Books like 'What Strange Paradise'
Readers who enjoyed What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary military, war & conflict literary-fiction politics social-commentary historical-fiction survival poc-mc suspense family
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In Search of the Kite Runner by Judi Slayden Hayes
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIn Khaled Hosseini's best-selling novel The Kite Runner (Riverhead Books, 2003), Hosseini shows us an Afghanistan rich in tradition and culture and an Afghanistan torn apart by war and political strife. We see Muslims who are not so different from Christians or Jews... -
![The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf, اونجلی رئوف]()
The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf, اونجلی رئوف
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsTold with humor and heart, 'THE BOY AT THE BACK OF THE CLASS' offers a child's perspective on the refugee crisis, highlighting the importance of friendship and kindness in a world that doesn't always make sense.There used to be an empty chair at the back of my class, but now a new boy called Ahmet is sitting in it.He's eight years old (just like me), but he's very strange... -
![UnDivided by Neal Shusterman]()
UnDivided by Neal Shusterman
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsTeens control the fate of America in the fourth and final book in the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology by Neal Shusterman.Proactive Citizenry, the company that created Cam from the parts of unwound teens, has a plan: to mass produce rewound teens like Cam for military purposes... -
![Rescuing Annie by Susan Stoker]()
Rescuing Annie by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAnnie Fletcher has known what she’s wanted to do since she was seven years old...a special forces soldier just like her dad. But now that she’s one of the very few women in the ranks of the elite Green Berets, she isn't sure she wants the role anymore. But the last thing she wants to do is disappoint her father. Or his Delta Force teammates, who are all like uncles to her... -
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![Daughter of War by Brad Taylor]()
Daughter of War by Brad Taylor
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFormer Special Forces Officer and New York Times bestselling author Brad Taylor delivers a heart-pounding thriller featuring Taskforce operators Pike Logan and Jennifer Cahill as they come face to face with a conspiracy where nothing is as it seems... -
![Indian Country by Kurt Schlichter]()
Indian Country by Kurt Schlichter
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt’s all-out war for ruthless red state special operator Kelly Turnbull when he returns in this blockbuster prequel to “People’s Republic,” Kurt Schlichter’s top selling novel of America after the polarized politics of blue versus red have split our country apart. “Indian Country” finds Turnbull sent back into the blue states to help those trapped inside resist a politically correct police state...Categorized as:
dystopia historical-fiction politics war action-adventure adult alternate-history book -
![Another Moment in Time: A Collection of Short Stories by Susan Stoker]()
Another Moment in Time: A Collection of Short Stories by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFour stories by Susan Stoker, including Caroline’s Surprise, Carnal Comfort, Best Christmas Ever, and First Kiss.Caroline’s Surprise- Caroline thinks her husband, Matthew “Wolf” Steel, is taking her out to dinner for their twenty-fifth anniversary, but he’s got a bigger surprise in store... -
![Fast Fury by Kaylea Cross]()
Fast Fury by Kaylea Cross
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe’s a woman worth fighting for. Abby McKinley misses her sexy former neighbor from across the hall more than she expected—because he means more to her than she was ready to admit. When she learns the feeling is mutual, she balks at the idea of getting involved with a man who is sure to break her heart. But the pull between them is too strong to deny... -
![Heirs of Falcon Point by Traci Hunter Abramson, Sian Ann Bessey]()
Heirs of Falcon Point by Traci Hunter Abramson, Sian Ann Bessey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the early days of World War II, the Lang family lost everything. Eighty years later, it’s time to take it back.The Nazis have taken control of Austria, and wealthy widower Leopold Lang faces a difficult decision: join the ranks of the foreign power that has taken over his homeland or flee with his children to safety. Leopold makes his choice—but too late...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction suspense war 20th-century action-adventure -
![Finally Home by Thomas A. Watson]()
Finally Home by Thomas A. Watson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe country is broken. The borders have been breached. And only Nathan and his prepper compatriots have a chance to put it back together. After months of struggle in a devastated world, the love of his life by his side, he reaches his doomsday redoubt to lead the way... -
![Thunderbird by Sable Hunter, Ryan O'Leary]()
Thunderbird by Sable Hunter, Ryan O'Leary
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsContinuing the Hell Yeah Series with book 13 – Equalizers Soulmates. Twin souls. Two people destined to be together. Their journey to love is never an easy one, but when they meet – their hearts beat only for one another. Kyle Chancellor is a hero, an honest to God hero. After winning the Heisman, he turns down a lucrative career as a professional football player to fight in Afghanistan... -
![Jacaranda by Gaël Faye]()
Jacaranda by Gaël Faye
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMilan, 11 ans, enfant unique, s’ennuie ferme dans une France où les échos des tragédies lointaines ne parviennent que par bribes, le soir, à la télévision. Et voilà que soudain, à la fin de l’été 1994, sa mère lui impose la présence d’un prétendu cousin de son âge, Claude...Categorized as:
historical-fiction war family friendship fiction audiobook contemporary violent-conflict -
![Promise at Dawn by Romain Gary]()
Promise at Dawn by Romain Gary
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratings'Promise at Dawn' begins as the story of a mother's sacrifice. Alone and poor, she fights fiercely to give her son the very best. Gary chronicles his childhood with her in Russia, Poland, and on the French Riviera. And he recounts his adventurous life as a young man fighting for France in the Second World War...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family historical-fiction literary-fiction war 20th-century adult audiobook -
![To Live by C.G. Cooper]()
To Live by C.G. Cooper
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsElmore Thadeus Nix, it's retirement time. You're sixty-five and ready. Take that final physical and then it's adios to your old life and hello to the new. Not so fast. Sorry, Elmore. Your plan's about to change. It's Elmore's last day of work. As part of his retirement, he heads to the family doctor for the follow-up to a routine physical. That's when the universe shifts on its axis. Cancer...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction war adult book contemporary -
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![Checkmate by Malorie Blackman]()
Checkmate by Malorie Blackman
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe dramatic conclusion to the award-winning Noughts and Crosses trilogy.Can the future ever erase the past? Rose has a Cross mother and a Nought father in a society where the pale-skinned noughts are treated as inferiors and those with dual heritage face a life-long battle against deep-rooted prejudices... -
![People's Republic by Kurt Schlichter]()
People's Republic by Kurt Schlichter
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAmerica’s growing political and cultural divisions have finally split the United States apart...Categorized as:
dystopia historical-fiction politics war action-adventure adult alternate-history book -
![Champagne Widows: First Woman of Champagne, Veuve Clicquot by Rebecca Rosenberg]()
Champagne Widows: First Woman of Champagne, Veuve Clicquot by Rebecca Rosenberg
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsChampagne, France, 1800. Twenty-year-old Barbe-Nicole inherited Le Nez (an uncanny sense of smell) from her great-grandfather, a renowned champagne maker. She is determined to use Le Nez to make great champagne, but the Napoleon Code prohibits women from owning a business...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family war coming-of-age literary-fiction romance drama contemporary -
![Where You Come From by Saša Stanišić, Damion Searls]()
Where You Come From by Saša Stanišić, Damion Searls
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn August, 1992, a boy and his mother flee the war in Yugoslavia and arrive in Germany. Six months later, the boy’s father joins them, bringing a brown suitcase, insomnia, and a scar on his thigh...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family historical-fiction literary-fiction politics war 21st-century adult -
![Code Name: Nina's Choice by Natasza Waters]()
Code Name: Nina's Choice by Natasza Waters
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNina Samson, an analyst working at Coronado Base Command, lands in Navy sniper Mace Callahan’s lap like an I.E.D. Two weeks of fiery passion with the lithe redhead, and the self-proclaimed bachelor raises the white flag. Arriving in San Diego, Nina, a single mother with an eight-year-old daughter, spots danger ahead... -
![Songbird Freed by Lisa Edward]()
Songbird Freed by Lisa Edward
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMy name is Tara O’Connell, and I’ve always believed we control our own fate. That life is a journey with many roads, and the choices we make can shape our future. Life has presented me with two paths and I’ve chosen one. Was it right? Did I make the best decision? After the uncertainty of the last twelve months, my destiny is now crystal-clear to me... -
![Ask Him Why by Catherine Ryan Hyde, Amy McFadden]()
Ask Him Why by Catherine Ryan Hyde, Amy McFadden
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of Pay It Forward comes the stunning and emotional story of a young soldier’s unthinkable act…and the bonds of a sister and brother’s love.Ruth and her little brother, Aubrey, are just teenagers when their older brother ships off to Iraq. When Joseph returns, uninjured, only three and a half months later, Ruth is happy he is safe but also deeply worried... -
![Among the Free by Margaret Peterson Haddix]()
Among the Free by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsENOUGH GAMES.Luke Garner is a third-born in a restrictive society that allows only two children per family. Risking his life, he came out of hiding to fight against the Population Police laws. Now, in the final volume of Margaret Peterson Haddix's suspenseful Shadow Children series, Luke inadvertently sets off a rebellion that results in the overthrow of the government...Categorized as:
coming-of-age dystopia family friendship historical-fiction politics survival suspense -
![An Honorable Seduction (The Westmoreland Legacy) by Brenda Jackson]()
An Honorable Seduction (The Westmoreland Legacy) by Brenda Jackson
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis navy SEAL is on a top-secret mission of seduction…David Holloway is used to hard assignments. Now he faces his most difficult yet: cozying up to the soft curves of Swan Jamison. He wants to know the island beauty…in every way. But romancing Swan as part of his SEAL team’s mission tests his honor, even as his feelings become increasingly real... -
![Heading Home by Katie Flynn]()
Heading Home by Katie Flynn
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn Katie Flynn’s wonderful new Liverpool saga, Louisa and Cormack Muldoon both have good jobs and live a settled life with their two young daughters. But then Grandpa Muldoon has a seizure and begs his son to return to Kilnevin and the family croft... -
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![Boy, Everywhere by A.M. Dassu]()
Boy, Everywhere by A.M. Dassu
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBOY, EVERYWHERE is the debut middle grade novel from writer A. M. Dassu. It chronicles the harrowing journey taken from Syria to the UK by Sami and his family. From privilege to poverty, across countries and continents, from a smuggler's den in Turkey to a prison in Manchester, it is a story of survival, of family, of bravery... -
![Correspondents by Tim Murphy]()
Correspondents by Tim Murphy
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe world is Rita Khoury's oyster. The bright and driven daughter of a Boston-area Irish-Arab family that has risen over the generations from poor immigrants to part of the coastal elite, Rita grows up in a 1980s cultural mishmash... -
![Double Cross by Malorie Blackman, Amélie Sarn]()
Double Cross by Malorie Blackman, Amélie Sarn
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsTobey wants a better life - for him and his girlfriend Callie Rose. He wants nothing to do with the gangs that rule the world he lives in. But when he's offered the chance to earn some money just for making a few 'deliveries', just this once, would it hurt to say 'yes'?The captivating conclusion/companion Novel of the Noughts and Crosses series...Categorized as:
coming-of-age dystopia family friendship poc-mc war action-adventure alternate-history -
![The Drinker of Horizons by Mia Couto]()
The Drinker of Horizons by Mia Couto
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe scintillating conclusion to the critically acclaimed historical saga: the Jan Michalski Prize–winning Sands of the Emperor trilogy."[Couto's] life has been woven into the history of the nation, and he has become the foremost chronicler of Mozambique’s antiheroes: its women, its peasants, even its dead... -
![Irons 3 by M.J. Fields]()
Irons 3 by M.J. Fields
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLieutenant Jaxson Irons, was born and bred to be the soldier, a leader, and a man whose life's center is his country. He has lived the life laid out before him, but now everything has changed. After the accident that nearly cost him his life, and secrets were revealed, Jax was left questioning everything and everyone, except his band of brothers and the woman who stood by him through it all... -
![Far from Home by Anne Bennett]()
Far from Home by Anne Bennett
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA moving family drama of one young woman's fight to survive and to find a place to call home 1938: Sixteen-year-old Kate Monroe is living in Birmingham, far away from her family in Ireland. Her parents have always doted on her siblings, Sally and James, leaving no time for her. Kate harbours a dark secret, a deep longing for her cousin... -
![The Corsican Woman by Madge Swindells]()
The Corsican Woman by Madge Swindells
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSybilia turned as if sleepwalking and, trance-like, walked down the stone steps to the living room. She shuddered as she took the rifle from the peg on the wall, but after only a moment's hesitation, she loaded it and went outside. Sybilia Rocca is beautiful, gentle and intelligent... -
![Yara's Spring by Jamal Saeed, Sharon McKay]()
Yara's Spring by Jamal Saeed, Sharon McKay
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsComing of age against all odds in the midst of the Arab Spring.Growing up in Aleppo, Yara’s childhood has long been shadowed by the coming revolution. But when the Arab Spring finally arrives at Yara’s doorstep, it is worse than even her Nana imagined: sudden, violent, and deadly. When rescuers dig Yara out from under the rubble that was once her family’s home, she emerges to a changed world... -
![Whisper on the Wind by Elizabeth Elgin]()
Whisper on the Wind by Elizabeth Elgin
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWorld War Two. For men, an era of terrible devastation, broken lives and perhaps a glimpse of heroism. But for many women, a time of opportunity, a new-found freedom, a challenge in a changing world... -
![Burning Nation by Trent Reedy]()
Burning Nation by Trent Reedy
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn this wrenching sequel to DIVIDED WE FALL, Danny and friends fight to defend Idaho against a Federal takeover and the ravages of a BURNING NATION.At the end of DIVIDED WE FALL, Danny Wright's beloved Idaho had been invaded by the federal government, their electricity shut off, their rights suspended. Danny goes into hiding with his friends in order to remain free...Categorized as:
coming-of-age dystopia historical-fiction politics survival suspense war action-adventure -
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![Chai Time At Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran]()
Chai Time At Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWelcome to Cinnamon Gardens, a home for those who are lost and the stories they treasure.Cinnamon Gardens Nursing Home is nestled in the quiet suburb of Westgrove, Sydney – populated with residents with colourful histories, each with their own secrets, triumphs and failings... -
![Always by Morris Gleitzman]()
Always by Morris Gleitzman
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAlways stay hopeful.That's my motto.You're probably thinking, He's a dreamer, that Wassim. What's he got to be hopeful about? He's ten years old and look at his life.Thanks, but it's not so bad.I've got a lot to be hopeful about.Specially now there's a person who can help me. A person called Felix Salinger... -
![Locker Nine by Franklin Horton]()
Locker Nine by Franklin Horton
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsGrace Hardwick’s dad is a science fiction writer who makes his living destroying the world. When Grace decides to go away for her first year of college her dad, Robert, can’t help but think of all of the potential ways that society could collapse and strand his daughter hundreds of miles from home. Then, near the end of her freshman year, it happens...Categorized as:
dystopia literary-fiction survival suspense war action-adventure apocalyptic audiobook -
![Day of Wrath by William R. Forstchen]()
Day of Wrath by William R. Forstchen
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThis novella by New York Times bestselling author William R. Forstchen imagines a horrifying scenario where, in the course of one day, the terrorist group ISIS carries out massacres in schools and on highways across the United States. With a surprisingly small but well-organized and ruthless force, the nightmarish devastation brings America to a state of near-paralysis... -
![Imani All Mine by Connie Rose Porter]()
Imani All Mine by Connie Rose Porter
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratings"With authority and grace" (Essence), Imani All Mine tells the story of Tasha, a fourteen-year-old unwed mother of a baby girl. In her ghettoized world where poverty, racism, and danger are daily struggles, Tasha uses her savvy and humor to uncover the good hidden around her... -
![To Go on Living: Stories by Narine Abgaryan, Margarit Ordukhanyan]()
To Go on Living: Stories by Narine Abgaryan, Margarit Ordukhanyan
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSet in rural Armenia in the aftermath of war, Narine Abgaryan’s haunting short stories show people finding hope and purpose again. Named “one of Europe’s most exciting authors” by the Guardian, Narine Abgaryan has written a dozen books which have collectively sold over 1.35 million copies... -
![Middle Ground by Katie Kacvinsky, Katie Ray]()
Middle Ground by Katie Kacvinsky, Katie Ray
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsFor four weeks Maddie has been living in Los Angeles, trying to be good. But no matter how hard she tries, something inside her won't be sated. She can't live a life of half-truths and false pretenses. So one night, she says how she really feels.That's all it takes. One night... -
![Grey Bees by Andrey Kurkov]()
Grey Bees by Andrey Kurkov
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratings49-year-old safety inspector-turned-beekeeper Sergey Sergeich, wants little more than to help his bees collect their pollen in peace.But Sergey lives in Ukraine, where a lukewarm war of sporadic violence and constant propaganda has been dragging on for years... -
![The Assignment by Liza M. Wiemer]()
The Assignment by Liza M. Wiemer
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn the vein of the classic The Wave and inspired by a real-life incident, this riveting novel explores discrimination and antisemitism and reveals their dangerous impact.SENIOR YEAR...Categorized as:
social-commentary historical-fiction war friendship family coming-of-age young-adult fiction -
![The Disoriented by Amin Maalouf]()
The Disoriented by Amin Maalouf
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAfter 25 years in exile, Adam travels from France to his homeland in the Middle East to bid farewell to his dying childhood friend.One night, a phone rings in Paris. Adam learns that Mourad, once his closest friend, is dying. He quickly throws some clothes in a suitcase and takes the first flight out, to the homeland he fled twenty-five years ago...Categorized as:
friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction politics war action-adventure adult book -
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![Martial Law by Bobby Akart]()
Martial Law by Bobby Akart
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe end begins tomorrow.“Author Bobby Akart possesses the analytic capability of a supercomputer coupled with the expressiveness of an exceptional writer.”~ Amazon ReviewsA government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.~ Thomas JeffersonMartial Law is a prophetic and prescient novel by author Bobby Akart...Categorized as:
dystopia historical-fiction politics suspense war action-adventure adult apocalyptic -
![The Night Is for Hunting by John Marsden]()
The Night Is for Hunting by John Marsden
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsIn the penultimate installment of the internationally bestselling Tomorrow series, Ellie and her friends look after a gang of orphans whose wild behavior reveals the true impact of war.Amidst a brutal war with no end in sight, Ellie and her four remaining friends discover that their hidden refuge becomes a crowded place when they decide to care for an uncooperative crew of orphans...Categorized as:
coming-of-age dystopia friendship survival suspense war action-adventure apocalyptic -
![The Redundancy of Courage by Timothy Mo]()
The Redundancy of Courage by Timothy Mo
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn Indonesian island is hastily given independence, and a Chinese-educated homosexual who was born on the island returns from his Canadian university to find his life radically altered. The story, shortlisted for the 1991 Booker Prize, represents an account of a post-colonial disaster... -
![If You Were the Only Girl by Anne Bennett]()
If You Were the Only Girl by Anne Bennett
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA moving family drama of one young woman’s fight to survive, to find her long-lost relatives and to find a place to call home Bridgette has been hurt many times in her life. Her early years were blighted by her spoilt brother; her marriage ruined by World War Two. Now her mother is dying. And then comes a deathbed revelation – somewhere Bridgette has another family and a father... -
![Forbidden Life by Karpov Kinrade]()
Forbidden Life by Karpov Kinrade
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe road to redemption begins in darkness. A sinister force waits for them in darkness, ready to devour their powers and take their lives.Sam's baby is the key to a lock that must never be opened. To keep her child safe, Sam will do anything... -
![Refuge by N.G. Osborne]()
Refuge by N.G. Osborne
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOn a dusty, sweltering night, Noor Khan, a beautiful, headstrong Afghan refugee, comes face-to-face with Charlie Matthews, a brash, young American aid worker. To Noor's fury, Charlie breaks every cultural norm and pursues her. She wants nothing to do with him: her sole aim in life is to earn an overseas scholarship so she can escape the miseries of the refugee camps...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction war adult book contemporary fiction forbidden-love
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