You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
Well written, I love reading books from different cultural perspectives.
I struggled with this book because I just couldn’t bring myself to like the main character. Especially when he describes his sexual exploits in detail (yuck). Sometimes his observations were brilliant but mostly he felt like an overgrown frat boy.
I struggled with this book because I just couldn’t bring myself to like the main character. Especially when he describes his sexual exploits in detail (yuck). Sometimes his observations were brilliant but mostly he felt like an overgrown frat boy.
4.5
I didn’t know this was a work of fiction until I came to write my review — Akthar did a great job of personalizing the story and making it feel like a personal narrative. The author talks about struggles with fitting in as a Muslim American in a post 9/11 world while also appeasing the expectations of immigrant parents. Incredibly thought provoking and plenty of food for thought, Akthar did a great job discussing how multiple identities play into our daily lives with how we carry ourselves. He discusses the struggles of trying to forge our own paths while also being mindful of the sacrifices our parents have made for us to get here. We learn a lot about his complicated relationship with his father and I feel like many first generation children will find themselves relating to parts of the story whether or not this is something they have identified before. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his observations about the American Life.
I didn’t know this was a work of fiction until I came to write my review — Akthar did a great job of personalizing the story and making it feel like a personal narrative. The author talks about struggles with fitting in as a Muslim American in a post 9/11 world while also appeasing the expectations of immigrant parents. Incredibly thought provoking and plenty of food for thought, Akthar did a great job discussing how multiple identities play into our daily lives with how we carry ourselves. He discusses the struggles of trying to forge our own paths while also being mindful of the sacrifices our parents have made for us to get here. We learn a lot about his complicated relationship with his father and I feel like many first generation children will find themselves relating to parts of the story whether or not this is something they have identified before. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his observations about the American Life.
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A beautifully written account of life in America for both immigrant parents, and their first generation children. Insightful and harrowing, told with love. I am confused by the “blends fact with fiction” description, and must do more digging as it all appeared autobiographical. I enjoyed the audiobook version, read by the author himself; his mastery of accents adding a layer of pure delight!
I’m sad this didn’t work for me, but I’m clearly in the minority since it is getting rave reviews everywhere. I get what the author is trying to do mixing fact and fiction. Is this a memoir or a story? It’s our lives in a nutshell trying to separate truth from Facebook posts. The message is powerful, but the book itself just didn’t click for me. It felt almost too clever by half.
If I was in a creative writing course on modern American literature and this book wasn’t mandatory reading, I would’ve been robbed. It is topical, thought-provoking and industriously written. I didn’t always agree with Akhtar’s direct / indirect commentary but something about his candor is self-effacing; I suppose because it doesn’t always paint him in the best light. It disarms you as a reader - you spend less time being preoccupied with the author’s POV but instead thinking about the point that’s being made. It’s masterful.
Really enjoyed it. Father-son dynamic also v moving. 5/5 for me.
Really enjoyed it. Father-son dynamic also v moving. 5/5 for me.
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Really good. The writing was straightforward and beautiful and Akhtar covered lots of ground (identity, history, ideology, family - it’s a party!).
Google says its genre is “auto fiction,” which—not going to lie—threw me at times: some passages felt so personal, raw, and true that, instead of focusing on the book, I wondered more about the break down of X chapter being the author’s own story versus a synthesis of others’ Muslim-American experiences. I get that that is besides the point and, in part, the genius of this genre-bending approach, but I was just, admittedly, preoccupied with this confusion when I would have much preferred diving into the acute perspectives the book was trying to tell.
Google says its genre is “auto fiction,” which—not going to lie—threw me at times: some passages felt so personal, raw, and true that, instead of focusing on the book, I wondered more about the break down of X chapter being the author’s own story versus a synthesis of others’ Muslim-American experiences. I get that that is besides the point and, in part, the genius of this genre-bending approach, but I was just, admittedly, preoccupied with this confusion when I would have much preferred diving into the acute perspectives the book was trying to tell.
"Homeland Elegies" had some brilliant insights. His look at how people are fooled by Trump was really interesting. The variety of Muslim- and Pakistani-American perspectives was really interesting to read.
Unfortunately, the bad distracted me from the book overall. What was the point of all that graphic sex? How many times can an author write "her sex" until it's ridiculous? This many. It's already a weird phrase, and he used it so many times. What was with the syphilis storyline? The sexual aspect of the novel was written so differently from the rest, and it was disconnected from the overall plot and theme.
Unfortunately, the bad distracted me from the book overall. What was the point of all that graphic sex? How many times can an author write "her sex" until it's ridiculous? This many. It's already a weird phrase, and he used it so many times. What was with the syphilis storyline? The sexual aspect of the novel was written so differently from the rest, and it was disconnected from the overall plot and theme.