Reviews

The Return of Faraz Ali by Aamina Ahmad

ruby_99's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

parimelanie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

anishak4's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed the storytelling and didn’t want it to end! I wished some of the characters were a little more developed - I felt like I got snippets of many but would have loved more.

jeweliette's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Couldn’t put it down I learned alot about Lahore and historical/culture of the time period 

vindaloo's review against another edition

5.0

Beautifully written and compelling. This novel is a glimpse into a world very few of us have ever seen. The characters are well-rounded and flawed, and despite their very realistic flaws they garner the reader’s empathy. This novel was hard to put down! This was a gripping window into other lives in other worlds, and reading it was a wholly worthwhile experience. I look forward to what the author brings us in the future!

njw13's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

girlglitch's review against another edition

4.0

The Return of Faraz Ali is an impressive historical debut, set in post-partition Pakistan.

It's more of a family epic than a mystery, which threw me a little at first, but I was soon swept up by the complex characters and rich historical detail. While it's a very personal story of Faraz's journey, Ahmad also manages to take wider political landscape of this turbulent era as the characters, trapped by their different circumstances, fight to survive.

It's a smart and sometimes heavy-going novel: one I would describe as a rewarding rather than enjoyable read.

*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*

sumsayyah's review against another edition

5.0

An emotional powerhouse of a book. It’s 1968 and Faraz Ali, a young police officer, returns to his birthplace in the Mohalla, Lahore’s red-light district, to investigate the murder of a young girl - but this is so much more than a crime mystery. It’s a sweeping story that spans decades, from the birth of Pakistan during World War II to Bangladeshi Independence, recounting how gender, class, caste, and revolution intersperse with the lives of both corrupt military generals and the dancers and their daughters living in the Mohalla. Each character feels deeply human - written with intense vulnerability and intimacy. Aamina Ahmed somehow manages to immerse you in the soil of the subcontinent itself - it is richly detailed and evocations of fear, grief, power, and belonging are masterfully executed. Ahmed especially shines in her capture of her female characters and her compassionate treatment of them as they navigate the few, difficult choices available to them. The novel’s scope is large and at times goes a little too long and winding (if you’re not familiar with South Asian history or overwhelmed by changes in POVs/time periods, it may take a while to get the hang of it) - but it is tied up perfectly at the end, a masterful unraveling of the complex characters, events, and perpetual desperation for personhood that define Pakistani history. 

caroline88's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

crazycatplantlady's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.25