- Rich with the culture, history, and personalities of Karachi
- Borders the line of being pretentious with language; but mostly the flourishes are in the right places.
- very humorous

You feel the author's personality come through Abdullah: a liberal, non-practicing Muslim man lamenting his city's fall and the practicing Muslim, but celebrating the diversity around him.

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raheelahmad | Mar 22, 2020 |

Home Boy: A Novel by H. M. Naqvi

A 20-something Pakistani living in New York and one of the most engaging protagonists to come along in a while. After moving from Karachi to attend NYU, Chuck readily adapts to the customs of his new home—especially those involving alcohol, cocaine and skirt chasing—but he's not the average drunk college kid: he and his friends, AC and Jimbo, are like a Pakistani-American version of the Three Musketeers—in their own eyes, boulevardiers, raconteurs, renaissance men.

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JoshSapan | 3 other reviews | May 29, 2019 |

Home Boy: A Novel by H. M. Naqvi

stephenhongsohn, 2009 Nov 30

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asianamlitfans | 3 other reviews | Nov 25, 2011 |

Home Boy: A Novel by H. M. Naqvi

I found the first half of this book quite a drag. Nothing much happens; the main characters drift aimlessly through life with a large dose of sex, drugs and alcohol. I can't see this appealing to South Asian readers; I wonder if it works with the American readers?

The plot's pace picks up in the second half, but the core issue is a stale one: the suspicion with which Muslims were treated in America in the aftermath of 9/11. 'Home Boy' may have been a good enough read eight years ago, but it brings nothing new in 2010.

Additionally, the gratuitous use of uncommon words (esp. in the first third), some small factual errors (e.g. the slogan of the tooth powder) and some shoddy proofreading all serve to distract from the narrative.… (more)

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mariamreza | 3 other reviews | Mar 22, 2010 |

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