Wow! I highly reccomend this book.

Although set in an unknown dystopian city in Egypt, the themes addressed by Abdel Aziz are prevelant in the majority of -if not all- modern day countries, especially those with an entwinement of church and state (or the prescence of a large religious populace).

Some of the themes in the book include surveillance, bureaucracy, fear-mongering, censorship, manipulation of historical events, and psychological warfare. Another prevalent theme is religious propoganda and the use of the clergy to intimidate the public into shaping the status quo. The book is based on the events of the Arab Spring in Egypt, so the plot employs the use of an Islamic clergy.

The ending of the book is vague and the plot does not come to a traditional resolution. I thought this was quite clever! In order for the book to reach a resolution

a "neutral" and law abiding character would have had to act against the status quo. They did no such thing for the duration of the novel, in accordance with their character and the privileges they wanted to protect, in spite of knowing what was right and wrong. Thus the events and atmosphere have no noticable change, and therefore no resolution.

Overall an excellent and well-written book, and a warning on the dangers of willful ignorance, religious fanaticism, and political neutrality.