Coming September 10th, 2024 from HarperCollins Children’s Books; 187 pages
Content Warning: Substance abuse, sexual content, discussion of suicide
About the Author: “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 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” (Bio from author’s website).
Find Abdi Nazemian on the following platforms:
Desert Echoes revolves around the grief of Kam, a junior in highschool who is struggling to move past his boyfriend, Ash, who mysteriously disappeared in the middle of Joshua Tree National Park. Kam grapples with his traditional Iranian parents who do not understand his sexuality while also watching their marriage fall apart due to his father’s addiction. In between this, he has to deal with his classmates blaming him for Ash’s disappearance while his best friend pressures him to leave the past in the past. When the Gender and Sexualities Alliance at his high school decides to have their annual trip at Joshua Tree National Park, Kam must decide whether going back is the right thing for him, even if it’s against the wishes of the people who care about him. Or, if returning there after two years will do more harm than good.
Abdi Nazemian’s novel is a devastating tale of heartbreak and perseverance. Kam seems to face one obstacle after another: coming out to his parents, navigating a relationship while trying to keep the peace with his best friend, and watching those he loves crumble under weights he doesn’t understand. The novel is told through two time periods. During “First Year,” Kam and Ash meet and a relationship begins to form. In “Junior Year,” Kam is failing to come to terms with the fact that Ash is most likely gone. I enjoyed the flashbacks, as they made it possible to understand the depth of Kam’s feelings towards Ash and the stances of Kam’s family and friends, including why they never quite trusted Ash. I found myself a little disappointed as moments that felt significant seemed to be brushed past, and scenes I anticipated went by too quickly. The majority of the novel was spent building up to the potential moment that Kam would go to the desert, and the ending came rather abruptly. I did find other aspects of the book enjoyable, as I thought the characters were well-rounded and carefully developed within the plot. Overall, I found Desert Echoes very interesting and structurally unique, but I found the compassion lacking as the novel came to a close.
Desert Echoes releases on September 10th, 2024.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank SparkPoint Studio, NetGalley, and HarperCollins Children’s Books for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Hannah Goerndt, Pine Reads Review Writer