Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted eARC

Iranian American Cyrus Shams is a young poet & recovering addict grappling with loss: his mom's plane was shot down over the skies of Tehran. Attempting to understand loss, Cyrus becomes obsessed with martyrs and embarks on a journey to make sense of his past & inheritance.

Written by a poet, MARTYR! excels in its inventive structure and unique style. I love the glimpses of Cyrus' "book," various POVs encompassing the Sham family members, and feverish dreams that rely on analyses & interpretations. MARTYR! is the nth book I've read recently with a "narrative within a narrative" format, and I adore how much depth this style adds to the story.

Part one of MARTYR! is quite humorous & sarcastic with ample cultural criticism, reminding me of AFTERPARTIES (Anthony Veasna So). In contrast, the artistic and more-vibe-less-plot vignettes are reminiscent of BLACKOUTS (Justin Torres).

My favorite aspect of MARTYR! is its exploration of "the meaning of death" through various characters. For Cyrus, his hope for his death to matter manifests as his desire to become a martyr. For others, death is the fulfillment of one's duty to raise their children among loss or the heartbreak that you've cheated death but at a considerable cost.

I was a tad lost halfway through reading MARTYR!, especially because the mixed formats & multi-POV read more like vignettes than a novel. Nonetheless, the last 20% really turned the story around. Akbar brilliantly transforms a story that is hyperfocused on the meaning of death to the significance of life—of staying alive and finding the joy to live. MARTYR! reaches the crescendos with its unexpected ending and leaves me contemplating intergenerational trauma—how much is defined by our obsession with grief and death?