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The Uproar
A “raw, tensely plotted, profound high-wire act of a book” (Téa Obreht) on the intricacies of marriage, class, and race, and just how far one man will go to protect his family—and himself.
Sharif is a good person. He knows that he is good because he’s aware of the privilege that he holds as a white man. He knows he is good because he chose to be a social worker at a nonprofit in Brooklyn, scraping by in New York City. And he knows he is good because his wife, Adjoua, a progressive Black novelist, has always said so.
But Sharif’s goodness doesn’t protect him and Adjoua against bad luck. In an emergency, when they must find a new home for Judy, their beloved, unruly, giant dog before the imminent birth of their immunocompromised daughter, a desperate Sharif leaves Judy in the care of Emmanuel, an undocumented Haitian immigrant Sharif met through his social services nonprofit.
When Emmanuel agrees to take the dog, it is only a momentary relief. What begins as a dispute between the young couple and Emmanuel's teenage son soon draws both families into a maelstrom of unpredictable conflict. As tempers flare into a public uproar, escalating to social media and being taken up by law enforcement, the cracks in Sharif and Adjoua’s marriage are exposed. The couple is forced to confront everything they thought they knew about race and empathy, while Sharif must question if he was ever good in the first place. Immersive and propulsive, The Uproar is the book we need to understand the moment we live in now.
Sharif is a good person. He knows that he is good because he’s aware of the privilege that he holds as a white man. He knows he is good because he chose to be a social worker at a nonprofit in Brooklyn, scraping by in New York City. And he knows he is good because his wife, Adjoua, a progressive Black novelist, has always said so.
But Sharif’s goodness doesn’t protect him and Adjoua against bad luck. In an emergency, when they must find a new home for Judy, their beloved, unruly, giant dog before the imminent birth of their immunocompromised daughter, a desperate Sharif leaves Judy in the care of Emmanuel, an undocumented Haitian immigrant Sharif met through his social services nonprofit.
When Emmanuel agrees to take the dog, it is only a momentary relief. What begins as a dispute between the young couple and Emmanuel's teenage son soon draws both families into a maelstrom of unpredictable conflict. As tempers flare into a public uproar, escalating to social media and being taken up by law enforcement, the cracks in Sharif and Adjoua’s marriage are exposed. The couple is forced to confront everything they thought they knew about race and empathy, while Sharif must question if he was ever good in the first place. Immersive and propulsive, The Uproar is the book we need to understand the moment we live in now.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 17, 2025
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4276 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
April 2, 2025
**My thanks to Little, Brown and Company for providing me with an advanced review copy via NetGalley**
4 stars
A fable about loss of innocence, The Uproar is a disturbing and sharp-edged social thriller. I’m glad I read it, and I never want to read it again.
The Uproar isn’t a challenging read in terms of prose; the language is well composed but everyday and easy to digest. It is, however, a challenging read in terms of the uncomfortable feelings and ideas it forces the reader to sit with.
Much of the book reads like a modern-day nightmare: While attempting to do good by both his family and the community he serves, a social worker (Sharif) finds himself accused of a terrible crime (assaulting a poverty-struck Haitian immigrant teenager). Trying desperately to clear his name, save his marriage with his pregnant wife, and help the clearly troubled teen who has accused him, Sharif is forced to question whether his bleeding-heart liberal ideals are realistic—and how far he’s willing to take those ideals when adhering to them would seem to threaten his family, livelihood, and reputation.
In terms of its themes, this book is really affective; as I followed Sharif’s story I found myself guiltily starting to doubt my own ideals. As an animal lover, I especially felt a lot of guilt over my initial reaction to Sharif’s predicament with his wife’s dog Judy, which serves as the inciting incident in the family’s following troubles. Judy is described as an 8-year-old, huge (150 lbs), smelly, partly incontinent, dog-aggressive, cat-hunting, expensive-food-and-meds-requiring, stair-incapable bully breed mutt that was slated for euthanasia seven years ago (whereupon he was rescued by Sharif’s wife). Judy needs to be rehomed for the duration of Sharif’s soon-to-be-born daughter’s leukemia treatment, but no friend who has met Judy is willing to watch him again, and all the no-kill shelters are full. My immediate thought, on reading this dilemma, was that Judy’s humans had already given him seven years of borrowed time, and he was never going to find a unicorn foster or forever family willing to put up with him. Reader, how ashamed I felt as I kept reading! While Judy seemed like a lost cause at the beginning of the novel, by the end he was one of the main positive lights in Sharif’s life, providing unconditional doggy love and comfort that I should never have initially discounted. Shame on me; please boo me now.
While the beginning and the middle of the book are a stressful nightmare, the ending is an absolute gut punch. This novel isn’t just a critical view of liberal hypocrisy, it’s a devastating analysis of the psychic toll of living under both late stage capitalism and the microscope of social media. The only downside is that the book threatens to push the reader into despair, which I think needs to be guarded against. Imperfect implementation doesn’t mean that ideals are all hollow and worthless. Perfection may be impossible, but improvement is not; cynicism says more about us and the disappointments we’ve faced than what’s actually possible to achieve.
If you liked Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, you’ll like The Uproar by Karim Dimechkie.
4 stars
A fable about loss of innocence, The Uproar is a disturbing and sharp-edged social thriller. I’m glad I read it, and I never want to read it again.
The Uproar isn’t a challenging read in terms of prose; the language is well composed but everyday and easy to digest. It is, however, a challenging read in terms of the uncomfortable feelings and ideas it forces the reader to sit with.
Much of the book reads like a modern-day nightmare: While attempting to do good by both his family and the community he serves, a social worker (Sharif) finds himself accused of a terrible crime (assaulting a poverty-struck Haitian immigrant teenager). Trying desperately to clear his name, save his marriage with his pregnant wife, and help the clearly troubled teen who has accused him, Sharif is forced to question whether his bleeding-heart liberal ideals are realistic—and how far he’s willing to take those ideals when adhering to them would seem to threaten his family, livelihood, and reputation.
In terms of its themes, this book is really affective; as I followed Sharif’s story I found myself guiltily starting to doubt my own ideals. As an animal lover, I especially felt a lot of guilt over my initial reaction to Sharif’s predicament with his wife’s dog Judy, which serves as the inciting incident in the family’s following troubles. Judy is described as an 8-year-old, huge (150 lbs), smelly, partly incontinent, dog-aggressive, cat-hunting, expensive-food-and-meds-requiring, stair-incapable bully breed mutt that was slated for euthanasia seven years ago (whereupon he was rescued by Sharif’s wife). Judy needs to be rehomed for the duration of Sharif’s soon-to-be-born daughter’s leukemia treatment, but no friend who has met Judy is willing to watch him again, and all the no-kill shelters are full. My immediate thought, on reading this dilemma, was that Judy’s humans had already given him seven years of borrowed time, and he was never going to find a unicorn foster or forever family willing to put up with him. Reader, how ashamed I felt as I kept reading! While Judy seemed like a lost cause at the beginning of the novel, by the end he was one of the main positive lights in Sharif’s life, providing unconditional doggy love and comfort that I should never have initially discounted. Shame on me; please boo me now.
While the beginning and the middle of the book are a stressful nightmare, the ending is an absolute gut punch. This novel isn’t just a critical view of liberal hypocrisy, it’s a devastating analysis of the psychic toll of living under both late stage capitalism and the microscope of social media. The only downside is that the book threatens to push the reader into despair, which I think needs to be guarded against. Imperfect implementation doesn’t mean that ideals are all hollow and worthless. Perfection may be impossible, but improvement is not; cynicism says more about us and the disappointments we’ve faced than what’s actually possible to achieve.
If you liked Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, you’ll like The Uproar by Karim Dimechkie.
July 4, 2025
Uproar was a book club selection, and it was a solid introduction to this author (this is not my typical read) 2.5/5–>3/5
April 7, 2025
Karim Dimechkie’s Uproar is an extraordinary read that I totally enjoyed, and it turned out to be… not what I was expecting, at all!
I found it hilarious, frustrating, and even infuriating at times—particularly with Sherif’s naivety, which made me want to slap some sense into him. Initially, I considered giving the book four stars because of this frustration. However, just when I thought the story was winding down, it took an unexpected turn that completely shifted my perspective.
The narrative cleverly mirrors the chaotic dynamics we see in social media and news today, prompting me to question my own perceptions of reality and the biases shaping my opinions. It was a transformative experience—I found a self-awareness I didn’t have before.
I found the ending deeply satisfying, providing me closure in a way few books have manages to achieve. And the writing is masterful, with a pace and narrative style that kept me hooked throughout.
I’m grateful to Little, Brown and Company for the free copy of this book; it’s one I’ll be thinking about for a long time.
If you’re looking for a thought-provoking and emotionally charged novel, Uproar is a must-read!
I found it hilarious, frustrating, and even infuriating at times—particularly with Sherif’s naivety, which made me want to slap some sense into him. Initially, I considered giving the book four stars because of this frustration. However, just when I thought the story was winding down, it took an unexpected turn that completely shifted my perspective.
The narrative cleverly mirrors the chaotic dynamics we see in social media and news today, prompting me to question my own perceptions of reality and the biases shaping my opinions. It was a transformative experience—I found a self-awareness I didn’t have before.
I found the ending deeply satisfying, providing me closure in a way few books have manages to achieve. And the writing is masterful, with a pace and narrative style that kept me hooked throughout.
I’m grateful to Little, Brown and Company for the free copy of this book; it’s one I’ll be thinking about for a long time.
If you’re looking for a thought-provoking and emotionally charged novel, Uproar is a must-read!
May 12, 2025
Elegantly written, fast-paced and engaging, “The Uproar”, by Karim Dimechkie, swept me into the unique world of social worker and expectant father, Sharif Safadi as his seemingly simple quest to find a temporary home for his charming but unwieldy dog, Judy, spirals into a horrific crisis.
Set in Brooklyn this novel explores themes of marriage and parenthood, undocumented citizens, the legal system, cyber-bullying, and race. That sounds like a LOT of ingredients, but trust me, you will be compelled to find out what happens to Sharif, his pregnant wife Adjoua, Emmanuel and his son Junior who are asylum seekers from Haiti, and of course Judy the dog.
Aside from the suspenseful plot, Dimechkie has skillfully presented us with the question of what it is to be a “good person” in our modern and conflicting world. Sharif and Adjoua always assumed they were good people, trying hard to make the world a better place. What happens when that assumption is challenged?
This novel is perfect for Book Clubs because there is so much to discuss on these topics. Opinions will vary, which is the best kind of discussion!
Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC of this intriguing novel.
Set in Brooklyn this novel explores themes of marriage and parenthood, undocumented citizens, the legal system, cyber-bullying, and race. That sounds like a LOT of ingredients, but trust me, you will be compelled to find out what happens to Sharif, his pregnant wife Adjoua, Emmanuel and his son Junior who are asylum seekers from Haiti, and of course Judy the dog.
Aside from the suspenseful plot, Dimechkie has skillfully presented us with the question of what it is to be a “good person” in our modern and conflicting world. Sharif and Adjoua always assumed they were good people, trying hard to make the world a better place. What happens when that assumption is challenged?
This novel is perfect for Book Clubs because there is so much to discuss on these topics. Opinions will vary, which is the best kind of discussion!
Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC of this intriguing novel.
August 13, 2025
Where did this come from?!! And why is this book not everywhere?!! I was looking through Amazon for something new, and came across this gem of a novel. Karim Dimechkie is a master of his craft. There is nothing that I did not like ehm…LOVE about this! Karim does a wonderful job of world building and setting the story up. He leads the reader passage after passage through the novel as if they are watching a train wreck in the characters lives.
This novel delved into the lives of social workers of NYC, their clients and also the power of deceit, love and perseverance. I felt myself to be rooting for our main character, Sarif and his family. The hurt, the pain, the uncertainty that touched their lives. Even the minor cast of characters made a huge impact in the text.
Beautifully written! I would love to see this on the big screen or even a limited series! It’s that good! 📖
This novel delved into the lives of social workers of NYC, their clients and also the power of deceit, love and perseverance. I felt myself to be rooting for our main character, Sarif and his family. The hurt, the pain, the uncertainty that touched their lives. Even the minor cast of characters made a huge impact in the text.
Beautifully written! I would love to see this on the big screen or even a limited series! It’s that good! 📖
July 7, 2025
Gonna be quite difficult for a 2025 novel to outdo this for me. A novel of fierce emotional intelligence, one I'd recommend to just about anyone.
Read
October 9, 2025DNF at 10% . Just not the one for me, I couldn't stick with the tone of the narrator (even though I reckon this could be a 'mistake'? That I might be 'missing out' on something brilliant? That I might be giving up on a really good text? But regardless, I simply can't continue (mentally, emotionally, physically) - tone/style is important to me (unfortunately or otherwise)) .
September 13, 2025
*4.5
The stress and anxiety this book made me feel reminded me heavily of movies from the Safdie brothers, particularly Good Time.
The stress and anxiety this book made me feel reminded me heavily of movies from the Safdie brothers, particularly Good Time.
November 4, 2025
If you only read one book this year, make it this one. I could not put this down. This was phenomenal.
July 15, 2025
I loved this book so much. The protagonist ( a male social worker who is half Lebanese but white-presenting ) wants to be a good person and also wants to be SEEN as a good person. His wife is from cote d’ ivoire and is black. She’s also a contradiction (because if we’re human, that’s the way we are) ! The classism, racism , liberalism etc in our world is given a thorough shakedown which made me reflect on so much. I couldn’t stop reading it and loved it all the way through as I cringed and looked at myself. It’s a rollercoaster of a story and the pacing is so unusual but effective and it will stay with you….
July 14, 2025
This was a wonderful novel about social justice and a pretty complex plot. The main character, Sharif is married to Adjoua who is pregnant with his child. It is discovered that their future daughter has childhood cancer and can't be around their beloved dog, Judy. Sharif is determined to find Judy a new home and brings him to the home of Emmanuel, a Haitian immigrant who lives with his son, Jr. What follows is a series of events that will change all parties involved. This book kept my attention the entire time. I enjoyed all of the main characters and the interactions between them, and even some of the more colorful side characters as well. This was a well polished novel!
July 26, 2025
An absorbing page-turner with fascinating characters and plot. LOVED it. My vote for best novel of the year because of the many illuminating passages exploring issues of race, class, immigration and gender.
Read
June 24, 2025DNF at 50%. Every character, dog included, is insufferable.
Read
November 29, 2025What a wild ride! I don't know how to rate it, though. It's certainly a compelling read, almost like a thriller, and it deals, in a suitably complex way, with a range of themes: race, immigration, the hypocrisy of people in the "helping professions," marriage (and the economic struggles of young marrieds in low-paying professions; as the husband overhears his wife telling someone, "As a result of refusing to shape my life around money all these years, all I think about is money” (7).) It's a very troubling book, usually in a good way, that is, in a way that makes us question our assumptions, but also in some not-so-good ways, that is, in some of the assumptions IT makes and in some of the inconsistencies.
July 23, 2025
Just finished this book, and now I’m in a full-blown reading slump because nothing else measures up. It was powerful, realistic, and emotionally intense in the best way.
I kept seeing updates from people in my network who loved it, so I finally gave in and read it myself. I’m so glad I did. This book made me feel everything. At times, I had to pause and take mental health breaks because my anxiety was climbing, I was completely immersed.
Maybe it resonates so strongly because of the season I’m in, raising young kids and reflecting on my own career ideals. The characters felt genuine and layered. I empathized with all of them, each at different stages in life. I think many readers will find something familiar here, especially those who’ve struggled to balance youthful idealism with real-world realities.
The final chapter gave the kind of closure that stories often miss. It didn’t feel rushed or forced. It felt earned.
I kept seeing updates from people in my network who loved it, so I finally gave in and read it myself. I’m so glad I did. This book made me feel everything. At times, I had to pause and take mental health breaks because my anxiety was climbing, I was completely immersed.
Maybe it resonates so strongly because of the season I’m in, raising young kids and reflecting on my own career ideals. The characters felt genuine and layered. I empathized with all of them, each at different stages in life. I think many readers will find something familiar here, especially those who’ve struggled to balance youthful idealism with real-world realities.
The final chapter gave the kind of closure that stories often miss. It didn’t feel rushed or forced. It felt earned.
dnf
November 6, 2025This is like a similar vibe to Long Island Compromise which I couldn’t finish for the same reasons. The simmering anxiety was too much for me! But I was super intrigued and wanted to know what would happen so I did something I haven’t done since I was a kid and I skipped around and then read the last chapter, which I thought was excellent. I wish I could’ve stomached this, I think it’s worth the read.
August 3, 2025
Absolutely exceptional novel. It's all I could think about while reading it, and I probably won't stop thinking about it for a long time.
August 21, 2025
Spoilers ahead!
This is the most compelling and thought-provoking book I've read all year! Wow, this book rocked me.
I'm writing this review so I can remember how I felt immediately after finishing the book.
I was hesitant to continue this book because I was annoyed by how Aberto was pushed into the narrative from the very beginning, but ultimately I think it makes sense in the context of Sharif's insecurities and worldview. I also first thought the coincidence of Aberto being Emmanuel/Junior's lawyer was a little hard to believe; however, I thought about it and it's actually kind of cool that Sharif brought this on himself by including Aberto's card in handing a list of resources to Emmanuel because it's the "right" thing to do.
I found Sharif to be OBNOXIOUS at the beginning of this book, and there were times where I was so incredibly uncomfortable with some of the things he was doing (all of the times he lied about what he was doing with the dog?!). This only increased as the book continued.
However, something interesting happens in the middle-I, at least, really started to believe that Junior was making the injury up OR trying to pin a prior injury on Sharif. The author puts these little seeds of doubt in your mind about Junior's motives--the idea that he may have stolen the phone which had the video of what happened, for example. I also started to empathize with Sharif, and I think the author intended for this to happen. Junior's story WAS suspicious. And then the author does this amazing high-wire act when Sharif uses his position as a social worker to CALL JUNIOR'S TEACHER?! I was so uncomfortable with this and at the same time, I found what the teacher said to be damning in terms of ultimately believing Junior. We know Sharif shouldn't have made the call, but the story about the graffiti/Junior possibly framing another student is hard to ignore.
By the time Sharif sees the video of what actually happened, I think we as readers are meant to believe that Junior is just making this whole thing up with Sharif seriously hurting him. We're basically thinking, "Man, Sharif did not handle this well AT ALL, but he's also backed into a corner."
Then we find out (at the same time as Sharif) that Junior is telling the truth. Sharif starts developing another lie to cover up where he's been, but he soon learns that everyone else has seen the video before he did.
We, the readers, are just as implicated as Sharif. There's this moment when Junior is talking when Sharif has the opportunity to shut everything down--to do the right thing--it reminds me of the moment in the movie Flight when Denzel's character is testifying and he finally gives up the charade when he has a momentary flash of guilt. Sharif has this same opportunity, but he does nothing.
If the book ends here, it's a fine book--exciting, upsetting, thought-provoking. But then the author does something super cool!! The author imagines the future for Sharif and Adjoua, a future that is-fine? normal-ish? but serves as a kind of purgatory/punishment for what they chose to do when all of the facts were on the table. Sharif and Adjoua have to almost completely abandon who they believed themselves to be--as individuals and as a couple. And then there's this ultimate realization that Sharif has at the end of his life about the interconnectedness of all beings, an interconnectedness he might have had access to had he only acted differently on that fateful day. What a beautiful and hopeful way to end this book.
This book asks all kinds of interesting questions/contradictions about America today. When we have to choose between our ideals and protecting our family, what should we choose? Is it wrong to do a job we love if we could make our family's life more comfortable with a higher paying job? How does starting a family change the dynamic of relationship? How does one respond to those changes?
How does starting a family change your idea of what it means to be a good person? Is this a change of maturity or just a rationalization? What are our blind spots w/r/t prejudice?
Such an incredible experience to read this book. Thank you, Karim Dimechkie!
This is the most compelling and thought-provoking book I've read all year! Wow, this book rocked me.
I'm writing this review so I can remember how I felt immediately after finishing the book.
I was hesitant to continue this book because I was annoyed by how Aberto was pushed into the narrative from the very beginning, but ultimately I think it makes sense in the context of Sharif's insecurities and worldview. I also first thought the coincidence of Aberto being Emmanuel/Junior's lawyer was a little hard to believe; however, I thought about it and it's actually kind of cool that Sharif brought this on himself by including Aberto's card in handing a list of resources to Emmanuel because it's the "right" thing to do.
I found Sharif to be OBNOXIOUS at the beginning of this book, and there were times where I was so incredibly uncomfortable with some of the things he was doing (all of the times he lied about what he was doing with the dog?!). This only increased as the book continued.
However, something interesting happens in the middle-I, at least, really started to believe that Junior was making the injury up OR trying to pin a prior injury on Sharif. The author puts these little seeds of doubt in your mind about Junior's motives--the idea that he may have stolen the phone which had the video of what happened, for example. I also started to empathize with Sharif, and I think the author intended for this to happen. Junior's story WAS suspicious. And then the author does this amazing high-wire act when Sharif uses his position as a social worker to CALL JUNIOR'S TEACHER?! I was so uncomfortable with this and at the same time, I found what the teacher said to be damning in terms of ultimately believing Junior. We know Sharif shouldn't have made the call, but the story about the graffiti/Junior possibly framing another student is hard to ignore.
By the time Sharif sees the video of what actually happened, I think we as readers are meant to believe that Junior is just making this whole thing up with Sharif seriously hurting him. We're basically thinking, "Man, Sharif did not handle this well AT ALL, but he's also backed into a corner."
Then we find out (at the same time as Sharif) that Junior is telling the truth. Sharif starts developing another lie to cover up where he's been, but he soon learns that everyone else has seen the video before he did.
We, the readers, are just as implicated as Sharif. There's this moment when Junior is talking when Sharif has the opportunity to shut everything down--to do the right thing--it reminds me of the moment in the movie Flight when Denzel's character is testifying and he finally gives up the charade when he has a momentary flash of guilt. Sharif has this same opportunity, but he does nothing.
If the book ends here, it's a fine book--exciting, upsetting, thought-provoking. But then the author does something super cool!! The author imagines the future for Sharif and Adjoua, a future that is-fine? normal-ish? but serves as a kind of purgatory/punishment for what they chose to do when all of the facts were on the table. Sharif and Adjoua have to almost completely abandon who they believed themselves to be--as individuals and as a couple. And then there's this ultimate realization that Sharif has at the end of his life about the interconnectedness of all beings, an interconnectedness he might have had access to had he only acted differently on that fateful day. What a beautiful and hopeful way to end this book.
This book asks all kinds of interesting questions/contradictions about America today. When we have to choose between our ideals and protecting our family, what should we choose? Is it wrong to do a job we love if we could make our family's life more comfortable with a higher paying job? How does starting a family change the dynamic of relationship? How does one respond to those changes?
How does starting a family change your idea of what it means to be a good person? Is this a change of maturity or just a rationalization? What are our blind spots w/r/t prejudice?
Such an incredible experience to read this book. Thank you, Karim Dimechkie!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2025
I’m not the audience for this. You abuse my dog, you get what you get, savior complex, good person or not
August 26, 2025
I did not finish this book as each day was a slog as I was frustrated by the characters and the choices they were making leading to more distress for them. I made it nearly halfway through and just decided it wasn’t worth it to continue. I think the book wasn’t for me. But I did appreciate the writing and the themes that were explored, rounded up my rating.
August 4, 2025
The best fiction I’ve read this year! More cringing in one chapter than perhaps in my lifetime (if you finished the book, you know which one). This would be an incredible book club pick as there’s so much to discuss.
Thanks for the rec, mom!
Thanks for the rec, mom!
August 4, 2025
I haven’t read anything this gratifying since the last time I read The Forged Coupon by Leo Tolstoy, one of my favorites of all time. But unlike that classic story, this takes into account the dimension that phones/social media/internet have on our perceptions and the array of decisions and consequences that fall out of what would otherwise be strictly luck - randomly distributed and bent out of shape by structural forces.
Me = stoked that there’s an author taking up both mantles, Tolstoy-an and truly contemporary. I want to read novels that grapple, seek, and don’t give up. I have no patience for books that merely scope out a problem to bowl me over with bitter description - I can do that just fine on my own! I too am an overgrown teenager with a notebook and remarks! Nor am I game for stories that wade so deep into the impact of the internet on our perception of Self and The World that it will seem disposable in light of changing technology, ie, a 1947 film that requires slide rules for the plot to exist at all. That said, stories that pretend we haven’t been fundamentally changed by the internet and smartphones feel like a false vacation, totally unearned.
(Before going on I’d just like to note, that I am not a big time NYC fan, nor do I kiss dogs, and the dilemmas stemming from the belief that dogs are like people do not, on the surface, move me much at all. Point being, if you relate to either those things, don’t write off this book yet!)
I want novels to do some 19th century social work of wrestling with problems. They don’t need to have a succinct or elegant answer, but they need to take complexity, hoist it upside down, and see what loose change falls out of its pockets. Chekov would admire the scruples of The Uproar, for there are no guns on the wall that fail to go off. And me, I admire the pathway in to the city’s people that the main character’s long term job in social work affords. I think of “slice of life” New York stories, like that one about the pot dealer on HBO, and that’s a pretty good device, a troubadour figure who can open a window into different sub-groups. But this one is even more plausible and certainly a lot more thorough than a pot dealer’s one night, one-offs with different people. And it’s the thoroughness that is the thing, here, and makes other attempts at broad-minded slice of life stories seem a little naive for giving us cute snapshots of different people’s lives. What is a life, is it a series of snapshots? I don’t see it that way. Tolstoy’s point of view, his take on the 3rd person voice, to me, will always be a high water mark of how to accept the triad of structural/corporate/social forces; free will; and fate. I think this book lives up to that framework, I truly do.
I want to say a whole lot more about this. I want to swap quotes with you, I want to pluck out characters and walk around them, asking questions the whole time, as if they’re sculptures. I want to know what you think. I want to talk about the ending. But I’m just burping into the void here with this review. Thank you Karim Dimechkie, bravo for real!
Me = stoked that there’s an author taking up both mantles, Tolstoy-an and truly contemporary. I want to read novels that grapple, seek, and don’t give up. I have no patience for books that merely scope out a problem to bowl me over with bitter description - I can do that just fine on my own! I too am an overgrown teenager with a notebook and remarks! Nor am I game for stories that wade so deep into the impact of the internet on our perception of Self and The World that it will seem disposable in light of changing technology, ie, a 1947 film that requires slide rules for the plot to exist at all. That said, stories that pretend we haven’t been fundamentally changed by the internet and smartphones feel like a false vacation, totally unearned.
(Before going on I’d just like to note, that I am not a big time NYC fan, nor do I kiss dogs, and the dilemmas stemming from the belief that dogs are like people do not, on the surface, move me much at all. Point being, if you relate to either those things, don’t write off this book yet!)
I want novels to do some 19th century social work of wrestling with problems. They don’t need to have a succinct or elegant answer, but they need to take complexity, hoist it upside down, and see what loose change falls out of its pockets. Chekov would admire the scruples of The Uproar, for there are no guns on the wall that fail to go off. And me, I admire the pathway in to the city’s people that the main character’s long term job in social work affords. I think of “slice of life” New York stories, like that one about the pot dealer on HBO, and that’s a pretty good device, a troubadour figure who can open a window into different sub-groups. But this one is even more plausible and certainly a lot more thorough than a pot dealer’s one night, one-offs with different people. And it’s the thoroughness that is the thing, here, and makes other attempts at broad-minded slice of life stories seem a little naive for giving us cute snapshots of different people’s lives. What is a life, is it a series of snapshots? I don’t see it that way. Tolstoy’s point of view, his take on the 3rd person voice, to me, will always be a high water mark of how to accept the triad of structural/corporate/social forces; free will; and fate. I think this book lives up to that framework, I truly do.
I want to say a whole lot more about this. I want to swap quotes with you, I want to pluck out characters and walk around them, asking questions the whole time, as if they’re sculptures. I want to know what you think. I want to talk about the ending. But I’m just burping into the void here with this review. Thank you Karim Dimechkie, bravo for real!
August 20, 2025
Anand Giridharadas featured The Uproar as a book to note in his substack, The Inc. I see why - set in New York City (I'm estimating the 1990s), a young married couple of immigrant parents, well educated but scrapping by financially, and expecting their first child. Sharif Safadi, strongly motivated to "do good", is a case manager in a non-profit community service. Adjoua, his wife, is an aspiring novelist who must take copywriting jobs. Judy is her 150-pound, elderly, brown and white pit-bull-mastiff male. Naming a male dog Judy must have had some meaning, but it totally escapes me. Dog care and ensuing problems are a major arc of the story.
The colour, sounds, and ethnic richness of New York City fill the story, as do the homeless and jobless on the streets or at Sharif's workplace. Verisimilude is achieved in the details of life and place. Writing about the poor and struggling urban population is long overdue.
Racism and the immigrant story are themes. Adjoua's parents had immigrated from Côte d'Ivoire when her father won the Green Card Lottery. Establishing careers and gaining acceptance were not easy. Sharif's father was Lebanese with some family money who married an American woman. Sharif, although white, was repeatedly mistaken for Arab and Muslim.
The force driving their lives, as they eventually realize, was luck - especially bad luck. Dimechkie referenced the Humboldt truck accident in Saskatchewan in which an immigrant truck driver from India missed a stop sign and crashed into a bus carrying a junior hockey team. Dimechkie wrote with sympathy for the driver, in that one moment of distraction - it was "pure bad luck" - the kind that can ruin one's life and in that case led to his deportation.
Sharif and Adjoua also have a long stretch of bad luck. I think the story could have ended when the truth came out, but the author concluded with a fast forward to their near-doddering years.
The colour, sounds, and ethnic richness of New York City fill the story, as do the homeless and jobless on the streets or at Sharif's workplace. Verisimilude is achieved in the details of life and place. Writing about the poor and struggling urban population is long overdue.
Racism and the immigrant story are themes. Adjoua's parents had immigrated from Côte d'Ivoire when her father won the Green Card Lottery. Establishing careers and gaining acceptance were not easy. Sharif's father was Lebanese with some family money who married an American woman. Sharif, although white, was repeatedly mistaken for Arab and Muslim.
The force driving their lives, as they eventually realize, was luck - especially bad luck. Dimechkie referenced the Humboldt truck accident in Saskatchewan in which an immigrant truck driver from India missed a stop sign and crashed into a bus carrying a junior hockey team. Dimechkie wrote with sympathy for the driver, in that one moment of distraction - it was "pure bad luck" - the kind that can ruin one's life and in that case led to his deportation.
Sharif and Adjoua also have a long stretch of bad luck. I think the story could have ended when the truth came out, but the author concluded with a fast forward to their near-doddering years.
December 19, 2025
4.5⭐️ rounded down.
What a morally complicated and thought provoking novel this is. On the surface, this is about a man trying to find a foster home for his giant dog while dealing with his wife’s imminent delivery of their first child, who they know will be born with severe medical issues. As you peel this onion away layer by layer however, you reveal a mind altering tale about race and unintentional bias. It’s about socioeconomic inequality and the practices that perpetuate the wealth gap. It is about what it means to be good and to do the right thing, and is about what one deserves for the effort of living virtuously.
One of the things I love most about this book is how casual and unassuming it is. While well written, it is a fast and easy read disguising its complexity in simplistic prose. It reads like an equal parts cute and dramatic story, but packed within is a strong and deliberate message that will have you questioning your own values if you were placed in a similar situation.
It’s probably best to go in somewhat blind for this book, but I will say that the last 20-ish% of it unraveled everything I thought I knew and felt leading up to that point, and by the end, it had me shaking my head in disbelief.
Overall, this is a book that will stay in my mind long after I’ve finished it. Add this to your TBR if you like literary fiction that makes a statement while also delivering memorable and dynamic characters, and a sound and satisfying plot line.
What a morally complicated and thought provoking novel this is. On the surface, this is about a man trying to find a foster home for his giant dog while dealing with his wife’s imminent delivery of their first child, who they know will be born with severe medical issues. As you peel this onion away layer by layer however, you reveal a mind altering tale about race and unintentional bias. It’s about socioeconomic inequality and the practices that perpetuate the wealth gap. It is about what it means to be good and to do the right thing, and is about what one deserves for the effort of living virtuously.
One of the things I love most about this book is how casual and unassuming it is. While well written, it is a fast and easy read disguising its complexity in simplistic prose. It reads like an equal parts cute and dramatic story, but packed within is a strong and deliberate message that will have you questioning your own values if you were placed in a similar situation.
It’s probably best to go in somewhat blind for this book, but I will say that the last 20-ish% of it unraveled everything I thought I knew and felt leading up to that point, and by the end, it had me shaking my head in disbelief.
Overall, this is a book that will stay in my mind long after I’ve finished it. Add this to your TBR if you like literary fiction that makes a statement while also delivering memorable and dynamic characters, and a sound and satisfying plot line.
September 18, 2025
I’m still processing this, but it’s definitely going to be a top 3 read of 2025 for me. I went in with zero expectations, which I think allowed the story to shock me as it unfolded (which made it such a compelling read).
First, the premise - the book description touches on all the key elements of the drama that unfolds, but Dimechkie creates such a layered drama of character development, relationships, and social commentary that the “maelstrom of unpredictable conflict” that I was continually surprised. The story manages to feel totally wild and completely grounded in reality at the same time.
Second, the pacing is propulsive. The chapter structure keeps you turning pages with unexpected but believable twists. He creates a feeling of edge of your seat discomfort that makes reading experience never quite “enjoyable” but also unputdown-able.
Although the subject matter is completely different, some elements reminded me of “The Nix” (another favorite) - the wacky characters, laugh-out-loud moments, wild but entirely plausible twists, same propulsive energy.
The book also left me thinking about my relationship with the characters and who I was rooting for throughout (and what that says about me). Overall, a super engaging, thought-provoking, and clever read that exceeded expectations.
First, the premise - the book description touches on all the key elements of the drama that unfolds, but Dimechkie creates such a layered drama of character development, relationships, and social commentary that the “maelstrom of unpredictable conflict” that I was continually surprised. The story manages to feel totally wild and completely grounded in reality at the same time.
Second, the pacing is propulsive. The chapter structure keeps you turning pages with unexpected but believable twists. He creates a feeling of edge of your seat discomfort that makes reading experience never quite “enjoyable” but also unputdown-able.
Although the subject matter is completely different, some elements reminded me of “The Nix” (another favorite) - the wacky characters, laugh-out-loud moments, wild but entirely plausible twists, same propulsive energy.
The book also left me thinking about my relationship with the characters and who I was rooting for throughout (and what that says about me). Overall, a super engaging, thought-provoking, and clever read that exceeded expectations.
August 23, 2025
A social worker sees his life and reputation spiraling out of control when his desperate efforts to rehome his pitbull goes disastrously wrong in The Uproar, a novel that examines how being perceived as a good person can be challenging in a world fraught with injustice. Sharif and Adjoua are expectant parents who need to find a temporary new home for their pitbull for the sake of their unborn baby’s health. This was already proving to be an ordeal, but becomes an emergency once it looks like Adjoua is going to deliver four weeks early. Sharif attempts to hurriedly give custody of the dog to Emmanuel, a Haitian migrant he met through his job, but neither man can comprehend the consequences that soon await them. Sharif spends the majority of the book in a state of panic, lending the prose a nervy anxious that reminded me of Fleishman is in Trouble. He’s convinced that he’s just one more step away from resolving the problem, no matter how desperate and ill-advised it is. Though he often comes off as insufferable, this is ultimately somewhat of a coming of age story in which many characters discover just how unfair and confusing the world can be, and how “being good” might be little more than a shield between oneself and the looming public.
July 5, 2025
Det var egentligen "nån måste ta hand om den stora hunden för paret - där den ena jobbar på soc - får ett barns om kräver vård"-storyn som drog mina ögon till den här romanen (pga en väldigt lik situation i min egen närhet).
Men jag fattade ju att det skulle vara amerikanskt. Ni vet. Socialsystemet, hälsovårdssystemet, rättssystemet, rassystemet...
Och det var det. Det är obehagligt, både pga alla fel i de systemen och för hur snett huvudpersonen landar. Jag ogillar verkligen "nu krånglar jag in mig i lögner som gör att allt blir en ond spiral"-historier, men Dimechkie balanserar med trovärdiga personligheter och en trovärdig kärleksrelation (samt ex-relation, även om jag vet mindre om det!). Syskon och föräldrar som figurerar är också väldigt rimliga (särskilt för att vara amerikanskt).
Slutet är väl något man kan lista ut (och ha lite lagom ångest inför), men själva slut-slutkapitlet lyfter Dimechkie över det ordinarie.
Det är nog det - och att intresset hölls så pass högt rakt igenom - som avgör betyget. Och så är omslaget fint!
Men jag fattade ju att det skulle vara amerikanskt. Ni vet. Socialsystemet, hälsovårdssystemet, rättssystemet, rassystemet...
Och det var det. Det är obehagligt, både pga alla fel i de systemen och för hur snett huvudpersonen landar. Jag ogillar verkligen "nu krånglar jag in mig i lögner som gör att allt blir en ond spiral"-historier, men Dimechkie balanserar med trovärdiga personligheter och en trovärdig kärleksrelation (samt ex-relation, även om jag vet mindre om det!). Syskon och föräldrar som figurerar är också väldigt rimliga (särskilt för att vara amerikanskt).
Slutet är väl något man kan lista ut (och ha lite lagom ångest inför), men själva slut-slutkapitlet lyfter Dimechkie över det ordinarie.
Det är nog det - och att intresset hölls så pass högt rakt igenom - som avgör betyget. Och så är omslaget fint!
July 14, 2025
This is not my typical read. The writing is fast paced. It reads like a thriller. I kept flipping the pages. It is a perfect read if you like to read social justice books on the emotional side. The writing was engaging from the first paragraph onward.
The husband, Sharif( social worker)and his wife are living in NYC( makes, you feel the taste, the smells, and the vibes of the city) with many of its challenges. His wife is pregnant with an already diagnosed fetus of Leukemia.
The more challenging, their furry baby, Judy( not a baby at all). A 150 lb Bulldog Who has many physical challenges. Which add to the tension to the couple’s lives. Because after the pregnancy the baby has to be in a germ free environment. Sharif is trying to find a solution where Judy can go temporarily.
Sharif is a social worker and he asks out of desperation one of his clients to take Judy. He agrees and the deal is $60 per week. Sharif has to go back to check on Judy. As he looks up to the apartment where Judy is staying. He sees something he doesn’t like. He makes a split decision that can cost him his marriage, his job, and his morales.
The book questions social justice, inequality, privilege, greed, racism. It also asks question I didn’t realize.
I read Uproar for the online book club. I’m very glad I read the book. Because Uproar is not your typical novel. Uproar is not an easy read. It hits you in the face as it relates to our country and US society, and the people in it. How people think they are doing good work for society are really the ones hurting our society and are hypocrites with privilege.
The husband, Sharif( social worker)and his wife are living in NYC( makes, you feel the taste, the smells, and the vibes of the city) with many of its challenges. His wife is pregnant with an already diagnosed fetus of Leukemia.
The more challenging, their furry baby, Judy( not a baby at all). A 150 lb Bulldog Who has many physical challenges. Which add to the tension to the couple’s lives. Because after the pregnancy the baby has to be in a germ free environment. Sharif is trying to find a solution where Judy can go temporarily.
Sharif is a social worker and he asks out of desperation one of his clients to take Judy. He agrees and the deal is $60 per week. Sharif has to go back to check on Judy. As he looks up to the apartment where Judy is staying. He sees something he doesn’t like. He makes a split decision that can cost him his marriage, his job, and his morales.
The book questions social justice, inequality, privilege, greed, racism. It also asks question I didn’t realize.
I read Uproar for the online book club. I’m very glad I read the book. Because Uproar is not your typical novel. Uproar is not an easy read. It hits you in the face as it relates to our country and US society, and the people in it. How people think they are doing good work for society are really the ones hurting our society and are hypocrites with privilege.
August 24, 2025
A Desperate Ride
Wow. I doubt I could ever forget this book. Take one of your days when things go wrong and then multiply it by a million, not because a million things go wrong, but because this novel is a roller coaster ride of intensely bad things going wrong and then maybe being resolved over the course of a few weeks.
Just when you think it's done, there is another dip. It's not a cheerful book, but perhaps it's a warning to do-gooders (most of us) that all the good we do could all be undone in a moment of frenzy or distraction.
I thought the premise that two people would go to a "mediation" with opposing counsel unaccompanied by their own representation a little fictional, and I found the internal insecurities of the protagonist unnecessarily repeated early in the book. However, these are nits in comparison with the writing, the story, the twists and the sharply drawn characters.
Gives you a lot to think about, not the least of which is: don't ever get a giant dog.
Wow. I doubt I could ever forget this book. Take one of your days when things go wrong and then multiply it by a million, not because a million things go wrong, but because this novel is a roller coaster ride of intensely bad things going wrong and then maybe being resolved over the course of a few weeks.
Just when you think it's done, there is another dip. It's not a cheerful book, but perhaps it's a warning to do-gooders (most of us) that all the good we do could all be undone in a moment of frenzy or distraction.
I thought the premise that two people would go to a "mediation" with opposing counsel unaccompanied by their own representation a little fictional, and I found the internal insecurities of the protagonist unnecessarily repeated early in the book. However, these are nits in comparison with the writing, the story, the twists and the sharply drawn characters.
Gives you a lot to think about, not the least of which is: don't ever get a giant dog.
August 31, 2025
underneath the strikingly beautiful cover, is a powerful compelling straight forwardly written work of fiction. I cannot recall when I was this connected to "fictional characters". there were times when I had to pause reading due to the tension created by the author and my emotional investment in the outcome. on the surface, it is a timeline of events and their decisions that result in serous consequences for a couple about to give birth to a child who will need two years of cancer treatments. the risk of infection necessitates the quick rehoming of their beloved old, sick, animal aggressive large dog. however, it is actually about making impulsive, pressured, angry and ill advised bad mistakes and the consequences that result. it also raises existential and ethical questions. the plot twists and impactful ending kept be in suspense till almost the last page. It was a compelling and thoughtful debut novel. I look forward to his next book.
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