Alif the Unseen by Willow Willson

 

There is an element of magical realism in this novel.  It is set in an unnamed Middle Eastern country in the midst of the Arab spring.  Much like Jerusalem, the city at the center of the action in the novel is subdivided into quarters.  In Jerusalem it is divided based on religion and history, but in this story it seems to be more socioeconomic.  The exception to this rule is the Empty Quarter.  This is where the magic comes in—the Empty Quarter is the realm of ghouls and demons, and quite literally who-knows-what.  It is unchartered desert, and no one with their wits about them wants to be there or go there.

Alif is a pseudonym, named for the first letter of the Arabic alphabet.  He is a free agent in the world of zones and quarters.  He’s got the information security background required to protect the identity of a poster on the internet and he is available to all who can pay.  His customers cross all sorts of barriers that are unbreachable in the real time social life of the country—he works for the rich, the rabble rousers, women, men, the educated and the illiterate.  He makes it possible to communicate across social networks anonymously.  He facilitates tremendous opportunity for communication of like-minded people, and that puts him at odds with the repressive regime under which he lives.  Add to that his personal life.  He is sleeping with the intended bride of the government’s key hench man for information security, and this is not a country that takes infidelity lightly.

Alif gets captured, then rescued, then his real adventure starts in the Empty Quarter.  The surreal quality to the novel transports the reader to a place where all things are possible, but they come with a price.