Overview

The Authentics is a fresh, funny, and insightful novel about culture, love, and family--the kind we are born into and the ones we create. Daria Esfandyar is Iranian-American and proud of her heritage, unlike some of the ""Nose Jobs"" in the clique led by her former best friend, Heidi Javadi. Daria and her friends call themselves the Authentics, because they pride themselves on always keeping it real. But in the course of researching a school project, Daria learns something shocking about her past, which launches her on a journey of self-discovery. It seems everyone is keeping secrets. And it's getting harder to know who she even is any longer. With infighting among the Authentics, her mother planning an over-the-top sweet sixteen party, and a romance that should be totally off limits, Daria doesn't have time for this identity crisis. As everything in her life is spinning out of control--can she figure out how to stay true to herself? An Adoption Story: A school genealogy project leads to a shocking discovery: Daria isn't who she thinks she is, and her family has been hiding the truth her entire life. A Witty Iranian-American Heroine: Navigating the Persian community of ""Tehrangeles,"" Daria prides herself on being real--but staying authentic is harder than ever when your whole identity is a lie. Unbreakable Bonds and Teen Rivalries: While Daria's friend group, ""The Authentics,"" is her rock, infighting and a rivalry with her former best friend, Heidi, threaten to tear everything apart. An Off-Limits Crush: On top of everything, Daria finds herself falling for a guy she absolutely shouldn't want--a connection that complicates her search for the truth even more. Mother-Daughter Conflict: From over-the-top sweet sixteen plans to clashing values, Daria's relationship with her perfectly put-together mother, Sheila, is at a breaking point.

Full Product Details

9780062486462

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Reviews

A beautiful and compelling story about identity, race, and family love. A must read in an age where #weneeddiversebooks more than ever. --Melissa de la Cruz, New York Times bestselling author

Author Information

Abdi Nazemian is the author of Only This Beautiful Moment--winner of the 2024 Stonewall Award and 2024 Lambda Literary Award--and Like a Love Story, a Stonewall Honor Book and one of Time magazine's 100 Best YA Books of All Time. He is also the author of the young adult novels Desert Echoes, The Chandler Legacies, and The Authentics. His novel The Walk-In Closet won the Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Debut Fiction. His screenwriting credits include the films The Artist's Wife, The Quiet, and Menendez: Blood Brothers and the television series Ordinary Joe and The Village. He has been an executive producer and associate producer on numerous films, including Call Me by Your Name, Little Woods, and The House of Tomorrow. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband, their two children, and their dog, Disco. Find him online at abdinazemian.com.

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