Kiss and Tell by Adib Khorram

Kiss & Tell is a total rush! Perfectly sweet and swoon worthy. I loved every page! - Julie Murphy, New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin'

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 drummer for 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.

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In case you weren't able to tell from my The Idea of You review, I will simply always pick up a Hollywood book. Famous in Love? Banger. The Heartbreakers? Frothy fanfiction that scratches an itch. Gimme gimme. Plus a piña colada and a pool pass, please.

I'm sure psychologically, there's also something that siren calls to me about the catharsis of seeing an unknown creative's work pay off in these types of narratives. From fooling around on a keyboard in the garage to selling out every major stage, the process can feel so indulgent and appealing in the plot.

Although I knew I liked the subgenre, Kiss & Tell took me admittedly by surprise. I probably wouldn't have picked it up with the animated cover (I am not the target audience) but many of those who would love it will. I just knew I liked the author, their agent, and the team behind it. I was in the mood for lighthearted but layered, and this seemed to fit the bill. I usually flit to Famous in Love for that purpose, but this is the newly released version of that craving. This is basically the queer version with some rich additional conflicts. I loved the narrator and his individual frustrations.

I tend to get lost in contemporary pacing, but Kiss & Tell kept me riveted beat-by-beat. It was emotional but not overblown, and perhaps one of its most valuable qualities was that you could see every point of tension leading up to a character boiling over—undercurrent pressures invisible to their fan base—which highlighted the contrast between their public and private lives in a really effective way.

Admittedly, I don't have too much to say about it (it was simply well-done and lovely) but this is one of those books I see being the new iteration of a beloved story for the next generation, for those who don't already have the previous titles in their repertoire. It's a refreshed narrative with a lot to offer. Overall, it was a good time with a lot of thoughtfulness. I could see this contemporary fiction appealing to teens across the board!

For fans of:

Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle; Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli; Dumplin' by Julie Murphy; The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak; Open Road Summer by Emery Lord; David Levithan; etc,.

An excerpt.