No Time Like Now

by Naz Kutub

A teen finds himself in a race against time when he learns he's given away more years than he has left to live in this thought-provoking speculative romp.

It's been one year since Hazeem's father passed away unexpectedly, and one year since Hazeem got his special ability: He can grant any living thing extra time. Since then, he's been randomly granting people more years to live: his old friend Holly, his study buddy Yamany, his crush Jack. . . . The only problem is, none of them wanted to spend any of that time with Hazeem.

Now, Hazeem spends most of his days with his grandmother. When she experiences a heart attack, Hazeem is quick to use his power to save her--until Time themself appears and tells Hazeem he has accrued a time debt, having given away more life than he has left to live and putting the entire timeline in serious danger of collapse. In order to save the timeline and himself, Hazeem must take back some of the life he has granted other people. Suddenly, Hazeem is on a journey through and against time, but as he confronts the events of the past, he must confront the mistakes he made along the way. Hazeem will come to realize that when it comes to time, quality is more important to quantity--but is it too late to reclaim the life he's given away so he can really start living?

No Time Like Now is a timely twist on A Christmas Carol that takes readers on a thought-provoking adventure, asking what matters most in life.

Genres: Young Adult, Queer, LGBT, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Contemporary, Asian Literature

320 pages, Hardcover

First published February 6, 2024

Reviews

[Marieke (mariekes_mesmerizing_books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Time Like Now is a story about grief but also about living to your fullest. While reading, One Republic’s song I Lived constantly lingered in my mind. One of the lines is I owned every second that this world could give, and that’s exactly what this story is about. We always put off things from doing. We forget to tell people we love them. We get stuck in the past instead of following our dreams. But what if there’s no time or only a little time left? 

After losing his dad, Hazeem gets a special ability. He can grant any living thing lives. So he’s been throwing those extra lives around. Twenty-two years for his old friend Holly, twenty-two years for his study buddy Yamany, twenty-two years for his crush Jack, and even twenty-two years for Mary Shelley, his hamster. But except for Mary Shelley, no one wants to spend that extra time with him. Then he grants his Nana twenty-two years extra, and Hazeem gets stuck in time. Time tells him he’s been giving away more lives than he has left to live, and therefore he’s in debt. To save the timeline and himself, Hazeem must take back some of the life he’s granted other people.
 
Once again, I fell in love with Naz’s writing. It’s so vivid and fresh. Add witty moments, and the first chapters instantly pulled me into Hazeem’s story. It was so clear to me that he didn’t own every second the world gave him but instead had put his life on hold. His grief and loneliness dripped off the pages. My heart went out to Hazeem when he didn’t even care so much if his life would end at seventeen, and Time told him his life would be over if he didn’t take back some extra lives from the others. Don’t worry. This story isn’t as heavy as it seems in this review. Hazeem’s story is one of growth, and the humor in it made me laugh out loud at times. Hazeem started to own every second the world would give him, and Time showed him so many places and the things he did. In the end, Hazeem swore to his dad he’d live (loosely based on I Lived).
 
I read both Naz’s debut, The Loophole, and his sophomore book, No Time Like Now, and the resemblance between those two stories is striking. A gay Muslim MC. Traumas. A journey. Funny moments. Magical guidance. I really loved Hazeem’s story, but if I had to mention one point of criticism, it would be that both books are very similar. I would have loved to read this book as a contemporary one instead of the MC having (again) magical guidance. Without looking through Hazeem’s eyes to his past, with real flashbacks. So Naz, I really hope you’ll write a contemporary YA novel without any magical guidance one day. I think a romtrom would be awesome, and I’m so confident of your writing that I’d rate that book five stars in advance!
 
Thank you so much, Erin, from Macmillan International, for providing me with another great ARC!

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[Shannon Miz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this was a sweet book! It reads a bit on the younger end of YA, and features protagonist Hazeem, who has lost his father but seemingly gained the ability to save lives. Unbeknownst to Hazeem, he has not been able to just throw out time willy-nilly, but has been in effect borrowing from his own life. When he accidentally gives away too much time, he basically breaks time as we know it, and has to figure out how to get the world back to working order, with the help of Time Personified, as well as his should-be-long-dead hamster, Mary Shelley.

Now, this obviously is going to require some suspension of disbelief, but the story is just so heartfelt that it is easier to do so. Hazeem is struggling, and he's struggling bad after the loss of his dad. And his mom has been super distant, because she is going through her own grief, but that isn't exactly helping Hazeem. While he's quite literally saved their lives, he's become quite estranged from his friends, and the only companionship he currently has are the hamster and his grandmother.

I adored the spin on A Christmas Carol, even though Time has made it very clear that it is not their job nor desire to help Hazeem figure out his life. (Time, by the way, is quite entertaining and sarcastic, and I loved it.) But Time does want to get back to the business of... timing, I guess, so they agree to let Hazeem figure some stuff out by visiting the moments that he saved his friends, and what happened in the aftermath, so figure out who to take time back from.

Through it all, Hazeem has to come to terms with what happened with his dad, as well as the reasons his friendships fell apart. In some cases, he needs to work on things himself, but in some cases, he simply has to come to terms with life being messy. It's a lot for a young person going through such grief to handle, but the author does such a good job of allowing Hazeem that time to heal- even if Time Personified isn't thrilled with it! It's a very moving story, and I loved the portrayal of the father-son relationship. Frankly, we need more of this, especially in YA, and extra especially showing healthy, loving, and emotive father-son relationships. Ditto the friendships, really.

Bottom Line: No Time Like Now is a very charming and heartfelt story about a young person dealing with grief and relationships in a fun and unique way.

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

[Maria (marmalade.reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

After his father's sudden death, Hazeem is so lost in grief that he loses the will to live the rest of his life - so much so that he inadvertently gives the rest of it away to his friends and loved ones and sets off a time conundrum. This prompts a visit from Time personified (a strange, genderless Sandra Bullock looking character who refers to themselves using the royal We) who takes Hazeem on a journey to revisit his past failings with his friends, his father, his grief, and ultimately make peace with life and death. Part A Christmas Story, part Groundhog Day, I thought this was an interesting concept that lent itself well to a character driven exploration of grief and understanding oneself. I really enjoyed the representation of Hazeem as a Queer Muslim teenager, and his various friendships, all of which are similarly diverse. There are some really great heartfelt moments in the book, especially between Hazeem and Yamany, who is non-binary, when they talk about how they experience different levels of discriminations despite both being Queer teenagers of color, and between Hazeem and his dad, when they talk about Toxic Masculinity and what makes for a life well lived.

Other parts of the book didn't really work for me. A lot of the concept was high handed and took away from Hazeem's emotional journey. A lot of the time spent trying to explain humanity to Time using logic or physics or chemistry or whatnot seemed overly philosophical and drawn out, and felt detached from the main story. Similarly, the Christmas Story concept was interesting, but in many of the scenes, Hazeem was patching his past self perform some actions, in effect the reader became an observer of an observer of a scene, which to me felt really emotionally detached from the scene and the characters for the first half of the book instead of becoming invested in those friendships. I also didn't feel like Hazeem really learned much from certain scenes, like his weeks or years exploring the world by himself. He went on this long journey to see the world and then came out of it largely unchanged. Similarly with the thousands of iterations of the days he spent with his dad. I felt like those moments served very little purpose.

Overall I think this book might work well for younger readers (ages 14-16), the concept is cute and original, and there are certainly some heartfelt moments that stand out, but the overall structure of the book could be a bit tighter.

Also - and this is entirely a personal thing - but this book has a talking hamster and I can't stand talking animals. Nothing against the book, just a personal pet peeve of mine.

[Chelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Magical realism is really not my cup of tea, but even considering that, I don't think that this one is particularly noteworthy. The moments Hazeem spends with his father were very moving, but it took far too long to get to them, and I was frustrated with having to spend so much time with both him and Time (who was unbelievably annoying for most of the book).

[Steph Carr (LiteraryHypeWoman) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow, this is simultaneously quirky, heartbreaking, and enjoyable. A story of grief that makes you want to cry, but the magic along the way makes it worth it.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

My poor little heart 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

[Mandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

No Time Like Now follows Hazeem, a teenager with the seemingly miraculous power to restore life to anyone at risk of losing it. Unfortunately, every person that he's given extra time to seems to almost instantenously fade from his. Faced with losing one of the last people he's closest to, Hazeem uses his power once again, only to be confronted with the literal embodiment of Time. Less than pleased, Time spells out that Hazeem's not only accrued a time debt with the usage of his powers, he's put the entire timeline and world at risk because of it. Now, Hazeem and Time have to explore the moments in time that Hazeem not only saved but lost his friends to figure out exactly who he has to take those precious hours back from.

So this is a pretty fast and cute read, all in all. Our main character is Hazeem who lost his father a year ago and has pretty much lost himself within his grief. He's completely okay with cutting himself off from the world and has a very grim outlook on what his future holds. It's interesting seeing him regain a spark of life as he grapples with what went wrong in his past relationships. His two big growth moments happen towards the end of the book, and I wished that they took up a bigger chunk of the book since they're so pivotal to his development and we got to see so much of his loneliness and despair up-close for so long that it'd be nice to get more screentime of that pay-off.

We don't really get to see how much of the other characters because of plot reasons, but it's hard to really get a full grasp of them with how limited their screentime is. Holly and Yamanay seem interesting from what we get of them, but I cannot get behind Jack at all. Quite frankly, his behavior throughout the book doesn't quite gell with the supposed reasoning and he ends up coming off as incredibly homophobic. The fall out that Hazeem has with each three feels very underwelming and not a great reason for them to pull away from him, especially when he still tries to be there for them during this difficult times when he's left all alone.

Time is an intriguing character that I really enjoyed, especially with how Done they are with all of this and with Hazeem's struggles to pick. They're definitely one of the high points of the novel, along with the mysterious world that they represent.

The plot is interesting and it never really dips into dull, but there are points that I'd love for it to be expanded. The explanation behind Hazeem's powers don't work for me, and I'd have loved for it to be a thing that he inherited from his father, especially because that's what it felt like the plot was building towards.

Still, it's an interesting exploration of grief, relationships during difficult times, and the nature of letting go. It was a simple and cute read, but I just wish there was a bit more depth to it ultimately. That said, if you're looking for a fun book with great representation and an interesting story about those themes with a fantastical bent, No Time Like Now will definitely appeal to you.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was enjoyable. It felt like it was written without the intention of being published and overall felt like it needed an editor throughout. The plot points were weak if they were even present at all, and everything just happened suddenly and for no reason.
I couldn't stand the two biggest characters. Time, who was the humanistic representation of literal time, kept going back and forth between trying to feel human emotions and finding humans disgusting, which didn't add much at all to the story. It actually felt like it was covering up the story because the main character, Hazeem, kept avoiding the real conflict to show Time cool stuff instead. Along with this, Hazeem kept making horrible decisions with no explanation. He acted really strangely based on what we're told about him with a lot of inconsistent points in his narration. The main one was (spoiler) when he gets to talk to his dad again and, after seeing him alive, decides he wants to go make pancakes instead. It just doesn't make sense since the entire book is based around him missing his dad and wanting to get back the time they missed. It just felt like things weren't thought through, and I couldn't tell if this was the intention for the character or just the author's laziness. Honestly, it feels like both.
I'm not even going to talk about the figurative language. It was at Shatter Me levels, with random repetition to imitate having a theme and half thought out metaphors. There was even a strikethrough. Here's a quote from the book. I was trying to find a different one, but this one will work: "I was spent. This machine had run out of gumballs, and there were none left to spit out. Whatever feelings I had left, I decided to wrap them all up into one final figurative gumball, and I left it in the machine somewhere, except maybe it's gotten stuck" (33). And then he admits how bad the analogy was.
But the part that was the most upsetting to me, more so than him skateboarding to Hawaii, was how easily so many things could have been avoided. Time could have handled things differently or at least informed Hazeem what he was doing before it was too late. Spoilers, but it turns out that the entire book wasn't necessary because Time could just manipulate the years of the universe to give the main character some extra years of life anyway, even after they kept telling him how his only option was to choose between his friends and his hamster. I think they just disliked him as much as everyone else in the book and wanted to see him suffer.
Anyway, the hamster should have died because it's just cruel to make a hamster live twenty-four years when it's already decaying at three.

[Carroll Glenn Farr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you enjoy a book that leaves you wanting a good cry? And by that I mean a cry that makes you feel elated, not sad?

Then perhaps you should read No Time Like Now, a warm-hearted story focusing on 17-year-old Muslim – and gay – teenager Hazeem. We meet him a year after the death of his beloved father, who was only 39 at the time he was claimed by a fatal heart attack while he and Hazeem were enjoying a Saturday outing together.

Hazeem’s father’s last words, “Count not the years,” make no sense to Hazeem, even though he mulls them over during the ensuing year as grief rules his existence. Traumatized by his father’s passing and coming to believe that he, too, will also die at 39, he becomes “unstuck” in time with the ability to wish 22 more years of life (the difference between his and his father’s ages) to not only his pet hamster, but also to three of his peers who face imminent deaths.

When visiting his father’s grave with his “Nana,” he takes a walk while his grandmother sits with the Quran in her lap praying. When he returns, he realizes his grandmother has died, and just as he is about to utter the phrase that will grant his Nana 22 more years of life, a being bearing an uncanny resemblance to Sandra Bullock (his late father’s favorite actress) appears, demanding, “Don’t say it!”

But he utters those words anyway and time is suddenly frozen, with the Sandra Bullock lookalike, who identifies herself as Time, informing him that by giving away too many years of his own life to others, he has created a deficit that threatens to destroy the very fabric of existence.

Throughout the rest of the story, Hazeem and Time debate how he might repay his deficit with Hazeem struggling to find loopholes that won’t require him to lose anyone he loves. Although the timeline is frozen, Hazeem is not, and he embarks on journeys around the globe and in “side pockets” of time with friends and relatives that teach him valuable lessons about love and letting go.

I listened to this story as an audiobook narrated by an enthusiastic Chirag Naik, whose reading makes the emotions of all the book’s characters sing with an undeniable vibrance.

Early on in the narrative, I found Hazeem’s obstinance against “doing the right thing,” as Time calls it, frustrating. But the character is realistic because most of us, as teenagers, would behave as Hazeem does, unable to accept certain aspects of reality until we grow into them.

And grow into them, he does, beautifully and naturally, giving this story an unexpectedly poignant and uplifting conclusion.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book about a young man’s quest to move out of his inertia (which proves to be an actual, deadly superpower) is more than a YA novel. It’s a testament to the crippling power of grief, the numbness that can spiral into a black hole of nothingness, the complete and utter divorce from everything and everyone around you. A sinking ennui, where nothing seems to matter.

Hazeem’s dad was such a terrific man—kind, caring, sympathetic, thoughtful and utterly accepting of his son’s homosexuality (before Hazeem even confesses it!)—that you get a lump in your throat whenever Hazeem even thinks about him. He’s a living, breathing presence of monumental sweetness and that’s why it hurt Hazeem so much to lose him.

The character of Time is simply wonderful too. She/he/it/they is fascinating in their utter bafflement about humans, even when you suspect that they are getting a touch of humanity themselves. They’re amusing without intending to be, sympathetic even when they seem cruel and genuinely surprising. If Terry Pratchett’s Death became a character that the terminally ill wanted to meet when they had passed on, I wouldn’t mind having a chat with Time.

The novel brings you right into his troubled psyche. Indeed, there are long pages when we read about no one and nothing but Hazeem (well, he’s also accompanied by his hamster Mary Shelley but I don’t think she counts). So the author needs to make him more than the slouching, napping, disaffected youth he originally appeared to be.

This book digs deep into the concept of using the precious moments that we have on this earth. Hazeem must accept that life goes on even when other people don’t. He grows because of his encounter with Time and Time itself is altered because of her travels with Hazeem. This is one of the best novels I’ve ever read about death and its aftermath and I was sorry to finish it. I immediately wanted to pick it up and start all over again. It’s that good.

If you’re struggling with grief over a lost loved one or if you’re just curious about what it means to lose someone dear to you, this is the novel to read.

[Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Bloomsbury and Netgalley for the eARC, these opinions are my own. What a fun and thrilling adventure! Hazeem lost his father a year ago. Since then life has seemed meaningless. It doesn’t help that he also lost his friends one by one at the same time. Or that is mother barely interacts with him and won’t look at him. As he takes his Nana to his fathers grave, he realizes that somethings amiss. When he tries to save a life, Time, the entity, appears and tells him not to do it but he does it anyway. Afterwards the world is frozen. Not understanding what’s going on Time explains that Hazeem has a time span deficit. He’s given away more of his years that he actually had. Right before each of his friends left him they almost died and Hazeem saved the all along with his pet Mary Shelley. Time tells him that he has to take away the years from someone in order to correct it or everything will stop existing. Who should he choose, his emotional support, the rock in his life, the boy he loves, the friend who understands him, or the friend next door? To help him figure it out Time takes him on a journey into the past to recall his experiences with each. Is it possible he might also mend his heart? I adored this story. I liked the there was the edge of mystery as to why Hazeem’s friends had stopped interacting with him! Time was completely hilarious and their understanding of humans and the world brings a lot of laughs! The story’s also heartbreaking and had me in tears as well! A wonderful story of learning to live with grief, heartbreak, and finding joy and laughter again! If you enjoy stories with a little time travel, similarities to A Christmas Carol, a touch a romance, heartbreak, sweetness, and a whole lot of charm I recommend checking this book out!

[emmareadsya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read that went VERY quickly. (Possibly because I'm working at a different library rn and have little to do but read for our summer committee, but alas. It was also fast paced.) All about living life to the fullest and learning to feel grief, I think this is a great read for teens interested in a little sci-fi/speculative fiction. It has a heartfelt message, funny moments, and a male protagonist who gets to be sensitive, which is always a plus in YA!

Because of how the plot works we don't really get to know characters other than Hazeem or Time, which doesn't bother me but could bother others if they don't gel with them. I also found some moments... pretty corny, and the ending a little rushed. I also don't like the conclusion with Jack - it feels incongruous with the information presented to us. But overall really fun and heartwarming!

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A speculative YA fiction! Yaas! Co-starring Sandra Bullock in an orange jumpsuit! (you'll get it!)

Ahh, what a delightful book full of grief, heart, animal love, family love, depression, regret, time orbs, crushes, second chances, time theft, and more and more and more. It sounds like it's A LOT but it's told in a well-paced story with a solid structure - extra impressive due to the timey-wimey nature of the book - and I didn't get lost even once.

If you deal with any of the above/Midnight Library was too traumatic, check this one out and have a romp through sadness and time!

[Benson Shum · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Time Like Now by Naz Kutub is a heartfelt story about Hazeem and his incredible journey with Time. Where he searches for the meaning of relationships and time itself. The relationship Naz creates with his characters is warm and relatable. You'll cheer, you'll cry, you'll want to keep reading. Definitely a page turning.

[Scott Hirschi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I’ve finished a book in just a few days. I love when a book teaches you something about yourself and makes you feel things you know, but need reminded of. Thank you to the author for a beautiful story. I could feel that it was deeply personal, and those are the stories that change people.

[Flint Fosdick · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had some great elements and a solid premise, but was incredibly repetitive especially at the beginning. A character is trying to explain the MC something and spends like... Five pages repeating themself. The pacing just needs a huge redo. It's thought provoking and cute tho.

[Richard FM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took a minute to get started, but then the story just flew on by! Great read, and very emotional at times. I recommend!!

[LeeAnn Jennings]

DNF at 35%

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review now available: https://libguides.monroe.edu/BookPart...

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Time's voice was so very grating.

[Ruby Logsdon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

I’m not sure how this book was written because the first half SUCKED but the second half I was sobbing so like

[Anna Gracia · Rating 5 out of 5]

To me, nobody can hit your emotions like Naz can. One minute you're laughing and the next you're tearing up. He has the ability to jump around in geography, feelings, and (in this case) time. His plots are always complex and fast paced, and I love the concept of time being its own entity. This book also deals with grief in such a wonderful way and I wish I could just give Hazeem a hug.