I normally don’t read psychological thrillers, but when Almost Surely Dead by Amina Akhtar was offered as part of Kindle First Reads, I decided to make an exception. I’ll admit—I don’t know much about Jinn folklore, but after reading this book, I’m definitely interested in learning more.
The story opens with Dunia, our protagonist, narrowly escaping death at a subway station. From there, the narrative flips between three threads: her five-year-old self, her present, and a podcast set in the future (that’s how I kept track, at least). The podcast narration was crisp, engaging, and if the author’s goal was to make them sound like slightly obnoxious true-crime podcasters, she nailed it. I’ve never listened to a podcast like this, so I can’t say if that’s the norm, but it felt authentic.
The sections with five-year-old Dunia and the podcast held the most reveals and kept me turning the pages. My only nitpick: present-day Dunia sometimes felt like she had less agency. Maybe that was intentional, a reflection of her cultural upbringing, but I wanted her to be more active in uncovering the truth about the folklore and the accidents.
“How do you grieve someone who hated you? I wasn’t sure how to, but I was trying.”
Overall, this was a gripping tale—creepy, layered, and unsettling. Just don’t make the mistake I did: stay up late, reading it in the dark.
Anna Bushi 