Desert Echoes

A teen’s grief over his boyfriend’s disappearance becomes all-consuming in this poignant novel from Nazemian (Only This Beautiful Moment). Iranian American Kam Khorramian started dating artsy, white-cued senior Ash Greene during the pandemic, when Kam was 15. But while on a trip the pair took to Joshua Tree National Park, Ash disappeared. Two years later, Kam has been having trouble navigating mental health-related challenges, his grades have plummeted, and he clings to the belief that Ash might still be alive despite gentle pushes from his movie-star handsome best friend Bodie—also gay and Iranian American—for Kam to move on. When it’s announced that the school’s annual gay-straight alliance trip is planned for Joshua Tree, Bodie, Kam’s mother, and the GSA adviser worry that the trip could be triggering for him. But Kam insists on going, hopeful that returning to the park will help him understand what happened. Dual timelines detail the looming Joshua Tree trip alongside flashbacks to Kam and Ash’s blazing, rocky relationship, all of which culminates in a heartfelt story about a teen struggling to accept painful realities. Ages 14–up. Agent: John Cusick, Folio Literary. (Sept.)