I loooooooved Darius the Great so I was certain Adib Khorram would be an auto-read author for me, but sadly this one fell flat and just didn’t end up pulling me in like I’d hoped and expected.

I know I wasn't the audience for this book but it was just very.... aggressive, in certain parts of its storytelling. Also, Kaivan felt like a very manipulative and untrustworthy character, and I couldn't root for him and Hunter at all.

I did not finish this one. this book just wasn't for me and I had trouble getting into it. I have nothing bad to say about it, it just wasn't my personal taste.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Actual Rating: 3.5

The book was fun, if not a little lackluster. I just wasn’t a fan of the love interest from the beginning since he came off as pretentious, so it was very hard for me to be invested in Hunter’s relationship with him. I did like the relationship the bandmates had with each other and wished we could have had more interactions with them because they were a good chaotic. The article and interview intercepts between chapters was also a nice touch and showed how overly-invested people can be in the lives of people they don’t know. Overall, it was a good read, and I liked the emphasis on Hunter not being the “perfect queer”, but the story left me wanting more

The newly single and only gay member of an up-and-coming Canadian boy band struggles to be true to himself as the label tries to dictate what his identity should look like in order to be most consumable. Add to that an ex who posts their sexts online and a burgeoning new relationship with a guy from their opening act and you've got a fully fledged drama-fueled YA novel. So different from Khorram's debut, Darius the Great is Not Okay, but also good.

Kiss and Tell is a phenomenal read that everyone needs to read. A brilliant queer tale that expands what stories are told for queer youth.

This was a really fun and quick read, the opposite of what I felt Darius was (I still have not read the second book, I am too afraid of being hurt lmao). This book tackled homophobia and racism in the music industry, not in as much depth as I think there was room for, but it was still good. I enjoyed Hunter, and him being put in his place/realizing his white privilege, even if the Canadian references were kind of cringy at times.

This book was just not for me. I would say it's my age (43) as a book that is clearly designed for young adults (as it's intended) but it's not. I love YA books. This was just..... really, really YA. It felt so immature. Unfortunately, I just did not care about any of the characters; they all fell so flat to me. I didn't care who was together, I didn't care about their relationships. In fact, I felt they were forced.

I did like the representation (races and sexuality) and that bumped it up to 2 stars. Otherwise, I just didn't care for this.

"Kiss & Tell" was a cute and thoughtful introduction for me to Adib Khorram’s lovely writing. I could most closely compare reading "Kiss & Tell" to the joy I have when reading books from fellow young adult authors Phil Stamper and Jenna Evan Welch. This young adult romcom is a wonderful read that captures the irresistibly fun that comes from reading a novel about the glitz, glamour, and fame that comes from larger than life circumstances. Yet, the characters remain grounded in adorably romantic moments and genuine issues that provide the story with both levity and depth to keep it entirely enjoyable while still meaningful.

Khorram’s novel follows Hunter, a member of the global boyband sensation Kiss & Tell. Hunter and his friends are thrilled to be going on tour, but there are things that keep some of his excitement at bay, like the pressure to write their next album, the heartache and betrayal from his failed relationship, the awkwardness lingering between him and his fellow bandmate/ex’s brother, and the whole gay thing. Hunter is the only gay member of Kiss & Tell, which isn’t an issue between him and his friends, but it requires quite a lot of sacrifice from him for their label, in order to maintain what they deem an ‘appropriate’ image. With all the stress, expectations, and excitement that he’s trying so hard to keep in check, suddenly theres a spark of romance begging for his attention as well. Their opening band for the tour comes with a certain guy that Hunter just can’t seem to take his eyes off of. And it turns out that Kaivan might want to get to know him jus as much. In a whirlwind of cross-continent concerts, picture perfect dates, social media frenzy, and personal crisis, Hunter and Kaivan will need to do their best to figure it all out before it comes crashing down around them.

It’s safe to say I loved this book. "Kiss & Tell" is an enticing read with a cover that is undeniably gorgeous! If you want fun, romance, spectacle, and lots of poutine, then this is definitely the book for you!

Overall, I enjoyed this. I do agree with other reviewers in that the other band members really aren't fleshed out as much as they could be.
Thank you very much to Penguin and NetGalley for the ARC.

Hunter is the only gay member of the Canadian boy band, Kiss and Tell. After they start their first North American tour, Hunter’s ex-boyfriend leaks texts and details about their relationship, fueling gossip about Hunter. People start to question if he is a good role model for young kids after this leak. Hunter starts dating Kaivan, the drummer for their opening act, and when their label finds out, they plan out the dates for them. The label also changes Hunter’s style to reflect a more family-friendly image. Hunter has to figure out how to deal with the vicious gossip and his new image before he has a complete breakdown.

This story was a fun look behind the scenes of a boy band. The boys had to deal with the usual problems of growing up, like new relationships, while also living in the public eye. There were news articles and interviews between chapters so we could see exactly what the press was saying about Hunter and the rest of the boy band.

Most of the characters had to deal with racism, homophobia, and sometimes both. The press and the public were horrible to the boys a lot of the time. It was interesting to see that everyone was okay with Hunter being gay, until the details of his sex life were leaked to the public. Once he was sexualized, he was no longer an “acceptable” gay, yet straight people don’t face the same kind of criticism. Many of these scenes were uncomfortable to read, but embarrassing moments and having them made public, especially in the days of social media, are part of growing up.

Kiss and Tell is a great, queer story!

Thank you Dial Books for providing a copy of this book.

I hadn't read anything by Adib Khorram but that cover had already grabbed my attention and made me want to read KISS & TELL, so I was thrilled to see it offered as a sneak peek on Bookish First & then be lucky enough to receive an ARC thanks to Penguin Teen + NetGalley.

I am not big on reading the synopsis of books before reading them, a good cover is enough to make me super excited to read it, and this one did NOT disappoint once I started reading.

With a fun focus on the members of a boy band, with an incredibly diverse cast of characters, this title was such a fun read. How Khorram wrote Hunter seemed relevant and relatable for anyone in his age group, with plenty of issues that seemed bigger than himself even as he deals with fame, friendship, and first love.

Pick this one up if you ever wondered what the behind-the-scenes of a boy band looks like and surround yourself with set lists, concert memorabilia, and the feeling that music and love can get you through anything.

This is such an entertaining coming-of-age and coming out boy band story. It gives a nod to situations that those in the spotlight get into at an impressionable point in time that they aren't ready to handle, but fortunately, in this story, the responsible adults and caring friends help ground them again. The price of fame is often innocence, but I enjoyed seeing how the friendships add balance to their lives and create a level of normalcy for these rising pop stars.

In a way, this transported me back a whole decade on a fandom-induced trip of nostalgia. As someone who didn't reeeeeallly start figuring out and realizing and accepting their sexuality until finding home in the fandom surrounding One Direction, many parts of KISS & TELL also felt like coming home.

I absolutely loved the discussions and explorations around how complicated it can be figuring out one's identity—especially when you have to grapple with a very public identity and a private, personal identity. There were these beautifully vulnerable moments (which, I mean, it's Adib Khorram and I would have expected nothing less) amid the understandable chaos, and I was also really appreciative of having another sex-positive queer narrative in the YA space. The manner of how the narrative was interspersed with additional elements like interview transcripts, articles, social media conversations, quizzes, emails, even a fanfiction synopsis or two? It made that realm of fandom all the more...tangible? Real? It just really brought those fandom-specific vibes which I wholeheartedly adored.

While I really enjoyed the reading experience (and highly recommend the audiobook!), I don't think the story was without its flaws. Objectively, a lot of the side characters fell to the one-dimensional side, which is unfortunate because part of what I love so much about my favourite boybands (and now kpop groups) are the individual personalities of all the members and their group dynamics—which was lacking here. I also found that the ending seemed to appear more abruptly than I was anticipating. I wanted there to be more of the story! Also—and this is incredibly minute—some of "Canadian-isms" felt...like a stretch.

Overall though, I truly did enjoy the book, and the way that YA literature spaces are making room for these very specific brands of "exploring queer identity through boybands" narratives.

I have some mixed feelings about this book. I had so much fun reading it, and literally couldn't put it down until I had finished it, which is rare for me nowadays as reading begins to feel more and more like a chore. however, after the initial rush of adrenaline and brain fog left my mind, I found myself having some criticism. Mainly, I wasn't a fan of how none of the side characters were very well fleshed out, given how important they are as pushback to the main characters privilege, which is being critiqued. I also wished the romance had ended differently, and I think it would've made more sense to the story as well as created a more unique ending for the two characters to be apart. Still, I had a great time reading this, and would recommend it for people just trying to get sucked into a story.

It's already been a bit since I read this, but I thought this was a really cut contemporary romance following a boy band on tour. Obviously, this brings to mind the recently released If This Gets Out, but they're different enough, in both plot and themes, to stand on their own and to enjoy both separately. While If This Gets Out focuses on forced closeting and issues with that, Kiss & Tell follows already out Hunter, who must now fit within the sexless, clean gay box the label (and fanbase) want to see him in. I thought the addition of all the media interviews and press coverage between the chapters were great additions to give readers an idea of all the criticism and support that comes with fame. What kept this from 5 stars for me was the characters; I don't feel like we got enough time with the other members to give them a solid personality, and I also had some problems with the love interest that, while talked about, still rub me the wrong way. Overall, really enjoyed this, and I can't wait to see what Adib Khorram releases next.

A book about a boy band featuring a gay main character? Yes, please! When I first saw this book I was so excited and just knew it would be a fun read, and while it absolutely was, it also dealt with a lot of heavy themes as well, such as homophobia, online harassment, and fetishization. In Kiss & Tell we follow Hunter, one of the members of the band by the same name as the book. They're a pop culture sensation hailing from Canada, and everyone knows their hit single, Poutine (LOL - I love a good Canadian joke.). But right before they depart for a sold out North American tour, Hunter has a very public breakup with his long-term boyfriend, who also happens to be the twin brother of his best friend and band mate. The story is told from the perspective of Hunter, and through text messages, emails, interviews, and magazine articles of the band. We see Hunter navigate celebrity culture, fame, his breakup, and a rebound, all while dealing with being the "stereotypical gay guy" in his boy band. The book is 100% character driven and the plot is rather repetitive. They play shows, Hunter gets stereotyped or has bad shit written about him in the press, he (understandably) gets upset, etc. I would have loved to see these themes and conflicts explored more in depth, but instead they were glanced over and a romance plotline was pushed forward instead. I think the book would have succeeded more as a self discovery/personal growth story than a romance.

My love for Darius is endless, so I was nervous to read Kiss & Tell, but this was nothing short of a testament to Adib Khorram's range in storytelling. The strengths of Khorram's writing — the careful treatment of weighty themes, the beautifully flawed and wholly conceived characters, the emotional reflection and vulnerability — are at the core of this story, which is what works.

Kiss & Tell follows Hunter, an openly gay member of the eponymous boy band, on the band's first major North American tour. Under intense scrutiny from a public breakup and expectations from his label and the masses to be the perfect role model, he's just doing the best he can because what does being the perfect queer kid even mean?

There are so many layers to this book: fake dating, a tender foray into young romance, and charming banter between the main couple but also among the bandmates. Then, a deep dive into the impossibly high standards for queer and racialized folks to meet and how they must strive to be more palatable to be taken seriously. We also see Khorram pick apart sex-negativity, toxic masculinity, and the sanitizing of queer sexuality to fit within the constructs of cis heteronormativity. He balances the pressure the Hunter is under while emphasizing the privilege our MC holds as a white cis male, honestly examining mental health as well.

Hunter's journey is also learning to decenter himself and acknowledge that his fellow band members (three of whom are of Indian, Brazilian, and Vietnamese descent, respectively) and Kaivan (the love interest) also deal with microaggressions and stereotypes. At first, Hunter has misguided selfishness about him, but by the end, he realizes that bigotry exists beyond his experience and is immensely damaging. It does take a bit of emotional labor on the part of the racialized people in his life for him to begin thinking about racism. Regardless, I'm glad that this book honed in on intersectionality and the effects of being multiply marginalized.

The mixed-media format, complete with interspersing texts, narrative chapters, news articles, social media posts, emails, and interviews, lent itself to a rich reading experience. I wish we saw more of the bandmates because they seemed like a hoot, but I am always grateful for Adib Khorram's writing! I recommend this book to anyone looking for an immersive reading experience that explores identity and social pressures.