I started reading this but I don't think I was in the right frame of mind for the heaviness of the beginning of this book. I liked Masood's first book which is why I applied for this one but just couldn't wrap my mind around this one currently. The beginning paints a very real picture of devout Muslim life as told between two different people. I assume their storylines will eventually intertwine. My heart broke for Safwa and what happened to her in Baghdad.

Anvar's father decides in 1995 that he has had enough of the fundamentalist fever gripping his country and moves his family to the US. Not everyone in his family were in favor though. While Anvar and his father thrive in their new home, his mother and his brother remain extremely devout and often critical of those who weren't like them. Still Anvar and his family lead a relatively comfortable life; on the other part of the world, Safwa and her family are trying and failing to survive in war-torn Baghdad. She and her father eventually make it to the US but not before accumulating heavy losses that forever alter their lives. When her path crosses with Anvar's, they each have something to learn from the other while also battling the bonds that hold them back.

I know my summary is extremely vague but there's so much about this book I cannot give away. Before I go into that, I will say that the cover of this book does not do it justice. I was expecting a hilarious rom-com. Yes, half the book is funny but the other half will make you weep and hold your loved ones close. There is romance but it is not even front and center of the story. It is so far from a boy-meets-girl as that cover may lead you to believe.

The Bad Muslim Discount alternates between Anvar and Azza's POV. Although the novel is entirely in third person, the two perspectives also reflect their very different personalities and experiences very well. Anvar jokes a lot, sometimes at other people's expense. As a result, he is often in situations that he needs to dig himself out of. Safwa, on the other hand, has seen so much tragedy that I often had to put aside the book at the end of her chapters. The kind of decisions she had to make even before she hit the double-digit age made me cry for little kids everywhere who don't have anyone looking out for them - no child should ever have to make those decisions. You can feel the weight of that in her every action as she grows older.

It will be hard to read, but I promise the book still pulled me in. In some ways, Anvar's sarcasm and humor makes it easier to stomach.

The war is what leads both families to make certain decisions but you can see how it has barely touched one family and hardly left the other one alone. It is to the author's credit that this is portrayed very well. Through it all, I thought that the Muslim communities were represented well. There is so much about faith without it really being about faith. Who is a good Muslim? Does that even matter? Depends on who you ask. On the one hand, there is Anvar who is by his and others' definitions, a bad Muslim, and then there is his brother Aamir, the model Muslim. Along with parental doctrines of religion come theirs and societal expectations of what thou shalt and shalt not do. Both Anvar and Safwa struggle to fit in the molds designed for them, and it is in some ways their reluctance to follow the path laid out for them that brings them together and helps fight their demons. For Safwa, this is her father and for Anwar, his feelings for his old flame.

This is not to say that I loved it without a fault. I was disappointed in how the women in this book were portrayed. There is certainly a lot of sexism, which unfortunately is not unusual for either Iraq or Pakistan (or almost every country in the world, for that matter), so you need to know this going in and also realize that real women from many of these countries are often treated as property. However, the sexist attitudes (whether it is limiting women's freedom or glorifying their sex appeal) are kept unresolved and treated as matter-of-fact, and so I felt we lost an opportunity here to show how better attitudes could prevail.

One thing that I enjoyed tremendously in this book is how it is structured like a checkers game. Anvar and his grandmother are huge fans and the chapters in the book are organized as an homage to the game. There's a whole section that reads like a fast paced game. All this made the geek in me extremely happy.

All in all, this wasn't perfect but it was good and I very much appreciated the fast pace and how there was never a boring moment in the story.

This book takes such a unique look at the immigrant experience of those from the Middle East. There was a wit in the writing that has made me look for the authors other works and I will definitely be following in the future!!

I was given the opportunity to read and review this book through Net Galley and I am so glad! The story sucked you in and you'll find yourself thinking about the characters long after you finish the book. Can't wait to read more by this author!!

Thank you, NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review! As a Muslim myself, I absolutely love this book and believe it is a must-read!

This book was easily one of the best stories I've read recently. Told from a dual perspective: a young boy in Pakistan and a young girl in Iraq from the time they are just preteens until their lives eventually intertwine in America, The Bad Muslim Discount was able to get me laughing out loud and quoting lines to my husband, while, at the same time, feel a gnaw of sadness in my stomach. Syed Masood does an extraordinary job of creating characters you really care about, flawed and real. His descriptions of people and places were so well done that I could picture them in my head. The humor was genuine and not forced as you could imagine these characters really interacting with each other and the conversations that would flow. Most importantly, to me, the ending wasn't all wrapped up neatly but, instead, it felt real and bittersweet. This is definitely a book that needs to be on everyone's radar.

Reading 2021
Book 19: Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M. Masood

ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Following two families from Pakistan and Iraq in the 1990s to San Francisco in 2016, Bad Muslim Discount is a hilarious, timely, and provocative comic novel about being Muslim immigrants in modern America." from Goodreads. Anvar and Safwa are the two characters that tell their stories in alternating chapters. Their journeys from the Middle East to the United States take two very different paths. once Safwa comes into Anvar's life the drama heats up. the end felt a bit like Harry Potter and Voldemort, only one can survive.

Okay first let me start by saying this book was funny in parts, but my overall feeling when I finished the book was not a hilarious read. Yes, the author treats some of his culture with irreverence, but was not guffawing during the whole book. Safwa's story was one of tragedy, grief, and violence. The cover also was misleading to me, looking very fun and light. This was a good read, and glad I read it. It was pretty intense in parts as well, especially towards the end. My rating 4 ⭐.

The Bad Muslim Discount tells the story of two Muslim characters, whose lives eventually intersect.

Anvar grew up in Pakistan in the 1990's and his family later moves to California. Anvar is the sarcastic, witty one in the family and isn't the best at following Muslim practices. Meanwhile his mom and brother who are model Muslims are more readily accepted in their new community.

Safwa is a young woman who grows up at the same time in war-torn Baghdad. After her mother and brother die, Safwa and her conservative, ill-tempered father are determined to make their way to the US to have a better life. Safwa makes a regrettable deal with a young man who promises that he can get them all to America.

The book is a clever commentary on the life of Muslims in the modern world and particularly on the experience of Muslim immigrants in the US. There are moments of dark humor in the book and it helps add some levity to balance Safwa's traumatic experiences. The "present day" of the book is right around the time when Trump is elected president and the characters express their concerns over Trump's proposed Muslim Ban.

Clever Pakistani Boy

The beginning of the book grabbed my attention immediately. Always believing the Muslims were gracious and respectful to their immediate families, I was surprised when our main character, Anvar, refers to his perfect brother as a “stinking little turd.”

The Massod family live in Pakistan, but they move to America when Anwar’s father feels caught up in the repressive, traditional religious milieu. His mother, deeply religious, is wary of this upheaval in their lives. The novel becomes a study in the facets of the Muslim-American life.

Anwar meets Safwa in a rundown apartment building. Safwa is from Afghanistan, whose abusive father moved her to America after her mother and brother die. The landlord allows them to live there reasoning that Anwar would not bomb where you live.

There seems to be danger all around. Despite that Anwar becomes an attorney, he struggles. Life in America is tumultuous and Masood takes the reader up the 2016 Presidential election and the Muslim ban. This is an unusual book with a different slant and provides the reader with the strain of living in our country and cultural traditions.

Highly Recommended.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Doubleday for pre-published book in exchange for an honest review..

I would rate this book 3.75 stars. I wanted to love this book, but unfortunately it was very political and of the times I suppose. I liked learning about Muslim culture as well as some of the challenges faced here in America. Unfortunately, I could not fully connect with the characters, but I did enjoy the bits of humor.

This is a story with a lot going for it: humor, tragedy, heartbreak, love. It is more than an immigrant story, more than a struggle with faith and expectations. It really examines what is right and wrong and being true to yourself. The characters and plot are memorable and the writing is exceptional.

Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the ARC to read and review.

Judging this book by its cover, title and publisher blurb, this book wasn’t what I expected. Yes, there is a good bit of humor, but also great pain and conflict. And at some points, some very over-the-top incidents that took me right out of the story. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book, well written, intriguing story. Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for a review copy.

TW: physical assault, death of a loved one, islamophobia, mention of war, violence

This book was an absolute roller coaster. It had so many twists and turns and the characters all felt (for the most part) quite dynamic. I think the author did an amazing job bringing to light important themes and interweaving them with family, love, and faith. I think the best way I could describe this book to you is a mix of Life of Pi (especially how one of the main character’s Anvar reads) and A Thousand Splendid Suns (which is a very deep and dark book and reminded me a lot of Safwa’s, the other main character’s life and background). I loved both of those two books I just mentioned so it’s no surprise that I ended up enjoying this one. I hadn’t picked up a good adult fiction novel lately and this one just hit everything I wanted. To break it down, I found Anvar’s character to be funny half of the time because his dry humor appealed to me some of the time, but then a complete jerk the other half of the time. He had this heir of superiority to him in which he always felt like he was right which got a tad annoying at times, but not enough to severely impact my overall enjoyment of him as a character or the book as a whole. I think the ending (without spoiling) was alluding to some growth in him, but I wish there was more because his character seemed unresolved and I felt like I was grasping at something for the completion of his character arc (though the author may have done this on purpose). I really liked Safwa’s character because you could see all of the hurdles in life she had to cross to get to where she wanted to be. I related to her the most out of the other characters because at least for me her actions throughout the books seemed logical, whereas some of the other characters decisions were quite questionable, especially with them being adults. Overall, this book hooked me from the first line and kept me engaged most of the time. The pacing was a little slow in the beginning, but when things picked up, there was no turning back. I recommend you all check this book out if you’re looking for an adult fiction novel that explores some really important themes surrounding immigrant children and their journeys in America.

Characters:7/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Plot: 7/10
Intrigue: 7/10
Logic: 8/10
Enjoyment: 7/10

Rating: 7.3 or 4 stars

I read Syed M. Masood’s YA novel, More Than a Pretty Face, in January, and I loved it. This was better! I received an ARC from @netgalley. I listened to it via @audible, and the audiobook was excellent. I’d highly recommend listening to it.

The book starts in 1995 in Pakistan and follows Anvar’s journey as a Muslim immigrant while also following Safwa’s journey from Baghdad, and their paths cross in 2016 in San Francisco. I don’t want to give too much away, but this is one of those books that I’m still thinking about ten books later. It’s definitely a departure from my typical rom com read, but if you’re looking for something thought-provoking, I highly recommend reading it!

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Why aren’t more people talking about this book? This is the story of 2 very different families’ experiences as immigrants and Muslims in the United States and the drama that unfolds when their lives intersect. Family, faith, tradition, politics, expectations are just some of the themes touched on by the novel. A smart, biting, sarcasm runs throughout and is done so well. There is so much to discuss and unpack, this would make an excellent book club pick. The cover and some of the blurbs on this book might lead you to believe it is light-hearted or funny. While there is definitely humor (to the point of laughing out loud and reading some of the funnier lines aloud to my husband) this is a serious, dark and important story. The writing keeps it moving at a fast pace and the story kept me up way too late as the action accelerated and I had to know how it was going to end. This was a Book of the Month add-on and is now available everywhere. Thank you to Doubleday Books for the chance to review this book. I highly recommend.

I was so excited by the premise of this book, but I may not be in the right head space for it. The opening scene of goat sacrifice wasn’t expected and that left me worried about what was to come next. If I don’t love a book — or if I find a book anxiety inducing — I don’t finish it.
I don’t plan to share this review publicly or knock the book on Goodreads, Amazon or Instagram. I am simply providing my opinion and feedback via Netgalley. Thank you for the ARC and the opportunity.

Syed Masood explores the journeys of two Pakistani immigrants in the U.S. through their divergent immigration stories to their relationships with their families and to their religious upbringing. This is an insightful, engaging, and humorous debut.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. Hilarious. Insightful. Timely. Those are the top three words I would use to describe this book. I enjoyed the story, laughing along the way. I was surprised at how funny and then so quickly insightful, wise, and powerful the story was. I appreciate that the book was not explicit or offensive, while the content is for mature reader's only. While this is labeled as an adult fiction, I can easily see the YA audience reading, enjoying, and benefiting from this book. Yes, the Muslims were really ill-behaved. However, I loved how the characters expressed how they knew what they were doing is wrong as a Muslim. Repentance of the characters is a redeeming quality, which will allow me to recommend it to young Muslim-Americans. As a Muslim growing up in America, it is easy to identify with the characters and sentiments expressed, particularly after the 2016 election. Thank you for the happy ending!

CW: sexual assault, physical violence, abuse, torture

“Hilarious,” this book was not. I was expecting humor and romance in this one given the blurb and the cover. Instead I found a carefully crafted story of two families trying to find home. I really enjoyed the conversations on religion and G-d, specifically how younger generations approach the beliefs of their elders and find connection to their history and spirituality.

This book was harrowing and painful but had moments of hope and beauty. I like character driven books and this was definitely one. The plot dragged a little in the middle for me, but I was invested in the characters and I wanted them to find happiness.

I found the ending not satisfying and I wanted more Azza and less Anvar. Anvar’s choices really frustrated me and spending so much time with him did not help me understand the motivations of the other characters because I found him to be so self involved for much of the novel. I also didn’t like the way he treated Azza but I also appreciate the power in her saving herself and not needing a protector. I wanted more insight into the female characters in general I think. I loved Zuha’s character and her defense of her own faith and choices and I wanted more from her perspective.

I found the conversation on American politics to be, while not surprising, incredibly painful and important. Islamophobia is alive and well in this country and it has been thriving and feeding for a very long time, especially during the last presidency. I feel sadness and shame like I usually do when faced with how our country is implicit in so much evil and destruction. I thought the look into our legal system and it’s many failings was also very interesting, especially knowing that the author is an attorney.

All in all this book was unexpected and told a story I have never read before and I know it will stick with me for a long time.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.