I really enjoyed this book, so thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! I liked how it was all about self-expression and self-acceptance. It touches on so many important conversations, and I really enjoyed reading about an LGBTQ character.

This book is definitely a rememberable and remarkable read but with a few flaws. I loved Amir's character and how he truly explored his sexuality. It is nice to see sexuality explored within a young adult book. I liked how his relationship with his family was definitely at the forefront of this book instead of on the backburner, I felt like Amir's culture was definitely prominent within the pages of this read but not really his religion...even though this book was marketed as Muslim YA, Then again, I am not Muslim, so maybe I missed some key points that will prove me wrong. Also, I felt that sometimes the dialogue did not flow well like in the interrogation scene,

I loved the family aspect of this book so much. It was a story about Amir and his family, and everything else circled around that. It was fun and fresh and equal parts joyous and heartbreaking. I laughed, I cried, I wish I could read it again for the first time. The supporting characters in this book, his friends in Italy, are SO fun.

I really enjoyed this one! It had the perfect mix of humour and deep topics for me. In this books, we follow Amir, and his family, who have been detained at the airport due to a fight they had on a flight from Rome to their home. During his interrogation, Amir tells us why he was in Rome, why he left his family, and why he fought with them on the plane. He tells the story of his blackmail, coming out and discovering what it really mean to be himself.

I really loved the format this story was told in. I felt that the interview format was interesting and unique, and hearing about the story from Amir' sister/mom/dad's POV helped to flesh out the story that much more. I wish we had more of those interviews, as I would have liked to have seen even more from the rest of the families POV.
I also really Amir's journey throughout the story. While away, he really came into his own and figured out what it meant to be truly himself. I also loved the people he found while away in Rome, the supporting cast was pretty great and they helped bring both humour and drama to the book. They also served as guides in Amir's journey, some guiding him to improve himself, some... not so much. I wish at the end we got more of what Amir's life was going to be like after the events of the book finished.

This was sweet and parts were spot on, but the whole premise felt sooooo unrealistic to me that it was hard to get around.

How It All Blew Up
By Arvin Ahmadi

This was a powerful read about identity, race and acceptance.

What do you do when you are a Muslim raised in a conservative Iranian family and the truth about your sexual identity is about to be exposed? Well, if you were Amir, you would run away to Rome. The novel is beautifully written and explores important themes that are important to be addressed especially in certain cultures where acceptance of certain identities are taboo. This was a quick read and enjoyed it for the subject matter and learning about Persian culture as well.

I really enjoyed the structure of this book. It flips back and forth between Amir and his family in separate interrogation rooms after a scene on an airplane and everything that has led up to where they are. The beginning of the book drew me in as well with Amir admitting openly that he is gay, Iranian, and a nonpracticing Muslim, and that he knows that these don't mix.

Ultimately, this is a story of Amir coming to terms with his identity and learning what it means to be true to yourself. His family made a big move his senior year of high school which he didn't mind too much. On his first day, he meets a good looking, popular, football player and after some time passes, they begin a secret romantic relationship. Until Amir is blackmailed by a couple of guys at school. They threaten to tell his parents about his sexual identity. This is something Amir is unprepared for, so he manages to get the money together for them. And then the blackmail continues.

Rather than tell his family the truth and risk losing them forever, Amir decides to run. First, he goes to New York. This plan is ruined when he is on the phone with his family and they hear an announcement in the background. After seeing a gelato stand, he decides to go to Italy instead. In Italy, he is introduced and accepted into a gay group of friends where he learns more about what it means to be gay and another way family can look.

Throughout his life, Amir has kept a point system in his head. This point system is what he uses as an excuse not to tell his parents the truth about himself. All to often, his parents have criticized the idea of being gay, that it's an American fad. Not only that, discussing sexual preference just isn't done.

His coming out is less than ideal, for sure. And there are situations that happen in the book that Amir does not handle well AT ALL. However, his experience in Italy helps him develop confidence and an acceptance of what it means to be Amir.

3 and a 1/2 stars. I enjoyed the premise and found it original: a coming-out story related in a mix of Mediterranean flashbacks and a US customs/border interrogation room. The multiple voices and perspectives of Amir, his sister, and their parents were important for me to understand the wider context of an Iranian-American family. Those were probably the sections I enjoyed the most. The dynamics of the friendships and expat community that Amir finds also rang true.
At times it was difficult to believe that certain plot points would be possible, however the story zips along at a fast enough pace that the reader can suspend their disbelief. This is a fast read, and I managed to almost finish it all in one go (lockdown 2020 style). There was one gory detail that unfortunately I don’t think I will ever get out of my head...

Thank you to Viking for the ARC, sorry that it took me so long to post the review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3500509872

Thanks to NetGalley for a digital arc of this title in exchange for my honest opinion.

Amir Azadi, the 18 year old protagonist, has fallen in lust with one his high school's football players. Only problem is...some bullies at his school threaten to out both Amir and his partner, Jackson, if he doesn't start paying them. As a result of his emotional distress, Amir decides to run away to Italy where he stumbles upon a group of openly gay men who are loving and accepting. However, he must inevitably return to America. On the plane ride back to his hometown, him and his family get in a huge argument over his sexuality; and, they are detained because they are Muslim.

This fast-paced, action-packed book is told from multiple perspectives in an airport interrogation room. This is a very engaging tale about what it means to be a gay, Muslim teenager growing up in a post 911 society.

Amir just KNOWS that being gay won’t be acceptable in his family— so he decides to disappear in Rome to gain his sexual freedom. Told in conversations alternating between family members detained after a raucous on a flight back home, this story combines the tough lesson of finding ourselves and our comfort alongside of traditional views and familial expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed the narrative voice and the experiences Amir had with his troupe of Roman friends.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC— I can see this book being appreciated by many readers!

Having followed Arvin Ahmadi's career from the beginning, it's clear that this is his most personal book to date, and it also happens to be his best work! The storytelling was exciting and succinct, the ensemble cast was such a joy, and it was so much fun exploring Rome through 18-year-old Amir's eyes. But the strongest part of the book was the family/coming out storyline. Such an important step in queer YA that we should all do ourselves a favor and read.

Oh my gosh, this book. My heart. So happy. Love the "Love, Simon" vibes and what this story means for so many young adults. I flew through this book and EASILY a 5 star read! I adored the family aspect and learning about Muslim culture, specifically Persian. This book was absolute perfection. Definitely had some wanderlust going. Definitely one I recommend everyone to read!

I feel like describing this book as beautifully written would still not do it justice. Everyone should purchase a copy to read for themselves. The plot of the book is so inclusive which I think everyone could always use more of that on their shelves. I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone. It’s absolutely a must read and will move you deeply.

Told in flashbacks while being questioned in an airport police interrogation room, Amir tells of his last thirty days. He explains why he missed his high school graduation and how he ended up spending a month in Rome. Of why he has always felt like he was pretending to be one person to his family and how going away to college was his goal so he could be his real self. Of how, when he arrived in Rome and became friends with a group of older gay men, he felt like he was finally his true self. Of how all of this led to the altercation on the plane that has landed his family in the airport interrogation rooms. There are also portions of the story told from the viewpoints of his family; his mother, his father, and his younger sister. A coming-of-age story of an Iranian gay teenage boy.

While the story itself was overall enjoyable I didn’t feel like it dove deep enough into the characters. Everyone felt rather one dimensional and more to fill a role than to actually be a dynamic character in the story. I also didn’t care for the method of storytelling via being detained in the airport. There were certainly heartfelt and moving moments interspersed throughout but my takeaway at the end was pretty surface level.

thank you to netgallery for the arc of this book! :)

first of all i wanted to say that i was REALLY excited for this one. i had such high hopes. and i ended up dnfing it. this was entirely on me, however. there was a certain “nipple story” as is called in the book that just pushed me over the edge and made me extremely uncomfortable to the point i had to put it down.

I went back and forth on this book. I realise I am not necessarily the target audience for this book, and I could definitely see the positives that this book presents. Amir is about to graduate high school and is conflicted about his sexuality; he runs away rather the address the fact that he is gay with his family. Despite my not having experienced such difficulties in my own life, I could empathise completely with Amir and this was a testament to the character that Ahmadi created in this story.

There were some truly lovely moments in this book. The friends that Amir makes whilst in Rome are so welcoming and accepting, allowing Amir to discover himself without judgement and I felt this was an important depiction of how friendship can be for all teens and young adults. Amir's sister, Soraya, is a force to be reckoned with, and I loved how much she loved her brother and how invested she was in finding him, and ensuring that he was accepted by his family. She was my favourite part of this book, along with the setting of Rome (one of my favourite places in the world!)

My one issue with this story was at time I felt the characters and scenarios came across as stereotypes as opposed to delving deeper into the details, especially in the presentations of Italians and young gay men. There was nothing overtly offensive, but I felt as though sometimes the descriptions were over exaggerated and leant towards caricatures. That being said, the message of the book was not lost in this and it was clear that this book is important for anyone who may be/or has been struggling with the sexuality, how this may be received in their family or religious community (though this was not touched on much), and how we strive to find who we are at 18.

3.5 /5.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A must read for everyone! A perfect coming of age story you will fall in live with and wanting more.

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

How It All Blew Up is an interesting book about identity, family, acceptance and being true to yourself. I loved Amir's character. He was real and multi-dimensional as he struggled with how his sexuality and culture clashed. Amir's fear that his family would not be able to accept him was heartbreaking and something that too many people deal with in their lives.

I enjoyed all of the characters in this book from Amir's family to his fellow high school students and his new Italian friends, who were so full of life, fun and yet complex. The Italian setting was described so vividly. I could picture the piazzas and bars and cafes. Arvin Ahmadi's format of alternating between the interrogation room, Amir's high school experience and his time in Rome worked really well to build curiosity about "how it all blew up". This was a quick, enjoyable read with great messages about identity and unconditional love.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin and Viking Books for this copy in exchange for my honest review. Quote above is from an ARC and is subject to change.

"How It All Blew Up is an arresting story readers won't be able to put down. It's certainly not perfect, but it's messy and honest and real all the same. Ahmadi skillfully uses the past/present points of view to craft a story that, at its heart, speaks of finding your place in the world and reconciling your identities."

I absolutely sped through this novel in a couple hours the night before (morning of? *sweats nervously*) release. I started it thinking, "just a few pages" and then I'm suddenly swept away in the story of Amir and his fears and experiences.

Amir's life is messy and his coming out story might be triggering for some people, so please check the content warnings! He's dealing with a lot, but he's also just a cool character. He edits Wikipedia pages in his free time! He really likes Mean Girls! He flies to Italy because he's scared of being outed to his parents on graduation night by a kid who's blackmailing him.

There are a lot of critiques out there that are criticizing how this is not a Muslim story because the character does not practice frequently nor is it a focus of the book. #OwnVoices reviewers are absolutely able to criticize based on their own experiences, but as someone who is not Muslim, Iranian, or a gay teenage boy, I don't really think it's my place to criticize Ahmadi's portrayal.

I think what's important to recognize is that Amir is not just Muslim. Or just Iranian. Or just gay. He is a human being and we will never be able to appropriately quantify his identity or full self through small discrete units like this. Maybe the marketing was misleading. But ultimately, How It All Blew Up is still a story revolving around a Muslim, Iranian, and gay teenage boy, regardless of how the amount the story focuses on each aspect.

Amir is not always rational, and this is part of what makes him human. He writes off his family as not being able to understand his identity right off the bat. Which is a big generalization (there are queer & out Muslims!) but is absolutely something any person considering coming out would be fearful of, regardless of how accepting or not your family is.

I don't think How It All Blew Up is a perfect story. But it is an honest and real one, with an extraordinary use of past/present point of view with very poignant themes. I enjoyed, and maybe you will too.