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Cover of Like a Love Story

Like a Love Story

by Abdi Nazemian

ISBN: 9780062839381HarperCollins

It's 1989 in New York City, and for three teens, the world is changing. Reza is an Iranian boy who has just moved to the city with his mother to live with his stepfather and stepbrother. He's terrified that someone will guess the truth he can barely acknowledge about himself. Reza knows he's gay, but all he knows of gay life are the media's images of men dying of AIDS. Judy is an aspiring fashion designer who worships her uncle Stephen, a gay man with AIDS who devotes his time to activism as a member of ACT UP. Judy has never imagined finding romance...until she falls for Reza and they start dating. Art is Judy's best friend, their school's only out and proud teen. He'll never be who his conservative parents want him to be, so he rebels by documenting the AIDS crisis through his photographs. As Reza and Art grow closer, Reza struggles to find a way out of his deception that won't break Judy's heart--and destroy the most meaningful friendship he's ever known.

Genres

YA FictionLGBTQ Fiction
Author self-identifies as: person of color, LGBTQ+source ↗About these classifications →

Banned or challenged 7 times across 7 jurisdictions.

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Related Laws

This book has been banned or challenged under these laws.

⚠ Challenger signal

Also flagged by 2 challenger groups

These groups have publicly targeted this book for removal. This is NOT a confirmed ban — it’s a signal that the book is on one or more challenger lists, which often precedes formal challenges in specific districts. See methodology for how we distinguish targeting from enforcement.

Timeline

Unified view of laws affecting this book and jurisdictions where it’s been removed or challenged, in chronological order.

19 law events6 ban events
  1. 22

    Mar 22, 2022

    LawFlorida H 1467

    Signed by Officers and presented to Governor

  2. 22

    Mar 25, 2022

    LawFlorida H 1467

    Approved by Governor

  3. 23

    May 3, 2023

    LawFlorida H 1069

    Ordered enrolled

  4. 23

    May 16, 2023

    LawFlorida H 1069

    Signed by Officers and presented to Governor

  5. 23

    May 17, 2023

    LawFlorida H 1069

    Approved by Governor

  6. 23

    Jun 13, 2023

    LawTexas HB 900

    Signed by the Governor

  7. 23

    Jun 30, 2023

    Banremoved

    Clay County School District, FL

    Removed per FL Stat. 1006.28(2) — reported in the FL DoE 2022-2023 statewide report.

  8. 24

    Apr 23, 2024

    LawTennessee HB 0843

    Signed by Governor.

  9. 24

    May 1, 2024

    LawTennessee HB 0843

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2024

  10. 24

    Sep 17, 2024

    LawUtah HB 0029

    Canyons School District (UT) adopts revised Policy 600.06 implementing HB 29 and HB 374 requirements. Policy establishes dual-track review for objective and subjective sensitive material, 10/45/60/45-day timelines, 2-challenge-per-parent-per-year limit, 3-strikes rule for unsuccessful challengers, 5-year cool-down after successful defense, and HB 29 statewide removal threshold. Notable: 'The District will not give deference to sensitive material reviews conducted by other educational entities.'

  11. 24

    Oct 24, 2024

    Banremoved

    Wilson County Schools, TN

    Pulled from Wilson County Schools libraries in October 2024 to comply with Tennessee HB 843.

  12. 25

    Jan 28, 2025

    LawUtah HB 0029

    Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian meets statewide 3-district threshold (districts: Davis, Jordan, Washington).

    Banremoved

    Davis School District, UT

    Removed by Davis School District and added to the USBE statewide sensitive materials list. Statewide prohibition triggered under HB 0374 (2024).

    Banremoved

    Jordan School District, UT

    Removed by Jordan School District and added to the USBE statewide sensitive materials list. Statewide prohibition triggered under HB 0374 (2024).

    Banremoved

    Washington School District, UT

    Removed by Washington School District and added to the USBE statewide sensitive materials list. Statewide prohibition triggered under HB 0374 (2024).

  13. 25

    May 6, 2025

    LawTexas SB 13

    SB 13 heads to House floor. Texas Freedom Network hosts Read-In protest inside Texas Capitol chamber steps, with students, educators, parents, bookstore owners opposing the bill.

  14. 25

    May 31, 2025

    LawTexas SB 13

    Gov. Greg Abbott signs SB 13 into law. Establishes school library advisory councils (majority parents), requires removal of "profane," "indecent," or "sexually explicit" content.

  15. 25

    Jun 20, 2025

    LawTexas SB 13

    Signed by the Governor

  16. 25

    Aug 13, 2025

    LawFlorida H 1069

    Federal Judge Carlos Mendoza (U.S. Middle District of FL) rules in Penguin Random House v. Gibson that HB 1069 provision targeting "descriptions of sexual conduct" is unconstitutionally overbroad. Named 23 books and stated "none of these books are obscene." The mandate to remove books with even a single reference to prohibited subject matter violates students' First Amendment right of free access to ideas. Parts requiring a process for challenging books were NOT struck down.

  17. 25

    Sep 1, 2025

    LawTexas SB 13

    SB 13 takes effect for 2025-2026 school year. New Braunfels ISD begins removing 1,540+ books under the law.

  18. 25

    Nov 17, 2025

    Banchallenged

    Abilene ISD, TX

    Challenged at SLAC meeting on Nov 17, 2025. Board of Trustees voted 5-1 on Jan 8, 2026 to retain. Petition for review filed with TX Commissioner of Education Feb 23, 2026.

  19. 26

    Jan 6, 2026

    LawUtah HB 0029

    ACLU of Utah files federal lawsuit on behalf of authors Elana K. Arnold, Ellen Hopkins, Kurt Vonnegut estate, and two Utah high schoolers. 59-page complaint calls HB 29 "modern-day book burning" and challenges it as violating First Amendment rights. Defendants: USBE, AG Derek Brown, Salt Lake City/Davis/Washington County school districts.

  20. 26

    Mar 13, 2026

    LawUtah HB 0029

    Proposed expansion HB 197 (School Materials Amendments) fails in Senate. Would have required automated content filters and immediate bans on "plausible" complaints. See law #140.

  21. 26

    Apr 8, 2026

    LawFlorida H 1069

    Jacksonville group proposed banning three books from Duval County Public Schools, citing violation of state law regarding sexual content

  22. 26

    Apr 17, 2026

    LawUtah HB 0029

    Utah statewide banned book list grows to 32 titles under HB 29's 3-district threshold. Four new books added: The Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison), Life is Funny (E.R. Frank), The Haters (Jesse Andrews), and People Kill People (Ellen Hopkins). Reported by Davis and Jordan districts (all four); Washington County SD reported 3 of 4; Tooele County reported People Kill People. The Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison) is the most historically significant addition — a Nobel laureate's Pulitzer-Prize-nominated work now on Utah's statewide prohibited list.

Platform availability

11 platforms tracked

Availability at online retailers and library platforms, refreshed by our daily scanner. “Pending review” means the scanner saw the title unavailable but a human hasn’t confirmed whether it’s a stockout or a real removal.

All ban records (7)

Washington School District, UT

school · school district

RemovedThe book has been formally removed from the library or curriculum.

Removed as 'objective sensitive material' per Utah HB 0029 (2022); statewide prohibition triggered under Utah HB 0374 (2024).

Reported Jan 28, 2025

Abilene ISD, TX

school · school district

ChallengedA formal challenge has been filed requesting the book's removal.

Challenged as 'indecent content' and 'profane content' under TEC §33.020 (as amended by SB 13, 89th Legislature).

Reported Feb 23, 2026

Clay County School District, FL

school · school district

RemovedThe book has been formally removed from the library or curriculum.

Removed per Florida Statute 1006.28(2) following parent/resident objections during the 2022-2023 school year.

Reported Jun 30, 2023

Davis School District, UT

school · school district

RemovedThe book has been formally removed from the library or curriculum.

Removed as 'objective sensitive material' per Utah HB 0029 (2022); statewide prohibition triggered under Utah HB 0374 (2024).

Reported Jan 28, 2025

Fort Worth ISD, TX

school · school district

Under ConsiderationA board or committee is actively reviewing whether to remove this book.

Under review by committee of master-certified librarians per FWISD book review process.

Reported Aug 28, 2023

Jordan School District, UT

school · school district

RemovedThe book has been formally removed from the library or curriculum.

Removed as 'objective sensitive material' per Utah HB 0029 (2022); statewide prohibition triggered under Utah HB 0374 (2024).

Reported Jan 28, 2025

Wilson County Schools, TN

school · school district

RemovedThe book has been formally removed from the library or curriculum.

Removed in October 2024 to comply with Tennessee HB 843 (2024 amendment to the Age-Appropriate Materials Act).

Reported Oct 24, 2024