My younger self is sobbing right now! This book was amazing! I love this trope but it is so hard to write without it coming off like a fanfic. (fanfics are amazing so that is absolutely no shade to you fic writers out there.) This book somehow managed to make it work. Maybe because the boys didn't resemble any current core bands or maybe it was just the fantastic writing style either way it worked. I felt like Saturday was a real band and I grew attached to each member. I especially loved Ruben.
I also loved the commentary on the music industry. Here in more recent years we are hearing more and more about how music labels push and mistreat artist in order to make better profits and I loved that it was addressed here. It was done well and it felt realistic.
The way Angel's problem with substance abuse was handled as well was beautifully done. The way the authors didn't make it into a joke or even his core personality trait just something he was suffering through felt so genuine.
I could go on for ages about this book if someone let me. This book actually made me sob and I can not wait to make everyone read it.

Rep: bisexual, gay, asian (side character)

TWs: homophobia, forced closeting, parental abuse/neglect, drug abuse, car accident

I REALLY liked this book! The plot summary is *very* reminiscent of Larry Stylinson, so I was a little bit hesitant going in that it was going to read like a creepy fan fiction, but the actual book isn't reminiscent of One Direction in the least.

This book is equal parts contemporary romance and thriller. As the four members of Saturday lose their freedom more and more to their fascist label, the characters take desperate measures, great risks, and feel extreme emotions that will keep the readers hooked and on the edge of their seats. The "can't put down" factor of this book is ASTRONOMICAL. I read it all in 12 hours.

The main relationship, Zach and Ruben, did get a bit... generic and boring once their romance settled about halfway through the book, but their sweetness factor kept me engaged and rooting for them. THIS NEXT SENTENCE IS A BIT OF A SPOILER: I was very scared that this book was going to have an outing storyline of the main couple, as books about famous LGBTQ people almost always have, so my relief when the characters didn't get that right stripped away from them was perhaps my favorite thing about this book.

The book respectfully deals with really hard topics such as drug abuse and addiction, and how the entertainment industry enables it. One element that adds a lot to the thriller aspect of the book is how one of the main band members experiences struggles with hard substance use and addiction, and how the racism he experiences from the industry also ties into his issues. Issues such as the label not considering him "attractive enough" because he was Asian were, in my opinion, handled really well.

I love how this book isn't formulaic in the typical way a YA book is. It tells a more unique story that is reminiscent of so many bands and musicians who got famous at a young age and how that affects them as people. If This Gets Out is a beautiful novel that shows depictions of forced closeting, class struggles, parental abuse and drug addiction all while managing perfect pacing, respect, and astronomical engagement levels for the viewers.

As for the audiobook, I loved it. I liked the little guitar bits that made it feel like I was listening to a band, as well as how the narration really made me feel as though I was *inside* the novel. I love how audiobooks, when done right, make the reading experience a whole new level of immersive, and I think this audiobook does a fantastic job of that.

Ugh, so good! This book gets all the stars! 🤩🤩🤩
I loved the characters, I loved the premise, it was just perfect!
I read this as an e-ARC and have now listened to the audio, and I think I might like it even more than I did before.
Also, Ramon de Ocampo is an excellent narrator, I'm so happy that he was able to do this one, as he has narrated some of my other favourite audiobooks.