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| Somewhere in the Haze Book Cover |
Nadia Shafika’s New Novel Is Long, Loud, and Very Hard to Put Down
Release Date: November 6, 2026
Rating: 9.4/10
Reviewed from an advance copy provided ahead of release.
I should admit up front that I started this book with some skepticism. At more than 500 pages, it seemed like the kind of novel I would read a few chapters at a time and finish sometime around Halloween. I have been disappointed by long novels before, especially those that mistake length for depth.
Instead, I finished Somewhere in the Haze in four days, two of which were workdays.
Nadia Shafika’s new novel is the kind of story that gets under your skin. It can be messy in places and emotionally overwhelming in others, but it has a pulse. For me, that outweighs nearly everything else.
The Setup (No Spoilers, Promise)
The novel opens in the middle of the night at a highway rest stop. A teenage boy named Mathew stares at the sky while a clock on the wall tells him he has 28 minutes left. He is far from home, has been gone for months, and is running on music, stubbornness, and very little else.
“I'd give anything to stay on the second day of summer,” he tells us. From the first page, it is clear just how deeply he means it.
From there, the novel splits into two narrative threads. One follows Mathew, known as “The Traveler,” as he pursues an answer he has been circling for most of a year. The other follows Gabriella, “The Exiled,” who is trying to understand a life that was taken away from her in an instant.
The structure is straightforward. The real strength lies in how the two storylines speak to each other, and I will not spoil that experience.
What It Does Really Well
The Voices Are Distinct
Dual-narrator novels depend on making each perspective feel unmistakably different, and many struggle to get it right. Here, I could identify the speaker within a single sentence without checking the chapter heading.
Mathew is restless and funny in the way people often are when they are frightened but refuse to admit it. He makes jokes at his own expense, narrates his panic in real time, and remains deeply loyal to the people he loves.
Gabi, by contrast, is sharper and more guarded. Her chapters move at a slower, more deliberate rhythm, placing readers inside the disorientation of rebuilding an identity shaped by other people's descriptions.
Both voices feel authentic, and their differences give the novel much of its emotional depth.
The Friend Group Feels Real
I will admit it: the group chat won me over.
Early in the story, Mathew's friends have a group chat with a name along the lines of “finding Mathew—already found.” That small detail reveals a surprising amount about their history and Mathew's place within it.
Mare, Frank, and the others never feel like disposable side characters. They tease, argue, arrive late, show up when it matters, and disagree with the protagonists in ways that have real consequences.
When a novel makes me care about the supporting cast as much as its central characters, I know the author has done something right.
The Details Feel Specific and Meaningful
Shafika writes with a distinctive eye for detail. There is a mixtape playing in a borrowed car, a favorite band, a hospital doorway someone cannot quite bring themselves to cross, and an Etsy shop filled with abandoned designs waiting for another chance.
That last detail was particularly satisfying to watch unfold. Gabi's work as a designer is not simply a quirky hobby added to make her character more interesting. It shapes how she thinks, processes her experiences, and begins to recover.
Watching her return to her sketches, fabrics, and sense of possibility becomes one of the novel's most rewarding threads.
The Pacing Keeps You Turning Pages
The pacing is deliberate, but the structure makes the book surprisingly easy to keep reading. Most chapters are fewer than ten pages long, and nearly all end with a revelation, a shift, or a question that encourages you to continue.
The chapter titles are part of the fun. They are bold, unusual, sometimes blunt, and occasionally profane. They establish the tone before the chapter even begins, while the story itself rarely allows readers to become too comfortable.
There Is Something Meaningful Beneath the Plot
Beyond its central mystery, Somewhere in the Haze asks what remains of a person when the things they believe define them are taken away: their memories, their family history, and their certainty about where they came from.
The answers are more tender than I expected. Rather than relying entirely on dramatic revelations, the novel explores the difficult process of discovering who you are when the familiar foundations of your identity begin to disappear.
The final stretch is among the most emotionally satisfying I have read in a while, and it feels earned by everything that comes before it.
Where It Stumbles a Little
I do not entirely trust reviews that offer nothing but praise, so there are a few reservations worth mentioning.
The Middle Runs Long
Several chapters, particularly those in which the story expands and the cast grows, could have been tightened without sacrificing much. Nothing comes to a complete standstill, but there were moments when I became more aware of the book's length than I wanted to be.
A little more editing in the middle would have made the overall experience even stronger.
The Emotions Are Always at Full Volume
The emotional register stays high from beginning to end. Almost everyone in this novel seems to experience everything intensely, often all at once.
For me, that intensity was part of the appeal. This is a story about people pushed to the limits of what they can handle, and the writing reflects that pressure.
However, readers who prefer understated emotions and quieter storytelling may find the experience overwhelming. Strong language and heavy emotional themes are present throughout, so this is not necessarily a light read.
Some Plot Developments Require a Leap of Faith
A few developments ask readers to extend a generous amount of trust to the story. Those who need every detail to withstand close logistical scrutiny may find themselves raising an eyebrow from time to time.
I chose to go along with the novel's direction, and ultimately, I was glad I did. Its emotional rewards made those occasional stretches of plausibility easier to accept.
Who Should Read It?
If you love expansive, character-driven novels with an underlying mystery, Somewhere in the Haze deserves a place on your reading list.
Readers who become attached to ensemble casts and appreciate stories that wear their hearts on their sleeves will likely find plenty to enjoy. Those who have experienced the challenge of rebuilding something important—a plan, a relationship, or even their own sense of identity—may find certain passages especially moving.
If you prefer quiet, minimalist storytelling, this may not be the right choice for you. And that is perfectly fine. This novel is not trying to be understated.
It is ambitious, emotional, and unafraid to make its characters feel everything.
The Verdict
Somewhere in the Haze is ambitious, occasionally uneven, and full of heart. It features two narrators who linger in the mind long after the final chapter, a final act that rewards the lengthy buildup, and a closing line that stayed with me for days.
I am giving it 9.4 out of 10. The missing 0.6 points account for the overlong middle and a few narrative leaps that require extra patience. Everything else is something I would happily defend.
Nadia Shafika has written a novel that is not always perfectly controlled but succeeds where it matters most: making readers care about its characters and the lives they are trying to rebuild.
Somewhere in the Haze by Nadia Shafika is scheduled for release on November 6, 2026.
Mark your calendar.
More Information
Link: https://collidedtosomewhereinthehazeleak.my.canva.site/po
Instagram: @thenadiashafika
