Bee reviewed If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales
Review of 'If This Gets Out' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich's If This Gets Out is about the four members of most successful boyband of the moment; Saturday, Jon, Angel, Ruben and Zach.
The initial premise of a friends to lovers secret romance between Zach and Ruben made me want to read If This Gets Out after seeing a lot of people talking about the book before it's relwase; but there is so much more to the tale. Gonzales and Dietrich carefully show that being successful in the entertainment industry comes at a great cost for many young stars over the pressure put upon them to be perfect for their fans, something that goes right back to The Beatles right up to present day with the idea to be seen as 'available' so kids will buy everything featuirng their favourite star and of course; be well behaved - no one can rock the boat and cost …
Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich's If This Gets Out is about the four members of most successful boyband of the moment; Saturday, Jon, Angel, Ruben and Zach.
The initial premise of a friends to lovers secret romance between Zach and Ruben made me want to read If This Gets Out after seeing a lot of people talking about the book before it's relwase; but there is so much more to the tale. Gonzales and Dietrich carefully show that being successful in the entertainment industry comes at a great cost for many young stars over the pressure put upon them to be perfect for their fans, something that goes right back to The Beatles right up to present day with the idea to be seen as 'available' so kids will buy everything featuirng their favourite star and of course; be well behaved - no one can rock the boat and cost a company millions of pounds... (Can your hear my sarcasm?)
For Zach and Ruben, they're told to 'just wait until'... for them to be able to come out and the authors successfully create the tension and upset this causes the two singers whose only wish is to do what everyone else can, be together without recrimination. There's always an excuse, and I'm not going to lie; I was getting so irate with these fictional bosses who only care about the bottom line and how much money Saturday make them.
The focus isn't solely on Zach and Ruben however, you also see the wonderful friendship the four have and the bonds they have which even when strained by the reality of celebrity, remain strong. They all know that in reality it is one another that they must rely on and not the management who tell them what to do. I couldn't help but feel for Angel though, who suffers quietly until he is overwhelmed and acts out because no one gives the four of them a moment to breathe as shown by journalists asking them about their plans on tour and yet they're not able to do anything they want to. The whole concept of visiting your favourite country, but only seeing a hotel room or a landmark from a window.
If This Gets Out is a book about standing up for who you are, for those who matter and friendship. I really loved the world-building, the characterization of our protagonists and the management of Saturday who are truly unpleasant and probably too close to home in their behaviour when it comes to those in the music industry.
It's a really clever concept, and if you love the idea of love against the odds and a lgbtq tale that will make you smile? This is for you.
