This book was catastrophically awful and honestly shame on the author for having written it. 

What was the point of having two main characters with backgrounds so different. Honestly, what made the author think “hm, I should write about a guy who’s just nOt lIkE oTheR mUsLimS and who can’t get over his ex of ten years, and then I should write about an abuse victim who escapes from war and is abused all throughout the book, and yeah THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON THE GUY

Anvar reads like a full-fleshed character. Sure, like an idiotic, moronic and pedantic one, but a full-fleshed character nonetheless. Safwa/Azza/Zahra, though? She’s not. She’s just human-shaped suffering… oh, wait, no, she does want something for herself and that’s having sex with Anvar! How could I have missed that? I’m such a fool!

Genuinely. What. The. Fuck.

The fact that the book mainly focuses on Anvar’s internal monologue over Safwa/Azza/Zahra being amused is already a huge red flag, but the way that internal monologue is should be a crime. Anvar is supposed to be intelligent, isn’t he? Why couldn’t he think that the girl being abused would probably get beaten up if he snitched about her mission to escape abuse… to one of her abusers.

Also. Safwa/Azza/Zahra’ ending. Why does she have to be with a man. The book goes on and on about her late mother having had no personality and agency, so why then does Safwa/Azza/Zahra’s character and development solely hinge on her relationship with men? First her brother and father, then her Qais, then her father, then Anvar and lastly this Henry bloke? Please, I want to claw my eyes out.

In conclusion, I can’t speak of the Muslim part of the plot, because I’m not Muslim. However, the plot was a perfect piece of shit and Syed M. Masood is a very talented Male Author Writing A Woman. And that’s not a compliment. 

Fuck this book, really.