Reviews with content warning for Xenophobia - What Strange Paradise

I can’t say that I “enjoyed” this book per se but it was really brilliant. I think some people may take it at face value and be upset by the ending and not think more critically about what the author was actually trying to accomplish with this work. If you are able to be confronted with your own bias and appropriately critiqued for holding a whitewashed version of what happens during a migrant crisis, then I think this book is an excellent read.

I think this book is a well-written (thought not perfectly executed) critique of the apathy of the Western world to the suffering of the global south, and points a finger straight at the idea Western exceptionalism. In picking apart this notion that some people are inherently good and want to help, and are willing to make great sacrifice in order to do so, and some people are inherently ignorant, selfish, and hurtful, El Akkad creates a story that is not really about the story or characters themselves and more about making a thematic point.

This isn’t a good thing or a bad thing, it just is a thing that some people may feel differently about when approaching this book. I’d highly recommend the audio, the narrator is one of the best I’ve ever heard.

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butlerebecca's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Really enjoyed this - I wish there was more character development and there were a few vague details I would have liked to see clarified but regardless 100% recommend this — a very quick read with some beautiful prose and an excellent message

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blueteacup's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

What Strange Paradise is a challenging novel about the migrant crisis currently happening around the world, specifically tackling migrants from Southwest Asia and North Africa trying to come to Europe. El Akkad uses alternating perspectives between a Syrian child refugee and a Greek teenager to both emphasize cultural and linguistic differences and to portray themes of finding mutual understanding despite these differences.

El Akkad is expertly able to enter the mind of a child and explain what the world looks like to a young boy who is in an unfamiliar place all alone, fleeing from war and strife. He uses fine details to express Amir’s desire to go home despite having no home to go back to, without blatantly stating the obvious. He also uses a wide cast of minor characters to explore differing perspectives on migration and refugee status. From a pregnant migrant woman still desperately trying to hold onto her morals and dignity when it seems everyone else has lost theirs, to a racist colonel afraid of white replacement, El Akkad is able to delve into each character’s mind and portray three-dimensional individuals.

My only gripe with the novel was I found it a bit hard to keep track of all of the characters on the migrant boat, as many were introduced all at once with little intro.

Overall, What Strange Paradise is a very well-written and insightful novel about migration and refugees, with interesting, well-rounded characters.

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arnold_shelby's review against another edition

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emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This is a moving exploration of humans seeking better futures, of people supporting one another, of tragedy as a normal, daily occurrence that white people turn off on a whim. Challenging and biting, hopeful, and painful all at once.

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katieeyu's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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rebeccafarren's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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daniellekat's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.75

I am speechless. This was incredible. The writing was so powerful.

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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challenging sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Title: What Strange Paradise
Author: Omar El Akkad
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: July 20, 2021

T H R E E • W O R D S

Memorable • Contrasting • Necessary

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Nine-year-old Amir is the lone surviour when the overfilled boat carrying him and other refugees capsizes. He comes to on a beach where he must evade the military to ensure his safety. Eventually he will be rescued by Vanna, a 14-year-old, who is determined to keep him safe, despite their differences. What Strange Paradise looks at the global refugee crisis through the eyes of a child.

💭 T H O U G H T S

What Strange Paradise wasn't on my radar until it was chosen for the 2022 Canada Reads longlist in January. After being shortlisted, I immediately placed a hold for it at my library knowing I wanted to read each of the five books before the debates in late March.

Omar El Akkad sets aside the cultural, historical and political aspects that drive people to leave their homelands, seeking refuge elsewhere, and instead focuses on the stories of the people at the center of the crisis. What really stood out for me is the writing, and powerful nature of two children brought together. The contrasting nature of the Greek island - with its fancy hotels and beaches masking the crisis - was a tool very well utilized within these pages. This is by no means an easy book to read, and at times made me feel uncomfortable, bringing to life the struggle, the fear, the barriers, and the injustices these people face. El Akkad succeeds in making the reader uneasy by humanizing and really bringing to life the real lived experience, and inching me closer to the crisis.

As heartbreaking as the story is, there are glimpses of hope and kindness sprinkled throughout. I believe this to be incredibly powerful, as it demonstrates that people can be facing the most dire circumstances but still find it within them to be kind. For examples really stand out, firstly the pregnant lady on board the ship who takes Amir under her wing, and Vanna, who will do everything in her power to help Amir.

What didn't work for me was the structure. The alternating chapters didn't carry the same weight, and at times it felt disjointed. I found myself much more invested in and wanting more of the before chapters compared to the after ones. For instance, I wanted so much more from Amir's connection with the pregnant lady on board the ship. Because of this lack of character depth it didn't pack the emotional punch I had been anticipating. And then there was the ending, which definitely left me disappointed.

Yes - this is definitely a book that needs to be read. No - it's not the emotional journey I was expecting. And yet, there is no doubt this book has left me with lots to think about. With such cinematic tools, I am left to ponder if there wouldn't have been more value in this as a movie.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• all Canadians
• educators

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Maher shrugged. 'Books are good for the soul,' he said. 'Books will ween you off cruelty.'"

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