I recieved an advanced copy of How It All Blew Up by Arvin Ahmadi from ReadersFirst (thank you!). I was really intruiged by the premise of the book, and it didn't disappoint! This was a quick and easy read (I finished it in a day!) with fun and comedy threaded throughout, whilst still dealing with really important topics and questions. I rated it 5/5 stars.
How It All Blew Up follows Amir, an 18-year-old gay boy who runs away to Rome to avoid coming out to his Muslim Iranian family. In Italy, Amir finds himself and becomes comfortable with his truth, living a life of partying and romance...until his family and old life catches up with him. Told through a mixture of Amir's time in Italy, and his family's povs from an airport interogation room, this book tells a really meaningful coming out story in a funny and light-hearted way.
I really enjoyed this book! Firstly, I loved gaining the perspective from Amir as a gay Muslim struggling to come to terms with his identity (made even more impactful by the fact this story is based on the author's lived experiences). It covers a lot of important topics which are underrepresented in literature, particualry YA literature.
Also, the story has a bunch of feel-good fun as Amir parties in Rome, which was a great setting. Amir himself is a loveable character, and I also liked his 'found family' in Rome. The book is not plot heavy - mostly the plot is just that Amir has a summer in Rome and his family discover he's gay - but the real story is about the journies that the characters take. Both Amir's journey in becoming comfortable with his identity, and his family's journey in understanding and acceptance.
After reading the book, I checked some of the other reviews and I was surprised to see some low reviews on there, especially as I didn't necessarily see the things they raised as issues. One criticsm many seemed to have was that the book is branded as Muslim YA, but religion doesn't play a huge role in the story. It's true Islam isn't discussed at length in the book, but it is acknowledged that Amir's family is Muslim and that this, along with their Iranian culture, adds complexities to him coming out. I don't think religion needs to be constantly mentioned to validate that this is a story about a Muslim teenager, based on the experiences of a Muslim author.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to others as a quick, interesting and funny read which provides a unique own-voice perspective.
How It All Blew Up follows Amir, an 18-year-old gay boy who runs away to Rome to avoid coming out to his Muslim Iranian family. In Italy, Amir finds himself and becomes comfortable with his truth, living a life of partying and romance...until his family and old life catches up with him. Told through a mixture of Amir's time in Italy, and his family's povs from an airport interogation room, this book tells a really meaningful coming out story in a funny and light-hearted way.
I really enjoyed this book! Firstly, I loved gaining the perspective from Amir as a gay Muslim struggling to come to terms with his identity (made even more impactful by the fact this story is based on the author's lived experiences). It covers a lot of important topics which are underrepresented in literature, particualry YA literature.
Also, the story has a bunch of feel-good fun as Amir parties in Rome, which was a great setting. Amir himself is a loveable character, and I also liked his 'found family' in Rome. The book is not plot heavy - mostly the plot is just that Amir has a summer in Rome and his family discover he's gay - but the real story is about the journies that the characters take. Both Amir's journey in becoming comfortable with his identity, and his family's journey in understanding and acceptance.
After reading the book, I checked some of the other reviews and I was surprised to see some low reviews on there, especially as I didn't necessarily see the things they raised as issues. One criticsm many seemed to have was that the book is branded as Muslim YA, but religion doesn't play a huge role in the story. It's true Islam isn't discussed at length in the book, but it is acknowledged that Amir's family is Muslim and that this, along with their Iranian culture, adds complexities to him coming out. I don't think religion needs to be constantly mentioned to validate that this is a story about a Muslim teenager, based on the experiences of a Muslim author.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to others as a quick, interesting and funny read which provides a unique own-voice perspective.