Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - Martyr!

I am so grateful that Akbar published such a heartfelt and beautiful book to explore the importance of being earnest (not to steal Oscar Wilde’s title here), in spite of everything that has happened, in spite of the world being the way it is. I am thankful that Akbar created a protagonist like Cyrus, who wears his heart on his sleeve and relentlessly feels the blistering pain of hope. Martyr! is, in many ways, a messy novel. It’s messy in how Cyrus navigates the world and feels everything, the way it oscillates between the past and present, how it plays with different perspectives, and more. I know this novel won’t be for everyone because of its structure and lyrical prose (after all, Akbar is a poet), but I personally thought it all came together really well to show how earnestness means dealing with life’s wonderful and horrible messiness.

I do think it’s worth picking this novel up—regardless of what your reading preference is—to contend with what life and death might mean to you, and what it means to sincerely look for meaning in your aliveness. With that said, I do recommend checking the content warnings, as Akbar dives deep into these themes to get his points across.

Content Warnings

garyosu's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

nevawink's review against another edition

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5.0

Content Warnings

lizetteratura's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

it took me some time to get into it but when i finally did i couldn't stop reading
it quickly became such an emotional read intertwined with the search of yourself in a world where you immigrated, finding a place in art, others, yourself, fighting for the beauty of life and so much more...
i also liked the writing style, how cyrus' pov was in 3rd person and every other characters was in 1st person, i liked that we were able so see so many different povs and were able to experience many different themes and issues that each character deals with

Content Warnings

thehinkydonut's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

the_other_yvonne's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

annaavian's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

"Martyr!" is a mixed bag of a novel. While not a terrible read, it lacks cohesion and effectiveness, ultimately falling short of its potential. The story feels more like a collection of disconnected pieces rather than a well-crafted narrative. It's a shame, because I appreciated the novel's attempts at exploring the concept of martyrdom and giving life meaning through death. Unfortunately, it comes up short and left me feeling disappointed. The author uses different perspectives, such as Cyrus's, Zee's, dreams, poems and even historical figures, to tell the story, but the resulting mess is both disjointed and uninteresting. Despite its flaws, "Martyr!" is an admirable experiment in storytelling, but one that ultimately falters in its execution.

Content Warnings

runlaurarun's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I am admittedly biased because I know the author personally, but this is one hell of a book. Deeply sad at times, funny in its absurdity, and still somehow hopeful. A book for writers, for artists, for addicts, for self-doubters, for those who have lost faith.

Content Warnings

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