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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
***3.5 stars*** I'm so glad to have had a chance to read and review this ARC from Penguin Random House / Viking via BookishFirst. It's an authentic and raw story with some playfulness and a touch of snark. A bonus for me personally was the setting in Rome; it's hard me for me to resist any story set in Italy!
The story opens in an airport interrogation room, and eighteen-year-old Iranian-American Amir is explaining two very important things to the customs officer: 1) Amir is NOT a terrorist and 2) Amir is gay. The rest of the story leading up to this point in the interrogation room unfolds as Amir tells his story of bullies at school, his fear of coming out to his conservative parents, and ultimately his decision to run away to Rome. He talks of the friends he made there, the acceptance he felt, but underneath it all this conflict with his family and his culture.
The book deftly addresses so many important topics: the fear that LGBTQ teenagers feel about coming out to their conservative families, the bullying that they endure at school, the confusion and awkwardness of first relationships, and the racism and prejudice against Muslims and people of Middle-Eastern backgrounds. All of theses topics are woven together effortlessly in Amir's story. Through it all, I loved seeing Amir's character development, how his confidence grew once he found friends and acceptance in Rome.
What I didn't like: I felt that the book overall was still a little rough around the edges and needed more editing. The story sometimes lacked continuity and attention to detail, and occasionally a sentence just didn't make sense. I also wasn't a fan of the 2nd person point of view used during the Interrogation Room chapters; it made those parts of the story (which made up about half the book) clunky and awkward.
Despite the book's flaws, I thought this was a great story. I loved Amir's character, as well as those of his family. I absolutely adored the setting in Rome and enjoyed the story of Amir finding himself there. I hope this story speaks to LGBTQ teenagers out there who need to see themselves in stories. Thank you to BookishFirst and Penguin Random House for sending me this ARC to read and review!
The story opens in an airport interrogation room, and eighteen-year-old Iranian-American Amir is explaining two very important things to the customs officer: 1) Amir is NOT a terrorist and 2) Amir is gay. The rest of the story leading up to this point in the interrogation room unfolds as Amir tells his story of bullies at school, his fear of coming out to his conservative parents, and ultimately his decision to run away to Rome. He talks of the friends he made there, the acceptance he felt, but underneath it all this conflict with his family and his culture.
The book deftly addresses so many important topics: the fear that LGBTQ teenagers feel about coming out to their conservative families, the bullying that they endure at school, the confusion and awkwardness of first relationships, and the racism and prejudice against Muslims and people of Middle-Eastern backgrounds. All of theses topics are woven together effortlessly in Amir's story. Through it all, I loved seeing Amir's character development, how his confidence grew once he found friends and acceptance in Rome.
What I didn't like: I felt that the book overall was still a little rough around the edges and needed more editing. The story sometimes lacked continuity and attention to detail, and occasionally a sentence just didn't make sense. I also wasn't a fan of the 2nd person point of view used during the Interrogation Room chapters; it made those parts of the story (which made up about half the book) clunky and awkward.
Despite the book's flaws, I thought this was a great story. I loved Amir's character, as well as those of his family. I absolutely adored the setting in Rome and enjoyed the story of Amir finding himself there. I hope this story speaks to LGBTQ teenagers out there who need to see themselves in stories. Thank you to BookishFirst and Penguin Random House for sending me this ARC to read and review!
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Wow, I devoured this in no time. This is such a heartfelt story about being gay and Iranian, and I also love the way both of Arvin Ahmadi’s books I’ve read have captured the way you might start hanging out with people all the time but really only know them in that particular context.
All the meticulous planning I had put into how I would come out to my parents, the years I spent closeted but knowing I had to come out the right way: poof.
Amir, when faced with blackmail on outing his gay identity, dropped everything and ran away to Rome, and the story unfolds between two timelines; one in the airport interrogation room with the whole family POVs, and the one in Rome one month earlier, back and forth.
This was my most anticipated book of 2020 having known about it a year earlier before there was any news. I asked Arvin what he was working on next in the summer of 2019 and he said he couldn't say much but reassured me that it's super gay and sets in Italy. I, without any more information, was excited about it because Down and Across and Girl Gone Viral were great reads, but this one blew me away. I said this a lot but yes, I wished I read this sooner. At the same time, I really am glad I read this at the right time, right now.
Here's why:
The trope of blackmailing a gay character to be out could be a little unoriginal, we've seen it in Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda (excuse for not-so-great review, I was all giggles and cheesy after finishing it at 17 years old in senior year of high school) BUT this book takes this trope in a new way, making our protagonist escape away from the problems as if his old life is put on a pause so he can explore and find himself. Oh, I adore this.
Arvin wrote, "I had bought into the same idea as everyone else, that Muslim and gay people are about as incompatible as Amish people and Apple products." suggesting this stereotype was far too common in the Muslim community, and this is one of the reasons why I loved this book- the stereotype broke down when we have Amir, an Iranian gay kid.
Third reason: Italy. People, this book made me want to learn Italian and eat some pasta and drink wine. Pizza too, of course.
Fourth reason: The entire ensemble of gay men in Italy were just perfetto. I loved them so much that I wished they were real and welcoming me to be a part of their community.
I have not really said this anywhere on social media, but Goodreads is a small safe space (I love yall) so I want to add one more thing. This book is really about how a kid is so scared to come out because according to the scoreboard (the score to see if his parents are okay with gay) he doesn't stand a chance therefore the whole reason he ran away. In Italy, he came across people who are boldly themselves and proud of it, meanwhile, Amir wasn't, a shy embarrassed gay kid turning into a man who is tired of hiding and want to be out with it. Amir gives me so much hope. I've always known I'm into boys since Peter Pan (2003) but never said anything until eighth grade which backfired badly leading me to shut down for the next four years, lying to myself, pretending I was straight. Coming from a small school in the extremely cisgender heterosexuality norm state of Kentucky, it was hard for me to say something. I would see homophobic remarks constantly, and I developed this internalized homophobia myself just because those people were my friends. I felt shame for this part of my identity for so long that when I entered college, I was shocked to see many people who were okay with who they are. You could say Kentucky is kind of backward in its time. I was still scared, but a little less knowing there are so many others comfortable and it wasn't until the end of my sophomore year I finally told a friend, and two... then few more people know. If I had to count, I would say under ten people know I like boys. Well, until now. I'm not exactly out openly but Goodreads is a start, I think thanks to Amir.
I will love this book till the end of time.
Amir, when faced with blackmail on outing his gay identity, dropped everything and ran away to Rome, and the story unfolds between two timelines; one in the airport interrogation room with the whole family POVs, and the one in Rome one month earlier, back and forth.
This was my most anticipated book of 2020 having known about it a year earlier before there was any news. I asked Arvin what he was working on next in the summer of 2019 and he said he couldn't say much but reassured me that it's super gay and sets in Italy. I, without any more information, was excited about it because Down and Across and Girl Gone Viral were great reads, but this one blew me away. I said this a lot but yes, I wished I read this sooner. At the same time, I really am glad I read this at the right time, right now.
Here's why:
The trope of blackmailing a gay character to be out could be a little unoriginal, we've seen it in Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda (excuse for not-so-great review, I was all giggles and cheesy after finishing it at 17 years old in senior year of high school) BUT this book takes this trope in a new way, making our protagonist escape away from the problems as if his old life is put on a pause so he can explore and find himself. Oh, I adore this.
Arvin wrote, "I had bought into the same idea as everyone else, that Muslim and gay people are about as incompatible as Amish people and Apple products." suggesting this stereotype was far too common in the Muslim community, and this is one of the reasons why I loved this book- the stereotype broke down when we have Amir, an Iranian gay kid.
Third reason: Italy. People, this book made me want to learn Italian and eat some pasta and drink wine. Pizza too, of course.
Fourth reason: The entire ensemble of gay men in Italy were just perfetto. I loved them so much that I wished they were real and welcoming me to be a part of their community.
I have not really said this anywhere on social media, but Goodreads is a small safe space (I love yall) so I want to add one more thing. This book is really about how a kid is so scared to come out because according to the scoreboard (the score to see if his parents are okay with gay) he doesn't stand a chance therefore the whole reason he ran away. In Italy, he came across people who are boldly themselves and proud of it, meanwhile, Amir wasn't, a shy embarrassed gay kid turning into a man who is tired of hiding and want to be out with it. Amir gives me so much hope. I've always known I'm into boys since Peter Pan (2003) but never said anything until eighth grade which backfired badly leading me to shut down for the next four years, lying to myself, pretending I was straight. Coming from a small school in the extremely cisgender heterosexuality norm state of Kentucky, it was hard for me to say something. I would see homophobic remarks constantly, and I developed this internalized homophobia myself just because those people were my friends. I felt shame for this part of my identity for so long that when I entered college, I was shocked to see many people who were okay with who they are. You could say Kentucky is kind of backward in its time. I was still scared, but a little less knowing there are so many others comfortable and it wasn't until the end of my sophomore year I finally told a friend, and two... then few more people know. If I had to count, I would say under ten people know I like boys. Well, until now. I'm not exactly out openly but Goodreads is a start, I think thanks to Amir.
I will love this book till the end of time.
I loved this book to a degree, but would offer it to students with the caveat of remembering that not all realistic fiction is "realistic", and that Amir makes many questionable and unsafe decisions, but there is still a lot to learn and gain from his story!