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It Goes Like This
In Miel Moreland's heartfelt young adult debut, It Goes Like This, four queer teens realize that sometimes you have to risk hitting repeat on heartbreak.Eva, Celeste, Gina, and Steph used to think their friendship was unbreakable. After all, they've been though a lot together, including the astronomical rise of Moonlight Overthrow, the world-famous queer pop band they formed in middle school, never expecting to headline anything bigger than the county fair.But after a sudden falling out leads to the dissolution of the teens' band, their friendship, and Eva and Celeste's starry-eyed romance, nothing is the same. Gina and Celeste step further into the spotlight, Steph disappears completely, and Eva, heartbroken, takes refuge as a songwriter and secret online fangirl...of her own band. That is, until a storm devastates their hometown, bringing the four ex-best-friends back together. As they prepare for one last show, they'll discover whether growing up always means growing apart. "It Goes Like This was everything my music nerd heart needed AND wanted. Lyrical and heart-wrenching...beautiful representation, sweetest longing and the pop-star romance of my dreams; Swifties will swoon happily with this story tattooed on their hearts." —Erin Hahn, author of You'd Be Mine and More Than Maybe
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 18, 2021
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February 19, 2022
A delightful story of friendship, fandom, first love and second chances, It Goes Like This is an instant new favourite. Miel Moreland has expertly captured the true essence of being a fan – the excitement, the community and the love – to craft a book that feels like a warm hug, all while exploring complicated relationships, the consequences of our actions and the power of love in all its forms.
I was sold on It Goes Like This from the premise alone – who wouldn’t want to read about a queer pop group forced to reunite and confront their complicated feelings? – and I’m so happy that it not only lived up to my expectations but far exceeded them. I didn’t expect to fall so completely head over heels for these characters and their story but the love they all have for each other was so strong that it just made it impossible not to love them all too.
Unsurprisingly, I found the characters to be the strong point of this novel. Being able to read from each of their perspectives helped me root for them all and really understand and empathise with them and their decisions. They each had such a distinct voice and there wasn’t a single time I was disappointed to see who was narrating the next chapter, as is often the case in multi POV novels. The relationships in this book, both between individuals and as a group, were fantastic. Miel Moreland did an amazing job of showing the long history of so many of these relationships, as well as their different intricacies and the role each character played. In particular, I adored seeing all four of them interact as a group and the dynamics within this, especially as we went from the tension of old friends turned strangers, to falling in love with each other again.
The relationship between Eva and Celeste was equally lovely. I really appreciated getting to see bits of their history through chapters set in the past and really understand why their relationship hadn’t worked previously. I think the author did a great job of dealing with these same issues in the present, and letting the characters find a way to work with them. Eva and Celeste were also just the absolute sweetest with each other and I really loved being able to read from the other characters’ perspectives to really appreciate the fondness and softness they had for each other. The angst and tension between the two was so fun to read (there was only one bed trope, anyone?) and the time taken to learn from their mistakes and rebuild their relationship was done perfectly to make their development realistic and believable. I also just loved their obliviousness to the other’s feelings, while Gina and Steph’s perspectives made it clear how obvious they were being, while allowing Eva and Celeste to work things out for themselves.
The different perspectives and flashbacks were placed perfectly to keep the plot moving and the story engaging, without ever getting bogged down in the past. Each of the character’s own arcs and internal conflicts played off each other really well and everything just worked so well together, as different characters and relationships developed at their own pace. I really liked the resolution of these conflicts and the way everything came together in the end, even if it’s perhaps not what you’d go into the novel expecting. I think it just suited each of the characters perfectly and really showed that they had grown up and developed, both from the start of the book and from when they first began the band.
I really appreciated the snapshots into the fandom through Tumblr posts as we saw the outside world react to whatever was happening. The fandom aspect of the book was another thing I loved and I think Miel Moreland managed to capture all of the absolute best feelings of being a fan even just in these short snippets. There was also an amazing atmosphere to Moonlight Overthrow’s performances, both in rehearsals and on stage and it really just reminded me why I love music and being a fan (and made me miss concerts, so so much). Additionally, I absolutely adored seeing Eva refer to herself as a lesbian, as well as all the other LGBTQ+ representation and exploration of how it, race and mental health fit into the music industry.
It Goes Like This is a touching story of love, friendship, second chances and fandom. With loveable characters, swoony relationships and found family, this book is pure joy and a new favourite of mine. If a sapphic YA Daisy Jones & The Six sounds good to you, then you need to pick this one up!
I also talk about books here: youtube | instagram | twitter
*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley*
I was sold on It Goes Like This from the premise alone – who wouldn’t want to read about a queer pop group forced to reunite and confront their complicated feelings? – and I’m so happy that it not only lived up to my expectations but far exceeded them. I didn’t expect to fall so completely head over heels for these characters and their story but the love they all have for each other was so strong that it just made it impossible not to love them all too.
Unsurprisingly, I found the characters to be the strong point of this novel. Being able to read from each of their perspectives helped me root for them all and really understand and empathise with them and their decisions. They each had such a distinct voice and there wasn’t a single time I was disappointed to see who was narrating the next chapter, as is often the case in multi POV novels. The relationships in this book, both between individuals and as a group, were fantastic. Miel Moreland did an amazing job of showing the long history of so many of these relationships, as well as their different intricacies and the role each character played. In particular, I adored seeing all four of them interact as a group and the dynamics within this, especially as we went from the tension of old friends turned strangers, to falling in love with each other again.
The relationship between Eva and Celeste was equally lovely. I really appreciated getting to see bits of their history through chapters set in the past and really understand why their relationship hadn’t worked previously. I think the author did a great job of dealing with these same issues in the present, and letting the characters find a way to work with them. Eva and Celeste were also just the absolute sweetest with each other and I really loved being able to read from the other characters’ perspectives to really appreciate the fondness and softness they had for each other. The angst and tension between the two was so fun to read (there was only one bed trope, anyone?) and the time taken to learn from their mistakes and rebuild their relationship was done perfectly to make their development realistic and believable. I also just loved their obliviousness to the other’s feelings, while Gina and Steph’s perspectives made it clear how obvious they were being, while allowing Eva and Celeste to work things out for themselves.
The different perspectives and flashbacks were placed perfectly to keep the plot moving and the story engaging, without ever getting bogged down in the past. Each of the character’s own arcs and internal conflicts played off each other really well and everything just worked so well together, as different characters and relationships developed at their own pace. I really liked the resolution of these conflicts and the way everything came together in the end, even if it’s perhaps not what you’d go into the novel expecting. I think it just suited each of the characters perfectly and really showed that they had grown up and developed, both from the start of the book and from when they first began the band.
I really appreciated the snapshots into the fandom through Tumblr posts as we saw the outside world react to whatever was happening. The fandom aspect of the book was another thing I loved and I think Miel Moreland managed to capture all of the absolute best feelings of being a fan even just in these short snippets. There was also an amazing atmosphere to Moonlight Overthrow’s performances, both in rehearsals and on stage and it really just reminded me why I love music and being a fan (and made me miss concerts, so so much). Additionally, I absolutely adored seeing Eva refer to herself as a lesbian, as well as all the other LGBTQ+ representation and exploration of how it, race and mental health fit into the music industry.
It Goes Like This is a touching story of love, friendship, second chances and fandom. With loveable characters, swoony relationships and found family, this book is pure joy and a new favourite of mine. If a sapphic YA Daisy Jones & The Six sounds good to you, then you need to pick this one up!
'Til the moon crashes into the sea.'
I also talk about books here: youtube | instagram | twitter
*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley*
January 4, 2023
[LIPIEC 2022]
ZNALAZŁAM NOWĄ PEREŁKĘ AAAAAAA
przysięgam - mam ochotę krzyczeć teraz o tej książce💛
emocje świeżo po zakończeniu czytania:
- PO PIERWSZE TO KOCHAM TĄ OPOWIEŚĆ ZA SAM FAKT TAK DOBREJ FABUŁY: młodzieżowy zespół rozpada się podczas bycia na topie, dochodzimy do tego DLACZEGO się rozpadł, band zaproszony jest do zagrania ostatniego koncertu po bardzo długim czasie nieobecności…KIND OF 1D&QUEEN NA WEMBLEY VIBE
- jak ja się zakochałam w tych postaciach O M G😩
Eva, Gina, Steph, Celeste - wszyscy tak różni od siebie, a tak wspaniale się dopełniający
- mamy tutaj cudowną queer’ową reprezentacje: każda z postaci należy do społeczności queer, Steph jest osobą niebinarną, mamy relację wlw, cała idea tego zespołu to po prostu duma z bycia queer
- jedną z najlepszych rzeczy jest cały wątek osobnych żyć każdej z postaci. możemy dowiedzieć się bardzo dużo o tym, co wydarzyło się po rozstaniu zespołu, jakie są ich nowe marzenia i ścieżki kariery, no i co tak naprawdę siedzi w ich głowach!
- motyw odnajdywania się na nowo, odbudowywania relacji
- język angielski jest naprawdę bardzo przyziemny i przyjemny
- piękne wątki związane z rodziną (tą z wyboru również)
- i na koniec: TA KSIĄŻKA TO OPOWIEŚĆ IDEALNA DLA WSZYSTKICH, KTÓRZY KIEDYKOLWIEK BYLI W JAKIMŚ FANDOMIE✨
co jakiś czas przewijają się tutaj różne wpisy, komentarze i fanowe jaranie się z tumblr dotyczące właśnie zespołu, a cały fandom nosi nazwę The Cosmic Queers (HOW CUTE IS THAT AAAA) [zespół nazywa się Moonlight Overthrow]
wyrzuciłam z siebie miłość. mam nadzieję, że ktoś z was zapozna się z tą perłą - moja misja będzie wtedy spełniona😭💛
[STYCZEŃ 2023]
IM STILL IN LOVE WITH THIS FREAKIN BOOK!!!!!
błagam - niech ktoś ją wyda, żeby więcej osób ją poznało🥹
ZNALAZŁAM NOWĄ PEREŁKĘ AAAAAAA
przysięgam - mam ochotę krzyczeć teraz o tej książce💛
emocje świeżo po zakończeniu czytania:
- PO PIERWSZE TO KOCHAM TĄ OPOWIEŚĆ ZA SAM FAKT TAK DOBREJ FABUŁY: młodzieżowy zespół rozpada się podczas bycia na topie, dochodzimy do tego DLACZEGO się rozpadł, band zaproszony jest do zagrania ostatniego koncertu po bardzo długim czasie nieobecności…KIND OF 1D&QUEEN NA WEMBLEY VIBE
- jak ja się zakochałam w tych postaciach O M G😩
Eva, Gina, Steph, Celeste - wszyscy tak różni od siebie, a tak wspaniale się dopełniający
- mamy tutaj cudowną queer’ową reprezentacje: każda z postaci należy do społeczności queer, Steph jest osobą niebinarną, mamy relację wlw, cała idea tego zespołu to po prostu duma z bycia queer
- jedną z najlepszych rzeczy jest cały wątek osobnych żyć każdej z postaci. możemy dowiedzieć się bardzo dużo o tym, co wydarzyło się po rozstaniu zespołu, jakie są ich nowe marzenia i ścieżki kariery, no i co tak naprawdę siedzi w ich głowach!
- motyw odnajdywania się na nowo, odbudowywania relacji
- język angielski jest naprawdę bardzo przyziemny i przyjemny
- piękne wątki związane z rodziną (tą z wyboru również)
- i na koniec: TA KSIĄŻKA TO OPOWIEŚĆ IDEALNA DLA WSZYSTKICH, KTÓRZY KIEDYKOLWIEK BYLI W JAKIMŚ FANDOMIE✨
co jakiś czas przewijają się tutaj różne wpisy, komentarze i fanowe jaranie się z tumblr dotyczące właśnie zespołu, a cały fandom nosi nazwę The Cosmic Queers (HOW CUTE IS THAT AAAA) [zespół nazywa się Moonlight Overthrow]
wyrzuciłam z siebie miłość. mam nadzieję, że ktoś z was zapozna się z tą perłą - moja misja będzie wtedy spełniona😭💛
[STYCZEŃ 2023]
IM STILL IN LOVE WITH THIS FREAKIN BOOK!!!!!
błagam - niech ktoś ją wyda, żeby więcej osób ją poznało🥹
March 19, 2022
this book was so much and for once, i'm actually at loss for words. no key-board smash can totally fathom what i feel for this book, so let me try and write my thoughts down. will it be chaotic? ...obviously, but at least it'll be words!!! (which is quite some progress, let's face it)
it goes like this can be split into these big categories for me: the band and fandom, the friendship, the romance, and the queerness. so that's what this review will be split into, too. be sure to check out the interview on my blog by clicking here btw!!
the band and fandom
yall, how i wish this band was real right now because i know i would never be able to shut up about it, but okay. i found this part of the novel to be really interesting and it was nice to see a fandom being so present in a book. it was the skeleton of the story but for me the rest was even better!
the friendship
okay but i LOVED everything about the friendship. at the start of the book everything is "awkward" of course because, well, their friendship break-up was quite messy. to see them try to overcome their pasts and struggle with things and miss each other but not knowing what to do about it and—look away, i'm emotional.
there were a lot of beautiful lessons in this book that just made me tear up. miel moreland put the one that touched me the most into words in our interview: "it’s okay to change your mind, for your friends to change their minds, and for everyone to keep growing and changing, sometimes separately, sometimes together." AHHHHH!!!!
the romance
head empty to be honest. let's just say it felt very real to me and i adored the way the author handled the relationship. miel moreland blessed my messy, sapphic heart!!!
the queerness
#relatable and oh so present. it made me incredibly happy and i could try to be all cool about it bUT THIS WAS SO GAY!!!!
now, if you'll excuse me, i'm very emotional because—
'til the moon crashes into the sea.'
look me in the eyes and tell me this (whatever i am) is what a mentally stable person looks like without lying. SEE?! you can't. now read this!!!
it goes like this can be split into these big categories for me: the band and fandom, the friendship, the romance, and the queerness. so that's what this review will be split into, too. be sure to check out the interview on my blog by clicking here btw!!
the band and fandom
yall, how i wish this band was real right now because i know i would never be able to shut up about it, but okay. i found this part of the novel to be really interesting and it was nice to see a fandom being so present in a book. it was the skeleton of the story but for me the rest was even better!
the friendship
okay but i LOVED everything about the friendship. at the start of the book everything is "awkward" of course because, well, their friendship break-up was quite messy. to see them try to overcome their pasts and struggle with things and miss each other but not knowing what to do about it and—look away, i'm emotional.
there were a lot of beautiful lessons in this book that just made me tear up. miel moreland put the one that touched me the most into words in our interview: "it’s okay to change your mind, for your friends to change their minds, and for everyone to keep growing and changing, sometimes separately, sometimes together." AHHHHH!!!!
the romance
head empty to be honest. let's just say it felt very real to me and i adored the way the author handled the relationship. miel moreland blessed my messy, sapphic heart!!!
the queerness
#relatable and oh so present. it made me incredibly happy and i could try to be all cool about it bUT THIS WAS SO GAY!!!!
now, if you'll excuse me, i'm very emotional because—
'til the moon crashes into the sea.'
look me in the eyes and tell me this (whatever i am) is what a mentally stable person looks like without lying. SEE?! you can't. now read this!!!
July 16, 2024
UPDATED REVIEW:
So I decided to listen to the audiobook of this book as I remembered really enjoying it. And for the most part I did continue to enjoy it. But on the reread my criticism I initially gave the book really stood out much more prominently this time- and that was how dirty the rest of the band really did Eva in their band and relationship breakup, and how Eva never seemed to receive a true apology from everyone and acknowledgment how messed up everything was. I really really felt for her.
Anyway, I still enjoyed this- there's strong character work even if I don't feel like it's a 5/5 anymore. 4/5
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I expected to enjoy this book after reading the description. I didn't expect to love it so much I downed it in a single evening.
This book follows four former bandmates from the queer band Moonlight Overthrow who all have very complicated feelings about their pasts, breakup, and relationships with each other. they were nationally popular all throughout the band's teenage years, then blew up right when they were coming of age. Eva is now attending college full time and writing songs for other artists, Celeste is a solo artist, Gina is trying her hand at acting, and Steph is off the radar all together. But after a storm seriously damages the band's hometown, they all agree to reunite for a benefits show to raise money to support the towns repair, and thus are thrown back together.
I kinda expected this book to mainly center around Eva and Celeste with their romantic relationship, and have Gina and Steph be minor characters, but this book really is a story about all four of them, their feelings and their journeys. And that truly opened up this story into more than a romance novel. The relationship is still a major part, but there is much more to the book than that.
Ugh I loved all four of them, but my two favorites were Eva and Steph. Eva is so strong and bore the burden of being abandoned for years. My heart broke for her- she feels so strongly and still shows nothing but love and devotion to the people who used to be her best friends. Steph was a surprising star of this book to me, especially being MIA for the first quarter of the book's events. . Gina and Celeste were great characters too with depth. I could write so much about all four, but Eva and Steph were definitely my favs.
The romance was the star of this book. You can see how strongly both Celeste and Eva both felt and still feel for each other. And they never got any closure. I really felt all of their feelings of anger and longing, and hurt, and passion for each other. If you like some angst in books, this won't disappoint. But what brought this book from good to great was the platonic love between the four. When the book starts, to call their relationships strained would be generous, but there is never a second where you don't really feel the love still held that each has for the others- the changing points of view really cements that and it is handled well. Then when they all get together again, there are clashes like every close knit group has, but they always come back together. It's incredibly touching, and I loved it.
This is the debut work from Moreland, and I didn't see a lot of debut bumps at all. I was totally invested in the book and nothing really took me out of that. You can also tell she did a lot of research into the music industry. I've written in the past how in college I did some (very) minor touring opening for a moderately bigger band. And I like depictions of how hard but rewarding performing can be in this book.
If I have one critique, I would have like to see Gina, Celeste, and even Steph retroactively take some blame for the band's breakup with their fanbase. I appreciated when the band privately apologized to Eva for leaving her out to dry, but maybe some public comments would have been appreciated. Additionally, This book does have flashbacks and timeline jumps. I don't mind them but I know they aren't everyone's favorites- so I thought I'd mention it.
I was expecting to like this book, I wasn't expecting to fall in love with it how I did. 5/5.
So I decided to listen to the audiobook of this book as I remembered really enjoying it. And for the most part I did continue to enjoy it. But on the reread my criticism I initially gave the book really stood out much more prominently this time- and that was how dirty the rest of the band really did Eva in their band and relationship breakup, and how Eva never seemed to receive a true apology from everyone and acknowledgment how messed up everything was. I really really felt for her.
Anyway, I still enjoyed this- there's strong character work even if I don't feel like it's a 5/5 anymore. 4/5
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I expected to enjoy this book after reading the description. I didn't expect to love it so much I downed it in a single evening.
This book follows four former bandmates from the queer band Moonlight Overthrow who all have very complicated feelings about their pasts, breakup, and relationships with each other. they were nationally popular all throughout the band's teenage years, then blew up right when they were coming of age. Eva is now attending college full time and writing songs for other artists, Celeste is a solo artist, Gina is trying her hand at acting, and Steph is off the radar all together. But after a storm seriously damages the band's hometown, they all agree to reunite for a benefits show to raise money to support the towns repair, and thus are thrown back together.
I kinda expected this book to mainly center around Eva and Celeste with their romantic relationship, and have Gina and Steph be minor characters, but this book really is a story about all four of them, their feelings and their journeys. And that truly opened up this story into more than a romance novel. The relationship is still a major part, but there is much more to the book than that.
Ugh I loved all four of them, but my two favorites were Eva and Steph. Eva is so strong and bore the burden of being abandoned for years. My heart broke for her- she feels so strongly and still shows nothing but love and devotion to the people who used to be her best friends. Steph was a surprising star of this book to me, especially being MIA for the first quarter of the book's events. . Gina and Celeste were great characters too with depth. I could write so much about all four, but Eva and Steph were definitely my favs.
The romance was the star of this book. You can see how strongly both Celeste and Eva both felt and still feel for each other. And they never got any closure. I really felt all of their feelings of anger and longing, and hurt, and passion for each other. If you like some angst in books, this won't disappoint. But what brought this book from good to great was the platonic love between the four. When the book starts, to call their relationships strained would be generous, but there is never a second where you don't really feel the love still held that each has for the others- the changing points of view really cements that and it is handled well. Then when they all get together again, there are clashes like every close knit group has, but they always come back together. It's incredibly touching, and I loved it.
This is the debut work from Moreland, and I didn't see a lot of debut bumps at all. I was totally invested in the book and nothing really took me out of that. You can also tell she did a lot of research into the music industry. I've written in the past how in college I did some (very) minor touring opening for a moderately bigger band. And I like depictions of how hard but rewarding performing can be in this book.
If I have one critique, I would have like to see Gina, Celeste, and even Steph retroactively take some blame for the band's breakup with their fanbase. I appreciated when the band privately apologized to Eva for leaving her out to dry, but maybe some public comments would have been appreciated. Additionally, This book does have flashbacks and timeline jumps. I don't mind them but I know they aren't everyone's favorites- so I thought I'd mention it.
I was expecting to like this book, I wasn't expecting to fall in love with it how I did. 5/5.
June 23, 2021
I think the problem with this book is that it doesn't realize there is a fine line between flawed characters and just garbage human beings. Figuring out your own identity and issues and insecurities don't justify you being utter shit to others. It doesn't justify manipulation, guilt tripping or shitty behaviors.
And that's literally what all other three main characters did to Eva for 75% of this book. All three of them literally never communicated their wishes with Eva, yet they all told each other They'd suspend the band. Then a year and a half later Those three decided they want to get back together again and they dragged Eva back in (even when she clearly was still traumatized by the event) by making her feel guilty about not wanting to return with these shit friends of hers.
Then, what ensues is just a whole fucking train wreck of manipulation and guilt tripping.
Gina, who pretend to be asleep so she could force Celeste and Eva to sleep together when Eva is clearly uncomfortable. With the STATED INTENTION of wanting them back together. Now, imagine if Gina is a man doing this by locking a male friend of his (Celeste in this case) with Eva, a girl, in a room to force them to sleep together on the same bed. I doubt anyone would sympathize with Gina then.
Steph, who literally called all the band there to help them and their hometown out, had the audacity to go on Eva when she was trying to help them to get to their grandma at the hospital. They literally accused Eva of throwing them under the bus, WHEN THEY WERE THE ONE WHO LEFT THE BAND AND LEFT EVA TO FEND OFF THE PRESS FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. And yet still had the audacity to say EVA was the one who would throw them under the bus???
Celeste, who literally tried to manipulate and gaslight Eva to getting back with her this whole time. Constantly invalidating and dismiss Eva's feelings. Yet still is saying she did it all in the name of "figuring her self out". That's emotional abusive 101. And this is 75% into the book, if a character doesn't grow at all and see how fucked up their actions is at all by the 75% mark then the character is just plainly a bad person.
I don't know how to say this kindly, but as a sapphic POC, being sapphic or a POC or a struggling teenager doesn't justify behaviors that are messed up at best and literally abusive/manipulative at worst.
And that's literally what all other three main characters did to Eva for 75% of this book. All three of them literally never communicated their wishes with Eva, yet they all told each other They'd suspend the band. Then a year and a half later Those three decided they want to get back together again and they dragged Eva back in (even when she clearly was still traumatized by the event) by making her feel guilty about not wanting to return with these shit friends of hers.
Then, what ensues is just a whole fucking train wreck of manipulation and guilt tripping.
Gina, who pretend to be asleep so she could force Celeste and Eva to sleep together when Eva is clearly uncomfortable. With the STATED INTENTION of wanting them back together. Now, imagine if Gina is a man doing this by locking a male friend of his (Celeste in this case) with Eva, a girl, in a room to force them to sleep together on the same bed. I doubt anyone would sympathize with Gina then.
Steph, who literally called all the band there to help them and their hometown out, had the audacity to go on Eva when she was trying to help them to get to their grandma at the hospital. They literally accused Eva of throwing them under the bus, WHEN THEY WERE THE ONE WHO LEFT THE BAND AND LEFT EVA TO FEND OFF THE PRESS FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. And yet still had the audacity to say EVA was the one who would throw them under the bus???
Celeste, who literally tried to manipulate and gaslight Eva to getting back with her this whole time. Constantly invalidating and dismiss Eva's feelings. Yet still is saying she did it all in the name of "figuring her self out". That's emotional abusive 101. And this is 75% into the book, if a character doesn't grow at all and see how fucked up their actions is at all by the 75% mark then the character is just plainly a bad person.
I don't know how to say this kindly, but as a sapphic POC, being sapphic or a POC or a struggling teenager doesn't justify behaviors that are messed up at best and literally abusive/manipulative at worst.
August 15, 2021
It Goes Like This is such a gorgeous love letter to friendships and how they change, growing up and growing apart and the joy of fandom. I loved this.
- Follows four queer teens and former members of a world-famous teen pop group, Moonlight Overthrow. Years after a messy fallout, the ex-best friends come together one more time to put on a benefit concert for their hometown, and have to reconcile the past and their friendships.
- I just loved how character-driven this was! All the different characters and their motivations and their unique voices emerged, distinct from one another, but also came together beautifully.
- This was so delightfully queer!!! Eva and Celeste are lesbians, Gina is bisexual, and Steph is non-binary and pansexual. It isn't just surface-level queer rep though; the story beautifully shows how queer identity and queer love connects us to others and shows the beauty of being seen and understood. This book celebrates queerness in such a genuine and wondrous way.
- This book balances sweet and wholesome with some really compelling emotional and almost-messy stuff about friendship and making up.
- The second-chance romance in this was so sweet. The tension, the (mis)communication, and the stakes were so well done.
Trigger/content warning: ableism (challenged), alcohol consumption, natural disaster (scenes with the aftermath of the disaster), ill loved one, mentions of anti-queer rhetoric and sentiment
I received a digital advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
- Follows four queer teens and former members of a world-famous teen pop group, Moonlight Overthrow. Years after a messy fallout, the ex-best friends come together one more time to put on a benefit concert for their hometown, and have to reconcile the past and their friendships.
- I just loved how character-driven this was! All the different characters and their motivations and their unique voices emerged, distinct from one another, but also came together beautifully.
- This was so delightfully queer!!! Eva and Celeste are lesbians, Gina is bisexual, and Steph is non-binary and pansexual. It isn't just surface-level queer rep though; the story beautifully shows how queer identity and queer love connects us to others and shows the beauty of being seen and understood. This book celebrates queerness in such a genuine and wondrous way.
- This book balances sweet and wholesome with some really compelling emotional and almost-messy stuff about friendship and making up.
- The second-chance romance in this was so sweet. The tension, the (mis)communication, and the stakes were so well done.
Trigger/content warning: ableism (challenged), alcohol consumption, natural disaster (scenes with the aftermath of the disaster), ill loved one, mentions of anti-queer rhetoric and sentiment
I received a digital advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 26, 2021
it didn't really work for me...their friendship doesn't feel believable and they dont really give any good proof of why it was so special and they want that back, it seems they just want that to say "i did it! i didnt give up on us!" while theres a lot of bad feelings unsolved and those feelings stay like this until the end when they magically seems fine with each other.
June 12, 2021
It Goes Like This by Miel Moreland is a really exciting sapphic debut novel, following queer pop band, Moonlight Overthrow, a few years after their split, having barely spoken a few words to each other since. Eva is finally getting her life back to normal by attending college, and Steph is putting their family as their number one priority, whereas Celeste is selling out tours nationwide and Gina is taking the acting world by storm. But after a storm devastates their home town, where their band first began, the four ex-band members must come back together to raise funds to help rebuild, but this means re-opening wounds that haven’t been touched for years, including Celeste and Eva’s difficult breakup.
I absolutely adore books about queer and sapphic bands and singers, and so, of course, this was high up on my anticipated releases of 2021 list! Something I love even more than just queer bands is when members of said bands are dating in the book, so naturally I had really high hopes for this one. And Miel Moreland did not let me down! First and foremost, while reading this book I couldn’t help but feeling that it reminded me of some wonderful sapphic adult romances that I’ve read in the past – namely Hammer’s Strings and Beautiful Things, Love’s Falling Star, and Not This Time – and I make that comparison in the best possible way because I loved all three of those books! Miel Moreland managed to capture the dynamics of these bandmates so, so well, and her writing style truly lends to the story in a way that I really believe that this is one of those wonderful reads that makes the bridge between YA contemporary novels and adult sapphic romance novels, which are two of my favourite kinds of books to read!
The characters are by far the best part about the book! We follow the perspectives of all four of the band members, and I think that the book worked so well because of that choice. The whole way through the book I was really rooting for Eva because she really deserves so, so much! She wears her heart on her sleeve yet is so tough, and I loved seeing her passion for music, her passion for studying, and her never-ending passion for the four of them together. Celeste was a really interesting perspective, because she was the only one of the four, prior to the events of the book, to really stay in the music industry post breakup and I really loved seeing how she dealt with that, particularly relating to her being a solo act. Gina was another of my favourites – you could tell that she was so devoted to her bandmates and one of the uniting forces between them and I really loved that about her. I also loved to see her softening up throughout the book and accepting that she really was falling for someone, and it was so cute! Finally, I really appreciated Steph and both their fierce loyalty and love for their family, and their outspokenness about being genderqueer – particularly relating to the fact that they’re not a girlband, just a band!
I only had one critique about the characters, and about the book as a whole I guess, and that’s the ages they were written as. While they were together as a band they were around 15-17/18 years old and around 19 years old during the events of the book and I just didn’t believe it. Not only did they all act much older (though I do understand that being in the limelight at such a young age does almost force you grow up much faster than perhaps you’d like), but I also think that the plot would actually have worked better and made more sense if they were in their late teens prior to the book and maybe early to mid 20s in the present day sections.
But anyway, back to the positives! I mentioned it a bit earlier that Steph is genderqueer and, in fact, every member of the band is queer – with them each explicitly on page mentioning that Eva and Celeste are lesbians, Gina is bisexual and Steph is genderqueer and pan. This is, sadly, not seen all that often in YA contemporary, and I was so, so happy to see it in It Goes Like This! Furthermore, Gina is a dark skinned Black woman and Celeste is Jewish, with perhaps some of the other characters also being Jewish. All the representation throughout the book was amazing to see and it made me so, so happy!
Overall, this was a really fun read that I honestly could not put down (no, literally, I was playing The Sims in one hand with my Kindle in the other) and I can’t wait to see what Miel Moreland releases in the future!
Thanks to Netgalley, Feiwel & Friends, and TBR and Beyond Tours for an eARC in return for a review!
Want more sapphic books? You can find me here: Book Blog | Twitter | Instagram
I absolutely adore books about queer and sapphic bands and singers, and so, of course, this was high up on my anticipated releases of 2021 list! Something I love even more than just queer bands is when members of said bands are dating in the book, so naturally I had really high hopes for this one. And Miel Moreland did not let me down! First and foremost, while reading this book I couldn’t help but feeling that it reminded me of some wonderful sapphic adult romances that I’ve read in the past – namely Hammer’s Strings and Beautiful Things, Love’s Falling Star, and Not This Time – and I make that comparison in the best possible way because I loved all three of those books! Miel Moreland managed to capture the dynamics of these bandmates so, so well, and her writing style truly lends to the story in a way that I really believe that this is one of those wonderful reads that makes the bridge between YA contemporary novels and adult sapphic romance novels, which are two of my favourite kinds of books to read!
The characters are by far the best part about the book! We follow the perspectives of all four of the band members, and I think that the book worked so well because of that choice. The whole way through the book I was really rooting for Eva because she really deserves so, so much! She wears her heart on her sleeve yet is so tough, and I loved seeing her passion for music, her passion for studying, and her never-ending passion for the four of them together. Celeste was a really interesting perspective, because she was the only one of the four, prior to the events of the book, to really stay in the music industry post breakup and I really loved seeing how she dealt with that, particularly relating to her being a solo act. Gina was another of my favourites – you could tell that she was so devoted to her bandmates and one of the uniting forces between them and I really loved that about her. I also loved to see her softening up throughout the book and accepting that she really was falling for someone, and it was so cute! Finally, I really appreciated Steph and both their fierce loyalty and love for their family, and their outspokenness about being genderqueer – particularly relating to the fact that they’re not a girlband, just a band!
I only had one critique about the characters, and about the book as a whole I guess, and that’s the ages they were written as. While they were together as a band they were around 15-17/18 years old and around 19 years old during the events of the book and I just didn’t believe it. Not only did they all act much older (though I do understand that being in the limelight at such a young age does almost force you grow up much faster than perhaps you’d like), but I also think that the plot would actually have worked better and made more sense if they were in their late teens prior to the book and maybe early to mid 20s in the present day sections.
But anyway, back to the positives! I mentioned it a bit earlier that Steph is genderqueer and, in fact, every member of the band is queer – with them each explicitly on page mentioning that Eva and Celeste are lesbians, Gina is bisexual and Steph is genderqueer and pan. This is, sadly, not seen all that often in YA contemporary, and I was so, so happy to see it in It Goes Like This! Furthermore, Gina is a dark skinned Black woman and Celeste is Jewish, with perhaps some of the other characters also being Jewish. All the representation throughout the book was amazing to see and it made me so, so happy!
Overall, this was a really fun read that I honestly could not put down (no, literally, I was playing The Sims in one hand with my Kindle in the other) and I can’t wait to see what Miel Moreland releases in the future!
Thanks to Netgalley, Feiwel & Friends, and TBR and Beyond Tours for an eARC in return for a review!
Want more sapphic books? You can find me here: Book Blog | Twitter | Instagram
May 18, 2023
3.5 stars. This book started off so strong then kind of fell away from me. This is a long review!
What I liked:
I LOVE books about celebrities. I don't really know why as I couldn't care less about irl celebrities, but yeah. Actors, musicians, royalty, politicians, basically any kind of celebrity trope and I'm there.
I loved the use of social media in this. The tumblr posts were eerily accurate haha. It's nice to see how the fans interact with what happens in the book.
Eva. She was the only character I liked. I was so on her side throughout everything, and I was kinda hoping she's drop them all and go on to shine on her own, but never mind.
The first maybe third was great. I breezed through it. Learning the characters and building up to the reveal as to why the band broke up and why none of them have spoken to each other since. The writing is also good.
The rep was great. Lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, nonbinary, Jewish, Black.
What I didn't like:
Their ages. It stretched credibility too far. This type of book should have been NA with the characters in their early/mid twenties. I know kids are thrown into stardom at young ages all the time (Justin Bieber is a musician that comes to mind) but they were making decisions about the band and none of the adults around them seemed to do anything about it? 3 of them decided they wanted to leave and do other things at 17, after just 2 years in the band, and the record label just seemed to roll over? I find that hard to believe. IMO it should have followed maybe One Direction? Have them form the band in their late teens, have a few years of massive success, then break up in their mid twenties.
Celeste, Gina, and Steph. They were horrible to Eva. They decided together that they didn't want to continue with the band—Celeste wanted to go solo, Gina wanted to pursue a movie career, Steph wanted to go home to their family. They dropped that they were leaving on Eva one night towards the end of their tour and she was so blindsided I felt so horrible for her. They then left her to finish all the media obligations alone and cut off contact. Awful.
To add insult to injury, Celeste broke up with Eva the same night. Claiming it was for her own good and that they could both have solo careers. I HATE that trope.
A year and a half passes, and they decide to do one last performance to raise money after their home town was hit by a devastating storm. Fine, it's for a good cause. But then we learn that Gina isn't happy with her choice to go into film (surprise surprise, she was 16/17 when she made that decision 🙄) and wants to reform the band. Steph also misses it, and wants to join again. Celeste wants both Eva and the band back. I just couldn't believe it. How dare they ditch Eva the way they did, then have the audacity to want it all back? I get that their ages play a big role in all this, but still.
Eva's bitterness and the betrayal she felt run through her chapters, but not as strongly as I'd have thought. She's still in love with Celeste, she still wants the band. I was hoping she wouldn't go back but I guess the band reforming and Eva and Celeste getting back together was the happy ending the author had in mind. I just didn't like it.
What I liked:
I LOVE books about celebrities. I don't really know why as I couldn't care less about irl celebrities, but yeah. Actors, musicians, royalty, politicians, basically any kind of celebrity trope and I'm there.
I loved the use of social media in this. The tumblr posts were eerily accurate haha. It's nice to see how the fans interact with what happens in the book.
Eva. She was the only character I liked. I was so on her side throughout everything, and I was kinda hoping she's drop them all and go on to shine on her own, but never mind.
The first maybe third was great. I breezed through it. Learning the characters and building up to the reveal as to why the band broke up and why none of them have spoken to each other since. The writing is also good.
The rep was great. Lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, nonbinary, Jewish, Black.
What I didn't like:
Their ages. It stretched credibility too far. This type of book should have been NA with the characters in their early/mid twenties. I know kids are thrown into stardom at young ages all the time (Justin Bieber is a musician that comes to mind) but they were making decisions about the band and none of the adults around them seemed to do anything about it? 3 of them decided they wanted to leave and do other things at 17, after just 2 years in the band, and the record label just seemed to roll over? I find that hard to believe. IMO it should have followed maybe One Direction? Have them form the band in their late teens, have a few years of massive success, then break up in their mid twenties.
Celeste, Gina, and Steph. They were horrible to Eva. They decided together that they didn't want to continue with the band—Celeste wanted to go solo, Gina wanted to pursue a movie career, Steph wanted to go home to their family. They dropped that they were leaving on Eva one night towards the end of their tour and she was so blindsided I felt so horrible for her. They then left her to finish all the media obligations alone and cut off contact. Awful.
To add insult to injury, Celeste broke up with Eva the same night. Claiming it was for her own good and that they could both have solo careers. I HATE that trope.
A year and a half passes, and they decide to do one last performance to raise money after their home town was hit by a devastating storm. Fine, it's for a good cause. But then we learn that Gina isn't happy with her choice to go into film (surprise surprise, she was 16/17 when she made that decision 🙄) and wants to reform the band. Steph also misses it, and wants to join again. Celeste wants both Eva and the band back. I just couldn't believe it. How dare they ditch Eva the way they did, then have the audacity to want it all back? I get that their ages play a big role in all this, but still.
Eva's bitterness and the betrayal she felt run through her chapters, but not as strongly as I'd have thought. She's still in love with Celeste, she still wants the band. I was hoping she wouldn't go back but I guess the band reforming and Eva and Celeste getting back together was the happy ending the author had in mind. I just didn't like it.
October 18, 2021
CHARACTER DRIVEN AND QUEER-POSITIVE
This is the book I didn't know I wanted to read. An all-queer teen pop-sensation group! The bandmates share a love of music that floats off the pages, which I really got into. And the dynamic between the members really got me invested.
👍 What I Liked 👍
Characters: In this novel we follow four ex-bandmates. They started out friends, formed a band, became famous and broke up. At the beginning of the book we follow them individually, and I can genuinely say that I liked all of them (though some more than others). They each had distinct personality traits that made it easy to discern between them as they each narrated their own chapters. But even though they were all strong characters, they grew even stronger as a group. That was when they really shone - when they worked together towards a common goal.
Music: I am a music lover. For a while I myself dreamed of singing and acting for a living. So I really loved how the passion for music was so clearly expressed throughout this book. It's obvious at each of the characters have a deep love for music and when they sing and perform together it really shines. It made me happy.
Queer-positive: All four characters are queer. When they formed their band, one condition was for them to be allowed to be out. It formed the basis of an incredibly queer-positive band and fan-base. As we also follow their large fan-base, it's wonderful to see the how the fans support their idols through everything.
👎 What I Disliked 👎
Plot: This is a character-driven novel, which, unfortunately, means that the plot is a bit stretched out and thin. That may not be a problem for some people, but I need a bit more... plot-wise, that is.
Beginning: As the book opens, we a thrown straight into a drama that has been going on for years. It is a bit confusing to begin with, as we try to straighten out the past and understand the dynamics of the band-that-once-was. It took me a while to get into it, but I still felt like it was worth it.
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This is the book I didn't know I wanted to read. An all-queer teen pop-sensation group! The bandmates share a love of music that floats off the pages, which I really got into. And the dynamic between the members really got me invested.
👍 What I Liked 👍
Characters: In this novel we follow four ex-bandmates. They started out friends, formed a band, became famous and broke up. At the beginning of the book we follow them individually, and I can genuinely say that I liked all of them (though some more than others). They each had distinct personality traits that made it easy to discern between them as they each narrated their own chapters. But even though they were all strong characters, they grew even stronger as a group. That was when they really shone - when they worked together towards a common goal.
Music: I am a music lover. For a while I myself dreamed of singing and acting for a living. So I really loved how the passion for music was so clearly expressed throughout this book. It's obvious at each of the characters have a deep love for music and when they sing and perform together it really shines. It made me happy.
Queer-positive: All four characters are queer. When they formed their band, one condition was for them to be allowed to be out. It formed the basis of an incredibly queer-positive band and fan-base. As we also follow their large fan-base, it's wonderful to see the how the fans support their idols through everything.
👎 What I Disliked 👎
Plot: This is a character-driven novel, which, unfortunately, means that the plot is a bit stretched out and thin. That may not be a problem for some people, but I need a bit more... plot-wise, that is.
Beginning: As the book opens, we a thrown straight into a drama that has been going on for years. It is a bit confusing to begin with, as we try to straighten out the past and understand the dynamics of the band-that-once-was. It took me a while to get into it, but I still felt like it was worth it.
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August 20, 2021
*4.5 stars | rep: wlw romance, lesbian MCs, Black sapphic MC, non-binary + pansexual MC
OHMYGOD *que the fangirling*
It Goes Like This is the queer contemporary novel I needed to get me out of a massive reading slump. And oh my goodness, it was amazing!! This book was such an enjoyable read full of so many ups and downs that will leave you with a smile on your face.
The plot follows a broken-up queer pop band as they reunite to hold a charity concert for their hometown, after it's greatly damaged by a storm. The reunion is full of complicated, unspoken feelings and awkward tensions as a result of the messy breakup that took place a year before (yikes!). If you're looking for a book full of queer characters, friendship, fandom, a sapphic romance to die for, and first loves...THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!!
Okay, these characters have my whole heart! I don't know how in the world this author managed to write a book with FOUR POVs, but they did, and WOW. It was really well done. I was never disappointed to see who the next POV was from, each chapter was as exciting as the last and I couldn't wait to read more! The character depth was great too, you really get to see each of them shine through with their own, distinct personalities. They all had their own role to play and they each did it perfectly! Plus, all of their backstories were SO well developed, holy crap! All the little snippets you get to see really helps you figure them out as a character and makes them feel even more relatable.
The dynamics between the characters had to be my favorite thing about this story, though. You get to see all of them have their individual moments with one another, which really showcased how strong their bond was. Every time they had a bonding moment together, it made me miss my friends even more. Friendship was definitely a huge part of this story and I think the message was portrayed perfectly. And not to mention the romance was absolutely adorable! This entire book I was continuously screaming "JUST KISS ALREADY" and it was awesome ;D
Basically, I loved this book and I highly HIGHLY recommend it to everyone! GO READ IT GO READ IT
tw/cw: teenage pregnancy (side character), family member is sent to the hospital, misgendering of a character
OHMYGOD *que the fangirling*
It Goes Like This is the queer contemporary novel I needed to get me out of a massive reading slump. And oh my goodness, it was amazing!! This book was such an enjoyable read full of so many ups and downs that will leave you with a smile on your face.
The plot follows a broken-up queer pop band as they reunite to hold a charity concert for their hometown, after it's greatly damaged by a storm. The reunion is full of complicated, unspoken feelings and awkward tensions as a result of the messy breakup that took place a year before (yikes!). If you're looking for a book full of queer characters, friendship, fandom, a sapphic romance to die for, and first loves...THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!!
Okay, these characters have my whole heart! I don't know how in the world this author managed to write a book with FOUR POVs, but they did, and WOW. It was really well done. I was never disappointed to see who the next POV was from, each chapter was as exciting as the last and I couldn't wait to read more! The character depth was great too, you really get to see each of them shine through with their own, distinct personalities. They all had their own role to play and they each did it perfectly! Plus, all of their backstories were SO well developed, holy crap! All the little snippets you get to see really helps you figure them out as a character and makes them feel even more relatable.
The dynamics between the characters had to be my favorite thing about this story, though. You get to see all of them have their individual moments with one another, which really showcased how strong their bond was. Every time they had a bonding moment together, it made me miss my friends even more. Friendship was definitely a huge part of this story and I think the message was portrayed perfectly. And not to mention the romance was absolutely adorable! This entire book I was continuously screaming "JUST KISS ALREADY" and it was awesome ;D
Basically, I loved this book and I highly HIGHLY recommend it to everyone! GO READ IT GO READ IT
tw/cw: teenage pregnancy (side character), family member is sent to the hospital, misgendering of a character
March 14, 2021
If you're friends with me IRL, I sincerely apologize in advance for how often I will talk your ear off about this book in the near future because I need every single one of you to read it so we can GUSH about my FAVORITE QUEER STORY OF THE YEAR SO FAR
September 17, 2022
TWs and Rep: https://booktriggerwarnings.com/It_Go...
i liked this one despite the fact it took me way longer than it should have to read (school takes up so much time lol) ! the topic it covered was interesting to me and i enjoyed learning about the music/entertainment industry a bit! lots of real life issues/themes were also covered which was nice.
some things i think that could have been done better were the characters and overall set up of the book. i spend most of the book kinda annoyed at eva, yet she had wayyyy more chapters than any of the other 3 main characters had. i would have liked to see gina's character (and maybe even celeste's) expanded on more, as well as some of the side characters. i found the set up also to be weird because you would be reading about what was going on in the present and there would be a random flashback to a past event. i think the book would have been stronger if everything was set up in chronological order instead. overall, though, i did enjoy this book and i would recommend definitely picking it up if you want a fun, cute and light read that has great representation!
2021 rating: book 15/37
i liked this one despite the fact it took me way longer than it should have to read (school takes up so much time lol) ! the topic it covered was interesting to me and i enjoyed learning about the music/entertainment industry a bit! lots of real life issues/themes were also covered which was nice.
some things i think that could have been done better were the characters and overall set up of the book. i spend most of the book kinda annoyed at eva, yet she had wayyyy more chapters than any of the other 3 main characters had. i would have liked to see gina's character (and maybe even celeste's) expanded on more, as well as some of the side characters. i found the set up also to be weird because you would be reading about what was going on in the present and there would be a random flashback to a past event. i think the book would have been stronger if everything was set up in chronological order instead. overall, though, i did enjoy this book and i would recommend definitely picking it up if you want a fun, cute and light read that has great representation!
2021 rating: book 15/37
March 14, 2022
I was expecting to enjoy this, because I'm a sucker for pop star books, but I absolutely LOVED this! Why aren't more people reading this?!
This book felt a little melancholic all throughout, as we see these four people reunite after their world famous band split up a few years previous and they lost touch. I'm ALSO a huge sucker for a second chance romance, so that was amazing to see as well. And I just loved the writing and the psychological depth of this - every character was fleshed out and complex. I want another book from this author immediately!
This book felt a little melancholic all throughout, as we see these four people reunite after their world famous band split up a few years previous and they lost touch. I'm ALSO a huge sucker for a second chance romance, so that was amazing to see as well. And I just loved the writing and the psychological depth of this - every character was fleshed out and complex. I want another book from this author immediately!
May 21, 2021
this book has an overall good vibe, and like, it's fine. but it doesn't really work for me.
content/trigger warnings; ableism, alcohol, kissing, natural disasters, mentions of queerphobia (lesbophobia, biphobia, fetishization of queer girls), misgendering, mentions of rape threats, coming out, mentions of slut shaming, mentions of teenage pregnancy, misogyny, racism, hospital, sick grandmother, kissing,
rep; eva (mc) is a lesbian. celeste (mc) is a jewish lesbian. gina (mc) is bisexual and black. steph (mc) is nonbinary and pansexual, uses they/them pronouns.
the main reason this doesn't work for me is the friendship is not believable. the chapters that are in the past are largely set during and after the breakup, so the relationships among the characters aren't at their best. we don't really get to see them have this amazing, important friendship in the past chapters that will then make us root for them to repair that bond in the present chapters.
(and the same exact thing can be said about the romance between eva and celeste. there is so much time dedicated to them pining and angsting over each other, and going on about how in love they were and still are, but we don't really get to see that in the past chapters, so i'm just like...why am i supposed to care?)
it's like, what is so special about their bond that they so desperately want it back? why are these people even friends? there is so much jealously, resentment, bitterness, and misplaced anger among them that never truly feels resolved. so the happy ending doesn't have the pay off it should, because not only did their issues not feel adequately dealt with, but i was never convinced of their friendship in the first place.
other things i didn't like: the jumping timeline. the cursed "i'm breaking up with you for your own good" trope. a celebrity interacting with and befriending fans while pretending to be a fan. steph's whole "i can't have a life because i need to take care of my family" thing got old fast, because honestly no one asked them to do that, they just assumed it was necessary and then took it out on everyone else.
and speaking of steph taking their shit out on everyone else...steph lashes out at eva in front of everyone for no goddamn reason, only to have eva completely dismiss their apology as if it wasn't necessary. and i gotta say, i fucking hate when authors do that. don't have your character say or do something that is acknowledged as shitty if you're just gonna have the wronged character act like there's nothing to apologize for. let them say "thank you, i appreciate the apology" and move on. let characters grow and have healthy relationships!!!!!
i like the inclusion of tumblr posts from fans, because anyone who has been in a fandom or even just seen other people in fandoms knows the excitement over getting new content, so that's fun to see, but i don't like that invasive behavior from fans is called out once at the very end only it when starts to affect a fan, instead of being addressed throughout the entire narrative. considering the choice to include tumblr posts (including ones that are speculation about the band members' dating lives and masterposts of "sources" to justify thinking x is dating y) and the choice to have eva actually involved in the fandom, you'd think she would see these things happening and have thoughts on them.
and lastly, when steph is listing queerphobic remarks the band has received, they list lesbophobia directed at eva and celeste and biphobia directed at gina, but no panphobia at themself, just misgendering because they weren't out as nonbinary. and like.......you're telling me gina got shit for being bi, but steph didn't get shit for being pan? sounds fake as fuck, and very much like playing into the extremely panphobic idea that pan people don't experience queerphobia for being pan and that pan is a label people use as a way to not experience hate.
(i shelved this as new adult, despite it being marketed as young adult. if you follow my reviews at all, you know how i feel about post-high school/age still being labeled as ya. that's just my line between the "genres" and how i categorize books, and idc how anyone else does it lmao.)
content/trigger warnings; ableism, alcohol, kissing, natural disasters, mentions of queerphobia (lesbophobia, biphobia, fetishization of queer girls), misgendering, mentions of rape threats, coming out, mentions of slut shaming, mentions of teenage pregnancy, misogyny, racism, hospital, sick grandmother, kissing,
rep; eva (mc) is a lesbian. celeste (mc) is a jewish lesbian. gina (mc) is bisexual and black. steph (mc) is nonbinary and pansexual, uses they/them pronouns.
the main reason this doesn't work for me is the friendship is not believable. the chapters that are in the past are largely set during and after the breakup, so the relationships among the characters aren't at their best. we don't really get to see them have this amazing, important friendship in the past chapters that will then make us root for them to repair that bond in the present chapters.
(and the same exact thing can be said about the romance between eva and celeste. there is so much time dedicated to them pining and angsting over each other, and going on about how in love they were and still are, but we don't really get to see that in the past chapters, so i'm just like...why am i supposed to care?)
it's like, what is so special about their bond that they so desperately want it back? why are these people even friends? there is so much jealously, resentment, bitterness, and misplaced anger among them that never truly feels resolved. so the happy ending doesn't have the pay off it should, because not only did their issues not feel adequately dealt with, but i was never convinced of their friendship in the first place.
other things i didn't like: the jumping timeline. the cursed "i'm breaking up with you for your own good" trope. a celebrity interacting with and befriending fans while pretending to be a fan. steph's whole "i can't have a life because i need to take care of my family" thing got old fast, because honestly no one asked them to do that, they just assumed it was necessary and then took it out on everyone else.
and speaking of steph taking their shit out on everyone else...steph lashes out at eva in front of everyone for no goddamn reason, only to have eva completely dismiss their apology as if it wasn't necessary. and i gotta say, i fucking hate when authors do that. don't have your character say or do something that is acknowledged as shitty if you're just gonna have the wronged character act like there's nothing to apologize for. let them say "thank you, i appreciate the apology" and move on. let characters grow and have healthy relationships!!!!!
i like the inclusion of tumblr posts from fans, because anyone who has been in a fandom or even just seen other people in fandoms knows the excitement over getting new content, so that's fun to see, but i don't like that invasive behavior from fans is called out once at the very end only it when starts to affect a fan, instead of being addressed throughout the entire narrative. considering the choice to include tumblr posts (including ones that are speculation about the band members' dating lives and masterposts of "sources" to justify thinking x is dating y) and the choice to have eva actually involved in the fandom, you'd think she would see these things happening and have thoughts on them.
and lastly, when steph is listing queerphobic remarks the band has received, they list lesbophobia directed at eva and celeste and biphobia directed at gina, but no panphobia at themself, just misgendering because they weren't out as nonbinary. and like.......you're telling me gina got shit for being bi, but steph didn't get shit for being pan? sounds fake as fuck, and very much like playing into the extremely panphobic idea that pan people don't experience queerphobia for being pan and that pan is a label people use as a way to not experience hate.
(i shelved this as new adult, despite it being marketed as young adult. if you follow my reviews at all, you know how i feel about post-high school/age still being labeled as ya. that's just my line between the "genres" and how i categorize books, and idc how anyone else does it lmao.)
June 21, 2021
i feel like this is more a 3.5 but the representation was absolutely phenomenal and i have to make that more clear.
so why not a 5, bie? well, *gestures vaguely* i have an issue with love interests in general.
but this was a good book, truly! it's about self discovery, coming to terms with who you are (and changing your mind because you're young and that's okay!), love, family and friendship, music, and how wonderful it is to be queer.
i definitely recommend this to everyone who had a fifth harmony phase. i didn't, but trust me.
---
primary cws: misgendering, underage drinking
secondary cws (minor references): biphobia, homophobia, substance addiction, eating disorders/body image
so why not a 5, bie? well, *gestures vaguely* i have an issue with love interests in general.
but this was a good book, truly! it's about self discovery, coming to terms with who you are (and changing your mind because you're young and that's okay!), love, family and friendship, music, and how wonderful it is to be queer.
i definitely recommend this to everyone who had a fifth harmony phase. i didn't, but trust me.
---
primary cws: misgendering, underage drinking
secondary cws (minor references): biphobia, homophobia, substance addiction, eating disorders/body image
March 7, 2024
3.5* en realidad
Read
December 9, 2021Not sure how I missed marking this as read until now considering I've been lauding this book all over town, but it's hands-down one of my favorite YAs of the year. If the idea of a YA Daisy Jones and the Six but extremely queer sounds like your jam, grab this one yesterday.
January 30, 2023
3.5 en realidad
Lo amé. Tiene referencias a Taylor Swift, un romance sáfico, las protagonistas son una banda, rep no binarie, literal tiene puras cosas que me gustan en la premisa.
No le pongo 5 estrellas porque algunos aspectos me parecieron muy apresurados y otros aspectos mal ejecutados, pero sigue siendo un muy buen libro.
Lo amé. Tiene referencias a Taylor Swift, un romance sáfico, las protagonistas son una banda, rep no binarie, literal tiene puras cosas que me gustan en la premisa.
No le pongo 5 estrellas porque algunos aspectos me parecieron muy apresurados y otros aspectos mal ejecutados, pero sigue siendo un muy buen libro.
July 12, 2023
[3.5 stars]
August 3, 2025
(rounded up from 4.75)
This is my fourth re-read, and I owe this book more of a review than the one-liner I've been using so far, so here goes.
I wanted to read this again in the year of our lord two thousand and twenty-five because I've gotten into BlackPink, and they're coming back together for a tour. What's the big deal with that, you might ask. The reason all the moments from their tour stand out to me is that, despite them taking a break and each of the four members doing their own solo projects and branching out in terms of creative control and their own styles, they're now back together and clearly having the time of their lives. Unlike most bands that did their own projects and then came back together, there seems to be a lot of laughter and fondness, with the group performing and gently making fun of each other's solo work and dance moves. I remember reading this book a while ago and wishing I could see this kind of dynamic IRL, and thinking it unlikely because clearly this book is a very sanitised version of what life would be like for an actual band that rose to meteoric fame and then broke up at 17 and were also openly queer.
Anyway, this is the story of teenagers who are openly queer, in a band together, and break up because of various reasons (one of the members is struggling with their gender in a "girl band", another wants to stand on her own feet as an artist and performer and not just with her bestie and girlfriend, and a third wants to get into acting). Fast forward a couple of years, and the one member who was blindsided by it all, dumped by the love of her life, and also lost her three best friends completely, is struggling to keep going with her college and songwriting career while nursing a broken heart about all of it. A devastating natural disaster hits their hometown, which brings all four together for a charity reunion concert and stirs up old memories and breaks the radio silence.
From the first chapters, I can feel Eva's heartbreak because she still loves Celeste and misses her three best friends and is drowning in the silence they have left in her life. She thought things were going wonderfully, and then her band decided they wanted to do their own things without her. Her heartbreak and anger are palpable and justified, but the rotating POV chapters from each of the four members really helps flesh out the past and how they were feeling, and the present, and how they all miss their friendship and love each other still, despite having gotten what they wanted in their solo efforts. That's the kind of heartwarming story I love to read again and again.
I am also Extremely Online and so I also loved that part of this story includes very believable tumblr fandom posts shipping various combinations of the four members, screaming, crying, throwing up about any news about them or sightings of them together, and just the general (again, sanitised) version of love and respect from a fandom to their queer band and vice versa.
Incredibly wholesome, filled with feels, and I love to root for these people to get their happy endings and heal together.
This is my fourth re-read, and I owe this book more of a review than the one-liner I've been using so far, so here goes.
I wanted to read this again in the year of our lord two thousand and twenty-five because I've gotten into BlackPink, and they're coming back together for a tour. What's the big deal with that, you might ask. The reason all the moments from their tour stand out to me is that, despite them taking a break and each of the four members doing their own solo projects and branching out in terms of creative control and their own styles, they're now back together and clearly having the time of their lives. Unlike most bands that did their own projects and then came back together, there seems to be a lot of laughter and fondness, with the group performing and gently making fun of each other's solo work and dance moves. I remember reading this book a while ago and wishing I could see this kind of dynamic IRL, and thinking it unlikely because clearly this book is a very sanitised version of what life would be like for an actual band that rose to meteoric fame and then broke up at 17 and were also openly queer.
Anyway, this is the story of teenagers who are openly queer, in a band together, and break up because of various reasons (one of the members is struggling with their gender in a "girl band", another wants to stand on her own feet as an artist and performer and not just with her bestie and girlfriend, and a third wants to get into acting). Fast forward a couple of years, and the one member who was blindsided by it all, dumped by the love of her life, and also lost her three best friends completely, is struggling to keep going with her college and songwriting career while nursing a broken heart about all of it. A devastating natural disaster hits their hometown, which brings all four together for a charity reunion concert and stirs up old memories and breaks the radio silence.
From the first chapters, I can feel Eva's heartbreak because she still loves Celeste and misses her three best friends and is drowning in the silence they have left in her life. She thought things were going wonderfully, and then her band decided they wanted to do their own things without her. Her heartbreak and anger are palpable and justified, but the rotating POV chapters from each of the four members really helps flesh out the past and how they were feeling, and the present, and how they all miss their friendship and love each other still, despite having gotten what they wanted in their solo efforts. That's the kind of heartwarming story I love to read again and again.
I am also Extremely Online and so I also loved that part of this story includes very believable tumblr fandom posts shipping various combinations of the four members, screaming, crying, throwing up about any news about them or sightings of them together, and just the general (again, sanitised) version of love and respect from a fandom to their queer band and vice versa.
Incredibly wholesome, filled with feels, and I love to root for these people to get their happy endings and heal together.
May 16, 2021
“when they said let’s be a band, we should have a name, it felt more like copying old teen movies, playacting, just fun, than anything momentous. but even when they did something for pretend, they wanted to do it right, and at some point, there is no difference between doing the real things for pretend reasons and doing the real things for real.”
i am always always always hesitant when it comes to ya contemporaries, but it goes like this is exactly the queer feel-good story it’s marketed as. it follows the rise, fall, and unexpected reunion of moonlight overthrow more than a year after the band’s sudden dissolution.
eva, celeste, gina, and steph were best friends before they became moonlight overthrow, but their friendship—and eva and celeste’s relationship—ended with the band. told from all four perspectives, the story jumps back and forth in time but centers around the charity show that brings them all back to their midwestern hometown and forces them to confront the issues that tore them apart personally and professionally.
my only real complaint is the way moonlight overthrow’s online fandom was portrayed. i really wish shipping and writing fanfiction about a group of minors (they’re in middle school when they start the band) had been addressed more critically.
while overall a little too saccharine and idealistic for my tastes (this is the music industry!! i need some proper angst, dammit), it goes like this is ultimately exactly what it’s supposed to be: a really lovely, relatable story about the inevitability of growing up and the choice to grow apart—and maybe to come back together.
rating: 4/5 stars
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc!
March 24, 2023
such a great read. i love music, learning about the industry, bands… so this was perfect for me. wish we could’ve seen more chapters of steph and gina, but i loved it all the same!
August 14, 2021
This book did the opposite of what it was supposed to do for me. Which is why I’m so glad it’s over.
Eva, Gina, Steph and Celeste are in a band for years, they are successful, but by the end of it three of them aren’t happy do it anymore so they all talk about it (amongst themselves, not including Eva) and they spring it out of nowhere that they want to break up. Eva was really caught off guard, and somehow she is the only one to deal with the press after the end of the band. What? Not only is this unfair, it’s tremendously cruel. Gina and Celeste both have plans for afterwards so why didn’t they do it?
So yeah, the whole book I was rooting for Eva to get back to LA and Lydia and as far away from them as she possibly could. Especially Celeste.
Celeste was Eva’s girlfriend. She broke up with her with the only explanation that “it would be better for her” when in reality, Celeste thought she wouldn’t be able to grow with Eva. Just shitty. No talk about her plans to go solo or nothing at all.
They don’t talk for two years. No apologies, nothing. So it all felt hollow and meaningless. No matter how many times “this is exactly like school” was used, I still couldn’t root for them. Like… how shitty of Celeste to hope Eva would go back to her? How shitty of Gina to go “I want to go back to music” 🥴🥴
I don’t think they are terrible people, but Eva deserves better.
Eva, Gina, Steph and Celeste are in a band for years, they are successful, but by the end of it three of them aren’t happy do it anymore so they all talk about it (amongst themselves, not including Eva) and they spring it out of nowhere that they want to break up. Eva was really caught off guard, and somehow she is the only one to deal with the press after the end of the band. What? Not only is this unfair, it’s tremendously cruel. Gina and Celeste both have plans for afterwards so why didn’t they do it?
So yeah, the whole book I was rooting for Eva to get back to LA and Lydia and as far away from them as she possibly could. Especially Celeste.
Celeste was Eva’s girlfriend. She broke up with her with the only explanation that “it would be better for her” when in reality, Celeste thought she wouldn’t be able to grow with Eva. Just shitty. No talk about her plans to go solo or nothing at all.
They don’t talk for two years. No apologies, nothing. So it all felt hollow and meaningless. No matter how many times “this is exactly like school” was used, I still couldn’t root for them. Like… how shitty of Celeste to hope Eva would go back to her? How shitty of Gina to go “I want to go back to music” 🥴🥴
I don’t think they are terrible people, but Eva deserves better.
July 4, 2021
4,5 stars rounded down
ok wow this book was really good, it was super fun to read. i’m at my cottage right now so i’ll write a full review tomorrow.
ok wow this book was really good, it was super fun to read. i’m at my cottage right now so i’ll write a full review tomorrow.
June 11, 2021
read full review on my blog!
such a wholesome and cute story of a queer teen band piecing itself back together and finding themselves along the way! it balances sweet and emotional moments along with a second chance romance. a fun read about fandoms, rekindling old friendships, pop culture, found family and sapphics.
such a wholesome and cute story of a queer teen band piecing itself back together and finding themselves along the way! it balances sweet and emotional moments along with a second chance romance. a fun read about fandoms, rekindling old friendships, pop culture, found family and sapphics.
April 16, 2022
This was solid! It didn't hold my attention as well as I would've liked, but it was my kind of famous people story--they mostly each love what they do, but you see the downsides of fame, too.
The jumping around in time was a little confusing, but just a little.
The jumping around in time was a little confusing, but just a little.
March 9, 2021
Absolute perfection
I was provided an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
It's been over a year since the world famous queer pop band Moonlight Overthrow exploded. The four members, Eva, Celeste, Gina and Steph have had little to no contact since, but Eva is managing, she's in college and still writing music for others. And that's all great. Really great. But why does it feel like her heart imploded all over again when she sees that Celeste and Gina are not only in town but met up. Nope, that's nothing, everything is great. I mean, yes, she thought the group would stay together forever and that she and Celeste were endgame but she's over it now. Right? Right.
And things get even more tangled up when a storm hits their hometown and all four of them end up having to spend time together...
Look. There are some books that just hit perfectly in all the right places. This was it for me. I loved it all. I don't know what more I can say. I loved the deep dive into the music scene and that it started after a band break-up. I loved the fractured timeline, I love the characters so so so much. I loved it all and that's really an understatement.
Truth is, I starting crying something like 20% in and I barely ever stopped afterwards. I even teared up writing the damn summary (yes, listening to tolerate it while writing it was dumb but still) and I can't explain it. I just loved this so so much. It has my entire heart (- and a Queer found family, there's only one bed, childhood friends to lovers to nothing to friends to ........)
All these characters are my children and I will protect them at all costs.
Everything was just so perfectly on point and I cannot wait to own this book and hug it every day and reread it every couple months or so.
And read everything Miel Moreland writes after this, because it's a DEBUT! (exploding brain emoji)
Honestly, I don't now what else to write cause if everything I've already written doesn't make you want to read it, I really can't add anything now.
BYE (I'll just go back to staring at this gorgeous cover.)
I was provided an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
It's been over a year since the world famous queer pop band Moonlight Overthrow exploded. The four members, Eva, Celeste, Gina and Steph have had little to no contact since, but Eva is managing, she's in college and still writing music for others. And that's all great. Really great. But why does it feel like her heart imploded all over again when she sees that Celeste and Gina are not only in town but met up. Nope, that's nothing, everything is great. I mean, yes, she thought the group would stay together forever and that she and Celeste were endgame but she's over it now. Right? Right.
And things get even more tangled up when a storm hits their hometown and all four of them end up having to spend time together...
Look. There are some books that just hit perfectly in all the right places. This was it for me. I loved it all. I don't know what more I can say. I loved the deep dive into the music scene and that it started after a band break-up. I loved the fractured timeline, I love the characters so so so much. I loved it all and that's really an understatement.
Truth is, I starting crying something like 20% in and I barely ever stopped afterwards. I even teared up writing the damn summary (yes, listening to tolerate it while writing it was dumb but still) and I can't explain it. I just loved this so so much. It has my entire heart (- and a Queer found family, there's only one bed, childhood friends to lovers to nothing to friends to ........)
All these characters are my children and I will protect them at all costs.
Everything was just so perfectly on point and I cannot wait to own this book and hug it every day and reread it every couple months or so.
And read everything Miel Moreland writes after this, because it's a DEBUT! (exploding brain emoji)
Honestly, I don't now what else to write cause if everything I've already written doesn't make you want to read it, I really can't add anything now.
BYE (I'll just go back to staring at this gorgeous cover.)
February 25, 2024
This book feels like something a talented fifteen year old would write. It has potential, but it needed so much more revision and... I don't know, practice? Before being published. Like, it feels like a second draft. It's better than the shitty first one, but it still needed a lot more work for it to be good.
It's a good premise, and overall it isn't thaaat bad, only very obviously debutish. There were multiple povs but all of them felt the same, none of the characters had a voice of their own. And they were flat. The only one who had any sort of development was Eva (and she was the only character I actually liked).
But it felt like the author just gave each of them one single personality trait and they had to stick to that, every decision was justified by that single piece of personality they had. Like, Steph's personality is only about taking care of their family. They literally never seem to enjoy music or anything else. Gina is ambitious and that's it. And Celeste doesn't believe love can last. As I said, the only one a little more interesting was Eva.
I honestly didn't even like Celeste and Steph. Steph was such a martyr, honestly.
I did like the queer positivity. It's a little too-good-to-be-true, but that's okay. I'd have loved it if there was a successful openly queer band back when I was a teenager.
And yeah, I don't think it's a bad book, I think it had the potential to be actually good, but the author needed more writing practice before releasing this.
It's a good premise, and overall it isn't thaaat bad, only very obviously debutish. There were multiple povs but all of them felt the same, none of the characters had a voice of their own. And they were flat. The only one who had any sort of development was Eva (and she was the only character I actually liked).
But it felt like the author just gave each of them one single personality trait and they had to stick to that, every decision was justified by that single piece of personality they had. Like, Steph's personality is only about taking care of their family. They literally never seem to enjoy music or anything else. Gina is ambitious and that's it. And Celeste doesn't believe love can last. As I said, the only one a little more interesting was Eva.
I honestly didn't even like Celeste and Steph. Steph was such a martyr, honestly.
I did like the queer positivity. It's a little too-good-to-be-true, but that's okay. I'd have loved it if there was a successful openly queer band back when I was a teenager.
And yeah, I don't think it's a bad book, I think it had the potential to be actually good, but the author needed more writing practice before releasing this.
July 16, 2024
I couldn’t finish.
It just didn’t sit right with me.
The whole band getting back together and Celeste kind of gaslighting Eva into getting back together. On top of that, Steph out of the blue getting the band back together even though they were the ones who left…
It just didn’t seem genuine.
The rep was there, but the manipulation and the other stuff didn’t sit right with me.
It just didn’t sit right with me.
The whole band getting back together and Celeste kind of gaslighting Eva into getting back together. On top of that, Steph out of the blue getting the band back together even though they were the ones who left…
It just didn’t seem genuine.
The rep was there, but the manipulation and the other stuff didn’t sit right with me.
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