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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-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
It’s always the books that seem cheesy and lighthearted that pack the biggest punch. Kiss and Tell is about so much more than boybands and young love, it’s also about the harm in forcing people to conform to a stereotype of their identity, especially in the entertainment industry.
I should’ve expected another great read from the author of Darius the Great is Not Okay (one of my favourite YA novels), because Kiss and Tell was definitely that. While feeling extremely different in tone, with more straightforward and to-the-point dialogue, I grew to love Hunter and his flaws all the same as Darius. The overarching theme of finding you despite what outsiders try to make you be was executed beautifully.
A few of the side characters felt a bit two-dimensional, though the main storyline involving Hunter’s drama with Aiden and his growing feelings for Kaivan were enough for me to look past that. Despite each of their mistakes, I sympathized with the boys and their burden of having to conform to a specific ‘type of gay’ that their managers deemed safe enough for public image. Hunter fighting to express his true self despite what people want him to be was so meaningful, and says a lot for teenagers out there that struggle to be true to who they really are. Another great book!
I should’ve expected another great read from the author of Darius the Great is Not Okay (one of my favourite YA novels), because Kiss and Tell was definitely that. While feeling extremely different in tone, with more straightforward and to-the-point dialogue, I grew to love Hunter and his flaws all the same as Darius. The overarching theme of finding you despite what outsiders try to make you be was executed beautifully.
A few of the side characters felt a bit two-dimensional, though the main storyline involving Hunter’s drama with Aiden and his growing feelings for Kaivan were enough for me to look past that. Despite each of their mistakes, I sympathized with the boys and their burden of having to conform to a specific ‘type of gay’ that their managers deemed safe enough for public image. Hunter fighting to express his true self despite what people want him to be was so meaningful, and says a lot for teenagers out there that struggle to be true to who they really are. Another great book!
i don’t know how i feel…I guess i liked the book but at the same time it was kinda meh. It was a quick read and it was funny. I just wasn’t that invested in any of the characters and I didn’t really care about the romance between Hunter and Kaivan that much. Maybe the book was good for someone else but i went into this expecting certain things from the plot and it went in a totally different direction so…
emotional
funny
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Outing, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
Minor: Vomit, Death of parent
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's not that I don't like the narrative per se - I mean, I am inclined to think that much is obvious. But I dislike the framing device and narrative framework which has been a trend, well, if you bother to go back and look at my scores for similar works. Hell, when's the last time I really gave a good score to a YA book about following a band, period? All the way back to Lemonade Mouth literally a dozen years ago?
I recall seeing this book everyone on social media. It seemed all my friends were obsessed over it. It actually led me to believe that it had been published but to my surprise, none of them have ever read Kiss and Tell but they were already devoted fans. I think the book does a great job at exploring the boy band and the culture shifts what happen. Honestly, I really do love reading books that deal with the LGBT+ community but I greatly dislike when homophobia is introduced in the book, I guess it’s because books are an escape for me as it is for most people. I guess that was one of the few things that I did dislike. However, I think Hunter (the main character) does a great job at dealing with everything. Nevertheless, something i greatly disliked was how the side characters lacked some sort of development. I think an amazing book should give the side characters some development instead of just focusing on the main character.
Wow - I bought this book the first day it was available in the bookstore and I should have read it right away! I love how we see the negative side of sex - other YA books don't have the narrative that sex isn't always pretty. Hunter and Aidan's relationship and leaked texts show this and I was living for it!!! Hunter and Kaivan on the other hand shows us the not so light side of dating in the eye of the public. The book was amazing and really tackled many topics that I wasn't sure could be done correctly in a single book - 10/10 would recommend.