How It All Blew Up follows 18 year old Amir who runs away to Italy in attempt to avoid his parents disappointment after they discover he is gay. It is a beautiful coming of age story with Amir's journey of self-acceptance at the center of the plot. I really felt for Amir and at times found myself wishing I could jump into the book, give him a hug and tell him everything was going to be ok. I credit this to Arvin Ahmadi's easy to follow writing style that had me invested not just in Amir's story, but in that of his family too. His Persian family's struggle between their love for Amir and their cultural beliefs is at the heart of this story and it was a pleasure watching it unfold. Ahmadi documented the struggle well both for Amir and his family and this made the story raw and therefore more believable. This was my first Arvin Ahmadi book but I am more than intrigued to read his other work after devouring this in a day.