Desert Echoes - by Abdi Nazemian (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

From Abdi Nazemian, the award-winning author of Like a Love Story and Only This Beautiful Moment, comes a suspenseful contemporary YA novel about loss and love.

Fifteen-year-old Kam is head over heels for Ash, the boy who swept him off his feet. But his family and best friend, Bodie, are worried. Something seems off about Ash. He also has a habit of disappearing, at times for days. When Ash asks Kam to join him on a trip to Joshua Tree, the two of them walk off into the sunset . . . but only Kam returns.

Two years later, Kam is still left with a hole in his heart and too many unanswered questions. So it feels like fate when a school trip takes him back to Joshua Tree. On the trip, Kam wants to find closure about what happened to Ash but instead finds himself in danger of facing a similar fate. In the desert, Kam must reckon with the truth of his past relationship--and the possibility of opening himself up to love once again.

Desert Echoes is a propulsive, moving story about human resilience and connection.

Review Quotes

"An absolutely mesmerizing exploration of grief and self-discovery. Abdi Nazemian is an unforgettable voice whose work reads like a gift to the queer community and beyond." - Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Only This Beautiful Moment is a triumph. A touching story about family and identity, secrets and generational trauma, and, most of all, the love that brings us together." - Arvin Ahmadi, author of How It All Blew Up
"Only This Beautiful Moment is the must-read book of 2023. Abdi Nazemian has managed to write a multi-generational story that is both universal and specific to the Iranian queer experience. I couldn't put it down. I can't stop talking about it and neither will you." - Firoozeh Dumas, New York Times bestselling author
"Nazemian expertly bridges the past and the present, exploring racism, homophobia, and relations between the United States and Iran along the way. His elegant prose propels this historically resonant and culturally nuanced family drama. A stunning intergenerational coming-of-age story." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Three characters discover their inner truths at a time that sometimes feels apocalyptic for their community and loved ones.... The intense and nuanced emotions evoked by the characters' journeys help to give this powerful novel by Nazemian a timeless relevance." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Inspired by Nazemian's own boarding school experiences, this gripping story reads like an insider's exposé into abusive school cultures and trauma. Haunting truths and compelling storytelling make for an unforgettable, important read." - School Library Journal (starred review)
"All the sweet and salty joys of candy, but with the nourishment of a home-cooked meal. This is a joyous and suspenseful reminder of the possibilities--and complications--of the human connections that make a life worth living." - Eliot Schrefer, National Book Award finalist
"A teen boy finds himself after a tragic loss... a poignant and enjoyable whole that sensitively but honestly explores relationships, grief, identity, and addiction. A bittersweet and sincere coming-of-age story."--Kirkus - Kirkus Reviews
"Nazemian (Only This Beautiful Moment, 2023) has written a deeply felt and memorable love story between two highly empathic teens, a moving exploration of Kam and Bodie's enduring friendship, both relationships ultimately inviting thought about the nature of love." - Booklist
"The ferociously authentic Daria is a memorable protagonist." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Praise for THE CHANDLER LEGACIES: "While writing a classic school story, Nazemian does a superb job of giving his chief characters individual, idiosyncratic identities while also bringing the writing workshop to life.... [a] wellcrafted, memorable story whose sympathetic characters will resonate with readers. Professor Douglas would surely give it an A." - ALA Booklist (starred review)
Praise for LIKE A LOVE STORY: "Nazemian paints a picture of late '80s queer life in New York City that's neither romanticized nor viewed as only tragic.... [His] latest will remind readers that first love is isolating and unifying, exhilarating and terrifying, and every paradox in between." - ALA Booklist (starred review)
Praise for THE AUTHENTICS: "As with the novels of Benjamin Alire Saenz or Randa Abdel-Fattah, Daria's thought-provoking journey will resonate with teen readers of all backgrounds." - ALA Booklist (starred review)
Praise for ONLY THIS BEAUTIFUL MOMENT: "This story, told in three points of view from three generations of the same family, is nothing short of masterful. This is the kind of story that young adult literature is made for--a story of the heart, of the very real human struggles young people face and that adults try to--but never truly--forget." - ALA Booklist (starred review)
"Only Abdi Nazemian can craft such a beautiful story about grief, the weight of addiction, and first loves. Iranian best friends Kam and Bodie will capture your hearts while the L.A. desert will haunt you. A true masterpiece!" - Lilliam Rivera, award-winning author of Never Look Back