This book contains multitudes. On the one hand it is a story of one teens fear of coming out to his parents and on the other it is a deeper insight into the messy complexities of life.
It holds conversations between culture and romantic orientation. About relationships not only with family but either friends and prospective partners.
It shows that everyone is a mess of parts, that just because we show a certain side of ourselves to the world it does not mean that it is only only part.
Amid shows us that we are all still trying to find our way, to reconcile these different parts of ourselves and find a way in which they can all harmonise. It doesn’t always happen culture can clash with orientation, stereotypes can form opinions that are not easily changed and someone who looks and acts a certain way can come off as being violent and taken for interrogation.
The world is not perfect is it messy and hard to navigate. It is scary especially when you know you are different. When you can’t be sure that the real you will be accepted by those closest to you.
This book shows you that but it also shows you the power of misconceptions. You may thing something is certain, that people will act and behave in a particular way, but that’s not always the case. They can surprise you and change your preconceived notions of who they are. All you can do is listen and accept their truth and never let it stop you from living yours

How It All Blew Up is a book that reminded me very much of classic gay literature, although obviously modern and contemporary. Which was a nice callback, regardless of how intentional it is.

The story follows Amir, who runs away from home after being threatened with outing. He ends up in Italy where he meets a group of gay men and ends up being pulled into a world of parties and dates in the Sistine Chapel.

The narrative of the book is split so that this is a story being told by Amir and his family, while being questioned by US Customs Officers. It gives it a kind of “this is how we got here” vibe, which I don’t think I’ve read a whole lot of books like, really. If I’ve seen it anywhere, it tends to be in TV, but it worked well here.

Like I said before, this book reminded me a lot of gay classics, specifically that feel of finding a gay found family (you know, the sort that shows up in books like The Charioteer). And there’s something about that link, between then and now, that makes this book even better than it already was.

That’s not to say there weren’t times I was a little like ...what about it. Not in a bad way, really, but just enough to make me stop and think. Most of that was down to the fact that there is a moment where the 18-year old main character has sex with a man 10 years older than he is (and it involves cheating). I had mixed feelings about it because on the one hand, it’s not something I was particularly comfortable with, with that age gap, but on the other, I actually liked how this book was a little messy in that sense. The main character wasn’t perfect, and the plot involved him screwing up a fair few times, but I liked that about it. I just didn’t like the particular age gap involved.

And then there were the pop culture references which, honestly, seemed to be all over the place with what the main character did and didn’t know, and doubly so with some of what the side characters recognised or not. But then again, I just really hate pop culture references of any sort in books.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed the book, and it’s definitely one I would recommend.

𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕥 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥: ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⠀
Amir, an 18-year-old Iranian-American boy, is a closeted Muslim teenager. He is afraid to come out to his family. He chooses to run away from home to Rome when he constantly got blackmailed and bullied by some of his classmates about his sexuality. Amidst this chaos, he and his family find themselves in the airport interrogation room where he no other option than to narrate his coming-out story to the US customs officer.⠀
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𝕎𝕙𝕠 𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕥 𝕗𝕠𝕣:⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⠀
Someone who reads YA books or someone who wants to read a book with LGBTQ + Muslim representation.⠀
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𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕀 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕚𝕥:⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⠀
This book made me watch a couple of movies that are shot in Italy. I enjoyed reading about all the adventures of Amir in Rome(though in retrospect most of the descriptions felt similar to the ones in American movies). His growth during his stay there was commendable. He not only understood himself better but also learned a thing or two about his sexuality and adulting.⠀
His chilling scenes with his crushes were some of the aww-worthy moments in the book. Amir was a very realistic character because he did his share of good and crazy deeds. Rumor has it that this book is sort of an autobiography of the author. I think that's why the author was able to convey the fears and anxiousness of a closeted teenage boy.⠀
              ⁣⠀
𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕀 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕚𝕥:⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⠀
I didn't like that Amir wasn't ready to give a chance to his parents. I get it that his parents had their issues with his sexuality but they were ready to learn. They deserved a fair chance before he chose to run away.It is written in multiple POV which usually works for me. Although, in this case, I thought they didn't add much to the story. Likewise, there were various dimensions added to the story for the sake of representation. Truth be told, not all of them were justified. I honestly thought this book had great potential.⠀
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ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕔𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟:⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⠀
I recommend this book specifically to those who liked 'Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli' and someone who likes adventures in YA books. Also, this book is written in a way that you would want to read it in one or two sittings. Even I finished it in 24hrs.⠀
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ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕖: 𝟑.4/𝟓⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⠀
Thanks so much @netgalley and @bonnierbooks_uk for the ARC. Its pub date is 22 Sep 2020. ⠀

This book is necessary because it shows representation of a gay, Muslim teen and books need to be windows and mirrors to readers. I struggled with the tone of the book: As one storyline is of a family being detained after a flight, the other is a lighthearted holiday abroad whilst trying to find yourself. The switching between the two I found jarring.

Really enjoyed this, it’s a perfect summer book. The story of Amir, who runs away to Rome when his life looks like it's going to be torn apart by a blackmailer at his school.
He and his family are being interrogated by airport security as he recounts navigating new friendships and hot Italians. Great characters, great setup, funny and sweet and heart wrenching.

I found this title easy to read, moving and very informative. I have read multiple stories about growing up, coming out and finding one's identity as a teenager or young adult, however this was the first time where the main protagonist was gay and Muslim. It was insightful as well to be able to read the story and the main character's thoughts and feelings as he looks back on what happened, but it was even more so to be able to read those of his mum, dad and sister with their competing points of view. The culture clash and the racial profiling that the family has been subjected to (especially the mum and dad in the past and present) were presented in a very real way, showing how insidious and pervasive stereotypes are in a very real way. It was especially clear when the family were telling the story of the argument on the plane, and you realised that another person was involved who, it is implied, was not taken away by security to explain their actions. I really enjoyed this title, and it was a definite walk in another person's shoes.

Thank you, Hot Keys Books and NetGalley, for providing me with a digital copy of this novel. I was so excited to read this: I was born and raised in Rome, where the book is set, and I was so happy for the QPOC main character. What isn't there to love?! While I think How It All Blew Up has some absolutely great points about it, my expectations unfortunately fell a little flat.

I would kindly ask both the publisher and the writer to not take any part of this review out of its context without my prior explicit consent and approval.

This review will be cross-posted on my blog and Goodreads.

Trigger Warnings: Racial profiling, body horror, blackmail, forced outing.

What I Liked

The story and Amir are extremely genuine. Amir feels and acts like a human: he is afraid, he flees, he makes mistakes. I think I liked Amir as MC because he doesn't necessarily set himself up as likeable, but as someone who doesn't really know how to function properly all the time, makes mistakes and tries to learn from them. He's clumsy, but he's trying to grow. He's human. The journey to Italy is a way for him to get to know himself, come to terms with his identity and mature. He makes for a compelling lead, one which I was eager to see move on in life.

The narrative is fun, quirky and appropriate for this daring, new coming-out story, which also sheds important light on serious issues like racial profiling and blackmail. It was too fast-paced than I would have liked it to be, but regardless, it really did bring me to empathise with Amir. I don't think he behaves like an eighteen-year-old, but I have never been blackmailed and put under so much external pressure, so I can't comment. I particularly liked the moments he spent in the company of Jahan and his other queer friends. They felt very peaceful and safe, and I am glad Amir got to enjoy them. I wish him all the best moving forward!

I could empathise with Amir's urge to distance himself from his family, his school, or just generally a reality in which he didn't feel welcome. One of the great points of this novel is, in my opinion, its portrayal of a family growing together to accept this new reality. The use of multiple points of view in the interview system is extremely effective: I particularly enjoyed Soraya's account, and the fact that Afshin doesn't say much is a statement in itself. The ending was so sweet!

I really like the UK cover (the orange one)! I think it's fresh, summery and inviting to read. The Italian was pretty solid throughout (minus what I mention below), which I was super pleased about.

What I Liked a Little Less

I will start this section off with one of the major issues I had with the novel: the setting. It's full of Italian stereotypes, with only the occasional quirky point that would interest a foreigner, like our café manners and the "in bocca al lupo" idiom. So guys, buckle up because I have lots to say. I know the story is not written to cater to an Italian eye, but that doesn't mean we can't try to be accurate in portraying another country. Essentially, I feel Rome was a little too stylised and Italy excessively romanticised.

TL;DR: Please end the quaint laundry-window-hanging Italian town stereotype; L'Aquila's mention could have been more respectful; Italians don't eat pizza, pasta and meatballs around the clock (more stereotypes); Italians don't speak like Super Mario caricatures and in all caps (MORE stereotypes); Why are the (very present) Italian "far-right political movement" and the homophobia it is inciting dismissed so quickly?

• I'm writing this review in Rome and when I look out of the window, I see no laundry hanging out of windows. Could we please get rid of the "quaint Italian city" stereotype? Rome has five working airports, a population of 2,844,395 and it's the country's capital. It's not just a postcard.

• I think the way in which L'Aquila is portrayed could have been slightly more respectful. Let me be clear: nothing offensive is in the book. But the earthquake that devastated the city was cause of national grief to us. Many, many people died and the survivors are still living in provisional housing. It came across as a sort of quirky "ghost town stop" on a road trip, and that didn't sit very well with me.

• Why are characters always eating pizza and pasta? We don't do that. Italians have one of the richest cuisines in the world, with huge history and tradition behind it, and minimising it to "pizza, pasta and meatballs" is frankly reductive.

• Why is the bar owner speaking like an Italian caricature? Since there are other Italian characters in the book who are written as speaking normally, why was there the need to make one like this? We're not all native English speakers, but no one would speak in that way to a foreigner or type in all caps. We do know messaging etiquette.

• I was surprised at how easily the "far-right political party" is dismissed at the beginning of the book. Allow me to clarify: Italy is not under a dictatorship, there is decent respect of people's privacy, and our national health system does not allow for discrimination. But that doesn't mean the country is without its homophobic issues. Young gay people are being beaten on buses and sidewalks because they're holding hands or look "too effeminate". We don't have a law against homophobia yet (and the fact that we need one at all already says a lot about homophobia in the country). Members of that far-right party, as well as its leaders, hold that if LGBTQ+ rights are protected in law, then it will give rise to "heterophobia" with catastrophic consequences. It sounds kind of absurd to me that all that is not going to be relevant to a coming-out story set in Italy. If the book is not set in current times, but before the far-right gained influence, I think it should be made clearer.

I don't feel like there was a strong connection to the setting - it could have been easily set in Paris or Amsterdam rather than in Rome. I was really excited about the Roman setting, but unfortunately, it was neither used to its full potential nor accurately portrayed, leaving me quite disappointed.

Please also have an Italian speaker check over the Italian, to ensure that the Italian doesn't sound artificial, and because something like "pomodoro tomato" is just not right. Also... we don't say stuff like "tanned like/with the body of a Sicilian", at least not in my experience...

The second and final big issue I had about the book was the nipple story. It made my skin crawl for absolutely no reason. I was enjoying the cute kissing scene, quietly rooting for Amir, when suddenly body horror is slapped in my face. I had been looking forward to this nipple story since it was first mentioned, thinking it would be funny. Instead, it was horrifying to read and irreparably ruined the mood. And for no reason, as it does nothing whatsoever for the plot. It's not the right kind of scene for this type of novel.


 
I think this book has great points and enormous potential, but it wasn't fully drawn out, sadly. If the pace had been a bit slower, the setting would have probably come to life more, instead of being made up of wide brushstrokes. I read that this story is autobiographical and thus extremely personal. I commend the author on being courageous enough to write it out and share it with the world. I really wish I could give it more stars, but between the setting and the nipple story, I really can't bring myself to.

Being part of an oppressed community is difficult. The lack of understanding, the preconceptions, the stereotypes, even the outright hatred directed at you - all of it is impossible to deal with. But being part of two oppressed communities, in this case LGBT and Muslim, comes with double the pressure.

Enter Amir, our protagonist, to tell us all about it. He’s eighteen, Muslim, gay, and not out. Coming out to his parents is a terrifying thought to him, and he carries out quite possibly the most extraordinary avoidance technique of all - he flies to Rome to get away from them, to escape disclosing the inevitable truth.

There’s something horribly heartbreaking about Amir feeling this was his only option. That he wasn’t able to speak about the person he truly is without fear of consequence, fear of loss. And yet, this is sadly true for many LGBT people, no matter how many oppressed groups they belong to at once. That fear makes them hide who they are, robs them of living their lives, and ultimately creates feelings of isolation, of otherness, which are difficult to untether from.

I enjoyed living Amir’s new, out life with him in Rome. I loved meeting new friends with him, seeing him in romantic entanglements, feeling his new emotions at finally finding a sense of belonging. The Italian setting was perfect for depicting an entirely different word - beautiful European architecture contrasting with high school lockers - really making the reader feel Amir had found his real home.

The story of acceptance and togetherness was truly heartwarming, and it’s an important piece of LGBT literature, particularly for the intended YA audience. I did feel there could have been more detail on Islam, on why Amir felt this was a factor in how his parents would accept them. Although as a family, they remained true to their Persian culture, they didn’t seem to be overly religious, and Islam played no part in the story. I would have liked to have been able to understand more about this aspect of Amir.

An important novel, normalising homosexuality, and giving us some nice romantic European scenes, which will instill hope and aspiration for LGBT teens.

This had such potential.

A coming of age story from the point of view of an Iranian boy living in the USA who is being blackmailed by two boys from his school into giving them a lot of money so that they don't tell his family that he's gay.

Unfortunately, the book fails to deliver. On many levels. It is massively far fetched and although I don't have a problem with suspending reality when reading, this was just ridiculous.

Also, I do wonder if the author has ever been to Italy or even met an Italian. I am offended by the stereotypical way that the author has depicted the Italians in this book.

A truly wonderful read. I felt every moment that Amir lived his glorious summer in Rome. The pain. The anguish. But the joy, laughter love and community and family that queer people give each other no matter the circumstances.

I loved the insight into Persian life and how Amir's perspective and perception expressed that torment that many gay people experience whether from a religious perspective, cultural or societal.

Arvin this is a wonderful book that I can't wait for you to share with the world. You should be so proud of what you have written and the story that you have shared.

I enjoyed much of this book, especially the interviews at the airport - I wish there had been more of that, as this to me is what the story is about, ie the irony of airport security completely misunderstanding what was going on. I think it would have worked well if the whole story had been told that way, as I found the Rome part rather tedious - one party after another with the same bunch of people. But, I am reading this as an older adult who grew out of all that long ago, while this book is aimed at YA, who might enjoy reading about Amir's social life in Rome. I'd have like to see more resolution following the blackmail and also with Jackson, who is also affected about what happened. Well written and amusing at times - I wish I could have liked this more.

I read Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid years ago and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to see this book available on Netgalley, but it has been majorly tainted by the author's attitude towards reviewers. It is never okay for an author to publicly call out a reviewer - especially a teenage girl! - and it is absolutely not okay for an author to DM a reviewer with their own views on their book. Reviews are for readers, not writers, and Alsaid's response to minor criticism really tarnished this book. It wasn't even that good a book, and there were some confusing and disturbing scenes. I can't in good conscience give it a decent rating.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley in exhange for my honest review.

This is the story of Amir and how he ended up running away to Rome and subsequently in US interrogation room. It follows his journey over the summer and trying to come to terms with the two sides of himself, the Persian side and the gay side.

I was really looking forward to this book but to be honest, it left me a bit disappointed. It was a quick read but felt a bit flat at points and I ended up wanting more from it. I think it was an interesting coming out story. I relate to the need to run away from your problems rather than deal with them and I think it definitely showed in certain scenarios why that isn't always the best option.

I wasn't expecting it to be written from multiple points of view and I did enjoy that it was and that added to the characters as their personalities showed through, more so with Amir and his sister than with his parents, though they were probably more aware of the fact that they were clearly being interrogated in large part due to the colour of their skin so were guarded.

The whole thing lacked atmosphere and whilst the intrigue was there are the start, I feel it waned as the book progressed. I wanted more in terms of Amir's coming out story, I would have liked more at the end too. I feel like there needed to be more depth to what Amir was going through and also more depth to his family's reaction. As someone who's dad wasn't originally exactly happy about my coming out, I understand how hard it all is and I just wanted to see that emotion reflected a bit more on the page.

I really enjoyed this book, it is definitely a story that is necessary and holds so much accurate representation that is needed in the YA genre. Overall a great LGBTQ+ contemporary to add to the TBRs!
The plot is simplistic but well thought out and overall realistic in its points. Our main character and their experience also felt very authentic and as a whole I really enjoyed it. Were there elements I would have liked to change... sure? Did I wish it was wrapped up differently... sure? But as a whole, the positives of this story outweigh the negatives, And if you are a contemporary fiction fan then I would recommend, as some of my critiques (coming from someone who is more of a fantasy reader) may be redundant to someone who prefers the genre.
Overall rating: 3.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Accepting and learning to love yourself to the friendships in this story, this book was a whirlwind. The book focuses on 18 year old Amir, a gay muslim who is being blackmailed into coming out to his traditional family. The family dynamics in this book, at times, are hard to read and for the majority of this book I just wanted to reach into the pages and hug him. The characters in this book are so raw and complex and having such characters within a novel is so realistic and I adore that. This book also made me want to book flights to Rome ASAP!

At times I did feel disconnected to the characters and the story but I still thoroughly enjoyed reading about Amir and his journey. The writing style, allows you to fly through this book and I almost read it in an entire sitting. The interviews were also written so well that at times it felt like the reader was the interviewer, and considering I have never delved into 2nd person literature, I appreciated this massively.

I LOVED this book! I'll start with the only negative I can think of - I would've liked more resolution to the blackmail thread, maybe an epilogue dealing with that would've been a better ending. Other than that, I loved the protagonist, the side characters, the plot - it all worked so well together, I cannot understate how enjoyable, educational and emotional I found this.

I really struggled with the writing of this book and particular moments throughout the book, including one specific scene. I ended up not being able to finish the book.

This was a really fun and easy book to read reminiscent of late summer nights. But it explored the important topic of coming out to a conservative family and being your true self. I also appreciated that the entire story of Amir's summer in Rome was told to the airport staff who'd detained him and his family - such good commentary on racism in airports.

I really wanted to like this book yet sadly I came out of this thinking that this is one of my least favourite books I've ever read. My first major issue is that this is sold as a gay Muslim YA book. However, Islam plays no part in this story. The character openly says that he and his family are not religious at all yet somehow this is a Muslim book. This is an issue across all of publishing; calling books Muslim YA books when in fact it's just culture that plays a part in the story. Aside from this, the story itself was just all over the place. None of it made any sense and certain aspects were glossed over that shouldn't have been. This book also featured some of the cringiest dialogues I've ever read in my life and I even had to put the book down multiple times in the middle of a scene because it was that bad. I wish this book had been good but instead, it was a major disappointment.

EXPANDED REVIEW:

I feel like I need to clarify and expand my review of this book. I was so excited to read it because I wanted to see good queer Muslim rep in YA because it is something that we never get to read about. However, I was incredibly disappointed when the religion played no part in the story. The main character is asked at one point if his family are religious and he says no. Therefore, I have a problem with calling this a Muslim YA book. Yes, they are Iranian and they look Muslim. But if the characters say themselves they don't identify as Muslim (and none of their practices and mannerisms show that they are Muslim), then I don't believe they are. I really wish the author had used this book to talk more in depth about Islam and sexuality because it would have made for a more interesting story. Yes, it is important to have more Muslim rep in YA but it needs to actually have Muslim rep. Having an Iranian family, who get detained at the airport, does not make the book Muslim. Being born into a Muslim culture is completely different to identifying as Muslim and I think that distinction needs to be made.

On top of that, I just felt as if the book itself was not great. The story seemed to be all over the place, all of the characters were underdeveloped and the writing in some parts wasn't good. One particular scene (involving a nipple) made me feel sick and slightly ruined the book even more from me. Aside from the issue of it being wrongly labelled as a Muslim YA book, the story itself needs a lot of improvement.

3.5/5
trigger warnings; homophobic language, blackmail, racial profiling, religion.

How It All Blew Up is a really well rounded novel and I enjoyed my time reading it. Amir was a really good main character to follow and I felt sad for him in some parts and frustrated in other parts about his decisions. I understand why he ran away to Italy but a part of me really didn’t like the fact he left Jackson to have to navigate everything himself.

As a queer, white person from a non religious family I will never understand the fears some people have when coming out to their religious parents and I recognise that privilege and will definitely be amplifying this book because it will be such an important read for so many people. I will also thankfully never understand the fear of being detained at the airport because I have a small argument on a plane because I’m white which is another massive privilege I have. This book really highlighted the prejudices people face simply for the colour of their skin and their race and it’s horrific. Please, world, sort yourself out.

The family Amir finds himself in when in Rome was one of my favourite parts of this book as I’m a very big sucker for the found family trope. They were all wonderful yet flawed and I loved them. They felt like this really wonderful, massive family that Amir was happy with and I loved that for him.

One of my biggest issues with the book was the climax. We go through this entire book not knowing why they’ve been detained but the moment of the argument just comes and then goes again. Maybe this is to show that people truly are detained just for their race, aka for no valid reason.

Also and I cannot stress this enough but it pissed me off. When you have children, they are your children, you are a PARENT before anything else. I don’t care what your religion says, you accept your children for who they are, if they are part of the LGBTQIAP+ community, you accept them. How dare you make your child feel unsafe and like they don’t have a family when coming out is a time they need you the most.

Overall, it was a good book and I enjoyed my time reading it!!! I cannot wait to read the authors other works as I’ve been wanting to for a while!!