I read this for an author chat and felt that it was entertaining and relevant. The author chat with Syed was amazing and I felt it really added to the book.

I usually feel skeptical when I start hearing so much buzz about a new novel, but this one deserves all of the hype! I loved this book! I literally laughed out loud from the beginning to the end. So much irreverence and I loved how the two characters were connected. Such great writing!

Rarely does a book fill me with empathy and sympathy by equal measures as The Bad Muslim Discount was able to do.

The book is written from dual perspectives. Anvar tells the story of his family in Pakistan and his father's decision to leave to California when the radicalism makes him feel like he is drowning. Through Anvar's family members one is able to appreciate the different types of struggles individuals had with their faith, culture, and legal immigration.

The author also introduces Azza and her family who first live in Iraq. When she is left alone she flees to Taliban run Afghanistan. Eventually she makes it to America following a convoluted path. Azza's life highlights the terrible struggles of women in countries under radical Islamic rule. Even in America she struggles to be allowed freedom.

The main characters in this books are well-developed. They are multi-dimentional and the author unapologetically shares their struggles with faith, family, and identity. The secondary characters are also written with depth but they serves to help the main characters work through their struggles. They are a sounding board.

This book should be read by every high school student in America. It shines a bright light on the Middle Eastern immigrant experience. Additionally, there is the right balance of religious doctrine explanation and historical context to make the book valuable in an English Language Arts, Social Studies, or Humanities course.

One of life’s ironies is that even when we do what’s right and what’s expected of us, our actions can still unintentionally result in tragedy. In his debut novel for adult audiences “The Bad Muslim Discount,” due out Feb. 2, author Syed Masood tells an irony-rich story through two powerful voices, Anvar and Azza.
Anvar, a Pakistani teen, migrates to California with his family when his father becomes fed up with the growing religious fundamentalism in 1995 Karachi. Something of the family’s bad apple, Anvar is smart, sassy, and somewhat lazy. His brother Aamir is the sober, adult-pleasing “good Muslim” of the family, if only while someone is looking so he can get credit for it.
The story’s other narrator, Azza, is a Bagdad teen whose mother dies of cancer and father is disappeared and tortured by the Americans. Eventually, her father returns, with the physical and psychological scars of his ordeal. Azza makes a secret deal with neighbor Qais—and pays a price for it—who obtains forged passports for the three of them and they migrate to California.
Now adults, Anvar and Azza cross paths. A disillusioned lawyer, and still a bad Muslim, Anvar tries to help Azza, who endures physical abuse and the threat of sexual abuse.
The action in the novel is fast paced, from the war-torn Middle East where the characters’ lives are threatened, to post-9/11 San Francisco, where the characters face racism and Islamophobia. The characters are realistic and endearing. Even Aamir, the goody-goody, has the reader’s sympathy when he becomes engaged to a woman whom he doesn’t know is his brother’s ex-lover.
The story is full of entertaining secondary characters like Anvar’s grandmother, who teaches him about checkers and about life; Anvar’s pious and dictatorial mother; his father, who loves music and punishes Anvar’s misdeeds my making him eat bubble gum ice cream, his least favorite flavor; and Hafeez Bhatti, his paan-chewing landlord, who gives Anvar the good Muslim discount on a shabby apartment.
The prose is compelling and lyrical at times, such as the description of Anvar’s hometown:
Karachi, the city that spat me out into this world, is perpetually under siege by its own climate. The Indian Ocean does not sit placidly at the edge of the massive metropolitan port. It invades. It pours in through the air. It conspires with the dense smog of modern life and collective breath of fifteen million souls to oppress you. Under the gaze of an indifferent sun you sweat and the world sweats with you (page 5).
The author’s insight about religion and geopolitical issues is both spot on and witty. To prepare the reader for a rather disturbing description of the sacrifice of a goat to celebrate Eid, Masood says, “Yes, Islam has a marketing problem” (page 3). And later, Anvar observes, “That radical Islamists and ‘America First’ nationalists had essentially the same worldview and the same desire to recapture a nostalgia-gilded past glory was proof, in my opinion, that God’s sense of irony was simply divine” (pages 181-182).
It’s the irony that dominates this novel. Aamir, the good Muslim, who attends mosque, prays five times a day, doesn’t drink or smoke, and becomes engaged to the woman his parents choose for him, inadvertently causes a man’s death, even though he only did what a good Muslim would. Anvar, the bad Muslim, does what he wants, drinks, smokes, sleeps with women, and never prays. When he finally does follow an ethical code—for attorneys, not for Muslims—the result is more pain for his friends.
I enjoyed the novel and found it a rewarding read that reminded me of other excellent recent works, such as Fatima Farheen Mirza’s “A Place for Us” and “The House of Broken Angels” by Luis Alberto Urrea.
The characters are complex and sympathetic. The story includes tense moments and the serious portrayal of the violence the characters endure, but also humorous passages about human flaws and the small tensions that occur in families.
The book’s one flaw is that the author’s theme statements are a bit ham-fisted and seem more appropriate for a Young Adult novel. However, this blemish does not diminish the reader’s enjoyment of this rich and complex story.

This is a fun an engaging book. I found it captivating and a vivid depiction of an immigrant experience without taking itself too seriously.

The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M. Masood was my pick for the 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge's prompt, "A book by a Muslim American author." It is not a book that I would ordinarily read if it were not for the challenge, but I suppose that is the point of such challenges! Unfortunately, I wish that I could say that I enjoyed the book more than I did, but it was a pretty lackluster reading experience.

This story follows two young Muslims - Anvar and Safwa/Azza - as they emigrate to the United States. Their experiences are vastly different, which was an interesting aspect of the novel - it shows that immigration is not a cut and dry process, and that everyone settling in a new country will go through something different, no matter how similar or dissimilar their backgrounds. And it is those backgrounds that is perhaps the most interesting thing about this story. I enjoyed learning about the familial interactions of Muslims and how their religion and culture plays a prominent role in their lives. However, it is my opinion that Masood did not make the religion and culture of Muslims entirely accessible to readers who are outside looking in. I would have felt more connected to Anvar and Safwa if Masood would have shown me more of what it is like to grow up Muslim as opposed to assuming that I already knew. Rather, much like the title of this book, life of a Muslim was black and white - you are either a good Muslim or a bad Muslim - there is no in between.

Unforunately this book was not for me. I found that it leaned far too heavily on stereotypes and tropes of Islam/being Muslim and it gave it a disingenuous feeling. I didn't expect this given that the author is #ownvoices, but overall I felt uncomfortable by the religious depictions which was meant to drive the humor. I am not sure if it was meant to be satirical but it did not come through as such, and instead it was another failed attempt to portray the lives of modern Muslim immigrant.

This is a book about immigrant Muslims in US, with two different perspectives and struggles but yet connective to each other.
Anvar is shown the type of person who has chosen sarcasm towards his religion as a coping mechanism for his issues with religion. Which is felt very hard by her devout mother. And moving to America, he couldn't let it go and he decided to be a bad muslim in every way possible.
To talk about the other MC, Safwa, who is suffering in the middle of violence, guilt, anger in Iraq wanted to get out of there and take her father to America (but nothing comes for free, the deal and settlement has it's own risks).
Instead of talking about a particular timezone, we travel through time from 1990s to 2016/17 whete the topics like Islamophobia, political exploit based on religion are discussed but not being the major theme of the book. It is more about character development, right and wrong and being ideal, and fulfilling the religious and cultural expectations which our broken, imperfect and completely human characters are going through in the book.

I fell in love with this author's writing style when reading More than Just a Pretty Face, so I had to check this one out! It did not disappoint. What I love about this author is he finds the perfect balance of lightening heavy topics with belly laugh humor. CW for SA and DV.

Wow. What a fascinating and jarring journey this book was. The Bad Muslim Discount follows two characters from their early teens into adulthood, Anvar and Safwa living two very different lives both bound in the fact that they are self-proclaimed "bad" Muslims. Both Anvar and Safwa were infuriating at times. Both very sure of what they were sure of, whether it was true or not. The story was interesting, educational, and engaging. The characters are interesting and well developed. I love how the story touched on the real world event of the 2016 election and how devastating the results were for the Muslim community being Trump's first target. The end was beautiful.

I did have to stop reading for a few days because I was so mad at one of the characters I couldn't breathe. If that's not a compliment to excellent character development I don't know what is.

This book is about two very different characters, both Muslim, both in the US, but one male and one female. It shows how their lives intertwine and how the religion could mean such different things for these two people. There are different societal and familial pressures on each of them. Sprinkle on some love and arranged marriages, and this book is wonderful!

4.5
This will be one of my favorite books of 2021!

The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M. Masood, is a powerful and unforgettable story. It takes a profound look at the experience of Muslim immigrants in the U.S. as well as relationships, family obligations, religion, prejudice, politics, love, pain, and salvation. It pulled on my heartstrings and had me laughing out loud throughout the book.

The writing is superb. I was completely engaged in the story and invested in the characters, rooting for them all. This is truly a unique and beautiful book to read. It had become by go-to recommendation for others and loved by all.
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Thank you to @netgalley and @doubledaybooks for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so unique! It was great! It was a combination of humor, philosophy and idealism.
It tells the conflicting stories of Anvar Faris and Safwa. Anvar , born in Karachi, moves with his disgruntled father and family to America, in pursuit of a better life as fundamentalism sets in at home. Although his mother and brother adjust easily to their new life in America, maintaining their adherence to Muslim strictures, Anvar becomes the bad Muslim. His story juxtaposes the story of Safwa, who leaves Baghdad with a disturbed father, and comes to America, where dreams and hopes can be destroyed.
The writing was beautiful, intertwined with laughs out loud while expressing basic human ideals. He wrote about how good can so easily be twisted into bad and how difficult life can be. The spoils of war and American ideals when bogged down with inequality and inhumanity contribute to the loneliness and unacceptance of other people. I especially enjoyed the ending where the story was wrapped up so well. You weren't left wondering what happened to those characters you grew to care about. Everyone should read this book!

I absolutely loved reading this book!! I am so glad I applied for this, and thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC. The author is a hidden gem and needs to be top asian authors list. Right from the start the story and characters were written so well, almost like in a Khaled Hosseini style which is very rare.

I love how both the protagonists are flawed and real. We end up rooting for them as readers and understand their decisions from their perspective. The depiction of asian families, values, and their immigrant experience in on point. Whether the representation of Muslims is close to reality, I couldn't comment on that since I am not one.

All in all this is a solid read and one I highly recommend to everyone! I am looking forward to reading more books from this author!

The Bad Muslim Discount, by Syed M. Masood, follows the lives of Anvar, whose family leaves Karachi in search of the American Dream, and Azza, who is stuck between caring for her family and leaving war-torn Baghdad. When their lives intersect, the two connect based on the disconnect they feel towards the Muslim faith.

Now this was a well-done social commentary. It was a balance between entertainment and tackling some bigger issues in a literary style. The Bad Muslim Discount had so many fast moving parts, never spending too much time in any one scene or element. It was not specifically plot driven, but rather attempted to tackle certain themes, such as discrimination, legal and illegal immigration, and struggling with the Muslim faith, which drove the story to it's ultimate conclusion.

So many clever and humorous tid-bits, like Naani Jaan comparing life and the immigrant experience to the game of checkers and Anvar's lived experience of growing up as an American teenager that will become cautionary tales for "naughty little brown children everywhere." But the book also opened my eyes to how some people may grapple with the immigrant experience or struggle with the Muslim faith.

I really enjoyed listening to Anvar's POV, as he was snarky and witty and just overall entertaining to listen to. While I loved the audio narration (including two separate narrators for Anvar and Azza), I think I listened to this book a bit too fast and I actually wish I slowed down the pace a little and re-read some parts. Does anyone else accidentally listen too fast to audiobooks? Just me? 😂

Thank you to @netgalley and @doubledaybooks for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

THE Bad Muslim Discount is told from a dual perspective and follows Anvar, who is from a Pakistani family that immigrated to America, and Safwa, an Iraqi who takes a much more dangerous route to get to America. While I finished this book days ago, I am still uncertain how to review this book..

I loved Anvar! Anvar is funny, unapologetically flawed, and I loved seeing his journey with his faith (something I relate to so much)! The characters in Anvar’s story were also better developed and full of personalities. I can see some conservative members of faith perhaps being a bit offended by Anvar as he judges those that are pious, rule-following Muslims like his brother, Amir. (Also how people like the mother or Amir judge Anvar for being a “bad Muslim.”) But, as a Mormon, I don’t think I ever related more to character than to Anvar or Zuha. I just want people to remember that religion is a JOURNEY, not always a linear one at that, and there is not a “right” way or just one way to be a good Mormon/Muslim/person of faith. Religion is nuanced.

I was torn with Safwa’s POV. First of all, I had no idea where her story was going. While Anvar’s story was written with a clear-cut direction, confidence and assertiveness, Safwa’s was very one-dimensional. Tbh, didn’t feel like the author was confident of writing from a woman’s perspective. I especially worried that all the characters in her story might perhaps be too stereotypical of what white America thinks of Muslims. I felt like the author added Safwa and her story as an afterthought.

Once I finished the book, I kept asking myself the point/purpose of Safwa’s story. I knew the message the author wanted his readers to takeaway from Anvar’s story. However, I didn’t understand the purpose of Safwa. I loved the author’s YA book and loved Anvar and his story so much, I know I will continue to read what Masood writes. But, with what could have been a great novel, Safwa and her story made it mediocre at best as it muddied the entire book for me.. While I wasn’t a fan, I’m glad the book gave me the push I needed to think more about my faith🤍

I enjoyed Masood's previous book but this one bothered me a lot due to the representation, the characters, and the overall story. I didn't find this interesting but I also wasn't a fan of how the representation was portrayed in a negative light.

As the title suggests, the main characters of this novel are not perfect or “pious” muslims. Going in knowing this, I was prepared and excited to see how this novel would play out. However, there were many parts that had me pause in the middle of the page and think about what I just read. I was a little in shock by the ending. I felt that there was not that much character development in the main character. This novel definitely had the potential to be good, but it fell short in almost every aspect. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

A recent release that’s gotten a lot of buzz, it’s the story of two Muslims – one traditional and devout, one modern and non-devout – whose lives cross paths in San Francisco. I am not sure what I was expecting, but The Bad Muslim Discount turned out to be something different.

As a boy, Anvar Faris moves from Pakistan to San Francisco, where he rejects his parents’ traditional Muslim ways. Unlike his devout, pious brother, Anvar pursues literature and poetry, as well as Zuha, the daughter of his parents’ friends, whom he dates secretly. After the two break up, he moves away to go to law school, returning to San Francisco years later. Meanwhile, Safwa, a young woman in Baghdad living with her strict and abusive father Abu Fadh, finds a way for them to move to America, but at a high price. When she arrives in San Francisco, she finds her life to be as contained and repressed as it was in Iraq, thanks to her father’s watchful eye. Safwa and Anwar cross paths in their apartment complex where many other Muslims live, setting into motion events that will change their lives forever.

While there is humor throughout The Bad Muslim Discount, mostly thanks to Anvar, who is very funny and sarcastic, this is really not a funny book. It’s about the clash between modern and traditional, faith and secularism, honor and identity. I learned a lot from The Bad Muslim Discount, but it also frustrated me. First, traditional Islam is not portrayed very well. The devout characters are also the most flawed and hypocritical. Second, Safwa’s actions seemed very out of character at times, and she’s a difficult character to relate to. Third, the final quarter of the book, turns sort of thriller-y, with guns and government agents. Not what I was expecting, and not my cup of tea. So The Bad Muslim Discount was sort of a mixed bag for me. I am definitely in the minority, though, so please give this book a chance if it appeals to you.

I loved this book. It has become one of the books that I recommend to people and constantly loan out to friends. This book travels so many years during the life of Anvar and Azza. Two very different people whose lives manage to intersect in an unexpected way.

The first part of the book was full of anticipation to see how their stories would connect but when they did, it was written so well. Own voices are so important and hearing more about different Muslim American experiences was something I won't soon forget. This plot moves quickly and you will not be able to put this one down.

Thank you Doubleday Books and Netgalley for this review copy!