Kiss & Tell

Starred review from January 31, 2022
Euphoria—that’s what white Canadian Hunter Drake, 17, feels when he’s singing with band Kiss & Tell, and what he used to feel playing hockey before an injury. But bliss, and his lyric-writing, become less accessible when the ethnically inclusive boy band starts an arena tour just as Hunter’s first relationship ends and his ex reveals intimate details about their sex life. Though Hunter is publicly out, the record label goes into damage control mode, updating Hunter’s wardrobe to embrace “a more... femme look.” The label also suggests he date Iranian American Kaivan Parvani, whose band opens for Kiss & Tell; the two genuinely like each other, but it’s difficult to start a relationship mid-tour and with the label stage-managing. Showing how Hunter’s fame increases the spotlight, Khorram (Darius the Great Is Not Okay) incorporates fictional news ranging from celebrity gossip to think pieces about gay representation as the media weighs in on Hunter’s life. Khorram deftly makes the story work, calling on readers to empathize with Hunter’s pride and embarrassment, questions about how he should look and be, and maybe even his belated realization that the band’s other members also receive public scrutiny. Ages 14–up. Agent: Molly O’Neill, Root Literary.