Reviews

Anvar and Safwa made their was to San Francisco for different reasons and in different ways, but when their worlds collide their entire community will feel the impact. In spite of the fact that I read the synopsis, I was surprised that this story was dual POV in parallel but disparate timelines. I'm not sure what I expected, but jumping between the two stories was a bit jarring. Once the timelines converged, it was easier for me to get immersed in the story. Anvar seriously got on my nerves, and so did his brother, Zuha, and Safwa at times. Anvar is like a giant teenager for most of the book, with occasional glimpses of adult intellect. The juxtaposition of 2 very different Muslim people as they flee war-torn countries and the lives they found in the US was so stark. As a recent deconstructor, it was interesting to see similar thoughts from a different faith/cultural lens. The discussions on morality and unintended consequences really made me think about how grey life truly is, and reminded me that life is a collection of decisions and we have to take responsibility for the consequences. Reliving 2016 made me a little sick to my stomach, but I was captivated by this story and I don't think I'll soon forget it. The combination of fear, philosophy, humor, and grief is incredibly unique, and I would try another book from this author.

jennnafziger's review against another edition

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4.0

This book is complicated, irreverent, and quite sad at times. Though I do not have a personal connection to the immigrant experience, nor the tenets of the Muslim faith, I definitely relate to the struggles of wading through the religious traditions I grew up with and wrestling with the truth of them.

laurarmz's review against another edition

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5.0

There’s an art to talking about important things without saying the same things over and over again. Masood knew what he was doing. All-rounded characters, well-built relationships, simple yet profound writing, and an overall easy-to-read, important-to-understand book.

I loved the various messages and points of view the story provided on matters that are (sadly) not general knowledge. For anyone who’s ever curious or doubtful, this is a book for you.

kevinsmokler's review against another edition

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emotional funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

bookph1le's review against another edition

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4.0

4.5 stars

I really love a book like this. It's very readable with an engrossing story and engaging characters, but it presents a whole heap of issues to digest. Anvar's snark immediately pulled me in and made me love reading about him. His passages are often hilarious even as they're deep and thought-provoking.

The tone is far different when the narrative turns to Safwa. I can see how this might make for a jarring and possibly uneven read for some readers, but it didn't for me. Anvar probably appealed to me more just because of the humor in his voice, but Safwa's story was heartbreaking and compelling, and she made me think a lot about privilege and how blind those of us with privilege are to it.

For those unfamiliar with Islam, this book provides a lot of food for thought. There are so many strong elements to the novel, but the way it tackles religion is possibly one of the strongest. Masood presents many versions of Islam here, which I think illustrates a pretty much universal truth about religion in general: it's not a religion in and of itself that's a problem, it's the way human beings interpret that religion. Cynics or megalomaniacs or xenophobes can twist any religion to suit their needs.

This is a deeply human book. These characters are not perfect, but human beings aren't perfect. I got so much out of the way this book portrays how people deal with pain and trauma, and how much that pain and trauma can affect their lives, even without their knowing it. It doesn't shy away from posing tough moral questions. Grappling with those is something Americans could do more with, that's for sure.

jennrocca's review against another edition

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5.0

Loved it. It was funny and complex. The characters were well developed. I read a negative review below that said this book promoted negative stereotypes of Muslims. There are a wide array of character types in this story. And nearly all of them are good. The very few bad apples are complex characters in their own rights. Highly recommend.

snacksandstacks's review against another edition

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3.75

This is a difficult one for me to review. The writing was refreshing and funny, but at times I felt the storytelling was odd and left out parts of the characters' journeys that could have been interesting.

We follow two main characters, Anvar and Safwa. The author takes us through various vignettes of their lives and even though they are shown on the cover and we know they are going to meet, it's not until we're nearly halfway in the book before they meet.

Even though we bounce between little stories to finally a place where the plot is happening and the author has done a good job making us care for these characters and also understanding that these two are not perfect and have a lot of growth to do.

This story made me quite mad as it describes recent history with the 2016 election and how it must've felt for the Muslim community. It doesn't shy away hard topics and I felt that I learned more about the Muslim culture, but I also found similarities within my own culture and my immigrant parents.

This was a pretty solid book, I look forward to reading more from this author.

sicilyjoy's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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