I don’t know. I don’t know if I’m emotional today or if this is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read/listened to. (The author narrates the audiobook.) I wept four or five times near the end. Tonally, it’s Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse meets Daniel Wallace’s Big Fish. The way the author weaves in and out of Persian myths and childlike stream-of-consciousness to tell his classmates (and his teacher) his story is beyond beautiful. There are tiny, perfect details that get picked up and carried through the story, dropped every so often in the most achingly beautiful way. It deserves the awards. *It should be noted that this is definitely for older YA readers. There really is no traditional plot to speak of and it moves more on the waves and crests of emotion.*