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Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram Book Review

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Book Description

Hunter never expected to be a boy band star, but, well, here he is. He and his band Kiss & Tell are on their first major tour of North America, playing arenas all over the United States and Canada (and getting covered by the gossipy press all over North America as well). Hunter is the only gay member of the band, and he just had a very painful bre

akup with his first boyfriend–leaked sexts, public heartbreak, and all–and now everyone expects him to play the perfect queer role model for teens.

But Hunter isn’t really sure what being the perfect queer kid even means. Does it mean dressing up in whatever The Label tells him to wear for photo shoots and pretending never to have sex? (Unfortunately, yes.) Does it mean finding community among the queer kids at the meet-and-greets after K&T’s shows? (Fortunately, yes.) Does it include a new relationship with Kaivan, the star of the band opening for K&T on tour? (He hopes so.) But when The Label finds out about Hunter and Kaivan, it spells trouble—for their relationship, for the perfect gay boy Hunter plays for the cameras, and, most importantly, for Hunter himself. 

Review

Thoughts and Themes: I was so happy to receive an advanced copy of this on Netgalley and then have the publisher send me a physical advanced copy. I took a little bit to actually read if because I had just finished another boy band book and was worried that this would just be like that. I am so glad that I am wrong because I really enjoyed so much of the nuance in this book. This book covers a lot of themes and you would think that it would be overloaded but it isn’t, each theme flows with the other and they each wrap up well. This book touches on friendships, coming out, racism, fame, dating, queerness, and more.

Something I really enjoyed about this book was how Hunter has to navigate being gay and out while being famous. I think it was great to see how he navigates this and how he messes up with his relationships, friends, and more. Hunter spends a lot of time in this story figuring out what it means for him to be Gay vs what it means for the label. I thought this was a good thing that the book addresses in showing what the world’s expectations are of a famous out queer teen and what Hunter wanted.

Something else that I enjoyed that this book points out and Hunter struggles with throughout the book is Hunter is a White Gay male, Kaivan is a person of color and so are several of the band members. Hunter is so focused on him being Gay and how that affects his image and the things he has to do to preserve that image, that he fails to realize the racism that is affecting those around him. I think a lot of the conversations that Kaivan has with Hunter regarding this are so important to include and pause at to take in. I liked that Hunter just doesn’t get it and we know he won’t ever fully understand but I think its important that his friends call him out on this.

Characters: In this book you get to meet several characters through their interactions with Hunter. Something that I really enjoyed about this book was the diversity in the band and in the love interests. I thought that the diversity in race/ethnicities for the band members and Kaivan was something that was done well and a great addition as they interact with Hunter.

I really enjoyed all of the relationships in this story as I think they all showed different sides of Hunter. I liked getting to see his relationship with Kaivan develop even if I first thought that it was a little quick. I liked to see the way that Kaivan explained certain things to Hunter and didn’t let him get away with pitying himself and thinking that he was the only one going through things.

I also really enjoyed the relationship that Hunter has with his friends and most importantly his best friend, Ashton. I really would have liked to see more of their friendship as this seems to be affected every time Hunter gets into a relationship. I also would have liked to see more interactions between Hunter and Aiden since I think this is a huge part of the story.

Writing Style: This story is told in first person through the perspective of Hunter which is something that I really enjoyed. I think that the story is much more impactful because we only get to see Hunter’s feelings throughout all of this. We don’t get to see the way the other band members feel about certain things he says and does unless they share that with him. We don’t get to see how Kaivan really feels if he doesn’t share that with Hunter.

Something else that I enjoyed about this book were the snippets of articles online, interviews, and emails from others. I liked that this was included because it adds to the story. There were things that the reader knew that Hunter still hadn’t discovered which made me want to read to see if he would ever find this information out. I thought that was an important piece because of the information that is revealed throughout the story.

Author Information

ADIB KHORRAM is the author of DARIUS THE GREAT IS NOT OKAY, which earned the William C. Morris Debut Award, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature, and a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor, as well as a multitude of other honors and accolades. His followup, DARIUS THE GREAT DESERVES BETTER, received three starred reviews, was an Indie Bestseller, and received a Stonewall Honor. His debut picture book, SEVEN SPECIAL SOMETHINGS: A NOWRUZ STORY was released in 2021. When he isn’t writing, you can find him learning to do a Lutz jump, practicing his handstands, or steeping a cup of oolong. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri, where people don’t usually talk about themselves in the third person. You can find him on Twitter (@adibkhorram), Instagram (@adibkhorram), or on the web at adibkhorram.com.

March 2022 To Be Read

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So far I have been doing good with my plan on reading 1 ebook, 1 physical book, and 1 audiobook but I haven’t been reading the 1 recommended by a friend per month. If I want to complete 12 recommended by a friend by the end of the year I’m going to have to read a lot more each month. This month I have already started 3 out of the 4 of these books and am enjoying each of them so far. I have to get Trevor Noah’s book on audio then I’ll be able to get through that as well.

All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown 

What If It’s Us meets Life as We Knew It in this postapocalyptic, queer YA adventure romance from debut author Erik J. Brown. Perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Alex London.

When Andrew stumbles upon Jamie’s house, he’s injured, starved, and has nothing left to lose. A deadly pathogen has killed off most of the world’s population, including everyone both boys have ever loved. And if this new world has taught them anything, it’s to be scared of what other desperate people will do . . . so why does it seem so easy for them to trust each other?

After danger breaches their shelter, they flee south in search of civilization. But something isn’t adding up about Andrew’s story, and it could cost them everything. And Jamie has a secret, too. He’s starting to feel something more than friendship for Andrew, adding another layer of fear and confusion to an already tumultuous journey.

The road ahead of them is long, and to survive, they’ll have to shed their secrets, face the consequences of their actions, and find the courage to fight for the future they desire, together. Only one thing feels certain: all that’s left in their world is the undeniable pull they have toward each other.

Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram 

A smart, sexy YA novel about a boy band star, his first breakup, his first rebound, and what it means to be queer in the public eye, from award-winning author Adib Khorram

Hunter never expected to be a boy band star, but, well, here he is. He and his band Kiss & Tell are on their first major tour of North America, playing arenas all over the United States and Canada (and getting covered by the gossipy press all over North America as well). Hunter is the only gay member of the band, and he just had a very painful breakup with his first boyfriend–leaked sexts, public heartbreak, and all–and now everyone expects him to play the perfect queer role model for teens.

But Hunter isn’t really sure what being the perfect queer kid even means. Does it mean dressing up in whatever The Label tells him to wear for photo shoots and pretending never to have sex? (Unfortunately, yes.) Does it mean finding community among the queer kids at the meet-and-greets after K&T’s shows? (Fortunately, yes.) Does it include a new relationship with Kaivan, the star of the band opening for K&T on tour? (He hopes so.) But when The Label finds out about Hunter and Kaivan, it spells trouble—for their relationship, for the perfect gay boy Hunter plays for the cameras, and, most importantly, for Hunter himself.

The Living Dead by George A. Romero, Daniel Kraus 

It begins with one body. A pair of medical examiners find themselves facing a dead man who won’t stay dead.

It spreads quickly. In a Midwestern trailer park, an African American teenage girl and a Muslim immigrant battle newly-risen friends and family.

On a US aircraft carrier, living sailors hide from dead ones while a fanatic preaches the gospel of a new religion of death.

At a cable news station, a surviving anchor keeps broadcasting, not knowing if anyone is watching, while his undead colleagues try to devour him.

In DC, an autistic federal employee charts the outbreak, preserving data for a future that may never come.

Everywhere, people are targeted by both the living and the dead.

We think we know how this story ends.

We. Are. Wrong.

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

The memoir of one man’s coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed.

Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.

Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man’s relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother—his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life.