The following version was used to make this guide: Nazemian, Abdi. Like A Love Story. New York, New York: Balzer + Bray, 2019. This young adult novel is 413 pages total, broken into four parts but for the purposes of this guide will be broken into nine sections. The novel is written from three different first person perspectives - starting with Reza, then Art, then Judy in that order and repeated.

The novel opens with Reza’s perspective as he pulls off his braces in nervousness before starting at his new school. He has just moved to New York City from Toronto but is originally from Tehran. He worries about his homosexuality and AIDS. Art’s perspective opens at an ACT-UP meeting next to his best friend Judy and her Uncle Stephen. They go back and forth on actions, and by the end of the meeting Art stands up to volunteer himself for an upcoming event at the New York Stock Exchange. Judy’s perspective starts at school as she meets Reza for the first time at school and is very attracted to him. She tells Reza she is heterosexual and Reza says he is too. After Judy’s perspective, pages 39 - 40 are one of Stephen’s notecards he made for Art about queer culture - this one titled “#75 Love” (39).

Art comes over to work with Saadi on a project, and talks to Reza about Madonna and the ACT UP action at the New York Stock Exchange - leaving behind his backpack. A few days later Art is at the action, frantically taking pictures before bolting to avoid arrest. He sees Reza outside, though Reza denies he is there to see the action. When Art gets home, his parents are upset because they saw him protesting on television and beg him not to protest again. That weekend, Judy prepares for Stephen’s weekly Sunday movie night that she has invited Reza to, sewing a new dress from scratch, thinking it is a first date with Reza.

Reza is so obsessed with Madonna, he steals money from his step-father’s wallet and buys himself posters and a t-shirt. Art comes over to retrieve his backpack and they walk together to Stephen’s house for Sunday movie night. Art tells Reza Stephen has AIDS and Reza panics on the subway, Art holding his hand. They go to a small market and Art buys Reza a pink rose, thinking Reza is romantically interested, but Reza rejects him. At Stephen’s apartment, Reza does not go inside but instead takes Judy out on a date just the two of them. They go to a diner, Judy glowing and chatty. At the end of the date, Judy kisses Reza and the first part ends as they embrace romantically.

The second part starts in December 1989. Reza visits Judy’s house, where Judy gives him a shirt she handmade for him. He feels increasingly like an impostor, kissing Judy but thinking of Art. Art meanwhile goes to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral with other ACT UP activists to plot an action against the Catholic Church. Art is also thinking of Reza. Judy goes to dinner with Reza and his family. At the bathroom, Saadi confronts Judy and tells her Reza is gay. After dinner, Judy kisses Reza but does not feel an erection, and starts to have doubts.

Tara, Reza’s sister arrives for the holidays though she has a big secret - she has dropped out of college and has a new boyfriend but has not told their mother yet. Art tries to start an ACT UP club at school but no one but Judy attends. Darryl provokes a fight with Art, which cracks Art’s camera lens. Judy decides to try to seduce Reza, and designs a Madonna-like outfit of lingerie but Reza confesses he is gay, and likes Art.

The next day, Reza walks to the ACT UP protest at the church where he finds Art, but in the chaos he, Art, and Stephen get arrested. He tells Art he is there for him. Once released, he tells Stephen and Art about breaking up with Judy, and he and Art tell each other they like each other. Art goes to Judy’s house but Judy cannot forgive him. Reza comes out to his parents, but then goes ice skating with Art - and they have their first kiss.

The third part starts in May 1990 and Reza and Art are together, and crazy for each other, but Reza is afraid of having sex because of AIDS. Judy has still not forgiven Art, and Stephen is getting steadily worse. They all go to the ACT UP protest of the NIH in Maryland, where the night before an absent Stephen surprises them all with tickets to a Madonna concert, delivered by Jimmy. At the concert, Judy, Art, and Reza become friends again. They attend the protest at the NIH together - then drive home to learn that Stephen is in the hospital. Stephen wants to die at home, so they take him home where Judy and her Mom take care of him. He dies surrounded by Judy’s Mom and Dad, Jimmy, Art, Reza, and Judy.

They all attend Stephen’s Memorial together, held at Stephen’s favorite nightclub. Reza and his family, Judy and hers, Art, Jimmy, and Stephen’s other friends. Art and Judy speak together, and read from Stephen’s notecard about love. Art decides he needs to leave New York for San Francisco, and the three of them take him to the airport. On the way they make copies of Stephen’s notecards and they pass them out throughout the city. The novel ends with Art’s perspective in 2016 as he explains he is HIV positive now but able to manage, Judy is a famous designer with a husband and kids, and Reza is also married (not to Art) with kids and a sociology professor of pop culture. The novel ends with Art remembering Stephen’s request to tell your story, and remember the past, “Because there’s no future without a past” (413).