I was really drawn in for the first half of the book or so, but then my interest waned. It took me a long time to pick it back up and finally finish it.

I wasn’t as blown away by this book as I expected to be, based on its hype. First, I found it difficult to get into the story, finding the beginning to be disjointed and less than compelling. I actually didn’t start to like it until the main character, Cyrus, goes to New York to meet with a dying woman who’s dying is a form of performance art at a Brooklyn museum. The conversations Cyrus has with the woman and ultimate revelations are the most interesting parts of the book. For the most part, the rest is superfluous.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of the book to read for free. My opinion is voluntary.

This book will sit with me for a long while. It won't work for everyone but if you are looking for a different story where a young person (20 something) of the last decades is searching to understand themselves, this is the book. It focuses on the Iranian culture and provides a wonderfully detailed insight to a first-generation person's views in our current world with a contemporary sense of humor. The reader follows Cyrus in his 20-30s as he looks back on his childhood, his current friends and his parents. His mother is a victim in plane being shot out of the sky mistakenly by the US. This happens as an infant and his father leaves Iran and moves him and Cyrus to Indiana. His father seeks hard laborious work to make the best life for his son and educates him. Cyrus grows up in America but always feels the outsider. He grieves for the mother he never knew. This pushes him into a depressive state after finishing his education and losing his father. He turns to alcohol and drugs and tries to find a meaning in his life. He then decided his life means nothing so his death should mean something. This is where our title comes into play. This martyrdom idea takes him on a unique journey that makes this story rememberable. Please do yourself the pleasure of reading this book.

Rather brilliant. Quite fractured, however a pleasure to read for its freshness and insights. Looking forward to what he does next.

I received an e-arc from NetGalley but sort of forgot. I ended up listening to most of this on audiobook and that was an incredible way to experience the book. The reader brought humor to some of the lines that I was missing by just reading the galley.

This is the story of Cyrus Shams, a recovering addict, who wants to make his life and/or death mean something.

You learn about his family from their perspectives, you get to read some of his writing about martyrs and martyrdom, which while very poetic, weren't my favorite parts.

The end went in a place that I was not expecting and I honestly have been thinking about it since I read it. This was a good book and I'm glad to have read it. Also, the cover is very striking, in my opinion. Simple but eyecatching.

I had a really hard time getting into this book. It was a little to train-of-thought for me. I can appreciate that the commentary and overall message of the story is very beautiful and meaningful. I appreciate the LGBTQIA+ themes, and I really liked the characters and how they were portrayed. I will probably try to revisit this novel in the future for a reread, it was just a challenge for me at this time.

This was a very funny, enjoyable book with deeper, more important subtextual aspects. Incredible writing that touches on sexuality, addiction, family trauma and so much more, it surprised me and gave me all the feels!

A novel that explores so much of what it means to live and love including all the pain and joy it can bring. Told across multiple timelines and points of view between Cyrus Sham and his mother and father, this book includes themes of sobriety/addiction, grief, death/dying, and martyrdom. You can tell this is written by a poet, especially in the end when the scene delves into an almost dreamscape of colors. It's a truly beautiful and complex novel that I will thinking about for years to come.

What a surprise and the book of the year from so many sources! I was drawn in originally by the cover and typography choices, but was taken aback by the story and contents delivered so masterfully for a debut.

I don't think I can write any review that would express how incredible this book was. Just read it! Gorgeous writing, a moving story - it dives deep into big philosophical questions and considerations about life, death, and everything in between in a way that flows with the story and stays with you long after you read it. The book follows an Iranian man whose contemplating these issues as he starts attending an exhibit at a museum where a dying artist, diagnosed with cancer, will have conversations with visitors to the museum. The conversations and everything between them open a conversation with the reader about all these big thoughts and ideas and will open your mind to new perceptions, questions, answers, and conversations. Looooved!

This novel presents an important perspective, that of a young man recently transplanted to the US from Iran, and lacking strong family support. It's worth reading simply for this perspective. The addiction and homosexuality is not really unique anymore as there are so many novels to choose from where the single male characters struggle with addiction and gayness. There are too many dream scenes and they are always a tough sell and apart from that there are so many cultural references to people that many Americans will not understand. The writing is inspiring and enjoyable regardless of what he is writing about--the voice is just really lyrical and many sentences are so wonderful they are worth re-reading.

The rare piece of literature that feels like an honour to read. Poets make incredible novelists, and this is no exception. Beautiful, heartbreaking, astonishing in its originality.

“Martyr” by Kaveh Akbar explores identity and death. The protagonist, Cyrus Sham, tries to find meaning for his life and for his possible death. He wants to write a book that examines “martyrs”, but as an Iranian American, he is afraid that he will be judged as the “typical” Iranian man who is angry and wants to die. Cyrus is alone as his parents both died, except for a few close friends who encourage him to travel from Indiana to NYC in order to see an art installation of a dying woman. Can this woman help him understand life and death?

Overall, I appreciate what the author was trying to do, but I found the protagonist to be unlikeable and difficult to connect to. Because Akbar alternates perspectives of Cyrus’s father, mother, and uncle, the reader learns about their lives in Iran. In all honesty, I wanted more about his mother. She was such a strong woman but so mysterious.

Thank you to Kaveh Akbar, Knopf, and NetGalley for the ARC.

How can a book about depression, grief and loss, alcoholism, addiction, and trying to survive everyday life be so damn beautiful? I devoured this book in a day and I know I didn't full grasp all of it so it will definitely be a reread. And rereads are not something that I do often, so that should tell you a lot about this book. Absolutely amazing.

This book was A Poetic Journey Through Identity and Redemption. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar was an immersive experience that left a profound impact on me. Akbar, celebrated for his poetry, seamlessly transitions into fiction with this debut novel, crafting a narrative that is both lyrical and deeply introspective.

The story follows Cyrus Shams, a queer Iranian American poet grappling with addiction, depression, and the haunting legacy of his family’s past. His mother’s tragic death in a U.S. missile strike and his father’s subsequent struggles have left Cyrus in a relentless search for meaning and redemption. This quest leads him to Orkideh, a terminally ill artist residing in the Brooklyn Museum, whose presence becomes a catalyst for Cyrus’s self-discovery.

Akbar’s prose is imbued with the richness of his poetic background, offering vivid imagery and profound reflections on faith, art, and identity. The novel’s structure, reminiscent of a classical five-act tragedy, adds depth to the unfolding drama, making each revelation both surprising and inevitable.

The story delves into the complexities of identity, the search for meaning, and the redemptive power of art, Martyr! is a must-read. Kaveh Akbar has crafted a story that resonates with authenticity and emotional depth, leaving a lasting impression long after the final page.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Akbar’s writing is lyrical and evocative, pulling readers into a world where personal identity, family history, and existential questions collide. Cyrus’s journey is not just one of self-destruction but also a quest for understanding. The novel is not easy reading. Its nonlinear narrative, fragmented structure, and heavy themes of violence and loss can be challenging at times, but they also contribute to the book’s emotional depth and complexity. The story demands patience from the reader, but those who stick with it will find themselves rewarded with a rich, multifaceted exploration of grief, identity, and the search for meaning.

I"m so happy this book is getting so much attention as one of the best books of the year, because it deserves it. It is poignant and beautifully written.

After Cyrus’s mother is killed on a flight that is shot down by American troops, Cyrus tries to find meaning in death. His journey is funny, poignant and brilliantly written with a fantastic twist at the end.

One of the best books I've read all year, easily sky-rocketed Akbar to an autobuy author for me. Martyr! is an achingly powerful character study of Cyrus, an orphaned Iranian queer man as he navigates the world newly sober.

This book is a brilliant struggle. I keep re-reading parts of it, talking about it with others, analyzing Cyrus’s breakthroughs with fellow readers. It’s a book I feel like I will never be finished with, which is a unique gift.