A very fast paced book. The plot feels a bit on rails, and the computer stuff was a little... hand-wavy... but the juxtaposition of Alif's modernity with Dina's traditionalism, and the interplay between the old and new in the modern Gulf "City" was really refreshing. There is a nuanced cultural commentary in here, and I wish I had a better understanding of Islamic culture because I felt that some of Alif's character arc was over my head. I would totally read an annotated version of this.