Syed M. Masood is a Pakistani-American author.

Personal life

Masood grew up in

Karachi, Pakistan Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

and has been a citizen of three countries, living in nine cities. He says his nomadic, multicultural life has taught him "human beings are the same everywhere..., and the theme of this fundamental human unity informs everything I write." Masood currently lives in

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

with his two children, ages two and four.

Education

Masood studied English literature at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

, then attended the William and Mary School of Law.

Career

Outside of writing, Masood currently practices law.

Selected works

''More Than Just a Pretty Face'' (2020)

''More Than Just a Pretty Face'', published August 4, 2020 by

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Little, Brown and Company is an American publishing company founded in 1837 by Charles Coffin Little and James Brown in Boston. For close to two centuries, it has published fiction and nonfiction by American authors. Early lists featured Emily ...

, is a young adult novel. ''Kirkus'' called the novel "a charming teen romance with real substance." ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, wi ...

'' also provided a positive review. In a mixed review, ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is ...

'' said the book was "seriously funny, with all of the trappings of a truly good rom-com." They also noted that "the less-traditional Muslim characters might be a point of consternation for some (especially as depicted through the stereotyping of Sohrab’s character as he becomes more involved in Islam); nonetheless, Danyal’s seismic character arc, Bisma and his evolving love, and fascinating historical insights make for an entertaining read." ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' also found the characters a bit two-dimensional, noting that while "Danyal develops into a more mature and endearing protagonist, ... supporting characters lack nuance." ''More Than Just a Pretty Face'' is a

Junior Library Guild Junior Library Guild, formerly the Junior Literary Guild, is a commercial Book sales club, book club devoted to juvenile literature. It was created in 1929 as one of the enterprises of the Literary Guild, an adult book club created in 1927 by Samue ...

selection, and the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...

named it one of the top ten best fiction books for young adults in 2021.

''The Bad Muslim Discount'' (2021)

''The Bad Muslim Discount'', published February 2, 2021 by

Doubleday Books Doubleday is an American publishing company. It was founded as the Doubleday & McClure Company in 1897. By 1947, it was the largest book publisher in the United States. It published the work of mostly U.S. authors under a number of imprints and ...

, follows "two families from Pakistan and Iraq in the 1990s to San Francisco in 2016." ''

'' provided a starred review, saying the book provides " moving, comic take on the immigrant experience," noting that "Masood adeptly balances humor with pathos in this unforgettable, twisting tale." In another starred review, ''

Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...

'' lauded Masood's writing, calling him "born storyteller" who "has crafted a fast-paced page-turner with plenty of insightful commentary on religion, family, love, and national politics in this debut novel that is expertly written and a joy to read." ''

The New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

'' and ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' also provided positive reviews. However, ''

'' called ''The Bad Muslim Discount'' "ambitious" yet "flawed," noting that " spite many insightful moments, Masood’s characters never fully come to life." ''

Kirkus ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, non ...

'' echoed the sentiment, calling the novel "engaging though overly complicated." The audiobook, narrated by Pej Vahdat and Hend Ayoub, received a starred review from ''Library Journal'', who called the novel " sightful, entertaining, and warmly recommended," claiming that "Both narrators modulate the novel’s notable shifts in tone by inhabiting their characters engagingly. They reminds listeners to consider the vantage points by which Masood’s book observes America, as both a destination and an actor on the world stage." ''Booklist'' provided a mixed review, noting that "both debut narrators can expect long audiobook careers because they’re that good," but they are not "a dynamic duo." They audiobook is "plagued by jarring inconsistency between chapters. Names are different enough to need a rewind, and while Vahdat portrays Zuha as patiently charming, Ayoub voices her as unnecessarily, unrecognizably caustic. A more careful production would have better served these notable performers and been an easy enhancement for Masood’s provocative narrative."

Publications

* ''More Than Just a Pretty Face'' (August 2020) * ''The Bad Muslim Discount'' (February 2021) * ''Sway With Me'' (November 2020)

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Masood, Syed M. Living people University of Toronto alumni William & Mary Law School alumni Writers from Sacramento, California Writers from Karachi Year of birth missing (living people)