Blog Tour | 5 Reasons to Read: IT GOES LIKE THIS by Miel Moreland

Summary: 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.

Thank you so much TBR and Beyond Tours for selecting me to be a part of this tour! I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Click on the banner below to view the schedule of this tour.

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Publishing Date: May 18, 2021

I was very much looking forward to this after reading the premise, a queer teen pop band reuniting for a concert? The complicated feelings, misunderstandings and longing to follow had me shaking and the cover absolutely drew me in. And well, It Goes Like This is truly a gleeful debut you guys should give a try to. Here’s 5 reasons why I had a fun time reading it:

delightful queer diversity

Celeste and Eva are lesbians, Gina is bisexual and Steph identifies as non-binary and pansexual. They were all out and they were all proud about who they were. Four of them felt to authentic and lovely to read about. The story doesn’t just mention or refer to their queerness but celebrates queer identity and the feeling of being seen and adored. I particularly loved Steph’s story, realising and accepting their sexuality and confronting how stifling it felt for Moonlight Overthrow to be referred to as a ‘girl-band’.

a second chance romance that tugs at your heart

Readers who the like dynamics along the lines of — exes who are not over each other, sometimes write songs about each other, have to unite for a concert and eventually have to tackle their feelings — will definitely like Celeste and Eva’s romance. The tension (*cough* one bed trope) and yearning was too much to handle, I just wanted them to clear their confusions and get back together already. But of course, I also liked seeing them find their way back to each other again.

wholesome relationships

With a teen pop band, we’re bound to get interesting relationships. The timeline jumps between past and present, giving us a vision of how the band was before and how it is evolving to be the Moonlight Overthrow of today. Moreland does an incredible job of showing the intricacies of the relationship between the members, the role they played in it and how they fell apart and pieced themselves back together again. Celeste, Steph, Eva and Gina were a true sense of found family that made me feel warm.

characters that seize the spotlight

It Goes Like This is so character driven! A story told from 4 POVs, you get insights into each of their lives and motivations. In each of their chapters you see how the characters find their true selves outside of the band. Each POV is a distinct voice that helps you root for them and empathise with their decisions.

exploration of music and fandom

Reading about the band, tours and concerts really made me wish to attend one myself. More than that, I really want to hear Moonlight Overthrow play one of their songs. Interesting insights were given about the music industry. I loved the Tumblr posts included that were from the fan’s point of view that captured how they felt about the band’s journey and their support and excitement for it and its members.

It Goes Like This is a touching, emotional story of friendships, love, music and fan culture with an easy flowing writing and loving characters. If any of this or the above reasons interest you, please be sure to read this!

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Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indigo | IndieBound

CW: Misgendering, none of it is done maliciously(although it’s still obviously harmful to the non-binary character) and hospitals / Minor mentions of: biphobia, homophobia, substance addiction, eating disorders/body image, grief/loss of a parent

Miel Moreland writes character-driven contemporary Young Adult novels. Born and raised in Minneapolis, she has a Midwestern heart but wandering feet. When not making pop music references and celebrating fandom, she is likely to be found drinking hot chocolate and making spreadsheets. She currently resides in Boston

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