A review by lriopel
The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber

4.0

I really liked this book. The writing was great, and I enjoyed the way the author set up the premise - not too much explanation of the backstory, just jumping right in and trusting the reader to draw the right conclusions about what came before the start of the novel. There were some definite call-backs to The Poisonwood Bible for me, not only because of the missionary theme, but also because of the idea that things that you rely on, things that are good and vital to your life in one place can be transformed into something toxic or terrible when you are in another place. I got a clear sense of the dread mixed with guilt that the main character was feeling every time he got a letter from home. The author does a great job of making the reader feel an almost tangible disconnection between the protagonist and his wife, using the literal distance between them and the contrast of their daily circumstances to paint a picture of not only the emotional disconnection between the two of them, but also the disconnection of the humans in the new settlement on Oasis from the humans back home on Earth. I found the ending a little unsatisfying, as I definitely felt uneasy about what Peter was returning to on Earth, but I think that readers were supposed to feel that at the end. Glad I read it, good book club pick!