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Abdi Nazemian

Like a Love Story Kindle Edition

by Abdi Nazemian (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

590 ratings

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Stonewall Honor Book * A Time Magazine Best YA Book of All Time

"A book for warriors, divas, artists, queens, individuals, activists, trend setters, and anyone searching for the courage to be themselves.”—Mackenzi Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

It’s 1989 in New York City, and for three teens, the world is changing.

Reza is an Iranian boy who has just moved to the city with his mother to live with his stepfather and stepbrother. He’s terrified that someone will guess the truth he can barely acknowledge about himself. Reza knows he’s gay, but all he knows of gay life are the media’s images of men dying of AIDS.

Judy is an aspiring fashion designer who worships her uncle Stephen, a gay man with AIDS who devotes his time to activism as a member of ACT UP. Judy has never imagined finding romance...until she falls for Reza and they start dating.

Art is Judy’s best friend, their school’s only out and proud teen. He’ll never be who his conservative parents want him to be, so he rebels by documenting the AIDS crisis through his photographs.

As Reza and Art grow closer, Reza struggles to find a way out of his deception that won’t break Judy’s heart—and destroy the most meaningful friendship he’s ever known.

This is a bighearted, sprawling epic about friendship and love and the revolutionary act of living life to the fullest in the face of impossible odds.

Print length

422 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

Balzer + Bray
Publication date

June 4, 2019
Reading age

13 - 17 years
Grade level

8 - 9
File size

3042 KB
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Enabled
Word Wise

Not Enabled
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Julian Winters
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Nazemian paints a picture of late ‘80s queer life in New York City that’s neither romanticized nor viewed as only tragic…. [His] latest will remind readers that first love is isolating and unifying, exhilarating and terrifying, and every paradox in between.” -- ALA Booklist (starred review)

“Three characters discover their inner truths at a time that sometimes feels apocalyptic for their community and loved ones…. The intense and nuanced emotions evoked by the characters’ journeys help to give this powerful novel by Nazemian a timeless relevance.” -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“At the height of the 1980s AIDS crisis, three teens grapple with love and friendship…. [A] truly lovely romance to cherish. Deeply moving.” -- Kirkus Reviews

“A book for warriors, divas, artists, queens, individuals, activists, trend setters, and anyone searching for the courage to be themselves.” -- Mackenzi Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

“Like a Love Story is a fresh and poignant narrative about friends, family, friends who become family, and a society that is not always compassionate to those who need it most. I love this book with my entire heart. What a gift Abdi Nazemian has given us.” -- Brandy Colbert, author of Stonewall Award winner Little & Lion

“A gorgeous, heart-wrenching book that explores love, loss, and forgiveness in all of their many forms. Abdi Nazemian deftly shows how we can only move forward by examining and embracing the past, and how anger and injustice can pave the way for a better and more hopeful future.”
-- Robin Benway, National Book Award–winning author of Far from the Tree

“Like a Love Story brought me right back to the scene of my teen years... and it did so masterfully. This book made me sob, it made me laugh, it broke my heart and put it back together again. I absolutely loved it.” -- Bill Konigsberg, Award-Winning Author of The Music of What Happens

Praise for THE AUTHENTICS: “As with the novels of Benjamin Alire Saenz or Randa Abdel-Fattah, Daria’s thought-provoking journey will resonate with teen readers of all backgrounds.” -- Booklist (starred review)

Praise for THE AUTHENTICS: “The ferociously authentic Daria is a memorable protagonist.” -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Praise for THE AUTHENTICS: “A beautiful and compelling story about identity, race, and family love. A must read in an age where #weneeddiversebooks more than ever.” -- Melissa de la Cruz, New York Times bestselling author --This text refers to the paperback edition.

About the Author

Abdi Nazemian is the author of Like a Love Story, a Stonewall Honor Book, and The Authentics. His novel The Walk-In Closet won the Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Debut Fiction. His screenwriting credits include the films The Artist’s Wife, The Quiet, and Menendez: Blood Brothers and the television series The Village and Almost Family. He has been an executive producer and associate producer on numerous films, including Call Me by Your Name, Little Woods, and The House of Tomorrow. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband, their two children, and their dog, Disco. Find him online at www.abdaddy.com.

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

It’s 1989 in New York City, and for three teens, the world is changing.

Reza is an Iranian boy who has just moved to the city with his mother to live with his stepfather and stepbrother. He’s terrified that someone will guess the truth he can barely acknowledge about himself. Reza knows he’s gay, but all he knows of gay life are the media’s images of men dying of AIDS.

Judy is an aspiring fashion designer who worships her uncle Stephen, a gay man with AIDS who devotes his time to activism as a member of ACT UP. Judy has never imagined finding romance . . . until she falls for Reza and they start dating.

Art is Judy’s best friend, their school’s only out-and-proud teen. He’ll never be who his conservative parents want him to be, so he rebels by documenting the AIDS crisis through his photographs.

As Reza and Art grow closer, Reza struggles to find a way out of his deception that won’t break Judy’s heart—and destroy the most meaningful friendship he’s ever known.

This is a bighearted, sprawling epic about friendship and love and the revolutionary act of living life to the fullest in the face of impossible odds.

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

Review

"A beautifully written exploration of first love's fragility in the face of a world full of hate and fear...Nazemian's latest will remind readers that first love is isolating and unifying, exhilarating and terrifying, and every paradox in between."

-- "Booklist (starred review)"

"The intense and nuanced emotions evoked by the characters' journeys help to give this powerful novel by Nazemian a timeless relevance."

-- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)"

"Depicts the social and political climate of the time in vivid detail, capturing the dichotomy between fear and love and, finally, acceptance...A truly lovely romance to cherish. Deeply moving."

-- "Kirkus Reviews" --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Inside Flap

It's 1989 in New York City, and for three teens, the world is changing.

Reza is an Iranian boy who has just moved to the city with his mother to live with his stepfather and stepbrother. He's terrified that someone will guess the truth he can barely acknowledge about himself. Reza knows he's gay, but all he knows of gay life are the media's images of men dying of AIDS.

Judy is an aspiring fashion designer who worships her uncle Stephen, a gay man with AIDS who devotes his time to activism as a member of ACT UP. Judy has never imagined finding romance . . . until she falls for Reza and they start dating.

Art is Judy's best friend, their school's only out-and-proud teen. He'll never be who his conservative parents want him to be, so he rebels by documenting the AIDS crisis through his photographs.

As Reza and Art grow closer, Reza struggles to find a way out of his deception that won't break Judy's heart--and destroy the most meaningful friendship he's ever known.

This is a bighearted, sprawling epic about friendship and love and the revolutionary act of living life to the fullest in the face of impossible odds.

--ALA Booklist (starred review) --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07D6N8FDK
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Balzer + Bray; Reprint edition (June 4, 2019)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 4, 2019
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3042 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 422 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #274,343 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
590 ratings

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Abdi Nazemian

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Abdi Nazemian spent his childhood in a series of exciting locations (Tehran, Paris, Toronto, New York), but could usually be found in his bedroom watching old movies and reading.

Abdi’s first novel, THE WALK-IN CLOSET, was awarded Best Debut at the Lambda Literary Awards. He has written three young adult novels, all published by Balzer + Bray / HarperCollins: THE AUTHENTICS (2017), LIKE A LOVE STORY (2019), and THE CHANDLER LEGACIES (2022). LIKE A LOVE STORY won a Stonewall Honor and was chosen by Time Magazine as one of the 100 best young adult books of all time.

Abdi has written for three television shows: NBC's ORDINARY JOE, Fox’s ALMOST FAMILY, and NBC’s THE VILLAGE. He has written six produced films including THE ARTIST’S WIFE (Strand Releasing, 2020) MENENDEZ: BLOOD BROTHERS (Lifetime, 2017), and THE QUIET (Sony Pictures Classics, 2006). He also wrote, directed and produced the short film REVOLUTION (2012). He is proud to say that his words have been spoken by the likes of Carmela Soprano, The Nanny, and The Girl With The Most Cake.

As Head of Development for Water’s End Productions, Abdi has been an executive producer or associate producer on numerous films, including CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, IT HAPPENED IN L.A., THE PRICE, THE HOUSE OF TOMORROW, and LITTLE WOODS.

Abdi lives in Los Angeles with his two children and husband, and holds dual citizenship between the United States and Canada.

Abdi is not the inspiration for Madonna’s children’s book “The Adventures of Abdi,” though he will forever insist that he is.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5

590 global ratings

5 star		78%
4 star		15%
3 star		4%
2 star		1%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from the United States

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FLPeter

Beautiful

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 8, 2021

Verified Purchase

Take my word for it…Most gay romances will pale in comparison to this awesome entry. It makes the top 100 YA lists for a reason…justifiably!

The writing is beautiful….Pure magic….Just transports you.
The characters are diverse and well developed. So many supporting characters lend importance to the tale.

The novel gets sadder and heavier as it goes on, but it stays “real” and there are events, and dialogue, and character-evolving that will inspire you and give you some hope. Not a sugar-coated HEA ending, but enough to pull you away from your Kleenex box and feel like things will be ok.

I thought it was creative to have some of the uncle’s index cards on gay history highlighted here & there in the book. Nice touch.

My only small complaint is the Pulse tie-in at the end felt a bit too much. I liked that it was referenced along with other milestone events, but not that their annual meeting took place the weekend of the Pulse tragedy. I was like “I can’t take much more of this.” Just my humble opinion.

This author is amazing, and I’m off to see what else I can read by him. And to refer this book to my friends and family.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

DVM95

I THOROUGHLY Loved This Book!!!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 23, 2020

Verified Purchase

I THOROUGHLY loved this book!!! It was a very nostalgic trip back to high school life in 1989.
The novel is set in New York City (1989) and tells the tale of three high school seniors.
Reza is an Iranian immigrant who has just moved to the city with his mother to live with his stepfather and stepbrother. He's terrified that someone will guess the truth he can barely acknowledge about himself. Reza knows he's gay, but all he knows of gay life are the media's images of men dying of AIDS.
Judy is an aspiring fashion designer who worships her uncle Stephen, a gay man with AIDS who devotes his time to activism as a member of ACT UP. Judy has never imagined finding romance...until she falls for Reza and they start dating.
Art is Judy's best friend, their school's only out and proud student. He'll never be who his conservative parents want him to be, so he rebels by documenting the AIDS crisis through his photographs.
The love triangle emerges as Reza realizes that his attempts to date Judy are not going to make him straight.....AND as he begins to fall in love with Art. Can these boys find happiness together without completely ruining their individual friendships with Judy?
Reza's feelings of fear, self-loathing, and trying to NOT be gay resonated true with my own experiences on the journey of self-acceptance.
This novel is a very touching and inspiring rememberance of a time when the gay community was first navigating the spectre of the AIDS epidemic in America. As such, it stirs up a mixture of emotions.....I cried, I laughed, but ultimately I experienced hope.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

NataliaB

Essential Book!!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 8, 2020

Verified Purchase

Like a Love Story, it is a beautiful book that portrays the story of three teenagers in 1989, adolescence is a time of search, of discovery that is plagued with fears, pain and shame, and this book comes to counteract those feelings, brings Love and celebrate individuality. I hugged Reza, I felt like Judy and celebrated Art, although at the beginning as well as at the end I thought 'Wtf Art!' but you can't help but love him even so. Uncle Stephen, everyone needs a Uncle Stephen but Jimmy is the one who had my heart from the beginning.One of the most beautiful and powerful LGBTIQ books I have read, full of truth and strong voices. I definitely want my children to read this book, everyone should read this book and I would like to have those notes card from Uncle Stephen.I always wonder the same, how do I teach my children not to be ashamed? I teach them to be what they want, to dream big, not to use labels, to listen, to be strong and to be proud but all that is nothing if we fail to teach them not to be ashamed, for be and for ask and speak out loud.This book talks a lot about this andhave this beautiful characters that get in to you. I absolutely recommend it and I regret not having it on paper with that beautiful cover, surely it would be full of underlines, notes as I remain in my reader

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Jessica

LOVE is the most important 4 letter word. Love is our legacy.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 4, 2022

Verified Purchase

I couldn’t love this book more. I just wanted to soak and revel in the lives that were Judy, reza, Stephan, jimmy and art.

Their stories all resonating deep inside my heart, told from a time that while I may have been alive, albeit, a baby, I had no idea of the trauma & fear that queer people were experiencing.

The AIDS virus hit with such a strong impact on the lgbtq community, but also it affected everyone. To have to love with the fear of it causing death is the ultimate betrayal on life & love.

I absolutely couldn’t recommend this book more!

“The most important four-letter word in our history will always be love,” Judy says, before Art finishes with “That’s what we are fighting for. That’s who we are. Love is our legacy.”

One person found this helpful

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Stacy L.

Just Wow! Perfection!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 11, 2022

Verified Purchase

This book is sheer perfection. It is everything we need in the world: queer stories that capture history and legacy. And even with all of the sadness, Abdi Nazemian manages to capture hope and joy.

I know this story is technically not for me, but I still adore it. But there are teens out there for whom this book was intended, and I only hope that they manage to find it. Technically I hope everyone reads it, because the world would be a better place if we could all learn that love is our legacy. But I really hope that queer and questioning teens find this book because I know they need it more than anyone.

There are not adequate words to recommend this book highly enough. I loved every single word of it!

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Alby

Good Read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 21, 2021

Verified Purchase

A poignant and evocative tale. Covers so many issues which are still relevant today. The narrative flows well, although the ending is a bit of an anti climax.

One person found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Ancious to read it.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 21, 2021

Verified Purchase

Everyone says it's a great story. Hope to read it soon.

One person found this helpful

parya afshar

a great and moving read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 24, 2021

Verified Purchase

👍🏼

One person found this helpful

Jon taylor

📚

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 13, 2021

Verified Purchase

Perfect birthday gift 🎁

One person found this helpful

Damien

Amazing book!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 22, 2020

Verified Purchase

I love! Love! Love! This book. Its a bit on the expenisve side but the queslity of the book is amazing and the story is so gripping and u want to know what happens next. I highly recommend this book for pride or anytime .

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