A review by thecriticalreader
Only This Beautiful Moment by Abdi Nazemian

emotional informative inspiring 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

4.5

 
Context: 
I decided to read Only This Beautiful Moment by Abdi Nazemian based on a recommendation by PeruseProjects, a BookTuber. I borrowed it from my library through the Libby App.
 
Review:
Before I get into the specifics of my review, I simply want to state that I really liked Only This Beautiful Moment and that I would strongly recommend it to everyone (provided they are okay with the book’s content warnings, of course). 
 
Nazemian proves himself to be an exceptionally talented writer when it comes to crafting unique and complex characters in a short amount of time. His three main characters are full of personality and depth, and his side characters stand out as well. None of them falls into cliché or archetype. Nazemian relies on his incredibly well-written characters to build their life stories, which are just as rich, unique, and believable as the characters themselves. From these characters’ stories, Only This Beautiful Moment explores how differences in culture, upbringing, and personality shape the complex dynamics of interpersonal relationships. The book never sacrifices its characterizations to make a point, although Only This Beautiful Moment certainly has messages on hope, queerness, and cultural identity that it wants to deliver. 
 
My only criticism of Only This Beautiful Moment is that I think it is slightly held back by its status as a YA book. In trying to fit three generations’ stories into a relatively short book, Namzemian sacrifices some development. Only Moud’s story feels complete; Saeed’s story feels rushed, like a crash course on his life; and Bobby’s story feels truncated, like the author cut several chapters out for the sake of brevity. The result is some character development moments that don’t quite feel earned. Similarly, some of the conversations around thematic topics are a bit on the nose rather than occurring organically, as if the author felt the need to cram them in. I don’t say this often, but would LOVE to read a version of this book that’s a couple hundred pages longer. Given what I’ve seen of Namezian’s writing here, I know he would have done an amazing job with a longer version of this book. If he ever writes an adult novel, I will pick it up! 
 
The Run-Down: 
You will probably like Only This Beautiful Moment if . . . 
·       You’re a human person with emotions? (I’m only half-joking here; although this book isn’t perfect, I find it hard to imagine someone not liking it)
·      You are interested in themes of queerness, family, and cultural identity (specifically Iranian American cultural identity)
 
You might not like Only This Beautiful Moment . . .
·      If you don’t want to read a book that mentions political/cultural events circa 2019
·      If you don’t want to read the perspective of someone who holds homophobic views/biases
 
A Similar Book: 
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. Similarities include:
·      Historical fiction coming-of-age with characters who discover their queer identity in mid-nineteenth-century California
·       Explorations of multi-generational relationships and immigrant identities
·      Heartwarming and affirming narratives that don’t ignore the tough realities of life 
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