Syed M. Masood

Mostly, I really enjoyed it. There were great voices and characters. I wanted a story about the immigrant experience and I got a good one. It got a little navel gaze-y and kinda preachy for one of our narrators after his character arc peaked but I can get behind arguing universal vs relative morality at least. I probably could have done without so much religion, which was a major theme. I bristle at organized religion anyway and conservative Islam, with centuries old ideals and rules, can be show more pretty gnarly, especially for women, so I somewhat resent what I perceived as the author wrapping everything up with "well they think what they're doing is right so how much can we really blame them? Everyone messes up, and everyone gets messed up so just do your best." Like, no, we have to agree that some things are just not fine. Honor killing is not fine and I'm not going to fully respect a culture that allows any wiggle room there. Just like state-sanctioned torture is simply not fine. It's definitely part of a bigger discussion that is summed up in the title. If you're good at following your chosen moral compass, but inflict hurt on others while doing so, are you a 'good' person? show less

I feel more than a little uncomfortable recommending a rom-com in which the entire premise rests on a sexist religious/cultural belief that a woman is ruined if she has sex before marriage. The fact that Bisma is publicly shamed and considered unmarriageable because of one teenage action is despicable. The only saving grace is that Danyal is supposed to stay virginal too, although I'm sure the consequences if he had strayed from the path would have been much less severe.

Having said that, I show more will admit that this book is delightful - well-written, funny, romantic, and meaningful all at the same time. Danyal is a great hero and I loved his journey from handsome, flirtatious goofball to a young man with more depth than he realizes, the wisdom to understand what is important in a relationship, and the courage to follow his personal and professional dreams. And the truth he discovers about how history tells the story of marginalized groups has a great deal of relevance to America in 2020, even though he is focusing on tragic events that happened a century ago and a continent away from us.

The secondary characters, especially Danyal's two BFFs (who function as the angel/devil on his shoulder) and Bisma's little sister are well-developed and add a lot of richness to the story. I wish Bisma had a bit more of her own arc, and that she didn't need Danyal to rescue her from her status as damaged goods, but you could say that by helping Danyal with his school project she is also saving him by showing him that he can be more than the titular pretty face.

The story is also plotted tightly, with Danyal's growth and change leading up to two spectacular climactic scenes that are practically cinematic (please don't ruin the book by making it into a movie). It's not often that I read a book that makes me laugh, think and swoon but this one did all three. Great job for a debut novel Mr. Masood!

N.B. I see that some Muslim reviewers are not happy with the portrayal of Islam in the book. I can't comment on that, but I will say that as a Jewish person I know there are many different versions of my religion, some of which would have shamed Bisma in the same way for her actions and others that would have shrugged and moved on. So maybe it's possible that there are equally numerous variations on Islam. show less

Wow, just wow. This was the most engaging book I have read in a long time. I just couldn't put it down, and I had so many thoughts and feelings about it that I want to discuss with other readers. It didn't quite stick the landing but considering it's only Masood's sophomore effort (and first adult novel), it's truly impressive.

The Bad Muslim Discount is a frequently uneasy mash-up of Masood's previous YA novel, [b:More Than Just a Pretty Face|42655335|More Than Just a Pretty Face|Syed M. show more Masood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567543911l/42655335._SX50_.jpg|66401590], with its wisecracking protagonist, and Khaled Hosseini's bestseller [b:The Kite Runner|77203|The Kite Runner|Khaled Hosseini|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579036753l/77203._SY75_.jpg|3295919]. The chapters narrated by Anvar span his life from a childhood in Pakistan to his immigration to America with his family, his high school/early college years falling in love, and the aftermath of that relationship. The impact of violence and anti-Muslim sentiment is acknowledged, but it's in the background. Anvar could be a Muslim counterpart to any number of "'man child" heroes created by [a:Nick Hornby|2929|Nick Hornby|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1422915487p2/2929.jpg] or [a:Jonathan Tropper|26163|Jonathan Tropper|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1550353256p2/26163.jpg].

Then in sharp contrast are the chapters narrated by the woman known as Azza, who starts out in Iraq and ends up in the same apartment complex as Anvar many years later. Her life is much more tragic, filled with violence, death and abuse. While Anvar's chapters are frequently humorous, there is nothing funny about the trauma that Azza experiences along her journey.

The book has a lot to say about what it means to be a "good" Muslim, and I found Anvar's theory about why the religion has been co-opted by fundamentalists fascinating, as well as his pointed connections between this form of Islam and American nationalism. The specter of the 2016 election looms large in the latter half of the book; families like Anvar's who have come to our country to escape extremism can't believe that the "orange man" who wants to build a wall to prevent Mexican immigration and ban Muslims from entering the country could possibly prevail. Their naivete is a sharp reminder that, as horrified as I felt as a white woman when Trump was elected, the stakes were much higher for families like Anvar's.

Masood has also populated his book with memorable secondary characters, including Anvar's traditional yet modern parents and his obsequious brother, Azza's tormented father, and a remarkable landlord/guardian angel who provides rent discounts to "good Muslims" and is frequently the voice of reason as Anvar struggles to do the right thing.

Anvar and Azza meet about halfway through the book, and what happens then is not exactly what you expect. Their interactions put their backgrounds in sharp contrast, and it almost but not quite renders Anvar's problems inconsequential. Masood walks a fine line, trying to portray that both characters' dilemmas have validity, but occasionally the differences make Anvar look like a clueless idiot. I wish Masood had allowed Anvar to be a bit more heroic in his actions; to a certain extent Azza is there just to teach him a lesson that he is slow to learn. But then again, this is real life, and not everything gets tied up in a neat bow.

I'm being deliberately vague to avoid spoilers but all I can say is, read this book. You will laugh, you will be mad, you will think and have questions, but I can say without a doubt that you will not forget it. I have a feeling that this won't find the audience it deserves, which is a shame because it should be on every book club list in 2021. show less

Masood has masterfully blended a sense of humor with very serious topics. His novel helps one see the possibilities and challenges of being Muslim in the United States. For example, how does a fundamentalist Muslim live a life in San Francisco? How do Muslim woman fit in? Masood, Muslim-American, joins the growing group of great hyphenated-American writers and their outstanding contributions to American literature.

Quotes: (page 63) “I smiled and didn't point out that Allah didn't say how show more much hardship would have to be endured before the promised ease came or what kind of ease it would be. Death too was ease of a kind. Maybe those weren't verses of solace at all. Maybe they were just the truth about the human condition: you will suffer and then, one day, you will suffer no more.”

(page 160) “'Easy for you to say. I practice Islam at a fourth-grade level.'
He patted my shoulder and smiled, obviously mistaking the truth for self-deprecation. 'You'll do fine. I appreciate it. I always have to find new ways to engage them. Every time I believe I am making progress, something happens to distract them from the True Path. Americans like to keep you entertained. It keeps kids from thinking. There is always a big game or a playoff, new music or a new show they just have to watch. Every time I feel like they're starting to focus on spiritual matters, the material world seduces them again.'

(page 188) “His speech was uninspiring, but as the congregation rose to pray, I couldn't help but admire the friendly, practical religion that was California's Islam. There are thinly veiled politics in some mosques in Karachi and the severity of brimstone can be found in the mosques of Bradford, England. Islam in Toronto is sometimes shrill; I remember an iman there screeching at his audience, demanding that they go home and take hammers to their television sets, because the devil resides there. In the mosques of California, however, a calm prevails.”

(page 239) “I could try to uncover her past, to know where she came from, and maybe I could even find out who she was. I might be able to convince her to tell me what happened to her, and I could probably compel her to inform the police. For a brief moment, I could change the course of her narrative.
I had no right to do that though. Her story was not mine. Her mind, her soul were indeed, as she'd said, alien to me. I could never experience the world as she experienced it. I was blind to the light in which she saw everything, including me and even herself.
The mystery of the universe is not just grand, it is also small. It is not just vast, but also particular.”

(page 295) I'd felt inadequate, like I wasn't meant for the enormously sad charge before me. And I'd been right. If Aamir hadn't spoken God's name then, I would certainly have forgotten to do so and my sacrifice would've been fatally flawed.
Then again, Abraham hadn't been alone when he tried to follow God's command either. He hadn't been required to pass the test by himself. His son had been with him.” show less