tl;dr read if you like boy bands and queer ya fiction
Premise
Eighteen-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two members of the boy-band Saturday, one of the biggest acts in America. Along with their bandmates, Angel Phan and Jon Braxton, the four are teen heartbreakers in front of the cameras and best friends backstage. But privately, cracks are starting to form: their once-easy rapport is straining under the pressures of fame, and Ruben confides in Zach that he’s feeling smothered by management’s pressure to stay in the closet.
On a whirlwind tour through Europe, with both an unrelenting schedule and minimal supervision, Ruben and Zach come to rely on each other more and more, and their already close friendship evolves into a romance. But when they decide they’re ready to tell their fans and live freely, Zach and Ruben start to truly realize that they will never have the support of their management. How can they hold tight to each other when the whole world seems to want to come between them?
Rating
4/5 stars
Review
I know everyone thinks this is a Larry Stylinson-type book, but it's not :D - just to clear things up. Anyway, I really enjoyed reading If This Gets Out, and I was definitely pleasantly surprised. The book not only explores Ruben and Zach's individual struggles with sexuality and identity but also the pressure and confines of the entertainment industry, which I found very insightful. Having grown up seeing celebrity "scandals" all over social media, this book seemed like a more first-hand look at celebrities from the perspective of them.
I liked the two main characters, Ruben and Zach, and their narrative voices were very distinct. I will admit, I did get a little bit frustrated with them and found their relationship slightly repetitive at times, but overall, they're super sweet and great protagonists. I also love how the book emphasized the true bond between the four band members (Ruben, Zach, Jon, and Angel), and the way that they put each other's happiness over what their managers wanted them to be. I think all four of them had pretty significant character development, especially towards the end of the book, and I relate to Ruben. A lot. Oops? I enjoyed seeing them explore the world of being young stars and establishing their own identities in contrast to the boxes that their careers put them in.
This book also covers some heavier topics, such as Angel's struggle with substance abuse, which adds to the commentary on the entertainment industry. Furthermore, the book and its discussion of constantly being in the public eye and the concept of identity (especially for POC and members of the LGBTQ+ community) paralleled reality very well, and it allows the reader to examine their lives a bit. I know I said that this didn't give Larry Stylinson vibes, but the way that the other two band members (Angel and Jon) were shipped kind of did; that whole #Anjon situation definitely dives into invasive fandom and dealing with the huge influx of public opinion once you're a celebrity. The band definitely had its fair share of experiences with everyone everywhere having an opinion on their lives, and that's very reminiscent of the experiences of celebrities today, so I'm glad it was covered.
I do have a couple of critiques: the first being character development outside the band and the second being conflict resolution. I was unequivocally frustrated with every single adult in this novel except for maybe two (which...I mean...I guess that's the point), but in terms of character development, there were some characters who I think I needed to be fleshed out more instead of being shown as strictly one view or perception. I think my biggest issue is that the ending felt rushed and unresolved. This book kind of suffered from the whole "everything gets resolved in the last chapter" scenario, and there were smaller issues brought up throughout the novel that were never fully addressed. For example, Ruben's mom's toxic parenting (I just felt like I needed a bit more closure), Angel's perspective on racism in the entertainment industry, and restrictive dieting.
Despite that, though, I really did enjoy If This Gets Ou, and I would definitely recommend it!
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Other Info
Standalone
Releases December 7, 2021
15+
Rep: gay Spanish-American MC, bi MC, biracial Black character, Vietnamese character
CW: substance abuse (drugs and alcohol), underage drinking, homophobia, forced closeting, parental abuse/neglect, talk of calories
Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/If-This-Gets-Out-Novel/dp/1250805805
Would I Recommend?
Yes!
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