4.5⭐️.
I want to be honest the first 30% of this book really was slow for me and then something happened and it all turned around Jane/Esme isn’t amazing character. The way that Janelle Brown has written her is just extraordinary. Raise off the grid by a father who fears and hates technology. Her life is simple and yet completely remote. She has a small contact with the outside world in a bookstore and a few other things but mostly it’s just she and her father living in Montana. Her father wants to get his message out and when he realizes that the Internet in the mid to late 90s is the place to do this. He brings in a computer and suddenly Jane has access to an entire world that she didn’t know existed. What happens that was the turning point for me I don’t want to give away, but the last 2/3 of this book were riveting lots of things going on lots of changing Locations and views for Jane/Esme. I enjoyed all of this book. I loved watching her grow up and learn about the world and about herself. The end was very satisfying for me. I’ve read the last four books that Janelle Brown has written and they’re all outstanding for me. Highly recommend

I devoured this book! I could not put it down!

Jane and her father live in a remote cabin in the woods of Montana, eschewing contact with the outside world. Her paranoid father regularly warns her about the dangers of "the feds," the internet, television, and other forms of technology. When Jane finds an old photo in her father's desk, she sets off on a course of self-discovery, coming to terms with the fact that her father has deep secrets that call into question her way of life.

Jane was a very interesting character, if a little overdone. She is so very naive about the outside world that at times I had a hard time believing that someone could be so sheltered from current culture. But then I got to thinking about how much of our knowledge about news, current events, pop culture that we get from social media, websites, apps on our phone. For me, it's probably 99%.

I also felt a kinship with Jane as she is very socially awkward, not having much contact with others her age during her developmental years. I admit that I'm socially awkward at times too and I felt myself empathizing with her.

If you've read my other reviews, you know that I like books that make me think - especially novels that force a little introspection. One of the premises of the book is that technology has deadened society to things that truly matter - the beauty of nature, personable interactions without the distractions of our phones, real connections with family. While I know I couldn't completely rid my life of technology (nor do I think it would be reasonable), the book made me think about how often I'm without my phone within arms reach, or the last time I did something totally analog, or how much screen time I'm getting. While Jane's father took things to a psychopathic extreme, some of his thoughts ring true. We are a totally technology-dependent society that in many ways has lost our human connections. I'm guilty!

And I loved the ending of this novel; it's not a perfectly happy ending tied with a bow, but I think it ended as it should.

Kudos to Janelle Brown for a really excellent book! I'm looking forward to reading more of her works. 4.5 ⭐s rounded up!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a complementary digital copy of this book!

4.5/5

What Kind of Paradise had me hooked! This coming-of-age age story that's part historical fiction, part thriller had me wholly invested in Jane and Saul's world.

It's the mid-90s, and Jane lives in a cabin in the woods with her father, Saul. For most of her life, it's just been Jane and her dad. Now that her seventeenth birthday is quickly approaching, she has some questions. What's so bad about the outside world? What is her father protecting her from?

I loved the "off-the-grid" vibes! I was fascinated by Jane and her father's life in Montana. There was also some nostalgia for me with the early days of the internet, the chat rooms, the excitement and unknown of it all. I was intrigued by what Saul thought was happening.

There's so much to discuss and consider with What Kind of Paradise - extremists, Luddites, isolation, parenting, loneliness, nature, and technology. I loved this way more than I expected and can't believe I almost passed on it!

Read if you like:
• Coming-of-age stories
• Slow burn suspense
• Character driven reads
• Books about parent-child relationships
• Books about the early days of the internet

Many thanks to @randombooks for the complimentary copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own and provided voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the copy of What Kind of Paradise. Though this story was very intriguing and I was very invested in Jane’s story, I felt it ended up being a little dull and the ending was a little rushed. Because we got present day POVs sprinkled throughout from Jane, I wanted more at the end from her. Overall a fun read. It’s getting a 3.75 stars from me.

Thank you net galley for the copy of this book.

What a great read! This may be one of my new favourites of 2025. This novel is a blend of mystery, historical fiction, and a coming of age story. The book follows Jane who is raised by her father in the wilderness of Montana. As she grows she finds herself longing for more and uncovering her family secrets. Eventually she moves to San Francisco and dips her toes into the new and developing technology of the 90s.

I love the 90s nostalgia with references to emerging technology we have now adapted and the family relationships kept me turning pages to find out what was going to happen next.

Thoroughly enjoyed this novel. 5 stars for Janelle Brown

The only world Jane has ever known is a remote cabin in the Montana wilderness with her father. Now as a teenager, Jane is testing her boundaries and when the opportunity arises for her to go on one of his adventures with him, she is eager to go. Eager to see some of the outside world, but she has no idea how this trip will change her life. Now an accomplice to a horrific crime, she flees Montana seeking answers to her past and questioning everything she knows and values. An extraordinary story about the rise of the computer, and the impact of technology. A story of family dysfunction, isolation, fear and rising above. Jane is a character that will not be soon forgotten in this thought provoking read. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This book had me in an instant chokehold from the first chapter through the end. Although it’s not my usual preferred genre (I’m more into literary fiction than thrillers), I just have to give this book five stars because it was so compelling, masterfully-executed, thought-provoking, smart, timely, nostalgic, and emotional. I couldn’t wait to get back to reading it, during the times when I had to put it down. And I’ve already recommended it to several people and suggested it for one of my IRL book clubs. I’ll definitely be checking out Janelle Brown’s backlist, while I look forward to future projects by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Jane and her father live off the grid in a Montana cabin, isolated from civilization. The plot focuses on Jane's escape from her father's philosophies, criminal behavior, and his tight control of her life. The plot was fast-paced and suspenseful. Jane's character and coming-of-age journey were authentic and heartfelt. I enjoyed the Montana wilderness setting. The vivid details of Jane's life in the forest added texture and atmosphere. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a suspenseful and original coming-of-age thriller.

This story captivated me from the opening page. Wow.
I went into this read blind, and am left totally blown away.
Jane and her father live a sheltered life in Montana. They hardly ever leave their cabin, and she is homeschooled by her dad who has some interesting ideas about all of the up and coming technology in the world. Her father has always been elusive about his past and her mother who passed away when she was young. As Jane gets older she has more and more questions, and feels more like a prisoner in her own home.
I would say more, but I really don’t want to ruin anything. Read this book. Seriously, it is in the running for my fave read of 2025. So good.

This is a book that grabbed me from the outset and didn't let go. 17 year old Jane lives off the grid with her father. This is the 1990s when the dot coms and technology are taking off. Jane's father is focused on warning the world about the dangers of technology and protecting his daughter from this changing world. As his actions become more unhinged and dangerous, Jane discovers much of her life is a lie, and she is woefully unprepared to survive on her own. There is plenty of mystery and suspense in this story and you will want to reach through the pages of the book to help Jane. You will also question much of what you think about technology (especially this many years later than the setting of the book) and wonder just who is the good guys and who is the bad guys. This is one of my top books this year and I highly recommend it. I don't think I will easily forget Jane and the choices she was forced to make.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ecopy. My opinion is my own.

This is my favorite genre because it brings back memories, good and bad, from my experience of moving back to the land in the early 70's. There is always good and bad with making a decision to do this. Yes, peaceful. I enjoyed reading this family's experiences and found them to be believable. Life was definitely different before the internet! I would raise my children this way again.

There’s a certain kind of novel that wraps around your spine and quietly tightens its grip. What Kind of Paradise did that for me. It’s unsettling and intimate. Atmospheric and cerebral. And in all the best ways, it lingers.

Janelle Brown gives us a main character who is both haunting and real. Jane isn’t just a girl growing up in isolation, she’s a case study in how loyalty, control, and secrecy can shape the very core of who we think we are. Raised in the woods by a brilliant, deeply flawed father, Jane’s world is carved out of philosophy books, garden beds, and silence. That silence becomes its own character.

As the novel moves between the stillness of Montana and the chaotic pulse of San Francisco in the early days of the internet, it becomes something much bigger than a coming of age story. It’s about unraveling belief systems. About waking up from a life you didn’t choose. About the messy violence of finding your own version of the truth.

The tension builds slowly, but it’s never dull. Brown is a master of the slow burn. There’s no neat edge here, just layers of emotion and grit. As Jane pieces together the fragments of her past and reckons with a brutal realization, I found myself pausing more than once. This book doesn’t beg you to race through it. It demands you sit with it.

This one will stick with readers who appreciate character-driven suspense, philosophical undercurrents, and stories that don’t hand you the answers. Janelle Brown does what she does best—she tells a story that forces you to ask yourself what kind of paradise we’re all really looking for.

5 Stars, absolutely incredible

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown was completely captivating from beginning to end. The mystery, the tension, the layered characters—I was hooked and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. It’s the kind of story that keeps you guessing while also making you think deeply about truth, identity, and the masks we wear. Sharp, smart, and beautifully written. One of my favorite reads this year!

I was very excited to read this based on the blurb, but I feel like I did not have a solid grasp on the type of book this would be going in. The blurb mixed with what I knew of this author led me to believe that this would be more of a thriller, when in reality it felt more like regular fiction with a bit of a coming-of-age story and some political ideologies and stuff like that mixed in.

That being said I still did have a good time reading this and I didn’t find myself feeling bored at all despite having been expecting to read something a little bit more thrilling. I’d still call this A page Turner just not on the same level as your normal thriller. It was still a solid read and it kept me interested from beginning to end and I do think that it dealt with some very interesting topics that are not things I have read about before and there’s nothing better than being able to read a book and find something that feels unique as so many books feel very derivative so for that I gave it a solid 4.5 stars

Jane doesn't know much about her life outside of the isolated Montana cabin she shares with her father. As his conspiracy theories get crazier and he involves her in one of his schemes, she finds herself wanting more to life, especially after she finds evidence that her mother is not dead like he told her.

Leaving isn't easy but she does, and as the police zero in on her father, she is thrust into a light she doesn't want to be in. She struggles with emotions towards her father and her mother. It isn't just so cut and dry to cut her dad out of her life when he was everything to her. He did teach her things that have built her into who she is.

Such a fantastic read. Probably my favorite from Ms. Brown.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for a copy for review.

This book started out super promising - everything about it pulled me in. Hermit father raising his only daughter off the grid in the woods? Check. Daughter has curiosity about the outside world? Check. Then I feel like we lost the appeal once all of the technology talk was introduced, at least for me. I found myself turning the pages just to get through the rest of the book as I was sure there would be a redemption somewhere. All in all, it wasn't terrible... but it wasn't stellar either. Somewhere in between.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A decent read with some liberties taken for nineties history. Jane uses clorox wipes to wipe out a vehicle in 1996 but those weren’t around until 2000. The story is obviously (and stated so) cribbed from that off the unabomber, but with more finesse and tech connections. I found the ending to be unsatisfying after the ride of the story.

This was different than my usual genre but was still a good read. Profound and impactful, and it won’t be my last from this author

This is a contender for my favorite book of the year! Its a layered story about a family with a secret past, and its best consumed knowing very little. This book was nostalgic and very well written, and I loved reading as the mc came into her own. Great for book club!

I devoured this book. From the minute I met Jane, I had to know her story.
I don’t want to say too much about the plot because her journey is an important part of this experience. Set mostly in 1996, Jane has ventured into the modern world after being raised in an isolated cabin in Montana by her father. While extremely bright, her years of isolation have left her very naive.
I was gripped by this unique coming of age story. Her life lessons come fast and hit hard, but Jane is full of grit and up for the challenge. I wouldn’t call this a suspense/thriller, but it definitely kept me engaged. With its complex characters and captivating plot, this is of my favorites this year.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.