Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Offering so much more than just a fictional work, it's so difficult to put this outstanding work into one genre. It is a beautiful hybrid of memoir and essay, as well as fiction. It is an eye opening read an an important and insightful work. I devoured the book and can't wait for Ayad Ahktars next work

This book is truly eye-opening, a must-read for everybody. Simultaneously funny and heartbreaking, the various stories give such an insightful picture of just how Muslims in America are othered - by Americans and themselves alike. It provides a perfect analysis of how all humans constantly find separateness versus union, and the language further creates a heartbreaking account of this.
I found this enjoyable and educational alike - incredible insight into the facade of the American Dream, and how it is truly built on one fundamental ideology - that of capital and economy. The only true liberation that can be found is through money, a view that is pessimistic, yet entirely plausible.
All of this leads to a discussion of how the Trump era really came to be, and how one can be Muslim in such an era. The discussions of post-9/11 America are thoroughly eye-opening, reiterating things that were known to me but with such a fresh, gut-wrenching approach.
Overall, Akhtar provides a stunning, breath-taking account of what it is it be othered in a place that is your home, and how this can have consequences not just for yourself but for the world around you.

This is one of the most insightful and intelligent musings on life in America in a post 9/11 world that I could imagine. If I was a billionaire I would quite honestly deliver one to every American home before election time in the hopes of yielding some compassion and understanding.
Although the majority of this book is clearly memoir and factual, Akhtar admits to embellishment and therefore cites this as a novel - and thankfully, that is how it is written, creating a far more compulsive read than I often find non-fiction. Akhtar’s story is one of a Muslim family (mostly father and son) living in America and the impact which 9/11 and mass shootings have on the way they are viewed and treated. Yet, it is so much more than that - a hard look at the reasons why disillusioned Americans voted for Trump and may do so again, mostly out of the need for financial security and power.
I found this completely unputdownable - horrifying, astonishing and terrifying with another election coming up imminently.
Akhtar’s knowledge and intelligence are clearly well beyond mine as I did find some parts hard to get to grips with, and I’ll admit I could’ve done without the detailed sex scenes, but I still have to cite this as an absolute must read for our times. Outstanding.