A review by izasballad
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

5.0

This was such a beautifully written book. This book explores different themes, such as sobriety, addiction, grief, and family, but essentially, this book delves into mortality— the meaning of life and death. It talks about one's desire to have a meaningful death— to be remembered/to be a martyr; the search for meaning in a world that often feels senseless. Kaveh Akbar creates such a nuanced portrayal of Cyrus. He showed the toll of profound loss in a person, and how they attempt to cope and understand the situation. In Cyrus' attempt to cope, he becomes obsessed with the idea of martyrdom, seeing it as an avenue to find purpose in his life.  One of the book's strengths lies in its exploration of the interconnected lives surrounding Cyrus. By writing the perspectives of these characters' past and present lives, Akbar showcases how everyone's experiences intersect and shape one another. There are a lot of interpretations of the ending, and I could see how each of those can play in the story. I would love to share more of my thoughts, but most of them contain spoilers haha! The writing was so engaging, and the language used flowed beautifully. My only regret is not buying a physical copy of this book to annotate (as someone who rarely rereads books, it's such a pity!!) This is such a great book for discussions, and I highly recommend it!