Behind the scenes of boy-band life

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Adib Khorram is an author where I'll just read anything he writes. I loved Darius the Great is Not Okay and Darius the Great Deserves Better. So I was ecstatic to receive an early copy of Kiss & Tell (huge thanks to Bookish First and Penguin Teen!).

In addition to the main narrative which follows the lead of a hugely successful boy band, there are snippets of other media interspersed throughout the story (segments from online blogs, reviews, documentary clips, interviews, etc.) where we learn different angles of Hunter's story. Similar to the Darius books, I appreciate Khorram's portrayals of young romance, the complex nature of relationships including the exciting beginnings as well as the heartbreaking ends, the evolution of friendships and the transition to adulthood, the curation and creation of an image through media. There are also some heavier topics that are touched upon: coming out in a conservative community, being gay man of color, interracial relationships, mental health/mental stress - these felt a bit superficially addressed but I can imagine this book would be a great springboard to important conversations in schools and among youth.

Admittedly I don't think I'm the target audience (though I love YA) and I wasn't sure I would relate to a boy band story, but this story is really about a young person finding his way and growing into his most authentic self. And that's relatable for all of us.