-
How It All Blew Up
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam, Ali Afkhami, Nikki Massoud, Nazanin Nour
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $22.50
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's summary
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda goes to Italy in Arvin Ahmadi's newest incisive look at identity and what it means to find yourself by running away.
Eighteen-year-old Amir Azadi always knew coming out to his Muslim family would be messy - he just didn't think it would end in an airport interrogation room. But when faced with a failed relationship, bullies, and blackmail, running away to Rome is his only option. Right?
Soon, late nights with new friends and dates in the Sistine Chapel start to feel like second nature...until his old life comes knocking on his door. Now, Amir has to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth to a US Customs officer, or risk losing his hard-won freedom.
At turns uplifting and devastating, How It All Blew Up is Arvin Ahmadi's most powerful novel yet, a celebration of how life's most painful moments can live alongside the riotous, life-changing joys of discovering who you are.
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Darius the Great Deserves Better
- By: Adib Khorram
- Narrated by: Michael Levi Harris
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Darius Kellner is having a bit of a year. Since his trip to Iran this past spring, a lot has changed. He's getting along with his dad, and his best friend Sohrab is only a Skype call away. Between his first boyfriend, Landon, his varsity soccer practices, and his internship at his favorite tea shop, Darius is feeling pretty okay. Like he finally knows what it means to be Darius Kellner. Then, of course, everything changes.
-
-
Beautiful
- By Johnny on 03-29-21
By: Adib Khorram
-
All That’s Left in the World
- By: Erik J. Brown
- Narrated by: Barrett Leddy, Andrew Gibson
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Andrew stumbles upon Jamie’s house, he’s injured, starved, and has nothing left to lose. A deadly pathogen has killed off most of the world’s population, including everyone both boys have ever loved. And if this new world has taught them anything, it’s to be scared of what other desperate people will do . . . so why does it seem so easy for them to trust each other? After danger breaches their shelter, they flee south in search of civilization. But something isn’t adding up about Andrew’s story, and it could cost them everything.
-
-
Fantastic story!💜
- By Tammy B on 03-15-22
By: Erik J. Brown
-
This Is Why They Hate Us
- By: Aaron H. Aceves
- Narrated by: Alejandro Ruiz
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Enrique “Quique” Luna has one goal this summer—get over his crush on Saleem Kanazi by pursuing his other romantic prospects. Never mind that he’s only out to his best friend, Fabiola. Never mind that he has absolutely zero game. And definitely forget the fact that good and kind and, not to mention, beautiful Saleem is leaving LA for the summer to meet a girl his parents are trying to set him up with. Luckily, Quique’s prospects are each intriguing in their own ways.
-
-
Great Performance; Strange Obsession with White People
- By Legio Evocati on 02-21-23
By: Aaron H. Aceves
-
Icebreaker
- By: A.L. Graziadei
- Narrated by: Tom Picasso
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seventeen-year-old Mickey James III is a college freshman, a brother to five sisters, and a hockey legacy. With a father and a grandfather who have gone down in NHL history, Mickey is almost guaranteed the league's top draft spot.
-
-
Honest about depression, hockey, and queerness
- By Melissa S Dittrich on 06-04-22
By: A.L. Graziadei
-
Cafe Con Lychee
- By: Emery Lee
- Narrated by: Avi Roque
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Theo Mori and Gabriel Moreno have always been at odds. Their parents own rival businesses—an Asian American café and a Puerto Rican bakery—and Gabi’s lack of coordination has cost their soccer team too many games to count.
-
-
The voice
- By Anthony Quintero on 10-06-23
By: Emery Lee
-
Darius the Great Is Not Okay
- By: Adib Khorram
- Narrated by: Michael Levi Harris
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He’s a Fractional Persian - half, his mom’s side - and his first-ever trip to Iran is about to change his life. Darius has never really fit in at home, and he’s sure things are going to be the same in Iran. His clinical depression doesn’t exactly help matters, and trying to explain his medication to his grandparents only makes things harder. Then Darius meets Sohrab, the boy next door, and everything changes.
-
-
Darius
- By Anonymous User on 09-09-18
By: Adib Khorram
-
Darius the Great Deserves Better
- By: Adib Khorram
- Narrated by: Michael Levi Harris
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Darius Kellner is having a bit of a year. Since his trip to Iran this past spring, a lot has changed. He's getting along with his dad, and his best friend Sohrab is only a Skype call away. Between his first boyfriend, Landon, his varsity soccer practices, and his internship at his favorite tea shop, Darius is feeling pretty okay. Like he finally knows what it means to be Darius Kellner. Then, of course, everything changes.
-
-
Beautiful
- By Johnny on 03-29-21
By: Adib Khorram
-
All That’s Left in the World
- By: Erik J. Brown
- Narrated by: Barrett Leddy, Andrew Gibson
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Andrew stumbles upon Jamie’s house, he’s injured, starved, and has nothing left to lose. A deadly pathogen has killed off most of the world’s population, including everyone both boys have ever loved. And if this new world has taught them anything, it’s to be scared of what other desperate people will do . . . so why does it seem so easy for them to trust each other? After danger breaches their shelter, they flee south in search of civilization. But something isn’t adding up about Andrew’s story, and it could cost them everything.
-
-
Fantastic story!💜
- By Tammy B on 03-15-22
By: Erik J. Brown
-
This Is Why They Hate Us
- By: Aaron H. Aceves
- Narrated by: Alejandro Ruiz
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Enrique “Quique” Luna has one goal this summer—get over his crush on Saleem Kanazi by pursuing his other romantic prospects. Never mind that he’s only out to his best friend, Fabiola. Never mind that he has absolutely zero game. And definitely forget the fact that good and kind and, not to mention, beautiful Saleem is leaving LA for the summer to meet a girl his parents are trying to set him up with. Luckily, Quique’s prospects are each intriguing in their own ways.
-
-
Great Performance; Strange Obsession with White People
- By Legio Evocati on 02-21-23
By: Aaron H. Aceves
-
Icebreaker
- By: A.L. Graziadei
- Narrated by: Tom Picasso
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seventeen-year-old Mickey James III is a college freshman, a brother to five sisters, and a hockey legacy. With a father and a grandfather who have gone down in NHL history, Mickey is almost guaranteed the league's top draft spot.
-
-
Honest about depression, hockey, and queerness
- By Melissa S Dittrich on 06-04-22
By: A.L. Graziadei
-
Cafe Con Lychee
- By: Emery Lee
- Narrated by: Avi Roque
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Theo Mori and Gabriel Moreno have always been at odds. Their parents own rival businesses—an Asian American café and a Puerto Rican bakery—and Gabi’s lack of coordination has cost their soccer team too many games to count.
-
-
The voice
- By Anthony Quintero on 10-06-23
By: Emery Lee
-
Darius the Great Is Not Okay
- By: Adib Khorram
- Narrated by: Michael Levi Harris
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He’s a Fractional Persian - half, his mom’s side - and his first-ever trip to Iran is about to change his life. Darius has never really fit in at home, and he’s sure things are going to be the same in Iran. His clinical depression doesn’t exactly help matters, and trying to explain his medication to his grandparents only makes things harder. Then Darius meets Sohrab, the boy next door, and everything changes.
-
-
Darius
- By Anonymous User on 09-09-18
By: Adib Khorram
-
Pride High, Book 1
- Red
- By: Jay Bell
- Narrated by: Talia Carver
- Length: 14 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Perfect for mature teens and nostalgic adults, this LGBTQ+ series celebrates authentic intimacy, realistic relationships, and the beautiful chaos of growing up queer. Rewind to the nineties and join a group of teenagers as they try to figure out who they are, and who they want to love. Meet your new friends:
-
-
He did it again!
- By Stanley Craver on 11-28-22
By: Jay Bell
-
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
- By: Benjamin Alire Saenz
- Narrated by: Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship - the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
-
-
One of the best novels I've listened to in years.
- By Nyx on 10-27-13
-
Boyfriend Material
- By: Alexis Hall
- Narrated by: Joe Jameson
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Luc O'Donnell is tangentially - and reluctantly - famous. His rock-star parents split when he was young, and the father he's never met spent the next 20 years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad's making a comeback, Luc's back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything. To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice normal relationship...and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He's a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and someone who has never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. He’s perfect boyfriend material.
-
-
The right material!
- By Cranky Reader on 07-08-20
By: Alexis Hall
-
Golden Boys
- By: Phil Stamper
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch, Graham Halstead, Shawn K. Jain, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s the summer before senior year. Gabriel, Reese, Sal, and Heath are best friends, bonded in their small, rural town by their queerness, their good grades, and their big dreams. But they have plans for the summer, each about to embark on a new adventure. Gabriel is interning at an environmental nonprofit in Boston. Reese is attending design school in Paris. Sal is volunteering on Capitol Hill for a senator. Heath is heading to Florida, to help out at his aunt’s boardwalk arcade.
-
-
Gay Boy Story Written by An Actual Queer Man
- By Ruben Gil on 05-06-22
By: Phil Stamper
-
Sanctuary
- By: Paola Mendoza, Abby Sher
- Narrated by: Paola Mendoza
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We meet 16-year-old Vali on the eve of a raid of her small Vermont town that sends her, her mother, and her younger brother on the run from the Deportation Forces. In this near-future America, all citizens are chipped at birth and this chip is used to track their movements from bus stops to schools to grocery stores. Vali and her mother are undocumented, but at least Vali has a counterfeit chip—until it starts malfunctioning. Now on the run, Vali and her family are desperately trying to make it to California, a sanctuary state that is being walled off from the rest of the country.
-
-
One of those books young adults SHOULD read...
- By NMwritergal on 08-04-24
By: Paola Mendoza, and others
-
The Long Run
- By: James Acker
- Narrated by: Lee Osorio, Max Meyers
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sebastian Villeda is over it. Over his rep. Over his bros. Over being "Bash the Flash," fastest sprinter in South Jersey. His dad is gone, his mom is dead, and his stepfather is clueless. Bash has no idea what he wants out of life. Until he meets Sandro.
-
-
Absolutely Amazing. I can't believe it's over.
- By chris on 08-18-23
By: James Acker
-
What If It's Us
- By: Becky Albertalli, Adam Silvera
- Narrated by: Noah Galvin, Froy Gutierrez
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it. Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things. But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them? Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated. Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.
-
-
Dull, meaningless slog
- By creatinine on 11-04-18
By: Becky Albertalli, and others
-
I'm Your Guy
- Hockey Guys, Book 2
- By: Sarina Bowen
- Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton, Jacob Morgan
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The furniture district is my personal hell. I don’t know my ass from an ottoman. But when a hot designer comes to my rescue, I realize my problems are bigger than the house I’m trying to furnish.
-
-
Good with some reservations
- By Zell Oakley on 10-11-23
By: Sarina Bowen
-
People We Meet on Vacation
- By: Emily Henry
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together.
-
-
I couldn’t finish
- By Amazon Customer on 05-30-21
By: Emily Henry
-
All Grown Up
- By: Vi Keeland
- Narrated by: Sebastian York, Andi Arndt
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When I first encountered Ford Donovan, I had no idea who he was...well, other than the obvious. Young, gorgeous, successful, smart. Did I mention young? If I did, it bears repeating. Ford Donovan was too young for me. Let’s back up to how it all started. My best friend decided I needed to start dating again. So, without my knowledge, she set up a profile for me on a popular dating site - one that invited men ages 21 to 27 to apply for a date.
-
-
Nice story but wanted more erotica!
- By SarahSue on 08-22-19
By: Vi Keeland
-
The Assignment
- By: Liza Wiemer
- Narrated by: Emily Lawrence, Lincoln Hoppe, Julia Whelan, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Would you defend the indefensible? That's what seniors Logan March and Cade Crawford are asked to do when a favorite teacher instructs a group of students to argue for the Final Solution - the Nazi plan for the genocide of the Jewish people. Logan and Cade decide they must take a stand, and soon their actions draw the attention of the student body, the administration, and the community at large.
-
-
The Assignment
- By William Carson on 11-16-22
By: Liza Wiemer
-
Before We Were Strangers
- By: Renée Carlino
- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins, Samantha Summers
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To the Green-Eyed Lovebird: We met 15 years ago, almost to the day, when I moved my stuff into the NYU dorm room next to yours at Senior House. You called us fast friends. I like to think it was more. We lived on nothing but the excitement of finding ourselves through music (you were obsessed with Jeff Buckley), photography (I couldn’t stop taking pictures of you), hanging out in Washington Square Park, and all the weird things we did to make money. I learned more about myself that year than any other. Yet, somehow, it all fell apart.
-
-
So good!!!
- By Anonymous User on 05-11-21
By: Renée Carlino
Critic reviews
"Arvin Ahmadi has written a novel that is authentic, hilarious, and heart-wrenching all at once. A unique point of view combined with riveting storytelling, How It All Blew Up will grab you from the first page and won't let go." (Angie Thomas, number one New York Times best-selling author of The Hate U Give and On the Come Up)
"Ahmadi’s writing is gripping, taking readers through the myriad emotions a gay Muslim teen experiences growing up in a country whose government is looking for an excuse to demonize Muslims." (Kirkus Reviews)
"A fully realized, deeply sympathetic character.... The result is compelling. (Booklist)
Related to this topic
-
Swear on This Life
- A Novel
- By: Renée Carlino
- Narrated by: Traci Odom
- Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A struggling writer must come to terms with her past, present, and future after she discovers that she's the inspiration for a pseudonymously published best-selling novel.
-
-
Outstanding Story!
- By Jen Seagraves on 07-28-20
By: Renée Carlino
-
Wish You Were Here
- A Novel
- By: Renée Carlino
- Narrated by: Ava Lucas
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Charlotte has spent her 20s adrift, searching for a spark to jump-start her life and give her a sense of purpose. She’s had as many jobs as she’s had bad relationships, and now she’s feeling especially lost in her less-than-glamorous gig at a pie-and-fry joint in Los Angeles, where the uniforms are bad and the tips are even worse. Then she collides - literally - with Adam, an intriguing, handsome, and mysterious painter.
-
-
language within first 2 minutes
- By kay on 04-11-20
By: Renée Carlino
-
Where I Left Her
- By: Amber Garza
- Narrated by: Vivienne Leheny
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whitney had some misgivings when she dropped her increasingly moody teenage daughter, Amelia, off at Lauren’s house. She’d never met the parents, and usually she’d go in, but Amelia clearly wasn’t going to let something so humiliating happen, so instead Whitney waved to her daughter before pulling away from the little house with the roses in front. But when she goes back the next day, an elderly couple answers the door - Amelia and Lauren aren’t there, and this couple swears they never were, that she’s at the wrong house.
-
-
Kept me guessing!!
- By Sheppardspie on 09-13-21
By: Amber Garza
-
The First Husband
- By: Laura Dave
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Klett
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Annie Adams is days away from her 32nd birthday and thinks she has finally found some happiness. She visits the world's most interesting places for her syndicated travel column and she's happily cohabiting with her movie director boyfriend Nick in Los Angeles. But when Nick comes home from a meeting with his therapist (aka "futures counselor") and announces that he's taking a break from their relationship so he can pursue a woman from his past, the place Annie had come to call home is shattered.
-
-
Meh
- By Bernice Holland on 05-16-21
By: Laura Dave
-
Stay Gold
- By: Tobly McSmith
- Narrated by: Theo Germaine, Phoebe Strole
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pony plans to fly under the radar this year. Tired of getting too much attention at his old school after coming out as transgender, he’s hoping for a fresh start as a Hillcrest High senior. But it’s hard to live your best life with the threat of exposure lurking around every corner. Georgia is beginning to think there’s more to life than cheerleading. She just wants to keep a low profile until graduation...which is why she promised herself that dating is a nonstarter for the foreseeable future.
-
-
Must Read
- By Khoula on 08-17-20
By: Tobly McSmith
-
The Stuff that Never Happened
- A Novel
- By: Maddie Dawson
- Narrated by: Teri Clark Linden
- Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Annabelle McKay knows she shouldn’t have any complaints. She’s been in a stable marriage that’s lasted almost three decades and has provided her with two wonderful children and thousands of family dinners around a sturdy oak table. Other wives envy the fact that Grant is not the type of man who would ever cheat on her or leave her for a younger woman. The trouble is Annabelle isn’t sure she wants to be married to Grant anymore. The trouble is she’s still in love with someone else.
-
-
Don’t pass this one up.
- By Lauren on 03-10-20
By: Maddie Dawson
-
Swear on This Life
- A Novel
- By: Renée Carlino
- Narrated by: Traci Odom
- Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A struggling writer must come to terms with her past, present, and future after she discovers that she's the inspiration for a pseudonymously published best-selling novel.
-
-
Outstanding Story!
- By Jen Seagraves on 07-28-20
By: Renée Carlino
-
Wish You Were Here
- A Novel
- By: Renée Carlino
- Narrated by: Ava Lucas
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Charlotte has spent her 20s adrift, searching for a spark to jump-start her life and give her a sense of purpose. She’s had as many jobs as she’s had bad relationships, and now she’s feeling especially lost in her less-than-glamorous gig at a pie-and-fry joint in Los Angeles, where the uniforms are bad and the tips are even worse. Then she collides - literally - with Adam, an intriguing, handsome, and mysterious painter.
-
-
language within first 2 minutes
- By kay on 04-11-20
By: Renée Carlino
-
Where I Left Her
- By: Amber Garza
- Narrated by: Vivienne Leheny
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whitney had some misgivings when she dropped her increasingly moody teenage daughter, Amelia, off at Lauren’s house. She’d never met the parents, and usually she’d go in, but Amelia clearly wasn’t going to let something so humiliating happen, so instead Whitney waved to her daughter before pulling away from the little house with the roses in front. But when she goes back the next day, an elderly couple answers the door - Amelia and Lauren aren’t there, and this couple swears they never were, that she’s at the wrong house.
-
-
Kept me guessing!!
- By Sheppardspie on 09-13-21
By: Amber Garza
-
The First Husband
- By: Laura Dave
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Klett
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Annie Adams is days away from her 32nd birthday and thinks she has finally found some happiness. She visits the world's most interesting places for her syndicated travel column and she's happily cohabiting with her movie director boyfriend Nick in Los Angeles. But when Nick comes home from a meeting with his therapist (aka "futures counselor") and announces that he's taking a break from their relationship so he can pursue a woman from his past, the place Annie had come to call home is shattered.
-
-
Meh
- By Bernice Holland on 05-16-21
By: Laura Dave
-
Stay Gold
- By: Tobly McSmith
- Narrated by: Theo Germaine, Phoebe Strole
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pony plans to fly under the radar this year. Tired of getting too much attention at his old school after coming out as transgender, he’s hoping for a fresh start as a Hillcrest High senior. But it’s hard to live your best life with the threat of exposure lurking around every corner. Georgia is beginning to think there’s more to life than cheerleading. She just wants to keep a low profile until graduation...which is why she promised herself that dating is a nonstarter for the foreseeable future.
-
-
Must Read
- By Khoula on 08-17-20
By: Tobly McSmith
-
The Stuff that Never Happened
- A Novel
- By: Maddie Dawson
- Narrated by: Teri Clark Linden
- Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Annabelle McKay knows she shouldn’t have any complaints. She’s been in a stable marriage that’s lasted almost three decades and has provided her with two wonderful children and thousands of family dinners around a sturdy oak table. Other wives envy the fact that Grant is not the type of man who would ever cheat on her or leave her for a younger woman. The trouble is Annabelle isn’t sure she wants to be married to Grant anymore. The trouble is she’s still in love with someone else.
-
-
Don’t pass this one up.
- By Lauren on 03-10-20
By: Maddie Dawson
-
Reprieve
- A Novel
- By: James Han Mattson
- Narrated by: JD Jackson
- Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On April 27, 1997, four contestants make it to the final cell of the Quigley House, a full-contact haunted escape room in Lincoln, Nebraska, made famous for its monstrosities, booby-traps, and ghoulishly costumed actors. If the group can endure these horrors without shouting the safe word, “reprieve,” they’ll win a substantial cash prize - a startling feat accomplished only by one other group in the house’s long history. But before they can complete the challenge, a man breaks into the cell and kills one of the contestants.
-
-
creepy escape room story
- By Barbara S on 11-18-21
-
It Had to Be You
- A Novel
- By: Georgia Clark
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell, Feodor Chin, Frankie Corzo, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the past 20 years, Liv and Eliot Goldenhorn have run In Love in New York, Brooklyn’s beloved wedding-planning business. When Eliot dies unexpectedly, he even more unexpectedly leaves half of the business to his younger, blonder girlfriend, Savannah. Liv and Savannah are not a match made in heaven, to say the least. But what starts as a personal and professional nightmare transforms into something even savvy, cynical Liv Goldenhorn couldn’t begin to imagine.
-
-
Distractingly bad narration
- By maggie walsh on 05-12-21
By: Georgia Clark
-
You Say It First
- By: Katie Cotugno
- Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie, Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One conversation can change everything. Meg has her entire life set up perfectly: She and her best friend, Emily, plan to head to Cornell together in the fall, and she works at a voter registration call center in her Philadelphia suburb. But everything changes when one of those calls connects her to a stranger from small-town Ohio.
-
-
Good for a placeholder
- By KJzCola on 07-16-21
By: Katie Cotugno
-
Tell Me Everything
- A Novel
- By: Cambria Brockman
- Narrated by: Ariadne Meyers
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her first weeks at Hawthorne College, Malin is swept up into a tight-knit circle that will stick together through all four years. There’s Gemma, an insecure theater major from London; John, a tall, handsome, wealthy New Englander; Max, John’s cousin, a shy pre-med major; Khaled, a wisecracking prince from Abu Dhabi; and Ruby, a beautiful art history major. But Malin isn’t like the rest of her friends. She’s an expert at hiding her troubled past - all while using her extraordinary insight to detect their deepest vulnerabilities and weaknesses.
-
-
beware
- By keith y. on 10-03-19
By: Cambria Brockman
-
The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets
- A Novel
- By: Molly Fader
- Narrated by: Nancy Peterson
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s been 17 years since the tragic summer the McAvoy sisters fell apart. Lindy, the wild one, left home, carved out a new life in the city, and never looked back. Delia, the sister who stayed, became a mother herself, raising her daughters and running the family shop in their small Ohio hometown on the shores of Lake Erie. But now, with their mother’s ailing health and a rebellious teenager to rein in, Delia has no choice but to welcome Lindy home.
-
-
Great story
- By Nessa on 09-25-23
By: Molly Fader
-
On the Corner of Love and Hate
- By: Nina Bocci
- Narrated by: Dara Rosenberg
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Emmanuelle Peroni’s father - and mayor of her town - asks her to help rehab Cooper Endicott’s image, she’s horrified. Cooper drives her crazy in every way possible. But he’s also her father’s protégé, and she can’t say no to him without him finding out the reason why: Cooper and her have a messy past. So Emmanuelle reluctantly launches her father’s grand plan to get this Casanova someone to settle down with and help him lose his Lothario reputation.
-
-
Sweet, Sassy and Intelligent
- By Belle Barrell on 10-26-19
By: Nina Bocci
What listeners say about How It All Blew Up
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 12-28-20
I needed this book!
There are so many ways I relate to Amir’s story: growing up gay in a culture and religion that aren’t accepting, escaping to Europe and finding a chosen family there, experiencing true romance in a city filled with cafes, plazas and nights out with new friends that blurred into mornings, returning home to the US because of the importance of family, and reconciling an authentic life with a hidden one. The format in which the story is written weaves in and out between a narrative and narration by Amir and his family in a situation at the airport that is all too familiar for people who share similar names and backgrounds. Through this book, we the readers are gifted the Iranian cultural expression of storytelling and the skill of its author to present such a treasure to us. I look forward to listening to this one more times to come!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Beck
- 10-25-20
Loved it :D
This was honestly really good, the first page got me hooked and the book was really funny.
**spoilers**:
The part that got me the most emotional was when Amir was telling Jahan he lied about his family kicking him out.
The Sistine chapel part was also really well written and I felt transported, even though I've only seen photos.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- BigMorningStar
- 07-03-22
There better be sequels
In a panic over being blackmailed and on the verge of being outed to his conservative American-Iranian family, the main character, Amir, makes a spur-of-the-moment decision to flee ... to Rome.
There's no MM romance here, just a gay coming-of-age story, a real adventure that's as much fun as the romp Oliver and Elio had in Rome in "Call Me By Your Name."
It was enough to make me want to jump on a plane and spend a month in the city. But listening to this book is probably more fun than an actual trip to Rome. The characters in this book are that intoxicating.
The novel is also fun in that it opens with a bang and unfolds in an inventive format, a series of flashbacks told by Amir and his family as they are being interrogated in different rooms at a U.S. airport after having an in-flight family spat.
So good.
Oh, and the narrators were excellent!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Eddiedelso Garcia
- 09-29-20
Best Book I’ve Read in a While
I never write reviews for books. But this one calls for it. Everyone should read this heart-warming, funny, and authentic story. This story is as much about sexuality and religion as it is about connection, love, adventure and stepping into your full self. No matter how dark or scary life gets...no matter the curveballs, this story reminded me that it’s equally as beautiful. That everyone should face their fears eventually, embrace uncertainty, love themselves fully.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Maryam
- 05-08-24
Such a powerful story
Beautiful coming out/ coming of age story in a very creative way. As a queer Iranian myself I enjoyed the representation very much as well
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jenn
- 02-11-21
The only way to hear this story is to listen...
It’s hard to be different sometimes, and it’s scary, and you want to run. You want to run from people you think might reject you. You want to run so you don’t have to explain the you that you haven’t figured out yet yourself. Some people will not understand you. That will be hard, but you never know unless you give them a chance.
Listen via audio, the full cast performance makes this story, and the nature of it... trust me when I say it’s worth a listen.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jackson Theofore Keys
- 12-09-20
A very good story served up poorly
This book was about a Persian American boy who fled to Rome rather than telling them he was gay. During his summer in Rome, he meets interesting people and grows up a bit to accept himself. However there were some major problems with the book. The first was how the author set up the story. Instead of Amir telling his story in full, the book set up everything from the point of an interrogation room where each family member added bits to the story. This made the flow of the book quite jumpy. Second, most of the characters other than Amir were never fleshed out enough to feel like I knew one guy from another. Amir's parents had more form and life than the rest of other characters, so it wasn't hopeless. Third, no one in an interrogation room would tell such a detailed story to strangers, especially officers who wouldn't care. I was often so incredulous of Amir's story to the officer, that I was pulled out of the story. Finally, most of the voice acting was quite good. However, the person reading Amir tended to drift in his accents, which led to confusion.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful