This was a 3.5 star read rounded up to 4 for me. I loved the opening of the story and the way the plot began at the end and worked its way back. The story is told through an interrogation at an airport customs office as Amir explains his summer and how he got to this point. Early on, we learn that a student at school threatens to out Amir as gay and we follow Amir as he skips his graduation, leaves town, and winds up in Italy. In Italy, he meets a group of friends that teach him how to be confident and open about who he is. Like other readers, I was interested in exploring the Muslim faith and family dynamic through the lenses of a teenager. Unfortunately Amir states early on that his family is not particularly religious but the story does explore the types of prejudices experienced by Muslim people. The ending was perhaps the biggest disappointment as the fight and reason Amir is being interrogated in the first place turned out to be a bit anti-climatic.