A01=Ahmad Saber
Author_Ahmad Saber
bullying
Category=YFB
Category=YFK
Category=YNRP
Category=YXBD
coming of age
coming out of the closet
devout
eq_bestseller
eq_childrens
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_personal-social-topics
eq_teenage-young-adult
faith
family
father son relationship
first love
first romance
forthcoming
gay
identity
intolerance
Islam
LGBTQIA+
mental health struggles
Muslim
parental expectations
prejudice
queer
questioning
sexuality and religion
soccer
struggling
student athletes
team building
the big game
Product details
- ISBN 9781665960694
- Weight: 467g
- Dimensions: 140 x 210mm
- Publication Date: 02 Jul 2026
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
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“An ode to the courage it takes to live with authenticity.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
An intensely brave, beautifully honest, and wryly funny story about a gay Muslim teen who has to choose between being true to himself or his faith—and his realization that maybe they aren’t as separate as he thought.
Ramin Abbas has spent his whole life obeying his parents, his Imam, and, of course, Allah—no questions asked. But when he starts crushing on the ridiculously handsome captain of the soccer team, so many things he’d always been so sure about are becoming questions:
1. Music is haram. But what if the Wicked soundtrack is the only thing keeping you sane because you’re being forced to play on the soccer team? With Captain Handsome?!
2. A boy crush is double haram, and Ramin’s parents will never accept it. But can he really be the only Muslim on Earth who feels this way?
3. Allah is merciful and makes no mistakes. Then isn’t Ramin just the way Allah intended him to be?
And so why should living your truth but losing everything—or living a lie and losing yourself—have to be a choice?!
An intensely brave, beautifully honest, and wryly funny story about a gay Muslim teen who has to choose between being true to himself or his faith—and his realization that maybe they aren’t as separate as he thought.
Ramin Abbas has spent his whole life obeying his parents, his Imam, and, of course, Allah—no questions asked. But when he starts crushing on the ridiculously handsome captain of the soccer team, so many things he’d always been so sure about are becoming questions:
1. Music is haram. But what if the Wicked soundtrack is the only thing keeping you sane because you’re being forced to play on the soccer team? With Captain Handsome?!
2. A boy crush is double haram, and Ramin’s parents will never accept it. But can he really be the only Muslim on Earth who feels this way?
3. Allah is merciful and makes no mistakes. Then isn’t Ramin just the way Allah intended him to be?
And so why should living your truth but losing everything—or living a lie and losing yourself—have to be a choice?!
Ahmad Saber grew up on an all-girls college campus next to a massive fort in Pakistan before his family moved to Canada when he was in high school. While the move totally sucked at the time, it was one of the best things to ever happen to him. He’s now a medical doctor specializing in rheumatology, and when the clinic lights dim, he channels his passion into telling stories full of heart. Ahmad loves Broadway (favorite show = The Phantom of the Opera), Taylor Swift (favorite album = folklore), and chocolate chip cookies (he has crowned New York City’s Culture Espresso’s the best in the world). Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions is his debut novel and is based in part on his own lived experience. Follow him around on social media @TheAhmadSaber or visit his website at SaberBooks.ca.
