The Bad Muslim Discount: A Novel
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- Author：Syed M. Masood
- ISBN：9780385545259
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Summary
Notes From Your Bookseller
Lyrical， hysterically funny， complex and entertaining， The Bad Muslim Discount is a timely and comic coming-of-age novel about two very different families， arranged marriages， Muslim identity and being true to yourself。 A brave debut novel from a fresh new voice。
"Perfect。 。 。I was torn between wanting to take my time to savor it， or just blazing through。 This is a book that I didn’t know I deeply needed。" Buzzfeed
Following two families from Pakistan and Iraq in the 1990s to San Francisco in 2016， The Bad Muslim Discount is an inclusive， comic novel about Muslim immigrants finding their way in modern America。
It is 1995， and Anvar Faris is a restless， rebellious， and sharp-tongued boy doing his best to grow up in Karachi， Pakistan。 As fundamentalism takes root within the social order and the zealots next door attempt to make Islam great again， his family decides， not quite unanimously， to start life over in California。 Ironically， Anvar's deeply devout mother and his model-Muslim brother adjust easily to life in America， while his fun-loving father can't find anyone he relates to。 For his part， Anvar fully commits to being a bad Muslim。
At the same time， thousands of miles away， Safwa， a young girl living in war-torn Baghdad with her grief-stricken， conservative father will find a very different and far more dangerous path to America。 When Anvar and Safwa's worlds collide as two remarkable， strong-willed adults， their contradictory， intertwined fates will rock their community， and families， to their core。
The Bad Muslim Discount is an irreverent， poignant， and often hysterically funny debut novel by an amazing new voice。 With deep insight， warmth， and an irreverent sense of humor， Syed M。 Masood examines universal questions of identity， faith （or lack thereof）， and belonging through the lens of Muslim Americans。
Following two families from Pakistan and Iraq in the 1990s to San Francisco in 2016， The Bad Muslim Discount is an inclusive， comic novel about Muslim immigrants finding their way in modern America。
It is 1995， and Anvar Faris is a restless， rebellious， and sharp-tongued boy doing his best to grow up in Karachi， Pakistan。 As fundamentalism takes root within the social order and the zealots next door attempt to make Islam great again， his family decides， not quite unanimously， to start life over in California。 Ironically， Anvar's deeply devout mother and his model-Muslim brother adjust easily to life in America， while his fun-loving father can't find anyone he relates to。 For his part， Anvar fully commits to being a bad Muslim。
At the same time， thousands of miles away， Safwa， a young girl living in war-torn Baghdad with her grief-stricken， conservative father will find a very different and far more dangerous path to America。 When Anvar and Safwa's worlds collide as two remarkable， strong-willed adults， their contradictory， intertwined fates will rock their community， and families， to their core。
The Bad Muslim Discount is an irreverent， poignant， and often hysterically funny debut novel by an amazing new voice。 With deep insight， warmth， and an irreverent sense of humor， Syed M。 Masood examines universal questions of identity， faith （or lack thereof）， and belonging through the lens of Muslim Americans。
Editor Reviews
08/03/2020
In this ambitious if flawed novel， Masood （More Than Just a Pretty Face） charts the unraveling lives of two Muslim immigrants。 Anvar Faris moves with his family at 14 from Karachi， Pakistan， to San Francisco in 1996， after his father has had enough of the country’s growing conservatism and embrace of Islamic fundamentalism。 Masood then introduces the reader to 10-year-old Azza bint Saqr in Baghdad， two years before the U。S。 invasion。 When Azza’s father is arrested and held by U。S。 forces in 2005， Azza flees to an aunt’s house in Basra。 Anvar， in college， grapples with the end of a sexual relationship with a Muslim woman （“The more I study what Allah wants， the more I realize that I don’t want to sin anymore，” she says）。 Later， as a young lawyer， Anvar grows disenchanted after failing to protect a Muslim client’s civil liberties。 Azza and her father finally reach the U。S。 in 2016， after Azza was sexually exploited by the man who provided their passports， and arrive as then-candidate Trump begins calling for a border wall and ban on Muslims。 In their shared subsidized apartment block， Anvar and Azza meet and begin sleeping together， leading to an explosive conclusion。 Despite many insightful moments， Masood’s characters never fully come to life。 Still， the immersive story offers a rich meditation on religion and personal identity。 （Nov。）Correction: An earlier version of this review used an incorrect name for a character。
Excerpt
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Masood / BAD MUSLIM DISCOUNT
THE OPENING
1995–2005
How you begin things is important。 This is true in checkers and in life， because at the beginning of things you are freer than you will ever be again。 Once the game starts， every move you make is influenced by what someone else has done。 The longer the game goes， the messier the board becomes， the more that influence grows。 But the opening， Anvar， belongs to you。
—Naani Jaan
ANVAR
I killed Mikey。
It sounds worse than it actually was。 You have to understand that I didn’t kill Mikey because I wanted to do it。 I killed him because God told me to do it。
I don’t suppose that sounds much better。
It helps， I think， to know that Mikey was a goat。 He had bored brown eyes with rectangular pupils that made him seem a little creepy。 Loud and obnoxious， he shat tiny round pellets all over the cramped garage he shared with three of his brethren。 He was probably the only one of them who had a name。 I know my parents didn’t name their goats， and my brother， Aamir， said that naming animals was stupid。
Mikey was the only pet I ever had。 He was mine for about a week。 I fed him dry straw， brought him buckets of water and asked him if he really wanted to be slaughtered for the sake of Allah at the upcoming Eid because， quite frankly， that seemed like a poor career choice。 He remained stoic in the face of his grim fate， at least so far as I could tell。
Eid al-Adha marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca。 The name of the celebration translates to “the Festival of Sacrifice。”
Yes， Islam has a marketing problem。
The festival commemorates Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son， either Isaac or Ishmael depending on what you believe or disbelieve， to God。 Muslims all over the world purchase and slaughter rams， goats， cows or camels in memory of the moment when God saved Abraham’s son from God’s own command。
Mikey was my sacrifice to Allah。 Since I was only ten， his purchase was financed by my parents。
I remember that Eid well。 I was forced to wake up a little after dawn and shower。 My parents gave me a brand-new， bright white shalwar kameez and a matching woven skullcap。 Then they took me to a mosque to pray。
When we got home， butchers my father had hired were waiting for us， carrying the sinister tools of their trade。 Eventually， these men would skin the animals， gut them and chop their carcasses up into manageable bits to be cooked， frozen or given away as gifts or charity。
Mikey was the first one they led out of the garage。 He didn’t resist。
My father handed me a long， sharp knife and instructed me to be careful。 He said that the butchers would hold the goat and expose its neck。 All I had to do was slice open the carotid artery and Mikey’s blood would flow out。 One clean motion would be enough。 He clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder。
“Be brave，” he said。
I did not feel the need to be brave。 I wasn’t scared。 I felt something else entirely。 I didn’t say anything to my father。 I could’ve told him I didn’t want to do this。 I don’t know what he would have said。 Instead of speaking， however， I gripped the knife。 I held on tight because the plastic handle felt slick and slippery in my hand。
The men tripped Mikey to bring him to the ground。 Now he resisted。 He kicked， trying to struggle to his feet， but was restrained。
I walked up to him。 I think he saw me， recognized me， because he seemed to relax a little。 I heard my brother say， “Allah hu Akbar。”
God is Great。
Aamir told me later that he’d said those words， necessary for the ritual to be properly completed， out loud because he knew I would forget to say them。 Aamir had almost forgotten them himself when he had done this for the first time a few years ago。
What I haven’t forgotten are Mikey’s unattractive eyes full of unshed tears once the deed was done。
I haven’t forgotten his blood。 It was everywhere。
I didn’t move away from him in time and his blood， it didn’t seep out。 It gushed out in a wild torrent， a flood， a fountain that soaked my hands and my clothes with all the force of a panicked， dying， still beating heart， and I stepped back and there was so much red and I was the cause of it。
I ran。 I showered。 I wept。
Once I’d changed， my father came to speak to me。
“You know， Anvar， people don’t understand these days，” he told me， “the real sacrifice。 They think their offering is the money they spend on the animal。 Or they think it is the life of the animal。 But it isn’t。 You are the sacrifice。 What you are feeling now？ That is your sacrifice。 The lives of other creatures are not yours to take。 Life is precious and to end one is final。 Remember to never take more from the world than you can give back to it。”
Then he told me to come have breakfast。 My mother had fried up Mikey’s liver and it was， apparently， delicious。
Unfortunately， Mikey’s death may have been in vain。 Four months after he died， I was informed that my soul was damned to eternal torment。
My mother， a self-proclaimed authority on all things religious， told me so。
It was an appropriately hot day for such a revelation。 Of course， we lived in Karachi then， so most days were hot days。
Karachi， the city that spat me out into this world， is perpetually under siege by its own climate。 The Indian Ocean does not sit placidly at the edge of the massive metropolitan port。 It invades。 It pours in through the air。 It conspires with the dense smog of modern life and collective breath of fifteen million souls to oppress you。 Under the gaze of an indifferent sun you sweat and the world sweats with you。
It’s probably not as hot as hell but it is definitely as bad as the sketchier neighborhoods of purgatory， the kinds of places you are just a little reluctant to wander after dark。
When I was growing up， Karachi was a place caught between ages， grasping at modernity while still clutching at the fading relics of an inglorious past。 It was a city of skyscrapers and small， squat shanties。 It had modern highways but was still pockmarked with peddlers wheeling vegetables over narrow dirt lanes on wooden carts。 Imported luxury cars， rumbling， shining and glimmering in marvelous mechanical glory， were not uncommon， though neither was the pitifully obnoxious braying of overladen donkeys hitched to rickety wagons。
After a bad day at school， all I wanted was to go home。 However， we were stuck in traffic and the air conditioner in our temperamental old Beetle was malfunctioning。
Trouble started， as it often does， because my mother decided to speak。 “When we get home， you are going to have to take a shower。”
I ignored her and rolled down my window， hoping to alleviate the heat in the car a little。 It was a mistake。 There was no breeze and， in the vain hope for one， I had let the city in。 As usual， Karachi was screaming at its inhabitants and they were screaming right back。
People were leaning on their horns， though the traffic light was red and there was nowhere to go。 Hawkers carrying various goods yelled out a litany of prices in hoarse， worn voices。 They sold information in newspapers and romance in strings of fresh jasmine。 Divine protection， that is to say cheap pieces of plastic etched with verses of the Quran， could also be purchased for a modest price。
My mother raised her voice over the din。 “Did you hear me？”
“Yes。” I folded my slick， thin arms across my chest。 “Why do I have to shower？”
“Because you need one，” she said， her tone sharp。 She didn’t like questions。 After taking a deep breath， she went on in a more conciliatory manner。 “Besides， showers are fun。”
“No， they aren’t。”
“But you will feel nice and cool afterward。”
“I’ll feel nice and cool when you get the AC fixed。”
My mother preferred morality to rationality because it put God on her side。 When God was on her side， she won arguments against most right-minded people。 I’m not such a person but she didn’t know that then and， truth be told， neither did I。 So， she played what had long been her trump card， her divine ace。 “Taking showers is good。”
“It’s good？”
“It is most certainly good。 The Prophet， May Peace Be Upon Him， and his Companions used to take showers each and every day。”
I thought about that for a moment。 “That’s not true。”
“What？”
“That can’t be true。 They were in the middle of a desert。 They didn’t have any water。”
My mother’s lips disappeared。 She was a gaunt woman， sort of like an exceptionally thin chapati。 Her lips shared this quality。 When she was angry and pressed them together， they vanished entirely from view。 It was one of her more frequent expressions。
“Anvar Faris！ How dare you？”
“I didn’t—”
“Where did you get the courage from？ How dare you say those great men were not clean？”
“I didn’t—”
“You will pray for forgiveness， Anvar。 It was an insult to the Prophet。”
“It wasn’t—”
“It was an insult to his Companions。 They were the greatest of all men。 And you dare。 You dare？ The first thing you will do when you get back home is get on your knees and beg Allah for forgiveness for having said such a vile thing。 Or you will go to hell。 Do you understand me？ You will roast in hell for what you dare。”
“Dare，” by the way， was her favorite word。 She relished saying it。 Whenever the opportunity to deploy it in conversation presented itself， she took it。 She was careful to enunciate it fully， drawing it out， emphasizing it by using the most piercing voice she could manage。 Hearing her speak about someone， an uninformed observer was likely to mistake the meekest of men for Prometheus。
I was old enough to know that once sacrilege had been invoked， there was no way to win the argument。 Any response other than silence would only intensify the wrath raining down upon me。 So， I sat there， stewing in Karachi， until we got home。 Once there， I went to my room， closed the door， kicked a few scattered action figures out of the way and laid out a prayer mat。
I knelt but did not pray。
That was the day the hold of the sacred upon me was broken forever。
It was the day that made me who I am。
The day I was first told I was damned was the day I felt I had been blessed。
Reviews
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Jayme Carruthers
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I really enjoyed this book！ At the beginning， when we are following Anvar and his family in Pakistan， I'll admit I wasn't as much invested， though it had more to do with the fact that I'm not a huge historical fiction fan than it was the culture。 I personally find the culture fascinating。 Once we jump to the later timelines in America， I was all in。 I really enjoyed continuing to learn more about Anvar and his relationship with himself， with women， and with his culture。 You could sense his strug I really enjoyed this book！ At the beginning， when we are following Anvar and his family in Pakistan， I'll admit I wasn't as much invested， though it had more to do with the fact that I'm not a huge historical fiction fan than it was the culture。 I personally find the culture fascinating。 Once we jump to the later timelines in America， I was all in。 I really enjoyed continuing to learn more about Anvar and his relationship with himself， with women， and with his culture。 You could sense his struggle， but it wasn't over the top。 Anvar has a way of using humor （they always point out how bad his jokes are） to deal with things and I loved it so much！ Safwa's story is so beautifully written， despite how heartbreaking it is。 Again， her struggles and her successes are very evident when reading。 She's fully relatable。 One thing I got from this book that I was not expecting， was a lot more knowledge on the Quran。 Now， I am in no way anywhere close to an expert， but I know more now than I did before reading。 And， at the risk of getting too controversial， it was amazing to see the similarities in the Islamic beliefs and Western Christianity。 This was so well written。 It did not seem preachy， but just furthered the storyline。 Highly recommend！ 4。5 out of 5。 。。。more
Nelda Brangwin
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This is far more than a story about a young man who continually disappoints his parents。 It is about how finding your way in a closely knit community when your views differ。 It’s a book to make the reader think about religious expectations and the immigrant community。 Anvar came with his family to America as a young teen from Pakistan。 Not only does he struggle with normal acculturation， but his older brother seems to be perfect in the eyes of his Muslim parents。 Anvar questions everything， incl This is far more than a story about a young man who continually disappoints his parents。 It is about how finding your way in a closely knit community when your views differ。 It’s a book to make the reader think about religious expectations and the immigrant community。 Anvar came with his family to America as a young teen from Pakistan。 Not only does he struggle with normal acculturation， but his older brother seems to be perfect in the eyes of his Muslim parents。 Anvar questions everything， including the Iman at the mosque。 Another thread in the book introduces the reader to Safwa， a young Muslim woman from Afghanistan， who with her father illegally immigrates to the US。 Two young Muslims raised in two different family and cultural settings eventually find their lives entwined as Safwa finds she can longer live the fearful shadow life her father and fiancé have planned for her。 Insightful and humorous， Masood has written a book showing that when we stereotype a religion， we are doing a disservice to the faith and to individuals。 Read slowly through the last quarter of the book， there’s much reflection on the Muslim culture and how to find your own voice。 。。。more
On the Same Page
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ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。I've been thinking about how to write this review since I finished the book， and even though I've started typing I still don't know what words to use。 I've never given books the power to wound me， and this one is no exception， but to say that I was annoyed would be a massive understatement。 Mostly， I was left feeling disappointed at another book that further promotes the same dangerous stereotypes about Muslims that ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。I've been thinking about how to write this review since I finished the book， and even though I've started typing I still don't know what words to use。 I've never given books the power to wound me， and this one is no exception， but to say that I was annoyed would be a massive understatement。 Mostly， I was left feeling disappointed at another book that further promotes the same dangerous stereotypes about Muslims that led to Trump getting elected。The book follows Anvar and Azza， both Muslims who don't feel much of a connection to their faith （until it suits them to pray， but I'll come back to that later）。 Anvar comes from a Pakistani family that immigrated because his father was feeling uncomfortable with the Islamic fervor spreading in his country。 Azza is Iraqi， and after her father gets captured and tortured， she no longer feels safe。 When a young man offers her a way out of Iraq， she's more than willing to pay the price， but finds herself trapped after。 In Anvar， she finds a sort of freedom， a choice she has made for herself and herself alone， and an escape from the controlling men in her life。I want to start by saying that the reason I'm frustrated with this book actually has nothing to do with Anvar and Azza。 In fact， I really enjoyed Anvar's humor， and found myself often grinning at his jokes。 Neither of them is religious， but that doesn't make the representation invalid。 I recognize that not everyone connects to Islam the same way I do， and I respect that。 Azza's struggles felt relatable in a way， and it's understandable that， when someone gets abused by a person who claims to be religious， it'll turn them away from that faith。 Despite the fact that there is a diverse range of Muslim characters in this story， the core of it can be summed up as this: Muslims who practice their religion are potential terrorists， control freaks， abusers or righteous to the point of harming other people just for the sake of doing the right thing， while Muslims who don't have a strong connection to their faith， who don't practice their religion， don't pray， drink alcohol and have sex when they want to， those are the only "good" Muslims。This stereotypical idea of what it means to be Muslim is prevalent in the entire book。 “If Abu Fahd had planned to kill Azza， it would’ve been because he thought God wanted him to do it。 He wouldn’t have called it murder like you just did。 He would’ve called it a sacrifice。” “It is incomprehensible。” You know who else this is incomprehensible to？ Practicing Muslims。 “Muslims— our generation， in the West— are like the Frankenstein monster。 We’re stapled and glued together， part West， part East。 A little bit of Muslim here， a little bit of skeptic there。 We put ourselves together as best we can and that makes us， not pretty， of course， but unique。” Another fantastic generalization。 According to this， it's impossible to be both modern and Muslim？ Logical and Muslim？ Smart and Muslim？ I'm not sure what he's trying to say here。Anvar and Azza do remember they're Muslim when they're in trouble。 Then they send up a quick prayer to God， and always make it a point to say， "well， that didn't help， go figure"。 Yeah， I think we get it by now， you think practicing Muslims are ridiculous。I don't think the world needs another book with the same old （wrong） stereotypes。 How about something different for once？ I could've been fine with this book if there had been a couple of Muslim characters who are religious but also just normal people。 We exist， I promise。 We're not some mythical unicorn。 We're also not insane， or boring （because we believe in God， obviously， so we must be so tedious during conversations）， or go about kicking people because they do things we don't agree with。 Case in point:Hi， I'm Heena， and I'm a practicing Muslim。 I pray five times a day。 I fast every Ramadan。 I wear a hijab。 Nobody is forcing me to practice Islam。 I have a Bachelor's degree and am a senior software developer in a predominately male field。 My faith has never stopped me from living my life。 And I do all this while--gasp--living in Europe。We exist。 。。。more
Jordyn
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This book follows Anvar and Safwa， both separately and when their world’s collide by chance。 Anvar considers and takes pride in his “bad Muslim” status， always trying to other and step away from his family’s grasp when they were in Pakistan and even more as they move to San Francisco。Then， there’s Safwa， who we first see Baghdad， suffocating by the war torn city and by her conservative father， while trying to fill the role that has been decided for her。。。and then she makes the dangerous journey This book follows Anvar and Safwa， both separately and when their world’s collide by chance。 Anvar considers and takes pride in his “bad Muslim” status， always trying to other and step away from his family’s grasp when they were in Pakistan and even more as they move to San Francisco。Then， there’s Safwa， who we first see Baghdad， suffocating by the war torn city and by her conservative father， while trying to fill the role that has been decided for her。。。and then she makes the dangerous journey to the US。This book talked about immigration （both legal and not）， the complexity of one’s relationship to religion， finding yourself and your place in the world， relationships and the complexity of them when it comes to， both， familial and romantic。 I loved this book。 I loved the writing。 I loved how this author captured these characters， their relationships with people and their faith or lack thereof。 I loved how he intertwined humor and sadness and happiness and tough topics all seamlessly together。 I loved the authenticity and how much I FELT for these characters。 I loved learning more about another culture and peoples experiences without feeling like I was learning in the moment。 I loved the messages interwoven in the story of empathy， and understanding， and love， and change， and so much more。I love how the author made my heart connect to the words on the paper and made me want to both savor every sentence but also devour the book whole。I could talk about this book all day。。。but， here is ONE of my favorite quotes from the zillion I wrote down that isn’t too long:“Remember to never take more from the world than you can give back to it。” Thank you so much @doubledaybooks for this #gifted copy this was definitely my favorite read of January and will probably remain one of my favorites of the year。⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️Trigger warnings: abuse， islamophobia， religious bigotry， non consensual sex， minor mentions of trump election 2016， mentions of torture⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️ 。。。more
Lamia
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The second I saw this cover and read the description， I knew I needed to read this book。 I was absolutely drawn to it because one of the main characters is from Karachi， the city both my parents were born and raised in before they immigrated to the United States。 So， I read all ~350 pages in one day and stayed up until 2 a。m。 to finish it the night before its official release！ Totally normal， right？！The story goes like this: Anvar is a boy from Karachi， Pakistan whose family immigrates to the U。 The second I saw this cover and read the description， I knew I needed to read this book。 I was absolutely drawn to it because one of the main characters is from Karachi， the city both my parents were born and raised in before they immigrated to the United States。 So， I read all ~350 pages in one day and stayed up until 2 a。m。 to finish it the night before its official release！ Totally normal， right？！The story goes like this: Anvar is a boy from Karachi， Pakistan whose family immigrates to the U。S。 once the far-right religious fervor becomes too constraining for the patriarch of the family。 Safwa is a girl from Baghdad， Iraq who is living through the senseless war the U。S。 is waging on her country。 Both end up in San Francisco， crossing paths in a rundown Tenderloin apartment complex owned by a Muslim landlord that desis will recognize as being exactly like some uncle they know （think: lots of paan and bad jokes）。 This is obviously a very simplistic synopsis - Anvar's family and ex-girlfriend play a major role in the story， as do Safwa's fiancé and father。 Masood does a fantastic job of showing Anvar's problems versus Safwa's problems in a way that shows that they are in completely different orders of magnitude， but they both matter in their own right。 It is both a great check on the privilege of most likely many of the book's readers， but it's also a simple message: your problems matter， because they matter to you。The story is engaging， and it's difficult to put the book down once you start。 It will definitely be a great read for Muslim readers。 It may not be relatable for other readers， especially white ones， but you know。。。 we have to sit through your unrelatable books and movies too。I should mention， the book seems to be marketed as a comedy and， although I laughed a ton at Anvar's commentary， it deals with a lot of serious issues and is not what I'd consider a comedy。5+ stars， the + because Syed M。 Masood lives in Sacramento， and he makes sure to mention it and Davis a couple of times。 A man after my own heart。 Thanks to him， NetGalley and DoubleDay Books for allowing me this eARC the day before the book published。 。。。more
Megan
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I absolutely loved this book！ The story is told in alternating chapters by Safwa and Anvar。 They both immigrate to the US， under completely different circumstances and when their worlds collide， they are set forward on a tangled path。 The book was thought provoking and deep but also was packed with humor and true-to-life descriptions of family dynamics。 Once I started reading it， I couldn’t put it down。 Whenever I had to set it down， I couldn’t stop thinking about the story。 This is a must read！ I absolutely loved this book！ The story is told in alternating chapters by Safwa and Anvar。 They both immigrate to the US， under completely different circumstances and when their worlds collide， they are set forward on a tangled path。 The book was thought provoking and deep but also was packed with humor and true-to-life descriptions of family dynamics。 Once I started reading it， I couldn’t put it down。 Whenever I had to set it down， I couldn’t stop thinking about the story。 This is a must read！Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Jite
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First 5-star read of the year and I’m absolutely wowed！ First off， I must confess that this book wasn’t what I expected。 Yes， it had the dry wit and irreverent humour I anticipated given the cover and title of the book， but more than that it took me on a journey of questioning and faith and exploring your beliefs and the things you think you know， and the injustices and inevitabilities of life， and it was absolutely brilliant- from the writing to the storytelling。The book tells the story of 2 ce First 5-star read of the year and I’m absolutely wowed！ First off， I must confess that this book wasn’t what I expected。 Yes， it had the dry wit and irreverent humour I anticipated given the cover and title of the book， but more than that it took me on a journey of questioning and faith and exploring your beliefs and the things you think you know， and the injustices and inevitabilities of life， and it was absolutely brilliant- from the writing to the storytelling。The book tells the story of 2 central characters who are imperfect and broken in different ways。 Anwar is an irreverent skeptic from a Muslim family。 Born and raised in Pakistan， his clever humorous wit and irreverent questions about matters of faith were already a concern to his religious mother， long before he moved to America。 Now a wise-cracking， chronically underachieving adult， he finds himself in Hafeez Bhatti’s rundown building as one of the philanthropists collection of bad Muslims a。k。a broken and imperfect people in need of help。 There he meets Azza， an undocumented immigrant who shares his lack of ability to settle and find peace， and a history that is more devastatingly brutal than he can imagine。It’s incredibly difficult to summarize this book and the intersections of the characters and their story without giving it all away。 This book examines themes of love， family and friendship in a way that is beautifully relatable， but also themes of religious faith， resilience， and fear in ways that any person of faith or lack thereof would find compellingly apt。 The book is divided into parts which represent different timelines- from the mid 1990s in part 1 to 2016/2017 and the election of Donald Trump into office。 This isn’t an especially political book， other than the way politics intersects with life， until the end when clearly during the 2016 election which happens near the end of the book， populist ideologies become a reality for the characters in a way。 But even though Islamophobia is a minor theme in this book， this is not a book about that or about us vs them。 It’s a book about people。 The characters felt incredibly real and that verisimilitude， whilst emotionally engaging when reading Anvar’s sections， becomes almost brutal when reading Azza’s。 And yet as emotionally-charged as this novel is， it’s perfectly balanced with Anvar’s dark sense of humor and Azza’s almost fatalistic sense of reality。 This book is sad and painful， but you won’t be able to put it down。 The language is beyond gorgeous， the insights eminently quoteworthy- I found myself highlighting large swathes of this book and its brilliant takes on faith and brotherhood， injustice and fear。 I found Anvar to be an odd mix of bold irreverence and cautious fear。Overtly， this book feels like it is about being “good” vs being “bad” according to religious and cultural standards。 But in reality， I felt like it was a book about meeting expectations the world has of you or you have of yourself， a book about struggling to fit in and feeling different， a book about self-sabotage and identity， a book about resilience and finding oneself。This book won’t be for everyone。 If you’re conservative or a practicing Muslim， you might be offended by the protagonists’ irreverent viewpoints about various articles of faith as he is on his journey to come to terms with his faith， this might be one to avoid， you will probably be offended。 Sometimes Anvar’s indictment of himself as a “bad Muslim” oddly feels like an indictment of “good Muslim’s” who don’t share his struggles with his faith， whom he judges as negatively as he perceives himself judged by them。 I am a person of faith （Christ follower） and I know the feeling of feeling “a way” when it appears like someone is “being funny” about your beliefs and judging you for living according to your faith。 The fact is not every book that questions faith can be for everyone- we are all at different points in our acceptance that someone questioning our beliefs doesn’t have to be blasphemous or doesn’t have to mean that we question our beliefs。 Thank God that He is God and isn’t dependent on the doubts or casual words of human being and thank God that one’s faith doesn’t has to be dampened by the aspersions cast by others。 For me as a Christian， even though this was clearly a book where Anvar’s （the main character’s） relationship with Islam was explored extensively as a major theme， I found his journey applicable and relatable as someone who also grew up in the Christian faith as a practicing Christian， having questions and still having faith but also trying to understand my own personal relationship with God not based on my family’s relationship or my Church’s sermons。 And I think at its heart， for Anwar， that’s what this story is about。 It’s about being a back-slidden person， about being a remedial person of faith， about trying to be better， and from Azza， it’s a book about this world draining the faith out of you but still finding the kernel of hope that perhaps all is not lost and there is still beauty and faith left。 I think one of the reasons why I’m so in love with this book is because I love characters that are broken and imperfect， characters that have no reason to believe in anything anymore and yet are on a journey to decide for themselves what they believe。 I’m a huge fan of the characters in this book， in my life I’ve known Anvars and Zuhas， maybe only 1 or 2 Azzas， and for that reason it felt like they were getting their story。 I didn’t necessarily LOVE any of the characters， but I enjoyed reading them and thinking about them and spending time with them。 I think this is a great book for all the black sheep， the questioners， the ones on their own journeys of faith and life， the ones who have been hurt， the ones healing， the families that can’t speak of the love they have for each other。I am so blown away by this book- I read it in less than 24 hours and literally couldn’t put it down needing to know what would happen next。 I adored this but am looking forward to reading more own voices reviews to get other perspectives on this。 For me， it was absolutely brilliant！ Super grateful to Doubleday Books for a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley。 。。。more
Ofdreamsandstories
，
Wow！！ I am speechless after reading this book。 I started reading this book expecting it to be a light humorous read but boy was I wrong！ This book does have humor and some funny moments scattered across but it tackles some deep， ingrained aspect of life and beliefs while growing up in Pakistan and Iraq and how it unfolds after The main characters are immigrated to United States。 The story is written from Anwar and Azza’s perspective。 Anwar is a Pakistani boy who defies his parents and their beli Wow！！ I am speechless after reading this book。 I started reading this book expecting it to be a light humorous read but boy was I wrong！ This book does have humor and some funny moments scattered across but it tackles some deep， ingrained aspect of life and beliefs while growing up in Pakistan and Iraq and how it unfolds after The main characters are immigrated to United States。 The story is written from Anwar and Azza’s perspective。 Anwar is a Pakistani boy who defies his parents and their belief in religion and migrates to San Francisco， Fremont along with his family。 Azza who was called Safwa back in Baghdad loses her mom to cancer and under adverse circumstances moves to San Francisco。 It is interesting to read how their story intertwines and how it unfolds always keeping the central the，e of being part of a Muslim community！！I admired Masood’s writing style of how intricately he has described life events and characters in conservative Muslim family。 At certain instances it reminded me of Khalid Hosseini’s writing style。 It was a very fast， eye opening and captivating read for me！I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is open to diverse reading and learning about different culture and their background。 Thank you NetGalley， Doubleday books and Syed Masood for the gifted copy of e-arc in exchange of my honest review！ 。。。more
Ofdreamsandstories
，
Wow！！ I am speechless after reading this book。 I started reading this book expecting it to be a light humorous read but boy was I wrong！ This book does have humor and some funny moments scattered across but it tackles some deep， ingrained aspect of life and beliefs while growing up in Pakistan and Iraq and how it unfolds after The main characters are immigrated to United States。The story is written from Anwar and Azza’s perspective。 Anwar is a Pakistani boy who defies his parents and their belie Wow！！ I am speechless after reading this book。 I started reading this book expecting it to be a light humorous read but boy was I wrong！ This book does have humor and some funny moments scattered across but it tackles some deep， ingrained aspect of life and beliefs while growing up in Pakistan and Iraq and how it unfolds after The main characters are immigrated to United States。The story is written from Anwar and Azza’s perspective。 Anwar is a Pakistani boy who defies his parents and their belief in religion and migrates to San Francisco， Fremont along with his family。 Azza who was called Safwa back in Baghdad loses her mom to cancer and under adverse circumstances moves to San Francisco with her dad。 It is interesting to read how their story intertwines and how it unfolds always keeping the central the，e of being part of a Muslim community！！I admired Masood’s writing style of how intricately he has described the life events and characters from a conservative Muslim family。 At certain instances it reminded me of Khalid Hosseini’s writing style。 It was a very fast， eye opening and captivating read for me！I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is open to diverse reading and learning about different culture and their background。 Thank you NetGalley， Doubleday books and Syed Masood for the gifted copy of e-arc in exchange of my honest review！ 。。。more
Liz Hein
，
4。5 stars！ This incredibly layered story read both like a Shakespearean comedy and tragedy simultaneously。 I could not put it down。
Charisma D
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To think that this book will probably be overlooked because of its cover。。。 BUT， like they say， don’t judge a book by its cover。 This book was everything I hoped it would be， and more。 Masood truly showed the difference between being Muslim from South Asia and being a Muslim American。 I really learned so much from this book from verses from the Quran， to how life was demonstrated in the Middle East during the time Americans began invading there countries to how a Muslim looks at the world compar To think that this book will probably be overlooked because of its cover。。。 BUT， like they say， don’t judge a book by its cover。 This book was everything I hoped it would be， and more。 Masood truly showed the difference between being Muslim from South Asia and being a Muslim American。 I really learned so much from this book from verses from the Quran， to how life was demonstrated in the Middle East during the time Americans began invading there countries to how a Muslim looks at the world compared to a Muslim American and there world views。 This is not a light hearted read and it goes to show how truly talented Masood is。 He has a great eye for detail and truly understands the importance of explaining his culture and religion to readers in a most pleasant way。 This is not a book to try and skim through nor is it a book that you can become easily distracted with。 There is some satire with one of the MCs and it does lighten the mood up a bit but it just goes to show the difference between him and devoted Muslims。 I loved how it showed in the end， what the book truly is about is how even though Allah kept repeating how everyone must do the right thing， one never knows what the right thing truly is。 The world is simply not black and white。 Every action has an equal or opposite reaction。 This novel tore through all my emotions and truly left my heart sad but filled with hope。 It is okay to read a heavy book and still fall in love with it and its purpose， its education and its message。Thank you to double day books for this gifted copy in an exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Angie S H aka Feelin A Little Bookish
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In The Bad Muslim Discount， we are introduced to two characters named Anvar and Azza。 The book began in the mid 90s with both living their separate lives。 Anvar’s family is on their way to America from Pakistan after his father grew tired of being there。 Azza， lived in Iraq， then war torn Afghanistan only to illegally move to America。 Both， before moving to America， experienced life in different but similar ways。 Religion is a huge factor in their lives， expectations set by parents and even what In The Bad Muslim Discount， we are introduced to two characters named Anvar and Azza。 The book began in the mid 90s with both living their separate lives。 Anvar’s family is on their way to America from Pakistan after his father grew tired of being there。 Azza， lived in Iraq， then war torn Afghanistan only to illegally move to America。 Both， before moving to America， experienced life in different but similar ways。 Religion is a huge factor in their lives， expectations set by parents and even what life is like for a male vs female。 Anvar’s mother was religious as was his brother。 Him and his dad， well， they marched to the beat of their own drums。 For Azza， her dad laid down the rules， was a devout Muslim and he expected her to follow society’s rules as well。 Honour your family， do as the men say， live purely and get married to someone who can provide & has status。 In America， Anvar did as he wanted much to his mother’s dismay。 He fell in love， got his heart broken， enjoyed being a teenager， became a lawyer， drank and dated whomever。 Azza， she struggled。 Her father and someone who was promised to her for marriage， treated her as if she were a second class citizen。 Anvar & Azza end up joining forces and similar to the game of checkers， their decisions end up having consequences。 Some deadly。 The book is marketed as being hilarious。 For some it isn’t and they don’t understand how。 I thought it was。 It was dark humour。 Growing up in a not so religious muslim family but having religious family members， I understood a lot of the humour。 I really liked this book especially because it showed two point of views of what it’s like being a Muslim immigrant in America。 Thank you Kaye Publicity Inc for the eARC！ 。。。more
Kyra Johnson
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Thank you so much @doubledaybooks for sharing this incredible book with me！ #partnerThe story begins in the 90s and follows the complicated lives of two immigrant families from Pakistan and Iraq。 Anvar is a spirited boy and admittedly a “bad Muslim” when his family moves to California from Pakistan。 He struggles to live up to the expectations set by his parents and often feels restless but he is ultimately a good person and free to live as he chooses。 Next， we are introduced to Safwa who had a m Thank you so much @doubledaybooks for sharing this incredible book with me！ #partnerThe story begins in the 90s and follows the complicated lives of two immigrant families from Pakistan and Iraq。 Anvar is a spirited boy and admittedly a “bad Muslim” when his family moves to California from Pakistan。 He struggles to live up to the expectations set by his parents and often feels restless but he is ultimately a good person and free to live as he chooses。 Next， we are introduced to Safwa who had a much harsher upbringing in comparison。 After a heartbreaking childhood， Safwa and her volatile， devout Muslim father make their way to the states illegally。 The two narratives become intertwined and Anvar and Safwa are involved in a chain of events that will alter their lives forever。 I started reading this as soon as it came in the mail and I am so glad that I did。 Masood uses nuanced storytelling to examine two sides of the Muslim faith and life as an immigrant in the US。 The characters were multi-layered， lovable （for the most part）， and it was interesting to see the stark contrast between both families。 The propulsive， unpredictable plot kept me captivated from the first page。 The writing in this novel is lyrical， tender and insightful。 It was highly entertaining and I’d be shocked if this doesn’t get optioned for TV or film。 There is so much witty humor， depth and heart in this beautiful story。 It will make you laugh， cry and stick with you for a long time。 Trust me when I say you need this book in your life。 The Bad Muslim Discount is out this Tuesday 2/2。 Please don’t sleep on this one！ 。。。more
Jessica Moore
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Thank you NetGalley， Doubleday Books， and Syed M。 Masood for the opportunity to review this book！ I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 In this story， we follow two families who immigrate to the United States from Pakistan and Iraq throughout the 90's all the way until 2016。 The main character， Anvar， constantly finds himself in the shadow of his seemingly perfect older brother。 As a result， Thank you NetGalley， Doubleday Books， and Syed M。 Masood for the opportunity to review this book！ I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 In this story， we follow two families who immigrate to the United States from Pakistan and Iraq throughout the 90's all the way until 2016。 The main character， Anvar， constantly finds himself in the shadow of his seemingly perfect older brother。 As a result， he is cynical about his life's current circumstances but is soon thrown into the lives of two women with different backgrounds and personalities。 He realizes he will have to develop very different emotional repertoires to understand each woman。 I loved getting to learn more about different cultures and what it must have felt like to leave everything behind and move to a place so different from your homeland。 This book has so much depth and emotion， I absolutely loved it！ There are funny parts， violent parts， emotional parts， all melding together to create an excellent book。 I highly recommend giving this book a try if you like learning about immigration， Muslim culture， living in the shadow of your siblings， and love。 。。。more
Faith Hurst-Bilinski
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The Bad Muslim is funny， yet dark at times。 If you are looking for more inclusion done in a touching and honest way， this book should be on your list。
Emma
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This was a really funny， compelling and interesting read。 It is the story of two immigrant families in the US。 Both move to make a better lives for themselves but the impetus is different。 One moves， whole family intact as legal immigrants to have better chances。 The other， daughter and Father， flee drone strikes in Iraq and are forced to make their way across the border illegally。 It’s not a spoiler to say that people from the families become entwined and a fabulous， though in parts sad， story This was a really funny， compelling and interesting read。 It is the story of two immigrant families in the US。 Both move to make a better lives for themselves but the impetus is different。 One moves， whole family intact as legal immigrants to have better chances。 The other， daughter and Father， flee drone strikes in Iraq and are forced to make their way across the border illegally。 It’s not a spoiler to say that people from the families become entwined and a fabulous， though in parts sad， story emerges。 This book focuses on Islam， and the orthodoxy that sometimes exists for some Muslims。 It examines the push and pull between what is reasonable to expect of people in terms of adherence to religious beliefs， hypocrisy， paranoia， bigotry， profiling， and the leveraging of faith to justify nefarious means。 I would argue that most of these themes could apply to any religious organization that has a more extreme subset of individuals within it （so， all religions then）。 However， it was really interesting to read about them through the lens of Islam and to learn more about it。 Anvar is a complicated and darkly comic narrator （I actually found him to be slightly annoying but all the characters in the book did too， so perhaps very compelling writing！）， and I loved Azza and Zuha’s perspectives too。 The choice to have young narrators and main characters， and to place them and their choices against the ways that older generations think about religion， was very interesting。 It naturally called into question how religion should fit within life in the here and now and also the future， about what messages we should and should not take from it， and how it can unite but also divide at the both the individual and societal level。 。。。more
Ayesha
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After reading 'More Than Just a Pretty Face' last year， I was really excited to pick this one up， and I'm glad that I got the opportunity to read the arc sent to me by the publishers。 The title really piqued my interest， and obviously you can look at the cover yourself。 It gorgeous。The plot consist of two main protagonists， a Pakistani American Boy， Anvar， with a major cultural/religious identify crisis thing going on， and an Iraqi girl， Azza， who comes from a family torn apart by war。 The book After reading 'More Than Just a Pretty Face' last year， I was really excited to pick this one up， and I'm glad that I got the opportunity to read the arc sent to me by the publishers。 The title really piqued my interest， and obviously you can look at the cover yourself。 It gorgeous。The plot consist of two main protagonists， a Pakistani American Boy， Anvar， with a major cultural/religious identify crisis thing going on， and an Iraqi girl， Azza， who comes from a family torn apart by war。 The book is about both of their stories， and how they interwove。There are many different elements in this book， all of them discussed in a very raw and up-front manner。 It deals with mental health issues， PTSD and effects of war on people。 It talks about the state of foreign prisoners， how they're treated and what effect it has on their later lives。 It also deals with toxic parental relationships， honor killings， forced marriages and rape。 After 9/11 muslims had to struggle alot， which this book captured very accurately。 It talks about Racism， Sexism and Islamophobia。 I can't even begin to comprehend how many different layers of depth this book has。And finally， if you still want a reason to read this book， read it for the Muslim representation。 Being a Pakistani myself， I could relate to a few aspects of the book。 This book is about a girl who's been through the worst and still believes in God and a guy， who has no faith， but ends up finding it。The only complain I have is that the book is advertised as a 'hysterically funny' and 'humourous' book， when it was neither of those things。 It was dark and messed up and literally gave me goosebumps。 I'd recommend it to Khalid Hosseini fans because the amount of depth and darkness in this book reminded me of 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'。 。。。more
Jill
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This book was nothing like I expected。 That’s not necessarily a bad thing， though。 From the description （“Bad Muslim Discount is a hilarious， timely， and provocative comic novel about being Muslim immigrants in modern America”）， I expected a light and funny book somewhat like the show “Fresh Off the Boat，” but for Muslim immigrants。 You know， culture clash， a son who loves gansta rap， a mom who won’t let go of the old ways。 Cue the hilarity。 However， what we actually get is a deeply insightful， This book was nothing like I expected。 That’s not necessarily a bad thing， though。 From the description （“Bad Muslim Discount is a hilarious， timely， and provocative comic novel about being Muslim immigrants in modern America”）， I expected a light and funny book somewhat like the show “Fresh Off the Boat，” but for Muslim immigrants。 You know， culture clash， a son who loves gansta rap， a mom who won’t let go of the old ways。 Cue the hilarity。 However， what we actually get is a deeply insightful， often painful look into the experiences of two Muslim families， one from Iraq and one from Pakistan， who came to America via two very different paths to create new lives for themselves。 When their paths cross， a series of events is set off that ends with deadly and devastating consequences。The book was actually quite good。 The writing is sharp and observant， and often quite witty， but I wouldn’t describe this book as hilarious。 Provocative， yes。 Often skewering， yes。 Comic， no。 There is a ton to unpack here （religion， immigration， politics， old versus new）， which would make it a great book club pick。 I just wish the content had been better described so I didn’t spend the first third of the book wondering what I was missing。 The characters weren't always likeable and the book didn’t end how I wanted it to。 Still， a great and timely read。 Also， can we take a moment to admire that fabulous cover？ Gorgeous！ Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 Join me on Instagram @jills_bookish_life for more reviews and bookish content！ 。。。more
Brooke
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The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M。 Masood is an #ownvoices novel needed in 2021。 It's a story that shows the diversity of the Muslim community and the immigrant experience in America。 It challenges the narrow categories of "good" or "bad" and aims for a deeper understanding of the humanity of the characters。 While the synopsis calls the book a "comic novel，" the moments of humor are of the darker variety， so I would note that for readers。 Still， it's one that would be well-placed on 2021 reading The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M。 Masood is an #ownvoices novel needed in 2021。 It's a story that shows the diversity of the Muslim community and the immigrant experience in America。 It challenges the narrow categories of "good" or "bad" and aims for a deeper understanding of the humanity of the characters。 While the synopsis calls the book a "comic novel，" the moments of humor are of the darker variety， so I would note that for readers。 Still， it's one that would be well-placed on 2021 reading lists。 Many thanks to the author， publisher， and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book。 All thoughts are my own。 。。。more
Iffiy
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In my search for more Muslim stories I came across this book， the cover first caught my eye。 When I looked it up it did not release yet and I couldn’t wait so I headed over to NetGally to see if I could get ARC。 I really enjoyed the book at first I thought it will be stereotypical Muslim story but it wasn’t （except for Azza father。） I really enjoyed the humor， their were moments I laughed out loud。 Their were moments I connected with the story especially Anvar’s parents “parenting style” it remi In my search for more Muslim stories I came across this book， the cover first caught my eye。 When I looked it up it did not release yet and I couldn’t wait so I headed over to NetGally to see if I could get ARC。 I really enjoyed the book at first I thought it will be stereotypical Muslim story but it wasn’t （except for Azza father。） I really enjoyed the humor， their were moments I laughed out loud。 Their were moments I connected with the story especially Anvar’s parents “parenting style” it reminded me of my parents。 I definitely recommend this book and I can’t wait to get hard copy when it releases ext month。 。。。more
Sacha
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Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for this arc， which I received in exchange for an honest review。 I’ll post that review upon publication。Updated 2/2/214 stars This is a great - if necessarily dark - read。 I received and loved the arc for Masood's YA novel， _More Than Just a Pretty Face_， last year， and was thrilled to receive this arc shortly thereafter。 Like its predecessor， this takes some very serious turns and highlights aspects of parent/child， religion/culture， and romantic relationships Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for this arc， which I received in exchange for an honest review。 I’ll post that review upon publication。Updated 2/2/214 stars This is a great - if necessarily dark - read。 I received and loved the arc for Masood's YA novel， _More Than Just a Pretty Face_， last year， and was thrilled to receive this arc shortly thereafter。 Like its predecessor， this takes some very serious turns and highlights aspects of parent/child， religion/culture， and romantic relationships that feel real and intimate。 The juxtaposition between growing up in the U。S。 and immigrating to the U。S。 later in life is well displayed here， especially through Anvar's and Safwa's perspectives。 For me， Anvar is particularly well drawn as a character who passively accepts， runs， etc。 in the face of so much opportunity to choose differently。 There is also a regular play between agency and fate throughout the novel that comes through in thought provoking ways。 It is particularly chilling to read about these characters' experiences in a fictionalized version of the horrifying "leadership" of the past four years， and I think this would have depressed me too much to read before knowing the results of the most recent election。 What a dark time and a perfect encapsulation of just some of its fallout。 Recommended - 。。。more
Ken McDouall
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The debut author that floored me in 2020 was Brit Bennett with her marvelous "The Vanishing Half。" I suspect Syed Masood might fill that spot for me in 2021。 This compelling story pulls in the reader through the fascinating and complicated lives of two immigrant families。 Anvar is a young man transplanted as a teenager from Pakistan to San Francisco。 His career as an attorney is floundering， as is his love life， when he meets Safwa， an arrival from Iraq。 Her tormented life mostly consists of try The debut author that floored me in 2020 was Brit Bennett with her marvelous "The Vanishing Half。" I suspect Syed Masood might fill that spot for me in 2021。 This compelling story pulls in the reader through the fascinating and complicated lives of two immigrant families。 Anvar is a young man transplanted as a teenager from Pakistan to San Francisco。 His career as an attorney is floundering， as is his love life， when he meets Safwa， an arrival from Iraq。 Her tormented life mostly consists of trying to find a way out of an impending forced marriage to a sadistic abuser。 Both are fully realized characters， complex and flawed， as are the peripheral characters in the novel。 Masood is a writer to watch， with fluid prose， realistic storytelling， and just the right balance of tragedy and comedy。 Take a break from our culture's onslaught of stereotypes surrounding Muslims and dive into this masterful debut。Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy。 This novel earned my nomination for best February releases at libraryreads。org 。。。more
Dianne
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I will start by saying that I am not a Muslim， a Pakistani， or an Iraqi; I found this to be a challenging read because of that。 This may also be a better book for those who aren't right-wing Republicans！ I found that there was absolutely nothing at all humorous about this book and the synopsis was very misleading。This book deals with many issues that Muslims deal with in their own countries -then it speaks of how certain Muslims are dealt with in the USA。I honestly did not like any of the charac I will start by saying that I am not a Muslim， a Pakistani， or an Iraqi; I found this to be a challenging read because of that。 This may also be a better book for those who aren't right-wing Republicans！ I found that there was absolutely nothing at all humorous about this book and the synopsis was very misleading。This book deals with many issues that Muslims deal with in their own countries -then it speaks of how certain Muslims are dealt with in the USA。I honestly did not like any of the characters except for perhaps a few of the secondary characters。 I tried to feel empathy or sympathy， especially with Azz/Safwa， but I just couldn't。 Then I found this quote:Azza/Safwa- "But you Americans never think much about who may get hurt， as long as you get what you want。" and found myself liking her even less since that is what she had been doing throughout this whole book。I did learn a lot from this book， and I was curious enough to see how it ended， so that is what kept me from giving it a two-star review。*ARC supplied by the publisher and author。 。。。more
Liz
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Please visit my book blog https://cavebookreviews。blogspot。com/。Syed Mansoor should quit his day job as a lawyer to keep turning out books like The Bad Muslim Discount。 I am not a fan of comic novels， but this irreverent story of two families， one religious and one more secular， is a tragic story with hilarious moments， usually in the dialogue from the disappointing son， Anvar。Anvar is from a family in Pakistan who decide to pack it up and move to America， where every man is created equal。 Anvar Please visit my book blog https://cavebookreviews。blogspot。com/。Syed Mansoor should quit his day job as a lawyer to keep turning out books like The Bad Muslim Discount。 I am not a fan of comic novels， but this irreverent story of two families， one religious and one more secular， is a tragic story with hilarious moments， usually in the dialogue from the disappointing son， Anvar。Anvar is from a family in Pakistan who decide to pack it up and move to America， where every man is created equal。 Anvar is less than a serious student who becomes a lawyer but doesn't practice。 Anvar's mother is deeply disappointed in him， and he avoids every opportunity she might have to verbalize her grievances with his life choices。 Even as a result of doing something when his father must step in and have a harsh word with him， the punishment consists of eating a bubble gum ice cream cone， the flavor Anvar hates the most。Anvar's best friend in school was a girl named Zuha， and though they drifted apart in college， his heart is always holding out for her， the one who makes his life come alive with possibilities。 When Zuha begins taking the Muslim religion a bit more seriously， the couple's path diverges， and Anvar's life is out of whack for ten years。Azaa and her father， Abu Fahd， arrive in San Francisco from Iraq via Afghanistan。 This family's story is a tragic one。 Abu is an angry， violent man who takes out his anger on Azaa。 They get involved with a neighbor， Qais Badami， who makes an evil deal involving Azaa to help get them to the US。 Azaa becomes trapped between two men who are angry with the world， hate the Americans， and take it out on her。 Thankfully， she meets Anvar， and the plot becomes interesting。This comic novel quickly became a suspenseful page-turner， and I loved reading it。 All the quirky characters livened up a story that included tragic events。 The plot is entirely believable in our contemporary situation in the USA。 I am grateful for the spin SMS gave the story。 I hope he writes more about the immigrant experience， and I would love for this novel to have a screenplay adaptation。 Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC of the book to be published in February。 。。。more
Letty
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This was a very enjoyable and humorous story about the immigrant Muslim community。 Very well-written story with a wonderful cast of characters。 I especially liked Naani Jaan， a very wise woman。 I’m quite interested in reading Syed Masood first book as I thoroughly enjoyed this one。 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy。
Cathy
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*ARCA great escape into a different life book for anyone who isn't Muslim， or an immigrant。 There are so many basic human feelings explored in this book that it is hard to separate yourself from the character at times。 The family relationships will have you thinking about your own family dynamics。 Defiantly worth reading。 *ARCA great escape into a different life book for anyone who isn't Muslim， or an immigrant。 There are so many basic human feelings explored in this book that it is hard to separate yourself from the character at times。 The family relationships will have you thinking about your own family dynamics。 Defiantly worth reading。 。。。more
Pop Bop
，
This is a funny， warm， perceptive， edgy， and ultimately redemptive look at two very different characters and the community that shaped， and shapes， them。 The voices are fresh and vital， and there is a thoughtful， insightful， or witty and clever， line on every page。 Even passing characters will capture your attention， and the underlying sense of melancholy and wistfulness will only enhance your appreciation of this marvelous work。 That said， there is edge and bitterness and sharply observed comme This is a funny， warm， perceptive， edgy， and ultimately redemptive look at two very different characters and the community that shaped， and shapes， them。 The voices are fresh and vital， and there is a thoughtful， insightful， or witty and clever， line on every page。 Even passing characters will capture your attention， and the underlying sense of melancholy and wistfulness will only enhance your appreciation of this marvelous work。 That said， there is edge and bitterness and sharply observed commentary here as well; this is a mature and unblinking piece of work。 A seriously wonderful find in every way。（Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement， or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review。 Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book。） 。。。more
Cora
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The cover art is beautiful ， but this book is so much more than is suggested by it。 Funny， and heart-rending， one of my favorite books this year， and the first one that made me cry in a long time。
Anne
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I was fortunate enough to get a free advanced copy from Net Galley。 I've had it sitting on my device for MONTHS but life has been just too crazy to allow me the time to read it。 I finally started it this morning and was immediately drawn in。 Masood's writing is effortlessly smooth。 There is serious stuff written about with such a turn of phrase as to make it seem light。 I'm nowhere near finished with it yet， but I was so relieved to have something （A） well-written， and （B） interesting to read I I was fortunate enough to get a free advanced copy from Net Galley。 I've had it sitting on my device for MONTHS but life has been just too crazy to allow me the time to read it。 I finally started it this morning and was immediately drawn in。 Masood's writing is effortlessly smooth。 There is serious stuff written about with such a turn of phrase as to make it seem light。 I'm nowhere near finished with it yet， but I was so relieved to have something （A） well-written， and （B） interesting to read I just had to share。 I don't feel like I know the characters yet， but I feel like they are characters I really， want to get to know better。 。。。more
Laura Hill
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