A review by heresthepencil
If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales, Cale Dietrich
4.0
rep: gay Spanish American mc, bi mc with an eating disorder, biracial Black character, Vietnamese character
tw: abusive parents, homophobia, drugs & alcohol use
ARC provided by the publisher.
If This Gets Out is one of those books that punches you right in the stomach, exactly where it hurts, but in the end it helps you get up. There’s so much hope in it, despite all the ugly real-life stuff the characters have to deal with. It’s a true roller-coaster of emotions, but it’s also very gentle.
If This Gets Out is about two boys in a boysband who fall for each other, but really it’s about figuring out who you are when everyone around you wants you to be someone specific; about fighting for the things (and people) that matter to you (and sometimes that means fighting for yourself); about all the ways in which your friends’ support might actually save your life.
Personally I also really appreciated the portrayal of a toxic, abusive mother, and how dealing with someone like that your whole life shapes you as a person; how it rattles your brain forever. The way that specific arc ended made something warm and beautiful bloom in my chest.
A little gift of a book, making teens feel seen and, even more importantly, loved. Unconditionally.
tw: abusive parents, homophobia, drugs & alcohol use
ARC provided by the publisher.
If This Gets Out is one of those books that punches you right in the stomach, exactly where it hurts, but in the end it helps you get up. There’s so much hope in it, despite all the ugly real-life stuff the characters have to deal with. It’s a true roller-coaster of emotions, but it’s also very gentle.
If This Gets Out is about two boys in a boysband who fall for each other, but really it’s about figuring out who you are when everyone around you wants you to be someone specific; about fighting for the things (and people) that matter to you (and sometimes that means fighting for yourself); about all the ways in which your friends’ support might actually save your life.
Personally I also really appreciated the portrayal of a toxic, abusive mother, and how dealing with someone like that your whole life shapes you as a person; how it rattles your brain forever. The way that specific arc ended made something warm and beautiful bloom in my chest.
A little gift of a book, making teens feel seen and, even more importantly, loved. Unconditionally.