🇮🇷 REVIEW 🇮🇷

I Will Greet The Sun Again - Khashayar J Khabushani

Published: 3rd August (go get it now!!!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

K is just a boy trying to fit in in America. With his two older brothers he plays basketball, rides his bike and generally causes mischief as young boys do. At home he tries to fulfil the expectations of his Iranian immigrant parents. However, he begins to struggle with his sexuality, while cracks also start to show in the family.

The story unfolds through many short vignettes, moments that depict the family’s relationships and K’s developing understanding of himself. I really enjoyed this format, as nothing felt unnecessary, and each moment gave a deeper insight into all the characters. One thing I really enjoyed was the portrayal of the loving yet realistic relationship between the brothers, something that I feel doesn’t happen very often in literature. The book deals with identity in many forms, with the last line really hitting home for me. The writing is tender, emotional, and honest - with moments of heartbreak and happiness all throughout. One of my favourites of the year so far.

There is a trigger warning in this for s*xual ass*ult but it is handled extremely well and is only a single page.

Equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful. I kept forgetting that this was the author telling the story of his own family through his eyes and experiences. His story telling flowed easily and beautifully even when there were time jumps from one paragraph to the next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General for the advance reader copy! Happy Publishing Day!!

4.0

A lyrical and tender debut novel that actually made me feel hopeful. It's very rare that I want a book to be longer, but I wish this was longer, but at the same time, it's the right amount. The prose is beautifully written, with every stage of the narrator's life being told at the right age - from nine years old to early teens and to young adulthood, it's written with attention and great care that you can't help but fall in love with it.

The story is split into pivotal points of K's life, from his strict childhood to a traumatic kidnapping experience where he faces the worst abuse to ever be written into words, and the aftermath of that event. We never get to see him become a better man, but we see remnants of him having the potential to be one, and the lack of closure for me was what made this book for me. The narrative also feels like I'm reading a novelisation of an independent movie, like an A24 movie, and I love that. The book is very character-driven, there is not much plot nor is there much happening in the story other than the kidnapping, but I liked that it explores the dynamic of a single-parent household, the different ways trauma can develop between siblings, and how shocking events can alter a person's whole life. All I can say is that if this was adapted into an A24 film, it would win an Academy Award.

The author is clearly talented, they write so well and so purposefully that I was shocked at how much I loved it. The beginning was slow for me, I just don't enjoy abusive fathers so I was more engaged when that part was over. One thing I would say is to include a trigger warning for graphic descriptions of sex*al ass*lt because that was not fun to read with my eyes or brain.

The blurb ... Three young brothers leave Los Angeles in the dead of night for Iran, taken by their father from their mother to a country and an ancestral home they barely recognize. They return to the Valley months later, spit back into American life and changed in inexorable ways ... Under the dazzling light of the California sun, our protagonist, the youngest brother, begins to piece together a childhood shattered by his father's violence, a queer adolescence marked by a shy, secret love affair with a boy he meets on the basketball court, and his ever-changing status as a Muslim in America at the turn of the new millennium.

I was really impressed by this book. I loved the writing and enjoyed the pace of the story. Told almost in vignettes it skimmed through childhood and adolescence in a mere 200 or so pages but conveyed a deep sense of the internal struggles and loneliness experienced by our narrator in these years. It was heartfelt, incredibly sad and beautifully told. A wonderful debut novel.

"I Will Greet the Sun Again," is a powerful debut that follows the coming-of-age story of three young brothers and their journey of self-discovery, navigating complex family relationships, and the pursuit of belonging in '90s Los Angeles. The novel also takes us to Iran, providing a unique glimpse of post-revolutionary life through the perspective of first-generation immigrants.
I was graciously given an advance reading copy of this book by Viking in exchange for an honest review. Initially worried about meeting the publication deadline, I couldn't put it down once I started reading and finished it within a weekend! The atmospheric writing beautifully transports you between California and Iran, immersing you in the vividly portrayed settings. The author weaves together cultural complexities, queerness and family dynamics to craft a story that unfolds as a series of snapshots of the lives of the three brothers during the turn of the new millennium. The portrayal of Iranian-American life and the relationship among the brothers and their mother adds depth and tenderness to the story.
It's important to note that the book tackles difficult topics such as physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, which caught me off guard and felt overwhelming at times but that were nonetheless handled with sensitivity.


"I Will Greet The Sun Again" is a beautifully written journey of self-discovery and identity I think everyone will be able to relate to. I would definitely recommend it as one of your summer reads!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free digital ARC in exchange for a review!

I Will Greet the Sun Again is a gorgeous and heartbreaking portrayal of a queer Iranian-American boy’s coming of age, set against the backdrop of 9/11. This is Khabushani’s debut but his prose is assured and he paints an extraordinarily vivid picture.

I loved the depiction of awkward adolescence, which alternates between cute and bumbling and more serious tones. The sensory details are so vivid that you feel like a fly on the wall. You can feel the slightly oppressive atmosphere of their LA flat where three teenage boys are sleeping, smell the chai in the kitchen, sense the ominous shift in the air when their father gets home. When the boys are whisked away to Iran by their father, furious at the effect America is having on his boys and wife, the atmosphere changes but is just as well written. The noisy chaos of the airport, the bedlam of the roads where it’s every driver for himself, the sleepy, peaceful ambience of their grandfather’s house, embodied by afternoon naps on the terrace and the scent of ripe figs (though things become less idyllic at night).

The book focuses more on father / son dynamics (content warning for childhood sexual abuse), and I did want a little more from their mother whose story would warrant a book of her own. Khabushani manages to deliver emotional gut punches and explore sensitive topics, but avoids the common pitfall of beating the reader over the head with trauma porn.

A moving debut that highlights those who feel they must suffer in silence, the ups and downs of brotherhood, the balance between multiple aspects of identity (queer, Muslim, Iranian-American) written in lovely prose. Out on 3rd of August in the UK!

What an emotional and poignant read. The author manages to paint a beautiful and heartbreaking story of a young boy, torn between identities, countries, and choices. While I struggled with the slow pace of the book, and was made uncomfortable by certain passages (which I’m aware is the point), the book overall read very well and left me feeling melancholy and hopeful at the same time.

I was left a little, speechless by this one and I still can't quite put my finger on what it was about the book I loved so much.

'I will greet the Sun Again' is a lyrical little book whose story revolves around three young, Iranian-American brothers who grow up in both the US and Iran, navigating their lives with an abusive father and a hardworking mother. It's a powerful coming-of-age and queer novel that feels almost like a gripping family saga. Despite being fiction, the author's writing style made it feel almost biographical, drawing me into the characters' lives. The book deftly explores sexuality, abuse, women's rights, and the Muslim-American experience, all within just over 200 pages. It's difficult to define but I found myself completely immersed in the story.

Khabushani's writing style is gorgeous. He writes gently, but his work is still powerful and vivid.

If I had one criticism, it would be that I wished the book were a little longer. The 200-page book spanned about 10 years and introduced several characters I grew to care about, I especially wanted to know more about their mother, whose story seemed to fade away as the book progressed. But perhaps that would have detracted from the main story. Maybe that's something the author might explore in a future book!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing the ARC, allowing me the opportunity to experience this remarkable novel."

TW: Child sexual abuse, racism, domestic violence

This book was heartbreaking and so emotional to read it. Even if this is relatively short, it was so hard to read sometimes. And I'm not saying because it was hard written or similar, but because of the situations that happened in the book.

I have so many mixed feelings if I should or should not recommend the book, as it was very well written but some of the situations from the book just left me speechless.

Not last, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for offering me the opportunity to read this book before being released in exchange for my honest review.

What a fabulous book from a clearly talented writter.

We follow this gentlemans Iranian-American family through the eyes of the Author himself.He expertly tells the readers of his time growing up with his parents and two brothers. His writting technique flows so well. This sways between heart breaking and humorous.
I adored each individual character within this. Every one had an important and memorable part within this story.
Not one point of this story was out of place or needed anything more or less than what we are given.

An exquisite read.

Mant thanks to the Author and Publisher through Netgalley for an ARC. It was a pleasure to leave me honest review.
Rev written 24/7/23

Quite disturbing in parts and dark but also quite an emotional heart wrenching read. Took me a while to get my head around it and I can’t say I enjoyed reading it because of some of the awful content (look up trigger warnings). But it was still very impactful and good to hear voices from communities I’ve not read from before and their experiences.

Khashayar J. Khabushani's debut is a powerful and profound coming of age novel that immerses the reader in a Iranian-American family, living in Los Angeles, California. We see the world through the eyes of K, 9 years old, with 2 older brothers, Shawn and Justin, their hard working Maman who has determinedly bettered herself and works 2 jobs. Baba, their well educated father, a strict disciplinarian, chooses not to work, with tensions rising in their home when he has lost money, an abusive man they have to tread carefully around. K lives a typical young boy's life, getting on well with his brothers, going to school, basketball, getting into mischief, the tedium, his best friend, Johnny, playing on the beach and loving the sea. Money is tight, but the boys are delighted when their mother manages to get them bikes.

K and his brothers lives are turned upside down when out of the blue, Baba whisks them off to Iran, a country they have never been to. K tries to believe his father when he tells them that their lives will be better, but it does not take long to understand this is far from the case, there is worrying chaos and poverty in Iran. Staying in Isfahan, in their Haji Agha's (grandfather) home with its cracked walls, no toilet, and cockroaches, they and Baba are crammed into one room. The boys are desperate to return home and are missing their maman, they eventually manage to come back to California with the help of Khaleh, their mother's sister. However, their harrowing months in Iran are to have damaging repercussions on all the boys, Justin is left broken, and K's behaviour goes haywire. K is glad to not have Baba around anymore, whilst he is growing up trying to come to terms with his sexuality.

K's desire to be nothing more than a ordinary American boy takes a huge knock with 7/11 with the Islamaphobia that follows, the narrative ends with K on a flight to NYC, and all the adventures it might offer. This is an atmospheric and vibrant book, with characters that feel authentic and come alive. You get a real feel for life and culture with an Iranian-American home, Farsi phrases and words are interspersed throughout the text, and I could not help but admire K's beloved maman and her drive to be who she wants to be in difficult circumstances. A marvellously memorable debut novel that I recommend highly. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

No quotation marks for when characters are speaking which could be confusing at times. Also confusing time jumps skipping years at a time without any indication until mid paragraph.

Despite the slow start, the writing and maybe formatting makes for a quick read as I read the first half in a single day. But I decided to DNF because I don’t want to finish just because I’m halfway through and its an easy enough book to read. The writing style and storytelling just wasn’t working for me as it was dull and lacked depth.

I don’t mind character driven books as long as there’s either some small underlying event being worked toward or obvious character development. I couldn’t see any obvious developments and the story didn’t seem to flow but was more snapshots of small scenes being shown before moving onto something different.

I also usually love emotional, darker themed novels and the synopsis sounded like something I’d love but this isn’t doing it for me.

Book Review 📚
I Will Greet The Sun Again by Khashayar Khabushani - 4/5 ⭐

Wow. What an emotional read this was. My heart broke a minimum of 30 times. Another fantastic piece of work from Khabushani. If I could change anything about the book, it would of been to make it longer! You could easily add 200 pages and it still wouldn't be enough. It was incredible.

We really go deep into family relations and establishing bonds. 3 MCs all trying to find their own identity and growing up as a Muslim in America in the shadow of 9/11. Such detail went into the writing of the boys as well as setting the scene. It was all so beautiful. There's so much depth to the entirety as well as devastation.

There's so much to consider when reading this story, although a piece of fiction, it really does make you think about things from a different POV and it's definitely gonna pull at your heart strings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

A poignant coming of age story about a boy growing up in America against the backdrop of 9/11.

I loved the bond the main character shared with his two brothers, and the exploration of the different ways their childhood, relationship with their father and experiences of casual racism affected the paths they ended up taking. There are frequent moments of lovely writing too - one early scene in particular at the beach I found particularly touching - with a lot of heavy themes tackled well over the course of the book.

My main issues with the book can all be boiled down to the fact I wished it were longer!
The boys spend one part of the book in Iran, and I felt like we'd only really established their new normal before we were back to America again. The 9/11 mentions felt very glossed over, and the ending in particular felt massively rushed. If I didn't have the percentage counter telling me how much of the book was left, I would have assumed we had only reached the halfway point!

There's a lot of attention paid to fleshing out the characters, which really pays off. I do wish, however, more attention had also been paid to fleshing out the plot, to make it feel a little less whistle-stop.

That being said, I did really enjoy reading this - and read it basically in one sitting!

This book is a moving and personal story. For me the most important part of this book is the exploration of sexuality and the relationship with family members this is such a tender narrative about the power of individuality in a strong bond family relation. The autor for such a beautiful style in his writing, for me was difficult believe it was a debut novel. The plot is about a boy who is growing into manhood that in the process need to deal with family bond, family stigma, society, and find what is his place in the world. The story is one I recommend to read, I enjoy it lots the book is out the 3 of August of 2023 so preorder it if you got the chance. Is a big help for the authors. Big thanks to NetGalley and penguin UK for the access to this ARC

This is a fantastic, sweeping novel telling the story of three brothers as they struggle with identity, history and growing up in the shadow of 9/11.

Highly recommended and can't believe this is a debut novel!

A beautifully sweeping, evocative story with a powerful narrative about family and identity. With complex and very human characters and such vivid scenes that transported the reader directly into the story.

A great book. It reminds me in ways of the recent National Book Award nominated The Town of Babylon. I will certainly look out for the next works by Khabushani.

Fans of Khaled Hosseini’s books will
enjoy this one. This story follows Khashayar, or K, a young boy who lives with his family in LA. He has 2 older brothers and very Iranian parents. We soon get to understand their family dynamic and as a British-Iranian, there was a lot I could relate to. In an unexpected twist, K and his brothers find themselves in Iran with their dad, leaving their mum behind in LA. Thanks to other family members, the kids eventually make their way back to LA and are reunited with their mum. It’s dramatic, devastating and has so much depth. The descriptions of Iran were spot on and I am desperate to know what happens next to K and his family.