Abdi Nazemian

Abdi Nazemian is an author, screenwriter, and producer whose novels move between queer history, memory, and belonging. His young adult books include The Authentics, Like a Love Story, and The Chandler Legacies; Like a Love Story received a Stonewall Honor. He also speaks with students about writing, Iran, and representation.

Photo: Marc Ohrem-Leclef · Source: About Abdi Nazemian ↗

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Editions4

Media10

Years covered2019

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Like a Love Story

2019 · Contemporary

Print — Amazon

4 editions: Hardcover · 2019 | Paperback · 2020 | Audiobook · 2019 | eBook · 2019

About this work & edition details

In New York City in 1989, Reza, Judy, and Art are coming of age during the AIDS crisis. Reza has recently arrived from Iran and fears acknowledging that he is gay. Judy is an aspiring designer devoted to her uncle Stephen, an ACT UP activist living with AIDS. Her best friend Art is openly gay and documents the crisis through photography despite his parents' disapproval. When Judy begins dating Reza and Reza grows closer to Art, affection and secrecy threaten their friendships. The novel follows the three teens as they seek honesty, community, and the courage to live fully.

Hardcover · Balzer + Bray · 2019-06-04 · English
ISBN 9780062839367

Paperback · HarperCollins · 2020-05-05 · English
ISBN 9780062839374

Audiobook · Harper Audio · 2019-06-04 · English
ISBN 9780062911131

eBook · HarperCollins · 2019-06-04 · English
ISBN 9780062839381

Podcasts & Discussion (8)

Advice Ten Bucks“Choose bravery over fear” – Abdi Nazemian ↗2026-08-13 Moms Into Literary FreedomLike a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian: Pride 🏳️‍🌈 in July ↗2026-07-16 MLVC: The Madonna PodcastMadonna at The Abbey with Abdi Nazemian ↗2026-04-28 This Queer Book Saved My LifeAnother Country with Abdi Nazemian ↗2025-09-09 Lost Spaces: Memories from Gay Bars, Lesbian Clubs, and LGBTQ+ PartiesGreatest Hits - 'Disco 2000 Was The Hub Of The Club Kids Scene' - with Abdi Nazemian ↗2025-09-03 So, Mom...Abdi Nazemian's Journey: Banned, Beloved, and Like a Love Story ↗2025-08-19 Lit MatchFirst Chapters: The Chandler Legacies by Abdi Nazemian ↗2022-03-28 Remember Reading PodcastComing-Out Stories (ft. Becky Albertalli, Abdi Nazemian, & Jason June) ↗2021-10-13

Listen & Watch

Coming-Out Stories

Nazemian joins Becky Albertalli and Jason June for a conversation about coming-out stories and young adult literature.

Abdi Nazemian’s Journey

Nazemian discusses the path from banned books to beloved stories and the making of Like a Love Story.

More About Abdi Nazemian

Abdi Nazemian is an author, screenwriter, and producer whose life between Tehran, Paris, Toronto, and New York informs a body of work concerned with memory, belonging, and queer history. His official biography traces that path from childhood across several cities to a writing life that moves between books and film.

His young adult novels include The Authentics, Like a Love Story, and The Chandler Legacies . Like a Love Story received a Stonewall Honor and was named to Time’s list of the 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time; Nazemian also writes for the screen and speaks with students about writing, Iran, and representation.

Awards & Recognition

Stonewall Honor — Like a Love Story

The official biography notes Like a Love Story’s Stonewall Honor and its place on Time’s list of the 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time.

Critical Reception

Like a Love Story — Kirkus Reviews

Kirkus calls the AIDS-crisis romance “Deeply moving,” tracing fear, love, and acceptance through three teens.