Syed M. Masood's boldly entertaining second novel, The Bad Muslim Discount, is a fresh, animated addition to post-9/11 literature exploring Islam and Muslims in the U.S. Set in San Francisco in 2016, the story centers on the intriguing dynamic between dual narrators as it explores the ways individuals and communities use religion to exert control over one another.
Anvar is a free-spirited Pakistani-American lawyer with an irreverence toward religion and other serious topics that drives his mother to distraction. For Azza, an illegal alien from Baghdad, her father's Islam is a straitjacket. She is forced to wear a burka covering all but her stunning green eyes and is pursued by a violent suitor named Qaiz, whose exaggerated piety impresses her father. Neighbors in the same apartment complex, Azza initiates a sexually charged relationship with Anvar. When the pressure to marry Qaiz becomes unbearable, she unleashes a poorly thought-out plan of revenge against him that inadvertently leads to officers from Homeland Security knocking on Anvar's door.
Masood (More than Just a Pretty Face) cleverly deploys comic relief to offset some of the darker themes uncovered by his absorbing, fast-paced plot. The diverse supporting cast includes a jolly landlord who offers legally dubious rent rebates to those deemed to be "good Muslims"; a grandmother who dispenses life advice during marathon games of checkers; and the beautiful Zuha, Anvar's true love.
Exploring Islamic norms across the geographical spectrum, The Bad Muslim Discount offers readers multidimensional insight into the plurality of Muslims who contribute a textural richness to the American tapestry. --Shahina Piyarali, reviewer