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A review by fiberreader
What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad
4.0
This is a real gut-punch of a read but one that is so worth it. Like the tourists on the unnamed island at the center of this book, many of us haven't wanted to see the cruel reality of the refugee crises in the Middle East. There's an element of racism and othering, to be sure, but there's also a reluctance to acknowledge that those of us who are among the haves of the world aren't doing enough for the have-nots, for those who are fleeing war and persecution, especially when those who are fleeing are Black or Brown.
I read one review (it's entirely hidden due to spoilers, and you shouldn't read it until after you've read the book) that suggested an interesting interpretation of the meaning of the title and the narrative. I'm not sure if it's what the author intended, but it's an interesting possibility. There's also the possibility that the "strange paradise" of the title is the dual identity of the island setting as both a luxury vacation spot for the wealthy and a site of death and detention for the refugees.
I read one review (it's entirely hidden due to spoilers, and you shouldn't read it until after you've read the book) that suggested an interesting interpretation of the meaning of the title and the narrative. I'm not sure if it's what the author intended, but it's an interesting possibility. There's also the possibility that the "strange paradise" of the title is the dual identity of the island setting as both a luxury vacation spot for the wealthy and a site of death and detention for the refugees.