Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing Exquisite Things by Abdi Nazemian. This author is one of my favorite YA authors. So, I was incredibly excited to get an early copy of his newest book. Be sure to check out my thoughts on some of his other books (Only This Beautiful Moment; Desert Echoes) in addition to this one. Did this book live up to the others of his that I’ve read? Continue on to find out!

From Stonewall Award–winning author Abdi Nazemian (Only This Beautiful Moment) comes the epic queer love story of a lifetime. Perfect for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Shahriar believes he was born in the wrong time. All he’s ever wanted is to love and be loved, but 1895 London doesn’t offer him the freedom to be his true self, and Oscar Wilde’s trial for gross indecency has only reaffirmed that. But one night—and one writer—will grant Shahriar what he’s always wished for: the opportunity to live in a time and place where he can love freely. Rechristened as Shams and then as Bram, he finds what feels like eternal happiness. But can anything truly be eternal?

Oliver doesn’t feel that 1920s Boston gives him a lot of options to be his full self. He knows he could only ever love another boy, but that would break his beloved mother’s heart. Oliver finds freedom and acceptance in the secret queer community at Harvard that his cousin introduces him to. When he meets a mysterious boy with eyes as warm as a flame, his life is irrevocably changed, forever.   

Spanning one hundred and thirty years of love and longing, this tale of immortal beloveds searching for their perfect place and time is a vibrant hymn to the beauty of being alive, a celebration of queer love and community, and a reminder that behind every tragic thing that ever existed, there is something exquisite.

***Thank you to HarperCollins for providing an advanced copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

This was another emotional and poignant story from Nazemian. There is so much to unpack from the narrative in Exquisite Things. First and foremost, though, this was a story about longing. Yes. There was quite a bit of pining between the two main characters. However, the beating heart of this novel was the exploration of longing for a perfect world where everyone can live and love as their authentic selves. Through the story of Bram and Oliver, an important message emerges. Nothing is perfect, but it shouldn’t stop us from living today and working to build a better tomorrow.

So many sad things happened in Exquisite Things, but the story was ultimately about hope. Queer joy and resilience were a major focus, and the characters experienced a myriad of positive and beautiful relationships that highlighted many different types of love. The emphasis on community and building a found family was possibly my favorite thing about the book. Importantly, the difficult things did not erase the good experiences or undermine their impact on the main characters. If anything, they strengthened them.

Queer history was also a huge part of Exquisite Things. From Oscar Wilde to London riots in the 1980s and beyond, this story spanned over a hundred years, and it took advantage of the main characters’ longevity to show the struggles of queer people at different points. Young people will learn so much history just from reading this book. It is truly needed at this point in time as the banning and erasure of this history is back at the forefront of political discussion and policy. Many of the events, writers, artists, and musicians highlighted in the book really illustrated the power of speaking the supposed unspeakable and living one’s life as a means of resistance.

Finally, I want to spend a minute talking about the main characters of Exquisite Things, Bram and Oliver. Bram wanted nothing more than to live in a time and place where he could love openly and live authentically. Unfortunately, he was also quite selfish. Oliver loved his mother and only wanted to take care of her and make her happy, even if his own life and desires were squashed in the process. Both boys dreamed of having a life together, but their dynamic was actually super toxic. They never really grew up despite all of their years because their development was halted at 17. The inability to change for so long ended up being more of a curse than a blessing. I understood why each of them did the things they did, but I didn’t really like their romance all that much.

Overall, this was another exceptional story from Abdi Nazemian. The history packed into this novel makes it worth a read on its own. However, the focus on queer joy amidst the struggles and the importance of living for today also stood out. The central romance was far from my favorite thing about the story, but it worked well enough to drive home the major messages of the narrative and felt congruent with how a couple of 17-year-olds would behave. Therefore, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

There you have it! My thoughts on Exquisite Things by Abdi Nazemian. Have you read any of this author’s books? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments!