The Bad Muslim Discount

A Novel

By: Syed M. Masood

Narrated by: Pej Vahdat, Hend Ayoub

Following two families from Pakistan and Iraq in the 1990s to San Francisco in 2016, The Bad Muslim Discount is an inclusive, comic novel about Muslim immigrants finding their way in modern America.

“Masood’s novel presents a stereoscopic, three-dimensional view of contemporary Muslim America: the way historical conflict in the Middle East lingers in individual lives, the way gossip travels in a close-knit immigrant community.” (The New York Times Book Review)

It is 1995, and Anvar Faris is a restless, rebellious, and sharp-tongued boy doing his best to grow up in Karachi, Pakistan. As fundamentalism takes root within the social order and the zealots next door attempt to make Islam great again, his family decides, not quite unanimously, to start life over in California. Ironically, Anvar's deeply devout mother and his model-Muslim brother adjust easily to life in America, while his fun-loving father can't find anyone he relates to. For his part, Anvar fully commits to being a bad Muslim.

At the same time, thousands of miles away, Safwa, a young girl living in war-torn Baghdad with her grief-stricken, conservative father will find a very different and far more dangerous path to America. When Anvar and Safwa's worlds collide as two remarkable, strong-willed adults, their contradictory, intertwined fates will rock their community, and families, to their core.

The Bad Muslim Discount is an irreverent, poignant, and often hysterically funny debut novel by an amazing new voice. With deep insight, warmth, and an irreverent sense of humor, Syed M. Masood examines universal questions of identity, faith (or lack thereof), and belonging through the lens of Muslim Americans.

©2020 Syed M. Masood (P)2020 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Masood offers sharp observations on religion, violence, and politics, and his clever choice to place the characters’ disparate experiences in parallel challenges Islamophobic stereotypes." (The New Yorker)

"A born storyteller, Masood has crafted a fast-paced page-turner with plenty of insightful commentary on religion, family, love, and national politics in this debut novel that is expertly written and a joy to read; highly recommended.” (Library Journal, starred review)

“Explosive...A rich meditation on religion and personal identity.” (Publishers Weekly)

Gained perspective

I’m from a different cultural background so this novel provided perspective of culture and practices I was not aware of with a twist of humor, like dad with the goat in the garage. It does get heavy at some points but I appreciated the whole story, to gain a better understanding and see the dualities within my own intersections. love the mention of American nationalist culture so we can face it head on.

Unsure

Wud have liked to hear this read by the author
I missed the title or maybe I was not listening very well - unsure
Overall did enjoy the story

Excellent story

This was so good I couldn't put it down. Expertly narrated, and from a different point of view than my Anglo Christian background. I highly recommend it!

My opinion as a Muslim

Religion is about faith and even though sometimes it’s required to be a blind faith, not many people are the same as the characters in the book.

Anwar’s mom is THE WORST!
I loved the multiple narrators and the different point of views for one whole story, the background that the author provided for each character and how they developed.

They have been multiple mispronunciation from the Quran and Qais name and other from Pej Vahdat, and I understand the difficulty knowing he’s a non-Arabic speaker.

Some of the chapters or opinions in the book would be considered blasphemous, and it would definitely be banned from being released in multiple Muslim countries. Safwa’s fear of her father is understandable but that she kept on defending him even after all that he’s done and giving him excuses for all the violence is not acceptable. And Anwar’s brother with “I always do what’s right” who dictated what’s right? He almost got his brother and an innocent girl killed because he didn’t know what to do expt obey orders that were given to him as a child. He didn’t develop any personality or character at all.

Enjoyed, thoroughly!

I found this book to be delightfully different, thoughtfull and serious, with funny moments. Multi layered. Definitely recommend!

Believable storyline with historical references

I enjoyed the subtle humor. Serious book but had a story that kept me listening.

The search for freedom and love

The Bad Muslim Discount is an incredibly well-written novel that weaves themes of freedom and love into a compelling story. The author crafts vivid, multi-dimensional characters that stay with you long after the story ends. I especially loved the main character’s father—his humor and wisdom brought both warmth and depth to the narrative. The narrators’ performances were outstanding, bringing each character and moment to life in a way that felt authentic and engaging. Listening to this book felt personal, as the author is a friend of a friend, and I couldn’t be more impressed with this literary work

Amazing

One of th best books I've read in a while. Really poignant but also managed to make me laugh out loud at various points. Both narrators were excellent and really added a lot of the book. Extremely enjoyable. I listened to it in less than 24 hours.

Good story, stunted character growth

I actually really enjoyed the story and the writing and the humor but.... The pronunciations were so over the top and the girl's accent is wild. Characters never grow or gain empathy or understanding until the very end. Girls story is underdeveloped and stereotypes are heavy throughout with little nuance.

Entertaining and good narration!

I enjoyed listening to this book! It’s nice to learn about other culture and stories of immigrants in the US.