A year ago, I was at a book festival and spotted a really flashy jacket. The guy was handing out goodie bags to people in line. When he got to me, he asked if I wanted a festival survival pack featuring his upcoming book. It all made sense. His jacket featured the cover of his book, which was pretty brilliant marketing because it got everyone talking.
That guy was Naz Kutub and his book is called The Loophole.
I finally got around to reading/listening to the audiobook of it and man, I was surprised. The cover gives you the impression it will be your average cutesy teen romcom. While The Loophole does have its cute and funny moments (Reggi is basically the greatest!), it’s also really deep and meaningful.
There are three timelines at play in The Loophole. In the current timeline, Sy is a 17-year-old queer Indian Muslim boy who gets kicked out of his house for being gay. He takes the opportunity to chase after his ex-boyfriend in an around the world adventure with a genie. The past timeline shows what his relationship was like, and the way past timeline is the genie’s origin story, which is a twist on Orpheus and Eurydice. It sounds like there’s a lot going on here, and there is, but it doesn’t feel confusing like so many other books have with that level of activity.
Naz wrote this so freaking well. It addresses topics like racism, Islamophobia, homophobia, and found family with such genuine emotion and care, but doesn’t let it weigh the story down too much. Reggi, the alcoholic genie, brings such wit and light to the page. I laughed out loud at some of her quips, which helps the reader get through some of the more heartbreaking scenes.
Sy doesn’t go on a journey around the world to find his missing ex, but he finds himself along the way and it is freaking beautiful.
Do yourself a favor and pick up this book. It’s such a great time. Plus, there’s magic!
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Literary HypeWoman 