This story focuses on Amir--a high school student. He's just about to graduate when he is found out by a fellow classmate. Amir is gay. And to top it off, he is Iranian and Muslim. He talks.about this as if this combo is the worst thing ever because he has always stood out as an Iranian kid and had to tolerate jeers from others, but to be gay too? He just wants to keep this under wraps until he can head off to college.

This story is told in flashbacks and also from multiple points of view: Amir, both of his parents, and even his sister, Soraya. It starts in the airport, as the family is detained by security. Each family member tells his or her part of the story, to get back to that time when it all blew up. A fun read.

This book explores family dynamics, sexual coming out, bullying, and travel. It is entertaining, but does not dig deep enough emotionally to really develop the characters and their relationships fully.

I absolutely loved this book! It was a great heartfelt story about being gay and Iranian.
I loved reading this one so much! I can't wait for everyone to read this one!!

Let me tell you, Arvin let slip this book over a year ago at his book signing and I couldn't wait to read this. When I won an ARC I was so excited because I wanted to see what Arvin's first gay YA would be. I read his debut novel I wasn't that impressed (and I haven't read his second one but I have a copy!) so I was excited to see how this one would turn out.

This is book is truly amazing. The book switches from Amir and family being interrogated at the airport to Amir's story and how he ended up running away to Rome. Being Persian and gay are two things that don't mix, so instead of dealing with being blackmailed Amir runs off. This already sounds a little crazy, but hey we all do crazy things when we're in trouble or need to get away.

I found the style of moving back and forth from the story to the interrogation a good one. I liked that we were able to see everyone's feelings about what had happened in the last month leading up to the present time. Amir was telling his story while his family talk about what was happening while he was gone.

I loved the setting of Rome and how Amir finds his people there. There's the ups and downs, of course, but through it all he finds himself.

I really, really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to everyone. I won an ARC from Penguin Teen.

This is not necessarily a book that I would have picked up based on title or cover. I won an eARC through a giveaway during y’all stay home, and honestly knew nothing of the book before reading.
It was a quick read and kept me engaged. I liked the format of the book with each of the family members telling little snippets with Amir, the main character, filling in more details starting a month prior and leading up to the present in the airport.

“It is such a privilege, you know? To get to be yourself, all of yourself, in this great big world.”

This book had me wanting to run away to Rome just like the MC. Amir was sweet, even if he does have terrible decision making skills, and the friends he makes are as colorful as they are queer. Jahan was actual sunshine and I loved him. But, I felt the ending of this was lacking. The entire book is leading up to this one big moment: why Amir and his family, who are Iranian, are detained in the airport. But the moment arrived and then suddenly it was over and everything was fine? But also not resolved? I felt like this should have been a big part of the story, but at the end it felt like nothing, which was a bit disappointing.

Thank you Penguin Teen for the arc!

Wow, I devoured this in no time. This is such a heartfelt story about being gay and Iranian, and I also love the way both of Arvin Ahmadi’s books I’ve read have captured the way you might start hanging out with people all the time but really only know them in that particular context.