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greenlivingaudioworm 's review for:
Kiss & Tell
by Adib Khorram
"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