MixedUSA TodayThe Thirty Names of Night has multiple themes at play at any given time...sometimes all in one page. It can feel overwhelming but conveys the same sensation Nadir feels. Joukhadar, who is trans himself, doesn\'t try to pander to the reader\'s experience but focuses instead on Nadir\'s gender identity struggle. He links all the moving parts of the story together while highlighting the ignored history of people who are transgender ... At times the connection between Laila\'s diary and the effects it has on Nadir are not clearly stated ... Joukhadar\'s beautiful lyricism throughout the novel will be familiar to fans of The Map of Salt and Stars. And despite juggling many themes, The Thirty Names of Night reminds us that the stories of queer people are stories of survival that span generations.
Hank Green
RaveUSA TodayGreen makes the smart decision of allowing Maya, Andy and Miranda to follow their own adventures and have their own respective chapters ... Green is clearly inspired by Dungeons and Dragons and internet culture—inspirations he uses to build a world so vividly grounded in reality it’s sometimes hard to forget that Green wrote this before the pandemic and not during. While there are many parallels to our current climate, A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor is a hopeful read that provides a Black Mirror-like warning of new technology without the heavy feeling of dread. Green gives nuance to the privileges of escapism with humor and grace through main characters taking a chance on hope, even if it is beautifully foolish.
