Alif the Unseen

By: G. Willow Wilson

Narrated by: Sanjiv Jhaveri

In an unnamed Middle Eastern security state, a young Arab-Indian hacker shields his clients — dissidents, outlaws, Islamists, and other watched groups — from surveillance and tries to stay out of trouble. He goes by Alif — the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and a convenient handle to hide behind.

The aristocratic woman Alif loves has jilted him for a prince chosen by her parents, and his computer has just been breached by the state’s electronic security force, putting his clients and his own neck on the line. Then it turns out his lover’s new fiancé is the “Hand of God”, as they call the head of state security, and his henchmen come after Alif, driving him underground.

When Alif discovers The Thousand and One Days, the secret book of the jinn, which both he and the Hand suspect may unleash a new level of information technology, the stakes are raised and Alif must struggle for life or death, aided by forces seen and unseen.

©2012 G. Willow Wilson (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Not what I expected

Would you listen to Alif the Unseen again? Why?

I expected to enjoy this book as I am already a fan of GWW, but I was pleased with the broad scope of this story. It was fun, funny, action packed, smart, techy, fantasy, with tons of social commentary.
Lovely fun ride.

Cute and entertaining eastern tech adventure

Entertaining, if not particularly deep techno adventure.

Interesting mix of plausible hacktivism and djinn based Middle Eastern superstition. Plausible escapism. Decent characterisation. A fun romp through the Middle East and it's censorship and it's mythology

Dragged

I appreciated the insight into Arab culture, and the non-Western perspective, but I still had a hard time getting through it. The story dragged, with far too much religious harping.

Disappointing

Promises to be a great story at the beginning but quickly becomes repetitive and grating. At least the insight into cultural nuances is interesting.

great look at today's world

Any additional comments?

This book is a very entertaining adventure story that also gives a great picture of some serious issues, from repression in today's Arabian peninsula to the hubris of technology geeks who think that computers can solve life's basic dilemmas.

So many Catholic fanatics seem to hate this book

Would you listen to Alif the Unseen again? Why?

well probably not. it ain't Samuel Beckett

What other book might you compare Alif the Unseen to and why?

This type of underdog computer hacker story reminds me a lot of Ernest Clines Ready Player One

What about Sanjiv Jhaveri’s performance did you like?

He provided a clear voice that was strong and seperated the characters well

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

All of the muslim religion stuff was cool and unique. As i am a recovering catholic I've been exposed to a lot of Catholic dogma and I didn't know much about muslim religion, this provided a fun overview of the magical realism of Islam

Any additional comments?

I can't understand people who say a book is terrible because its muslim propaganda. I picked this book up to spite those close minded prejudice people and was pleasantly surprised in how much I enjoyed it. Forget the nay sayers who are anti anything that isn't jesus centric, or are American brainwashed. I don't read to be closeminded and perpetuate ignorance. Pick this book up! especially if you like underdog adventure stories and don't mind a bit of the fantastical. Plus it provides some crazy good insight about close minded Americans and enlightens you to different philosophical views while still remaining a page turner. That says something. Trust me it ain't for stupid people

Unique story and fully developed characters

I started this book after listening to the moving Audible book, The Butterfly Mosque, by the same author. I fully enjoyed Alif the Unseen as well. The story is a unique blend of modern technology, current political upheaval, fantasy and faith. Each character brings their own fully-developed voice to the story. They mature throughout the book and by the end, I felt as if they were real people. The dialogue is clever and often laugh out loud funny. Voice actor was great. Will listen to this again.

Interesting

Any additional comments?

I found this listen entertaining though not engrossing. The author presumes that things are understood without explanation. I find it questionable the abilities of the actions by those in the book. The book highlights the good though of the Muslim and Islam people, something lately misunderstood.

Fascinating Story, Learned a Few Things

Interesting story, new culture. Cool ideas about holy books, religion--Not quite L'Engle but sort of.

A great adventure

Tagged a fantasy—and rightfully so, but for those believing they don’t like fantasy I encourage you to suspend a modicum of belief in order to enjoy a wonderful adventure that informs us about culture, religion, philosophy, politics, and technology.