Title: Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions
Author: Ahmad Saber
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 416
Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Review Copy: ARC by publisher
Availability: Available Now
Summary: An intensely brave, beautifully honest, and wryly funny story about a gay Muslim teen who has to choose between being true to himself or his faith—and his realization that maybe they aren’t as separate as he thought.
Ramin Abbas has spent his whole life obeying his parents, his Imam, and, of course, Allah—no questions asked. But when he starts crushing on the ridiculously handsome captain of the soccer team, so many things he’d always been so sure about are becoming questions:
1. Music is haram. But what if the Wicked soundtrack is the only thing keeping you sane because you’re being forced to play on the soccer team? With Captain Handsome?!
2. A boy crush is double haram, and Ramin’s parents will never accept it. But can he really be the only Muslim on Earth who feels this way?
3. Allah is merciful and makes no mistakes. Then isn’t Ramin just the way Allah intended him to be?
And so why should living your truth but losing everything—or living a lie and losing yourself—have to be a choice?!
Review: I had a lot of fun reading Ahmad Saber’s debut novel, which I admit sounds odd, but the mix of deep probing questions, truly heart felt moments, and Ramin’s personality, is what made this novel so enjoyable. Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Problems falls into the category of LGBTQ coming out novels, but this novel has a certain lightness to it through the way Ramin views the world. He is a very respectful young man, but inwardly he’s very sarcastic so those inner thoughts and reactions can be quite funny. I found myself chuckling a few times. And Ramin’s loving personality is what is the strength of this novel.
Like many religions, there are different ways to be faithful and Ramin has been raised in a very strict household that prohibit a great many things. Ramin, while have a strong belief in God, is starting to question everything especially as he comes to terms with his sexuality. Like many seniors in high school, Ramin is on the cusp of adulthood and true independence for the first time. This has him wondering what his life could be like at NYU, which makes him begin to question his religion, his place in the world, and what it means to be gay. Ramin knows he is gay, but he’s not quite confident with his sexuality because he knows his family won’t accept him, nor would his community. His best friend has just moved so Ramin has no one to talk to so he keeps all his thoughts to himself. And then the unthinkable happens, his bully learns his secret and when Ramin is forced to join the soccer team to graduate, his bully (who is also on the team) takes advantage of the situation. Of course this sends Ramin into a tailspin because he’s constantly worried he’ll be outed by the bully and also because he’s not athletic, in the least. But because he wants to attend NYU more than anything, he pushes through and is changed for the better. The members of the soccer team, specifically a set of twins, are not as he imagined and he ends up becoming friends with most of them. And the development of this relationship really warmed me to the story. Ramin was put in a uncomfortable position, but also were the members of the team, but all of the young men (aside from the bully) were extremely welcoming to Ramin and supportive. This storyline was truly the testament to the power of friendship as Ramin went from frightened to confident with his soccer skills and even truly felt like a member of the team rather than an outsider, as he felt in the beginning. These boys also ranged in how they practiced their beliefs which opened up Ramin’s world as well. He saw different perspectives and interpretations of religious doctrine which helped him become more confident with expressing his sexuality to others. Ramin is a very lovable guy and the reader can truly connect with him immediately. I was rooting for him all throughout and there were points where I know as I actively smiling at the support Ramin had.
And that is what truly made this novel so enjoyable to me. A coming out story that was so full of heart, of warmth, that when I was done I was left with a sense that despite some setbacks, Ramin was going to be okay.