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Like A Love Story
Book Review
his story had very real and relatable characters, very positive LGBTQ+ representation and was very informative on the terrible realities of the AIDS crisis
Like a Love Story is set in 1989 New York city during the AIDS crisis, where a boy named Reza moves over from Iran. Reza struggles with his sexuality, and is in constant fear of people discovering that he is gay. He then meets Art and Judy, two best friends who help Judy’s uncle Stephen, who suffers from AIDS, in his activism.
This story had very real and relatable characters, very positive LGBTQ+ representation and was very informative on the terrible realities of the AIDS crisis. The way characters with AIDS like Stephen and Jimmy were treated highlighted how harsh life was for gay and black people during those times.
The balanced narrative between the three main characters really helps establish realism. My favourite character was Art as he was funny and brave in his activism and he inspired Reza and Judy.
This book is perfect for people who are interested in important topics such as the AIDS crisis, or enjoy books with LGBTQ+ themes. I would probably say this book is for ages 13 and up, as it contains some sexual scenes and some language.
Overall, I loved this book and it was very interesting to learn more about such an important and relatively recent chapter of modern history.
A Short Introduction to the Story
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 and falls in love with Reza. 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.
Author
Abdi Nazemian
Abdi Nazemian is an Iranian-American author, screenwriter, and producer whose debut novel The Walk-In Closet won the Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Debut Fiction. He has since written acclaimed young adult books like Like a Love Story—a Stonewall Honor Book named by Time as one of the 100 best YA novels—and 'Only This Beautiful Moment'. Nazemian also writes for screen and produces films, and lives in Los Angeles.
Reviewer Profile
Ivan, 14
- Reviews: 12
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