The rarest triumph–a novel that tackles the weightiest subjects without withholding joy! An odyssey to understand death emerges as a shockingly powerful affirmation of life, love, and belonging. Cyrus Shams is a protagonist that felt immediately iconic–boldly morose, exuberantly weird, hilarious and frustrating and exceptionally human. Akbar has written a book that defies neat categorization, one that you’ll want to hand to any person in your life who “gets you” and say, read this, and let’s talk.
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar, (List Price: $28, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 9780593537619, January 2024)
Reviewed by Kristen Iskandrian, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama