Reviews

How It All Blew Up by Arvin Ahmadi

Only show reviews with written explanations

confuzzledreader's review against another edition

4.0

Being a Muslim comes with its own stereotypes, and the very common one is a terrorist tag which of course is very prejudicial to their interests.

So the story begins with - Amir Azadi, an 18 year old Muslim boy held at the US Customs office with all of his family members for interrogation. There he tells his story of how he ran away from his home because of being blackmailed by his classmates for being a gay.

Belonging to a traditional and conservative Muslim family, Amir was very much scared of coming out to his parents as a gay, because in their religion there's no term as homosexuality. He was on the verge of telling them the truth, when one of his classmates started blackmailing him for money. He felt stuck and thought of running away so that he could save himself from the judging eyes of his family when they would get to know the truth.

He landed in Rome, where he met new people who were totally different from him. They were so open and confident regarding their identities and hardly cared what people thought about them. Amir was getting used to the life in Rome and was enjoying the time of his life. He was going on dates and found love. But life ain't the same every time.Will he be able to face his parents? Will he be able to come out?"

Life’s not about keeping score like that. It’s just not. It’s about finding people who see you, because the minute they do, everything else goes away. All the points even out.”

I loved reading this book. This was quite refreshing to read after all the serious books I've been reading. The characters were well developed and I loved knowing about each and every one of Amir's friends. They all felt so relatable and I loved how each of them had their own little story of their own. I loved how the author discussed the sensitive issues of homosexuality through different characters.Also while reading the book I was drooling over the mentions of Pizzas and Pastas. And the way the author described Rome, I fell in love with the place. I want to visit it now LOL.

Though I wanted to read more of Jackson, since he was the very first love interest of Amir, but the author didn't develop his character much.Overall it was an engaging read and I was hooked to the book till the end. The book is well paced and the narration is good too. The language is easy and understandable.

If you are looking for a voice book, then go for it.

kgs339's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

toebean5's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Wow, there are lots of reviews for this that are all about what it isn't. How odd. I wasn't expecting much- just wanted to preview this in advance of Banned Books Week (because yes, this was pulled from some school library shelves in this state) but I got sucked in. Amir is figuring it all out- identity, familial and cultural expectations, what to do with his life- and when everything comes to a head he decides to escape. But not by suicide or self-destructive choices, which can happen in YA books; but by flying to Rome. Yes, please. Amir gets to have this wonderful, incredible month abroad- meeting sophisticated, attractive Italians and expats who validate his identity, give him a cultural education I was shocked he was lacking in (he didn't know about drag queens?!), and have a glorious, fun time. For the first time.

There are some pretty unbelievable parts (he just, like, has an apartment? do people really make a living from editing Wikpedia articles? someone was carrying a giant plate of saucy meatballs by an unprotected Caravaggio?! )

But there are some very believable parts- the book made me hungry with all of the food descriptions, and the visit to the Sistine Chapel felt very accurate; also, Amir's realization that even attractive, sophisticated, comfortable-with-their-gayness adults don't always have it all together. That those who can provide the best sun can also provide the most shade (I loved that metaphor). That his parents love him, but they're figuring it out at their pace- not his. While I found myself annoyed with his decision to cut off communication with his family, and to prioritize the drama of a hook-up over healing his family separation, I realized that this was one of the most believable parts. He's 18- he doesn't know yet who will be there for him for life and who will be there for him for the good times.

Overall, I thought this was a very touching read that felt very personal. Also, I could see little teens out there googling the queer cultural references, and I love the idea of a new generation learning about Nina Simone and Joan Crawford.