has been presented to the public as. All of this negativity has caused Hunter a lot of anxiety and has also prevented him from his normal songwriting abilities. While Kiss & Tell has always written their own songs, it's becoming more and more clear the band may need some outside help in writing their next album. This, of course, only compounds Hunter's anxiety and causes him to withdraw even more. Luckily for Hunter, he has found a new friend in his opening band's drummer, Kaivan Parvani. The two connect instantly and a little crush also starts. The Label is looking for something to present Hunter in a more positive light and begin to stage dates and outings between Hunter and Kaivan.
It should come as no surprise that I loved this book. I love how Adib Khorram writes characters and is able to present mental health in such a real and relatable way. One thing I particularly loved about the layout of this book is that between every chapter there were news articles, text messages, and even quizzes that would tell you what member of Kiss & Tell you would be or whose poutine order you most closely matched. This added an additional layer of realness to this story and made the book go by much more quickly for me. I appreciated the inside look at what it could be like for a major star to live in a world where every move, outfit, and food choice is closely scrutinized by the press and the public. Being placed in Hunter's shoes made me even more thankful for my quiet, private life.
While Kiss & Tell will never top [b:Darius the Great Is Not Okay|37506437|Darius the Great Is Not Okay (Darius The Great, #1)|Adib Khorram|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520460519l/37506437._SX50_.jpg|58014975], I think I will be ok reading Adib Khorram's future stories. He has now solidified himself as an auto-read (and auto-buy!) author for me.
TW: Homophobia, racism, xenophobia, body shaming, sexual harassment, panic attacks, outing, death of a parent (in the past), grief
There is something magical about a new [a:Adib Khorram|17199325|Adib Khorram|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1507168111p2/17199325.jpg] book. In a post Darius Kellner world, what will we be graced with? I recognize that I am completely biased and will read anything that Adib Khorram puts out in the world. I started this book right after I bought it. I had no idea that this book was set in late March & April 2022. There was something so magical about reading this book at the same time in real life as it was in this book. I found myself both wanting to race through this book so I could read about "the future" but also wanting to read it slowly so I could read about that day on the actual day it was happening. Ultimately, I ended up reading ahead because I had to know what was going to happen with Hunter and Kaivan.
Kiss & Tell follows boy band star Hunter Drake. He's proudly out as gay and is dating his bandmate's brother Aidan. When Hunter and Aidan decide to call it quits, the press is all over this and releasing a slew of personal information about Hunter that he is forced to reckon with both publically and on his own. At one point, Aidan actually shares text messages between him and Hunter when they were dating and let's just say they cast a dark light on the innocent Hunter that has been presented to the public as. All of this negativity has caused Hunter a lot of anxiety and has also prevented him from his normal songwriting abilities. While Kiss & Tell has always written their own songs, it's becoming more and more clear the band may need some outside help in writing their next album. This, of course, only compounds Hunter's anxiety and causes him to withdraw even more. Luckily for Hunter, he has found a new friend in his opening band's drummer, Kaivan Parvani. The two connect instantly and a little crush also starts. The Label is looking for something to present Hunter in a more positive light and begin to stage dates and outings between Hunter and Kaivan.
It should come as no surprise that I loved this book. I love how Adib Khorram writes characters and is able to present mental health in such a real and relatable way. One thing I particularly loved about the layout of this book is that between every chapter there were news articles, text messages, and even quizzes that would tell you what member of Kiss & Tell you would be or whose poutine order you most closely matched. This added an additional layer of realness to this story and made the book go by much more quickly for me. I appreciated the inside look at what it could be like for a major star to live in a world where every move, outfit, and food choice is closely scrutinized by the press and the public. Being placed in Hunter's shoes made me even more thankful for my quiet, private life.
While Kiss & Tell will never top [b:Darius the Great Is Not Okay|37506437|Darius the Great Is Not Okay (Darius The Great, #1)|Adib Khorram|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520460519l/37506437._SX50_.jpg|58014975], I think I will be ok reading Adib Khorram's future stories. He has now solidified himself as an auto-read (and auto-buy!) author for me.
TW: Homophobia, racism, xenophobia, body shaming, sexual harassment, panic attacks, outing, death of a parent (in the past), grief
3.5/5 rounded up to 4.
There was something shallow, for lack of a better term, about this novel. Maybe it was the music aspect but it kind of skimmed the emotions and the pressure of all these guys who are in the spotlight when they are still high-school age. I wanted to know more about Hunter’s bandmates and…they were like check marks to tick off different inclusive boxes. I hate saying this about this book because I ADORE both Darius the Great is Not Okay and it’s sequel, Darius the Great Deserves Better. I just felt disconnected from the characters.
There was something shallow, for lack of a better term, about this novel. Maybe it was the music aspect but it kind of skimmed the emotions and the pressure of all these guys who are in the spotlight when they are still high-school age. I wanted to know more about Hunter’s bandmates and…they were like check marks to tick off different inclusive boxes. I hate saying this about this book because I ADORE both Darius the Great is Not Okay and it’s sequel, Darius the Great Deserves Better. I just felt disconnected from the characters.
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Started off fine, but turned into a slog to get through.
Meh. There was a lot of great representation in this, but it also felt a bit flat overall. Not enough depth in the characters and their relationships with one another and the romance was pretty instalove. While the interviews and fanfiction and such are fun, overall they don't add anything to the story and that space could've been served better by working more with the characters. I think everything felt more tell and not show.
A very fun read - teens who like/liked boy bands, think crushes are the peak of romance, and like to hear what people are wearing and how they did their hair will appreciate both the story arc and all the little details of this book. The rest of us (lol - me being a 58-year-old reader who doesn't follow boy bands, doesn't have crushes or follow fashion) will still enjoy the first-person inner dialogue that critiques the music industry, social media, and sheer, overwhelming superficiality & obsessively intense, attention-driven world of celebrity fans.
I said critique - and that does happen, but at the same time, Khorram shows how much the young musician-celebrities adore their fans and are willing to put up with getting smothered on a daily basis because it feeds into their purpose. Their purpose is NOT just to be celebrities and make money - they are committed to the artistic endeavor as well as to the positive impact they can have on society.
It is fascinating to hear this imagined perspective of a 17-year-old in a boy band that wants to "do good" in the world, gets some ideas, and still wants to do more good - and eventually gets past the self-centered, ego-driven world, and is open to a dialogue about what matters to different people.
The whole story is also about being gay and how that puts a person into a rare category - not the "normal" that "everyone else" experiences, and YET how their experiences are not SO different, too. The constant inner dialogue of the red-headed, pale-skinned gay main character shows how much microaggressions hurt, and how he first automatically acknowledges, but then ALSO slowly becomes viscerally aware of how much all the other people around him also feel similar pain for different reasons.
There are people in his group, crew, entourage, family, & acquaintances who display all sorts of diversity - which doesn't feel like tokenism (to me) because it really does reflect the natural world (that we are all different & unique), and it especially seems to reflect the photogenic, social-media-focused world of pop music. They don't get much time to talk - red-headed Hunter Drake takes up most of the time and attention - but he reflects their points of view sufficiently to cover the gamut of feelings in this rarified community of pop celebrities.
Interestingly, the author's own identity (queer Iranian American) seems to not match the main character's (queer, light-skinned, red-headed Canadian), but that of the secondary character in the book - Kaivan, the love interest of Hunter Drake. I would love to know more about this choice...I have a feeling someone must have asked Khorram in a live interview somewhere already...but from the reader's perspective, it made me wonder why the secondary character wasn't more fully developed. Clearly, Khorram has spent plenty of time with his Canadian relatives; they are authentically gentle, forgiving, imperfect, humble, and steadfast. Of course, so are the entire Iranian American cohort.
Yes, the book is sweet all around - which makes Hunter's meltdown (and Aidan's) feel as shocking as it was supposed to feel. Bad language, lewd sex acts, and shivering with pent-up fury; exactly what you'd expect when you push a nice person too far. (lol)
Very entertaining, with plenty to write a book report about, if needed.
I said critique - and that does happen, but at the same time, Khorram shows how much the young musician-celebrities adore their fans and are willing to put up with getting smothered on a daily basis because it feeds into their purpose. Their purpose is NOT just to be celebrities and make money - they are committed to the artistic endeavor as well as to the positive impact they can have on society.
It is fascinating to hear this imagined perspective of a 17-year-old in a boy band that wants to "do good" in the world, gets some ideas, and still wants to do more good - and eventually gets past the self-centered, ego-driven world, and is open to a dialogue about what matters to different people.
The whole story is also about being gay and how that puts a person into a rare category - not the "normal" that "everyone else" experiences, and YET how their experiences are not SO different, too. The constant inner dialogue of the red-headed, pale-skinned gay main character shows how much microaggressions hurt, and how he first automatically acknowledges, but then ALSO slowly becomes viscerally aware of how much all the other people around him also feel similar pain for different reasons.
There are people in his group, crew, entourage, family, & acquaintances who display all sorts of diversity - which doesn't feel like tokenism (to me) because it really does reflect the natural world (that we are all different & unique), and it especially seems to reflect the photogenic, social-media-focused world of pop music. They don't get much time to talk - red-headed Hunter Drake takes up most of the time and attention - but he reflects their points of view sufficiently to cover the gamut of feelings in this rarified community of pop celebrities.
Interestingly, the author's own identity (queer Iranian American) seems to not match the main character's (queer, light-skinned, red-headed Canadian), but that of the secondary character in the book - Kaivan, the love interest of Hunter Drake. I would love to know more about this choice...I have a feeling someone must have asked Khorram in a live interview somewhere already...but from the reader's perspective, it made me wonder why the secondary character wasn't more fully developed. Clearly, Khorram has spent plenty of time with his Canadian relatives; they are authentically gentle, forgiving, imperfect, humble, and steadfast. Of course, so are the entire Iranian American cohort.
Yes, the book is sweet all around - which makes Hunter's meltdown (and Aidan's) feel as shocking as it was supposed to feel. Bad language, lewd sex acts, and shivering with pent-up fury; exactly what you'd expect when you push a nice person too far. (lol)
Very entertaining, with plenty to write a book report about, if needed.
Cute gay coming-of-age with a boy band cherry on top. I would have preferred the Iranian side character as the main character here. His music superiority complex would be very interesting to get inside of.
lighthearted
fast-paced
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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