This book does an excellent job of exploring how it feels to explore your sexuality, specifically bisexuality. As someone who identifies as bisexual, there were so many moments that I felt seen, which is incredibly important. The main characters were incredible and their love story felt authentic, authentically sweet, awkward and believable. I was enraged at their record label and management, which is definitely the point. I could absolutely see this happening in the world of entertainment today. I think this book is important and enjoyed it.

Absolutely adored this book! As always a sucker for a good queer lit romance and this ticked all the boxes.
Zach and Ruben are band mates in one for the biggest boybands in America, but the glitz and glamour is not all it seems. Their lives along with their other bandmates Angel and Jon, are regimented and under constant watch from management. Not outside the norm with busy schedules and an upcoming tour, however cracks are forming for Ruben who is being forced to stay in the closet to protect the created image of the teen heartthrobs. This only gets harder when Zach grows ever closer to maybe something more than friends?
The whole story was engaging and well paced, and the characters outside the main just added to the whole mix to make this a joy to read.
Aside from the romance it broached some very real subjects faced by people thrust into the limelight and really shone a light on the darker side of fame (burnout, hiding sexuality, drugs and drink, control). This element just added to an already strong story and characters leaving the message that despite the odds, and the risks, being your true self in this one life is the most important thing you can do.
Already own this in my library and it is loved by the teens.

A look backstage in the music industry

Sweet slow burn teenage love story, full of miscommunication, doubt and passion that’s very believable. It’s also almost an exposé of some of the sharp practices of the music industry, and how artists are ‘managed’ or controlled, and not allowed to be themselves. It’s not exactly news, there are plenty of celebs that toed the line until they could control their own career and take a new direction. A good read.

It is not surprised I loved this - as I truly am a Sophie Gonzales fangirl!

This book was fantastic, not only cute and romantic, but angsty and interspersed with some real issues.

Supremely likable characters with real problems despite being in a boy band and elevated to celebrity status.

They rush from city to city, which I suppose aligns perfectly with how Ruben and Zach feel. They aren’t able to enjoy any of the cities, even when their managers promise they will have time. The cities blur together, the focus being on Zach and Ruben, and on Jon and Angel as more of background characters.

I felt so bad for all of them, constantly let down by their managers. Their managers made promises upon promises but didn’t even care when Angel was on drugs or having loud parties, so long as the actual public didn’t find out and it wasn’t publicized. The team dresses and styles the band, from clothing and hairstyles to their actual personalities. It definitely has me wondering if that’s the norm when it comes to any band, young bands especially. How do impressionable young people figure out who they are when someone else is directing their lives? The friendship between the boys is problematic and imperfect but they can talk to each other. They can confess secrets and confide in one another, easily. They’re all close, in different ways. Zach and Ruben, and Jon and Angel, but also in various different ways. They sacrifice a lot for each other just to keep the peace with their management company.

The two authors blend seamlessly together. I will say it was hard, at times, to remember who was speaking. If I didn’t pay attention to the chapter header, I wouldn’t have the right mental picture and then be shocked when someone referred to Zach, thinking I was reading Zach, but it turned out I was reading Ruben. I always have that trouble with dual POV books, so I think it’s just a me thing.

The plot gets tropey at times, but I overall enjoyed this book. If This Gets Out fits in to my favorite little niche genre: queer band fiction. There’s I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman, and It Goes Like This by Miel Moreland. I’m sure there are others but these two hold a special place in my heart and I’m happy to say this book joins them there. I was never a follower of boy bands, in particular One Direction. I don’t know how closely this aligns with a certain slew of fanfics in that fandom, or how it relates to real life events in any way. I was just happy to read and enjoy this little slice of fictional boy band life.

I would highly recommend this book to my audience. I’m such a fan of Sophie Gonzales and a new fan of Cale Deitrich. Their queer romance, with bi inclusion, makes me so happy. Everything I’ve read of Gonzales includes bi rep and this one happened to be a coming out story, as well.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy, which I’m apparently reviewing a year late. Still much appreciated, even after all this time.

Honestly, this book took me a bit to get through once I hard started it. I liked it, and the storyline, but it just felt off with how the pace was going. I enjoyed the characters, but it was giving STRONG Larry fanfiction vibes, which I was completely okay with. The romance was very cute and I love the concept of bandmates falling in love with each other. I would definitely recommend this book, because it was a good and cute read!

I love Sophie Gonzales's books so much, so it could've totally been me that didn't click with it. Unfortunately, even though I love boy bands and Sophie's writing, I just found this book to be a bit meandering and slow to get to the point for what I wanted in a YA book with such a fascinating high concept.

As a boy band lover I jumped on the idea of this book and it didn’t disappoint one bit. I think this was a realistic look at what it’s like to have the pressure of fame on you 24/7. I could never be the center of attention like any celebrity is but young musicians like this, that have the added attention of millions of teen age girls - that’s another level. I felt for all the boys in the band. As for Zach and Ruben, I can totally see how being a situation like that would cause a special bond and it seemed like such a natural progression of their relationship. I absolutely loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Choices™ were definitely made in the creation of this book...

It's not even that this book was poorly written... I think that both authors are good at their craft... this story just did nothing for me. It also doesn't feel like a story aimed at the intended audience. Though that has been my feeling for a lot of the YA I've read lately that features 18 year old protagonists. There's something about the situations that occur, the grey space that they occupy that often make them feel like they are in the wrong side of the book store [ or in my case, library... though I did also get an arc that I never go around to reading prior to publication... ]. As with several plot elements int his book, these kinds of YA narratives often times include situations that require more nuance and examination than is often afforded and so heavy topics are instead glossed over to give a book a neater conclusion.

The most clear example of that is everything to do with Angel Phan... Angel was definitely giving main character energy with the plots they saddled him with, both struggling with addiction issues and how he was aching to be seen as a sexual being but as an Asian character the label pushing one of the other little boys to fit that role... So much of what was happening with Angel was just embarrassing to read about and I often times found myself uncomfortable... Again though, he was the character aching to be the lead of this book. Even though he and the fourth bandmate Jon, had very little development or care given to what they were up to.

Honestly... the romance just wasn't a serve. Anytime I read a YA romance these days I want to be happy for them. I want to enjoy them being together and falling in love... But these two people were so unable to communicate ever that I simply cannot fathom them having a good relationship. They almost certainly broke up not long after the events of this book transpired because the only thing keeping them together was plot necessitating a happy for now ending...

This could have been good... Unfortunately what was published should have stayed in the drafts... You can find fanfic of this same premise executed far better and feel more satisfied than you will feel after having consumed this particular story.

I really enjoyed the story of the boys from Saturday. I think as fans we become so involved in our own narrative of what performers are like, that we forget that they are real people with real lives on the other side of the camera or microphone. And I think that sometimes production companies forget that there’s more to performers than a paycheck.

While the story focuses on Reuben and Zach, we get to know Jon and Angel, the other members of the band as well. What started out as a group of friends performing at a camp show when they were 15, has taken over their entire lives. And the powers that be, in creating an image of the band that would be the most lucrative, has forced all of them to be someone they aren’t.

My heart broke for these boys throughout the book, especially Reuben and Angel, who seem to have to hide the most, and know it. Zach frustrated me at times. He just wanted to make everyone happy and seemed to naively believe that Chorus truly had their best interests at heart. Jon followed the rules, but I think knowing his dad was behind everything, he knew fighting was useless. Until they do.

I loved watching the relationship between Reuben and Zach evolve throughout the book. And how much Jon and Angel accepted it and supported them. Ultimately, Zach really comes into his own. And the fact that they were already best friends before they fell in love just deepens their bonds, in my opinion.

Normally, I’m not a fan of an open ending in a stand alone, I like the stories tied up all nice and neat. But I actually do like the ending here. It gives an opening for more, but also lets the reader create their own happy ending for the 4 members of Saturday.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really liked the frame of this one. Boy band, the rep of different ways of entering queerness is SO important too.

I thought the plot was solid and the concept was really appealing/ would do well in YA. The writing wasn’t my favorite.

TW: drug use/depression

I liked this book a lot. It was a little young for me but that wasn’t the book’s fault. Cute story.
I enjoyed all the different characters and the story was very satisfying. I recommend.

I actually really liked this book. The characters were good and story flowed nicely. I have actually read this book a second time

This is such an important book and it touches upon important topics such as the pressure of being famous, having to fit a certain image, being queer,… and I loved the way it was pointed out in this book. I thought it was quite realistic and that’s important.

if i had a nickel for every time i’ve read a novel that i absolutely adore about a teen boyband with repressed, soft, queer boys, i’d have two nickels. which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.

i love these boys to pieces and i can’t believe i’ve waited so so long to read this book after it released. i knew i was going to enjoy sophie gonzales’ writing after also whole-heartedly enjoying perfect on paper. and this was an incredible introduction for me to cale dietrich’s writing.

these boys, with their flaws, and their growth throughout the book was incredible. i loved seeing how zach continued to process all of his emotions on his own, allowing for his space and acceptance of his queer identity. i loved seeing ruben learn to rely a bit less on his emotionally abusive mother less and less. i loved getting glimpses into john and angel’s pyschees as well throughout the book. i just, i loved it all. their dynamics were incredible as a friend group. and just between the two main characters.

being a directioner myself, it was so interesting to see this take on the behind the scenes of the all too real life for those boys (and i’m sure many other young singers out there). it showed how truly life-controlling this profession can and has been. it shows the dark sides of getting into the spotlight at such a young age. and it discusses so much more.

all of it, led me to an incredible story with an audiobook that i could not stop listening to. i haven’t felt this way about a book in a while. the pure feeling of overwhelming love for fictional characters. i truly truly just want the best for these fictional boys. i hope they can get that at the end of the events of this book.

original review:
you ever just want to slap yourself in the face because you waited a stupid amount of time to read a book you knew you’d love? that was me for this book.

I cannot believe that it took me this long to read this book, but I was so happy to be able to do it. I really did enjoy this one.

Out of the many YA books I've read, the characterization and romance in this one was by far my favorite. I loved all of the boys in the band, but I especially love Ruben and Zach. I loved being in their minds, seeing their past and how it influenced them to be the people that they are in the band. While this story works for anyone who had a boy band phase, I think this story delves more into the toxicity of media and fame and how many people dont or cant know the real celebrity. Zach and Ruben had already had a really good relationship before the book started, but their relationship was cultivated into something beautiful that I rarely see in YA romance. It was soft, deep and emotional. The descriptions of their relationship made my heart so full and I was constantly rooting for them even when all hell broke loose. I think this book was a really special read. It was so much fun but also dove into complex topics that are so real to life, even when the characters are celebrities they are super relatable.

I really enjoyed this one yall and would recommend it to anyone who likes boybands, queer mlm relationships, complex characters and being comfortable with your identity themes!

Such a sucker for this book. I loved the boy band angle and the "behind the scenes" where the music industry wasn't all fun and fame. I also admittedly just watched several documentaries on Brittany Spears. I LOVED the romance between the boys and if you love fanfic I highly recommend this light YA romance.

This was a great read, following boy band Saturday. I feel like this was a love story for Ruben and Zach, as well as an insite to the music industry, and the pressures to hide their true selves in exchange for more fame.
An enjoyable read.

“The smile he gives me kind of makes my life.”

If This Gets Out is told from the alternating perspectives of two 18-year-old boy band members who fall in love: Ruben and Zach. A part of Saturday (which has the same popularity as One Direction) alongside Angel and Jon, the book takes place primarily on a whirlwind tour of Europe, where Ruben struggles with the pressure to remain in the closet, Zach struggles with wanting to write his own music and Angel turns to drugs to handle the immense pressure.

Here's what I liked:
- The behind-the-scenes look at life in a boy band. It was intense and chaotic and strict and not for the faint of heart.
- I felt for the characters unable to be themselves due to public perception and management pressure.
- Zach’s character growth in particular was great and I enjoyed seeing his relationship with Ruben develop.
- When they finally decided to let go and show their fans who they truly were at the end 👏🏻.

On the other hand, I listened to the audiobook and for a YA book, it seemed unnecessarily long at just over 400 pages. The pacing was also off for me. The first 20% was slow and I was close to DNFing, but I powered through instead and I enjoyed the middle. However, then you get to the ending and it's so rushed! I was like... that's it?! I just wanted/needed more of a resolution.

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