Amir, an 18-year-old from a traditional Iranian family, flees the US and flies solo to Rome when he fears that his family is about to find out that he is gay. In Rome, Amir finds his "second family," a group of gay men who accept him for who he is. Most of the book focuses on this month of fun, new experiences, self-discovery and acceptance.
I think this is a fine YA book. It deals with the issues of coming out and how difficult that can be in the Muslim culture. I think the sense of belonging Amir feels in Rome was quite heartwarming. The Rome setting was a nice touch--it felt very genuine--and I found most of the characters honest and likeable.
The writing was simple--I assume targeted to the YA audience, which is not my usual genre. All the gawking over some guy's eyes and repeatedly noticing how "hot" someone was made me feel like I was back in high school. Although I found that not enjoyable, I am not going to deduct stars for it since I knew that this was a teen novel going into it.
Based on the excerpt I read, I was expecting more of a political theme as well, given that the opening scenes start out in the Customs and Border Protection interrogation rooms. I guess it was a way to hear all the voices of the family separately, but I was disappointed that was the extent of that setting.
I think this is a fine YA book. It deals with the issues of coming out and how difficult that can be in the Muslim culture. I think the sense of belonging Amir feels in Rome was quite heartwarming. The Rome setting was a nice touch--it felt very genuine--and I found most of the characters honest and likeable.
The writing was simple--I assume targeted to the YA audience, which is not my usual genre. All the gawking over some guy's eyes and repeatedly noticing how "hot" someone was made me feel like I was back in high school. Although I found that not enjoyable, I am not going to deduct stars for it since I knew that this was a teen novel going into it.
Based on the excerpt I read, I was expecting more of a political theme as well, given that the opening scenes start out in the Customs and Border Protection interrogation rooms. I guess it was a way to hear all the voices of the family separately, but I was disappointed that was the extent of that setting.