MAJDI MANSOOR AND THE BOOK OF MIRACLES

Young heroes in the 23rd century stand up against totalitarian authorities in this debut middle-grade novel.

Twelve-year-old orphan Jacob lives in the corporation-owned TanasWorld, one of three zones on a dystopian Earth. Lately, he’s been fascinated by a copy of the Quran, which he stumbled on in a hidden library. It’s rare, like all print books, but also banned, as Tanas has made religions illegal. So Jacob is understandably startled when he meets a boy who recites from the Quran. In fact, quoted Islamic texts are virtually the only things Majdi Mansoor ever says (“Jacob was intrigued by the way the boy could utilize the Quran as speech. It gave him the distinct impression that the book was speaking directly to him. Maybe this was the key to understanding the Quran…treat it as a conversation”). Majdi lives with his Muslim family outside Jacob’s walled city, and they wholeheartedly take the young orphan in. But Tanas Corp’s soldiers shatter their peaceful existence when they grab a couple of Mansoor family members. Jacob, Majdi, and his brothers, Hakim and Shahid, sneak into TanasWorld to rescue their loved ones. They’ll have to face vicious yellow-eyed beasts as well as a diabolical Tanas executive who has a frighteningly close tie to the Mansoors. Bezak’s gripping series opener confidently promotes Islam, accentuating its positivity. The Mansoor family is nothing but accepting and loving, and Majdi’s Quran recitations often inspire others. Joining the immensely appealing protagonists is a delightfully varied cast, from outright villains to those who redeem themselves and even a small, misguided Muslim group that adopts violent tactics. The author wisely simplifies the fast-paced main plot and aptly incorporates worldbuilding without scaling back character development. For example, many of the dilemmas Jacob and Majdi tackle involve this world’s complex past, like the Resource War 16 years ago that ended in Tanas Corp’s unfounded hatred of Muslims. There are a few surprises in the final act along with morsels for the series to pick up later, including baddies that will most assuredly stir up trouble.

An amiable cast will draw readers into this riveting, sequelworthy dystopian tale.