Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

331 Pages, Published In 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar is a brilliant and moving story of a young, first-generation Iranian American grappling with grief, identity, and the search for meaning after his mother’s death when the US shot down a commercial airliner for a war jet. It’s about exploring the meaning of life—or rather, the meaning of death (or are they different?)—while navigating loss, addiction, recovery, friendship and love. Loved both the plot and the characters, and stunned by the unexpected twist at the end.