This book is charming and really short. The cover feels more heartwarming than its actual contents (there is a forced outing and a character is kicked out of their house), but it is ultimately a story of found family and a note of hope for queer teens who feel like they don’t belong. It’s a really nice coming of age story. Four stars.

A fun, heartfelt, and at times very heartbreaking debut. I loved the queer Indian Muslim rep in this story, as well as the narrator Sy's charming voice and emotional journey. The snarky Reggie was another highlight of this story for me—she was so funny! Overall I thought this was a wonderful debut and a heartwarming read.

This was a wild ride because it's not a very long book. I absolutely loved the interwoven story of the retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice; it added a complex layer to an already beautiful story. I will say I was really hoping for a romance of some sort, especially after I realized it was, in fact, YA and not middle grade as I had originally guessed from the cover. However, I understand that was not really the point of the story, though it did really seem like the major moment between Sy and his ex, Farouk, was minimized for being such a central point of the plot. I'd like to read this again because I'm not sure I fully "get" the jinn character and her eccentricities (but I still liked her). I definitely recommend this, but it's definitely something you need to pay attention to and not the lighthearted read the cover may lead you to believe. (Warnings for: forced outing, child abuse, homophobia, and graphic scene of character getting kicked out of house.)

The Loophole was such a fun, magical, adventurous read. Following the main character, Sy, as he gets kicked out of his home by his father to traveling the world in search of his ex-boyfriend had me feeling so many different emotions. The heartbreak and pain from being thrown out of his house, the longing while searching for his ex-boyfriend, to the laughs as a result of the antics of Reggie.

Sy’s journey starts when he meets a genie, Reggie, who grants him three wishes. Like many others who’ve read this book, I absolutely adore Reggie. She is so well written, relatable, and absolutely hilarious. I would love to read a spin-off with Reggie’s adventures throughout her years as a genie.

Naz does such an amazing job in conveying the emotions of Sy from dealing with being kicked out of his home to feeling alone and lost in the world to eventually finding himself. This book is a story of chosen/found family and I truly hope that this book finds its way to queer teenagers (especially Muslim & Asian teens) who don’t feel like they belong simply due to their sexuality or any other reason.

Thank you to the author and publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Be sure to research TWs before reading.

The Loophole is a stunning coming of age filled with deep, thoughtful conversations surrounding identity and love, while including a fantasy element of a djinn and humor through witty and snarky characters that leave readers fully immersed in the world.

While this is a story about love, it is not purely a love story. It’s about wishes and dreams, family born and found, and acceptance of self. Kutub addresses diaspora, religion, and sexual orientation in a clearly caring way, while being true to the experience of Sy, without losing hope.

This book is one that will make you laugh and cry, and want to hug the characters and keep them close.

Rep: gay Indian-Muslim MC, gay Scs, gay Pakistani SC, Muslim Scs

Sy gets kicked out of his home when his dad finds out he’s gay. On the streets alone with nowhere to go, he runs into a mysterious girl who claims she can grant him 3 wishes. The two set off across the world to find Sy’s ex boyfriend.

I thought this book would be pretty light and fun, but it has a lot of darker topics and societal issues. Some were pretty heart wrenching to read. Sy gets beat up and kicked out of his home for being gay, gets severely racially profiled, there’s lots of white supremacists islamophobic terrorist groups causing havoc and more.

This book isn’t heavy on romance. It focuses more on self discover and identity and found families/friendships. A lot of queer people can relate to being ostracized by their family once they come out (or in this case are outed) and rely of friends.

This story has 3 timelines. The present, the myth of Hamza and the past, Sy and Farouk’s relationship. It was interesting learning of the myth of Hamza and Sy and Farouk’s time together. Going in they are already broken up for a few months, so it was nice to see snippets of their time together and their relationship.

I didn’t expect them to be chasing Farouk the whole book and only find him at the end. But I did like the journey to getting there. Seeing them travel from country to country searching for clues to Farouk’s whereabouts and slowly building a friendship with Reggie. It was interesting seeing the world from Sy’s pov, as a queer Muslim boy.

I have mixed feelings about Reggie. She’s kind of the funny sidekick. She’s always drunk, never serious and always making jokes. I understand she’s depressed and uses alcohol to cope and has a complicated past, she’s just trying to get by. But some of the things she did were so inconsiderate and had me annoyed. Like when she left Sy alone at the airport or just making ill-timed jokes. It’s as if she just doesn't think before speaking or acting most of the time. But she did save him a lot of times.

His mom, sister and best friend did care a lot for him, so that was nice to see.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would recommend reading the trigger warnings before reading it.

Also the cover is so pretty!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book

There were messages and themes in this that I did really like, but on the whole I found the plot and characterization very messy, and sometimes incoherent. I wish it had leaned into the fantasy elements much more.

This book is filled with globetrotting hijinks as protagonist Sy embarks on a quest to find his ex-boyfriend. But of course, like all good quest books, Sy ends up learning more about himself. Sy is accompanied by Reggie, who is either a genie or a bored heiress. The ambiguity remains, despite the logically improbability.

For the most part, this book is fun and quirky as Sy leaves the only world he has ever known and flies to London in search of Farouk, his ex. Sy and Reggie meet all sorts of interesting people who are connected to Farouk, but it seems as though Farouk is always one step ahead of him. However, there is also some strong homophobia, and I have no objections to the inclusion of Sy’s hardships, but they did catch me a bit off guard because the narrative had been fairly fun and light up until that point. The juxtaposition between Sy’s filial obligations and Sy prioritizing his own needs ends up being a major theme in the book

I would absolutely recommend The Loophole. There is so much to like about this book: Sy’s relationship with his mother and sister, the message that abuse doesn’t have to be tolerated for the sake of family peace, and the importance of friendship. Also, I don’t want to give too much away, but I truly appreciated the message that a romantic partner is not going to magically fix all your problems. Oh, and the descriptions of food had me ready to seek out some of Sy’s Umi’s fried chicken. This is truly a stunning debut, and I am looking forward to reading more from Kutub in the future!

I received a digital ARC of this book from Bloomsbury YA/NetGalley.

The Loophole is a book that kept intriguing me. While there's very much this central mystery - of whether Sy will be reunited - there are interspersed chapters of a Djinn story. And that added element ended up fascinating me more than I even expected. In this other POV, we are introduced to the greediness, to the love and kindness, of humanity. And when it finally come together - I gasped aloud. But back to Sy's character, my heart broke for him. For the abuse and homophobia Sy experiences from his father.

The ways his family is forced to choose. And The Loophole puts our emotions through the ringer. There's anger, heartbreak, surprise, and fear. For me, reading The Loophole felt like it had a long exposition where the action and the intrigue increased and once it did, there was this moment of clarity. Definitely keep reading to that point! Overall, The Loophole is an ode to the agency in our lives, while also examining the ways we may not be able to act.

This is a story about discovering yourself.  Sy is about to graduate from high school in Los Angeles and leave home, including his strict father who has never accepted that Sy is gay, to move in with his boyfriend Farouk while they both go to college.  But then Farouk abandons their plan and leaves suddenly to travel abroad.  And Sy is left behind with only the ring Farouk once gave him, wondering whether his future has slipped from his grasp.  All he can do is wish for one more chance with Farouk.

Then Sy meets a mysterious girl who offers him not one but three wishes -- and proves she is the real deal when she grants his first wish to add $1 million into his bank account.  Sy isn't sure whether his mysterious new friend is actually a genie or just rich.  But he decides to risk it, and travels with her across the world to try to reunite with Farouk and secure the future he has long hoped for.

This is a terrific book.  It is a sweet story that deals in a deft way with serious themes.  Sy is such a compelling character. He is both charmingly naive in many ways but also hardened by a difficult family dynamic, and it is a pleasure to go with him on his journey -- both as he travels the world to find Farouk and, in the process, learns more about himself, the relationship he deserves with his family, and the life he wants.  The author excels at balancing the action of the book with the highly personal moments, creating an impactful, exciting, and often emotional story.

Highly recommended!

Sy, a graduating high school senior in Los Angeles, can't wait to leave home to attend the local community college and spend more time with his boyfriend. But then his boyfriend unexpectedly leaves his town hoping to make his impact on the world in far-flung destinations. Sy is devastated and losing hope for the future. Then he meets a mysterious stranger who offers to grant him three wishes. Sy is dubious but when she comes through with his first wish, he decides to trust her. The two leave his hometown for Europe as part of an effort to find his ex and hopefully convince him to reunite. As he travels the world with his new friend, who is unlike anyone he has ever met before, Sy learns more about himself than he thought possible.

This is a touching story, complete with compelling characters, strong writing, and an engaging and creative story.

Highly recommended!

Trigger Warnings: Past break-up, homophobia, death by snake bite, child spanking with belt, outing, kicked out of house, abusive parent, drunk, alcohol, underage drinking, islamophobia, past death of a sibling in utero, racial profiling, strip search, heart attack, surgery, white supremacists, mosque, religion, terrorism, bombing, theft, car accident, treatment camp, refugee camp, death/dead bodies, hospital

Representation: Gay, Indian, Pakistani, Muslim, Islam

The Loophole is a YA fantasy that follows Sy as he tries to find his ex-boyfriend with the help of a mysterious girl who will grant him three wishes. Together they journey overseas in search for his love, perfectly timed after he’s been kicked out of his house for being gay. Will he find him? And is all of this real life?

This book was great! I loved how witty it is and the fantasy aspect isn’t too much for someone who prefers to stay within the realms of reality. Sy represented so many queer youth who do not have supportive parents, especially if they are from a different culture or religion. His strength and journey to self discovery is inspiring. His found family were awesome and such an important lesson in the story. I also love seeing adult gays living and thriving!

This book takes place in a current time and addresses many of the issues surrounding Islamophobia both here and abroad. It was interesting to see a queer story told through a different lens than my lived world experience. I thought the fantasy aspect added another layer to the depth, especially with Reggie’s character. Overall, a wholesome story perfect for Pride month!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the eARC!

This one just wasn’t for me. The tone was all over the place, I didn’t find the characters particularly likeable, and I found the writing style more cringe than witty.
I hope others will enjoy it and the representation will be meaningful to them, but I just couldn’t get into it.

THE LOOPHOLE by Naz Kutub tells an interesting story about a gay Muslim teenager, Sy, who goes on an international journey to find his missing boyfriend with the help of a mysterious wealthy party girl named Reggie, who offers to grant him three wishes. The story touches on a lot of big questions, such as Islamophobia, homophobia within the Muslim community, and found family. Aside from the international journey Sy takes in search of his boyfriend, he has an important personal journey as well, and the story especially shines near the end when the story threads come together to complete it. Along the way, readers can expect lots of action when Sy gets into scrapes abroad and zany antics from kooky Reggie to stay entertained.

Thank you to Bloomsbury YA, Naz and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

What a fun and fascinating read! From the beginning I was hooked on this fantasy and never wanted to put it down (even when I had to work). Sy and Reggie are the two wildest people and I love their weird and unpredictable friendship. This has so many lessons, learning, and has such a phenomenal quality of adding levity even when the subject matter is heavy.

Naz has a phenomenal voice, and a true way with words. The balance between the hard moments that you can actually feel like would play out, even today, and his ability to make comedy and allow Sy to preserve. The world building, plot and character development are all superb! This is a heavy, yet light hearted read that you will want to read over and over again!

THE LOOPHOLE is a perfect blend of humor and heart that is sure to become a favorite. The voice is strong and had me laughing at some parts and crying (too much) at others, but in the very best way. It deals with painful topics as much as it deals with hopeful ones, and is the kind of book that captures the beauty of life because of it.

The characters are a major strength of the book. Sy is relatable, courageous, and so sweet, and it is wonderful to see how he shifts throughout the journey. Reggie is absolutely hilarious and I became an immediate fan.

All in all, THE LOOPHOLE is a brilliant debut that is both fun and emotional, and sure to be a new favorite for plenty of readers (including me!).

DRC provided by Bloomsbury YA via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review,

I have been waiting for this book for so long, so my expectations were sky-high and the fear it would not match them was quite enormous, but I really did not have anything to worry about. This was so special and moving and beautiful.

I received an ARC from Netgalley
TW: abusive parent, cultural/religious homophobia, homelessness due to homophobia, mentioned stillborn birth, references to Islamaphobia & racism, alcoholic tendencies, nonfatal car accident
3

I do think this is an interesting retelling. This story places Orpheus & Eurydice as an origin of sorts, but also refits it so something culturally different and something that has a backbone of hope and understanding. It's far less tragic than the Greek myth, and the underpinnings of Orpheus' journey also follows the main plot, which is granted that closure as well. It's a far less lovestruck version, and a far less brutal one.

And due to that softer focus on the romantic, this book does open itself up to more platonic and found-family narratives. I appreciate the complexities of Sy's familial connections and that we get to see him lean on and build up his chosen connections.

But for the most part this book just didn't do anything for me.
For one thing, the tone is all over the place. There is a very light hearted, quirky tone throughout, mostly being pushed into the story by the overly comedic and overly lackadaisical Reggie who can't seem to allow anything to get serious while also being her own well of depression. But there's also an overwhelming darkness throughout at the same time- this is a book about abuse and the horrors of the world, at its core. And there is zero balance between those two things, so that neither one does its job and all you get is some confusing whiplash.

I disliked the writing over all, but I particularly felt annoyed by the ending. This is one of those cases where it felt like I'd been tricked into spending my time and energy on something only to not see it pan out and instead take a direction that barely made any sense from the story's actual direction. It's not that it's an irredeemable ending- it could have been great if it had been actually build up properly, and had the characters have the depth and connection it needed- but instead it's just awkward and disappointing.

I had high hopes of this book, and unfortunately they didn't get met. I'm glad to see the new take on mythos, and the representation, but this was not at all the book for me.

My first read of #Pride2022 is THE LOOPHOLE by @nazkutub ! I have been SO pumped for this debuts and I was not disappointed! Complicated relationships, subtle magic, and a roadtrip that makes you experience every location like you're there!

THE LOOPHOLE truly stands apart in the YA sphere and is a must-read for everyone!

It was an absolute HONOR to get to read this debut novel early. My love for Naz himself as a human being aside, this book was a JOY.

Sy's story takes us on a journey through the complications of family and the importance of friendship, all in the name of fighting for the love he deserves.

What's not to love about a contemporary genie, popping up to provide a bit of whimsy and wonder?! I wish I had a Reggie in my life to whisk me away to my heart's desire, taking me on a life-changing adventure!

What I love about Katub's debut is that he shows us so much of his own heart within his writing style. With plenty of humor to keep the tough topics from getting too deep, Naz manages to nail the perfect balance of emotional depth that leaves us with hope, and kept me wanting more!