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Mirage, when boiled to its most quinessential point, is a story of culture. Somaiya Daud's gorgeous writing was full of life and warmth, weaving Moroccan culture into the book in the most vivid way possible.
While many books also explore colonialism and the erasure of native cultures, I thought that this offered new perspectives through Maran and Idris. Maram is a child of a woman whose home was invaded, while also being the heir to the Vathek Empire. Her isolation from her mother's people, and those of the coloniser for being too much of either, was heartbreaking. Moreover, Idris, whose family once ruled and has since been displaced, grew up disconnected from his culture, unable to speak his native tongue, and forced to integrate into a narrative he will never belong to.
Personally, I felt that the narration was not emotional enough. What the characters, especially Amani, endure is devastating but they seem to be brushed through so quickly that the depth of pain is not fully empathised with. Amani quickly rises in her internal strength but the catalyst to shift her from point A to B is unclear, because too much telling is occurring instead of showing. The same could be said for the complex relationship between Amani and Maram, which was one of the most intriguing elements of the story, however, their relationship progressed so quickly from hatred to comfort and loyalty that it contributed to the two-dimensionality of the story.
I also think that the sci-fi aspect did not add much to the story and it would have been the same if it had been removed as it wasn't fleshed out as clearly. On the flip-side, this could be a benefit as it was easy to read and came off like a fantasy.
While many books also explore colonialism and the erasure of native cultures, I thought that this offered new perspectives through Maran and Idris. Maram is a child of a woman whose home was invaded, while also being the heir to the Vathek Empire. Her isolation from her mother's people, and those of the coloniser for being too much of either, was heartbreaking. Moreover, Idris, whose family once ruled and has since been displaced, grew up disconnected from his culture, unable to speak his native tongue, and forced to integrate into a narrative he will never belong to.
Personally, I felt that the narration was not emotional enough. What the characters, especially Amani, endure is devastating but they seem to be brushed through so quickly that the depth of pain is not fully empathised with. Amani quickly rises in her internal strength but the catalyst to shift her from point A to B is unclear, because too much telling is occurring instead of showing. The same could be said for the complex relationship between Amani and Maram, which was one of the most intriguing elements of the story, however, their relationship progressed so quickly from hatred to comfort and loyalty that it contributed to the two-dimensionality of the story.
I also think that the sci-fi aspect did not add much to the story and it would have been the same if it had been removed as it wasn't fleshed out as clearly. On the flip-side, this could be a benefit as it was easy to read and came off like a fantasy.