4.5🌟
This was a really wonderful read that I thoroughly enjoyed. This book is a fantastic coming of age story that follows 18 year old, Amir Azadi. Amir is both gay and Iranian and he comes from a Muslim family, he is really struggling to figure out a way of coming out at the start of this story, and it's made harder when a high school bully threatens to out him if he doesn't pay a large sum of money in order to keep them from telling his family who he isn't ready to let know yet.
In a moment of anxiety of what may happen if his family find out and fear of how they may see him, he runs away to Rome and meets some amazing new friends and he has a fabulous time living like an Italian for a month and truly allowing himself to be open and free with who he is.
Now part of this story is set in the present where Amir and his family are unfortunately in an interrogation room at the airport, where they are separated in different rooms speaking to a US customs officer. It then flips back to Amir reflecting on his summer in Rome and telling his story before his family came to get him and take him back home.
I enjoyed how the chapters where written flipping back between the interrogation room and then to Amir's time in Rome with his friends. I adored the setting of Rome, especially Travestere because I have been there and could picture all the places mentioned and it just added an extra layer of enjoyment for me! 😊
My only tiny bit of criticism is I would have loved to of had a bit more on what happened to Amir and the relationships with all of his new friends, I did find it was cut a bit short towards the end and I wanted a little bit more information on that for a more satisfying ending.
This was a really wonderful read that I thoroughly enjoyed. This book is a fantastic coming of age story that follows 18 year old, Amir Azadi. Amir is both gay and Iranian and he comes from a Muslim family, he is really struggling to figure out a way of coming out at the start of this story, and it's made harder when a high school bully threatens to out him if he doesn't pay a large sum of money in order to keep them from telling his family who he isn't ready to let know yet.
In a moment of anxiety of what may happen if his family find out and fear of how they may see him, he runs away to Rome and meets some amazing new friends and he has a fabulous time living like an Italian for a month and truly allowing himself to be open and free with who he is.
Now part of this story is set in the present where Amir and his family are unfortunately in an interrogation room at the airport, where they are separated in different rooms speaking to a US customs officer. It then flips back to Amir reflecting on his summer in Rome and telling his story before his family came to get him and take him back home.
I enjoyed how the chapters where written flipping back between the interrogation room and then to Amir's time in Rome with his friends. I adored the setting of Rome, especially Travestere because I have been there and could picture all the places mentioned and it just added an extra layer of enjoyment for me! 😊
My only tiny bit of criticism is I would have loved to of had a bit more on what happened to Amir and the relationships with all of his new friends, I did find it was cut a bit short towards the end and I wanted a little bit more information on that for a more satisfying ending.