Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - The Bad Muslim Discount

Rounding it up to 4.5 stars. I’m going to preface this by saying I am not Muslim so I can’t speak for any religious or non religious explanations but I will say that this was an insightful, funny, emotional depth of an adult novel that captivated me when it came to upbringings and life in Pakistan & Iraq. This character driven novel told by an own voices author tells the story of two characters, Anvar and Sawfa. We start off in the middle of the 90’s (95) up until 2016/17. Anvar’s parents are eerily similar to my own, my mother was the more religious, disciplinarian of the house while my father let his sense of humor and laidback disposition be the centerpiece of his personality. Another similarity? Having the intense and fortunate realization that his home country was no longer safe admits the growing unruly political climate. Sawfa was living in Iraq as a teen and she also comes to the conclusion that life in her country is no longer safe. Even though they both managed to get to California at different points in their life, the two wind up meeting down the road. Both characters have a lot of questions…. about their faith, their upbringing and even the way in which people treat one another. It’s not meant to be judge mental but reflective & mind growing. Each character is distinct in their own way & I definitely recommend this for anyone looking to learn through fiction.

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rrubin97's review

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challenging dark slow-paced

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

0.5

I am proud of myself for finishing this book - it was a slog. The characters wanted to be sympathetic but weren’t. It was moralizing and preachy and grand standing.

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zombiezami's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I liked how funny and vibrant the characters were. The character arcs and themes in the book are very lovely.

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wee_ramekin's review

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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sallysimply's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow, what an unexpected gift this is! I got this book on a whim, mostly tempted by the beautiful cover. This story is gripping, the characters complex, the emotions raw, so much of it relatable, and somehow satisfying even though it isn’t really hopeful. This book acknowledges life for what it is, particularly the state of the world and being an immigrant in the U.S., and it’s hard to find hope in that. But there is still beauty and tenderness and love, and that’s not nothing.

I cried a lot and I laughed even more (Anvar is hilarious). I am grateful this book exists.

Content Warnings