9:26 by Hussein Kandil is a story that is threefold. Jad is a man who has become adrift after a tragic accident and finds himself on a bus populated by people who tend to speak in riddles and are both independent but co-dependent. Alongside him we have Bilal, a young man who wishes to fulfill his father’s dream of potentially changing the world one day and his chosen method to do so is through writing. Finally we have Lucas, a middle-aged man who winds up in prison after getting caught smuggling drugs and while there he seems to undergo a remarkable transformation.
This book was definitely interesting and I enjoyed getting to follow along with these different characters as they went on their individual journeys. I could easily tell each of them apart and felt like I got to know them by the end of the story. However, there were times where I was confused because it didn’t always clearly indicate who was the narrator at any given point in time. There was even one time where it kept switching names on me so I wasn’t sure which character’s story I was reading. The only thing I would have liked is for a bit more to the story as I felt like it was remarkably short for what it was trying to portray. I still enjoyed reading it though as it was an interesting story about how the most unexpected connections can create potentially lasting impacts. The story was good as were the characters but due to the confusion about the change in narrators I am only giving it three out of five stars.
This book is probably going to hold the most appeal for readers who enjoy contemporary fiction, especially if it has a touch of the supernatural about it. While it is aimed predominantly at older readers I could see it being read by teenagers and young adults as well. There wasn’t any content that would make it unsuitable for them. I hope you will consider trying it and share your thoughts about it in the comments if you do. This book was acquired through Reedsy Discovery and you can find a copy of my review there as well.