A review by pferdina
The Strange by Nathan Ballingrud

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Kind of a steampunk old west horror adventure story set in the late 1800s on Mars. Annabelle Crisp’s life is not great to begin with: she has no real friends, spends most of her time working in a diner, and her mother went back to Earth and didn’t return. Her father remains but is more and more lost without his wife. Then one evening the diner is robbed and Annabelle sets out on a journey of vengeance. I wasn’t sure about this story at first: too hokey, too gritty, and no likable characters. But by the end I was swayed. This is a very different kind of book and I think it was great.