Alif the Unseen

A country on the brink of civil war! A hacker protagonist! But wait… there's more! Parallel worlds! Deserts! Vampires & demons! A very old book!

I loved the combination of magical realism with computer hacking and linguistics, plus a whole host of (street-)smart, interesting, and relatable characters. I also loved the gentle approach to Islam, with religion taking on a central role and especially so toward the last quarter of the book. As a flaming atheist, I disagree with the proposed battle of good vs. evil (I think we all make choices), but it made sense here what with the already mentioned vampires, demons, and assorted mythical creatures. The *spoiler alert* mythical pregnancy, however, felt unneccessary. Other than that: Lovingly written, absolutely relatable, a gentle light shone on faith and trying to be a good person. More, please!