Alif The Unseen by G. Willow Willow

A very unusual book about a computer hacker, Alif, in an undisclosed Middle Eastern country who is propelled into a mystical world as he tries to escape from the political censors who run the country. Alif is a really engaging, likeable and well defined character which makes this book easy to be drawn into. The language is very good, particularly the descriptions of life in Alif's country which are emotive and beautifully portrayed. The plot of this novel is a unexpected mixture of computer science and magic which could easily be an unsettling combination but the writing, especially the natural dialogues, make it believable and intriguing. Definitely worth reading and probably my favourite of the women's prize long list so far - a shame it didn't make the short list