A review by audreylee
What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad

adventurous emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

3.5 stars. As more refugees will be heading away from conflict, more desperation, corruption, and xenophobia will be exposed in the world. A young boy survives the treacherous trip only to be hunted by the military in the hopes they can put him in a cage and prevent him from joining society at large. Allegiances shift and relationships are formed and broken as the bodies of some of the refugees are broken on the rocky shore. The shifting timeline bogged the story down and the intensity lapsed a bit during these episodes. No sweet fantasies are allowed here. Reality is grim and ever present. This book is slotted to be a contender for CanadaReads.
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