This book grew on me. The further I got into the telling, the more compelling it was. It's Texas in the 1970s and Joseph, whose parents are immigrants from Iran and whose Jewish faith is central to his family life, has some struggles. He does well in school, he's got a group of friends who are mostly Latinos. He's bullied and othered by many people in his town, especially after the hostage crisis in Iran.
He falls for a girl who happens to be a pastors daughter - the pastor being super intolerant and hateful.
During the course of the story, he finds out about his parent's story, he is forced to give up playing the piano, and he stumbles upon a drug ring. He learns to control his rage and channel it in ways that are safer (like playing sports). ( )