Title: If This Gets Out
Authors: Sophie Gonzales, Cale Dietrich
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Publication date: December 7th, 2022
416 pages
5/5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis
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?
Review
Sophie Gonzales has been a solid hit for me so far and If This Gets Out just continues the streak. I love that her books feature LGBTQ representation and bring up honest and raw moments for young adults dealing with life or growing up in that minority. I also swear this was written with One Direction in mind but I’m sure the authors would never admit to that.
Ruben and Zach are bandmates and best friends. Ruben is gay and out, to everyone but their millions of fans. Zach is straight… he thinks. Until a drunken night when they hook up and Zach’s world is thrown into question. When they start dating, their recording company does everything they can to separate them. On top of that, their other 2 band members are going through their own quiet issues with the spot light where the recording company controls everything about their lives.
I absolutely adored Ruben and Zach, especially Zach as he comes to terms with his sexuality and coming out to family and friends while in the spotlight with the band. I related so hard to that as I recently went on that journey myself, and it’s so important for these stories to be told in the YA genre. There are a lot of serious topics tackled here, so definitely check out triggers warnings before you read – it isn’t a light and fluffy rom com – it’s so much more than that.
I highly recommend this one and can’t say enough good things about it. Go read it.
Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review
Happy reading, folks!
Baltimore Bibliophile 