This is easily one of my favorite reads of 2025 so far, and I cannot stop thinking about the story and characters. This was such a powerful genre-bending novel with elements of coming-of-age, mystery and suspense, and a bit of historical fiction as it takes place in the 1990s during the rise of the internet. The story follows 18-year-old Jane as she grows up in seclusion in rural Montana with her dad, who himself went to Harvard and home-schools her, controlling her access to the reality that goes on around her and instilling in her his extremist views on the evils of technology. As Jane starts to ask questions as she compares her life to her peers around her and gains access to the internet and online chatting, she discovers that her dad may have a more complicated past and secrets than she could ever have imagined. This book left me with such thought-provoking questions about the impact of technology, but also the power of connection and the importance of choice on who we get to be.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I can't believe how much I liked this book! The premise of the book was unique, and the author did a wonderful job bringing the characters and scenario to life. I appreciated that the main character's story began when she was a teenager; I hadn't wanted to read about the minutia of her strange upbringing. I loved the later parts of the book when you see what it's like for her in a more conventional setting as well as the unexpected way the various issues in the book were resolved. I flew through the book, wishing I could have stayed up late enough to finish it in one sitting. This would be an excellent choice for book discussion groups. There are lots of ethical issues which would be interesting to discuss. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. If I had known how great it was, I would have moved it to the top of my list! Highly recommended!

Jane and I grew up during the same time during this book’s setting, though she was confined to a cabin in the Montana woods and knew nothing of the world for 13 years. This was wrenching for me to imagine and the author did a wonderful job developing her character in a way that made me feel connected with her during this time. That changed as she grew up and moved on with her life for some reason. The survivalist plot has been done a lot over the years, though is unique in its rendering, its overall impact on the child remains the same. The debate of heaven being nature or a utopian technology society is certainly one that is relevant today and this book provoked deep thoughts on that front. The actions that went on in the second half of the book were extreme, but had to be to prove a point and to be a catalyst the author wanted it to be. All of that is to say, this book is packed with intense thoughts and big actions, and the author manages to put it all together expertly without inserting her own political agenda. I think it is an important and beautiful book! Many thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the advanced copy for my honest review.

This propulsive thriller is set in the 1990s during the Internet boom. Janelle Brown really took me back to those days when I was a new engineer entering the work force. Jane Williams is home-schooled by her dad in their "off-the-grid" cabin in Montana. She's alone when her dad leaves for several days at a time, which gives her an opportunity to snoop in his locked office and desk for more details about herself and him. What she finds is life-changing which is where the story really takes off.
This book is an excellent book club selection, since it explores morality in the midst of a quick-moving technology that still holds true in today's society with AI, privacy, social media, etc. I loved how Brown delved into the differing opinions on responsibility in the newly burgeoning internet.
I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. I highly recommend it. It's already out and is a great summer read. Look for the fabulous book cover wherever you get your books.
Many thanks to #RandomHouse for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review and to #AnneBogel #MMDSRG for putting this on my radar.

“And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

Jane and her father, Saul, live a simple life in the secluded, Montana woods. She’s grown up into a genius just like her father whose home schools her with philosophy, literature, hunting, and living off the land. She’s been taught to not trust the government or technology. One day her life drastically changes when her dad decides to publish his manifesto about AI online bringing Jane to question her entire life.

During an unfortunate event, Jane decides to leave the secluded, Montana cabin, and head for Silicon Valley to learn more about her mother whom her father has hidden from her. Will Jane Finally be able to with some semblance of a normal life will her father shadow derail any chance of happiness?

This was such a compelling read and very thought-provoking. There are plenty of genres to describe this one, but I wouldn’t label it as a thriller. It’s definitely not like the typical books I read. This is a character-driven, literary mystery, a coming-of-age tale, with a lot of technological references. It asks the question, “Has the internet and technology improved our lives or has it ruined us?”

Overall, it’s a very interesting books that does make you think. Do our parents choices impact us and can we change? Again, not my typical read but very glad to step back into the 90s and talk about technology in the way it’s actually impacting us now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this book was very interesting! It is such a good example of how we are truly influenced by both nature and nurture. It is wild to see how someone can be so influenced by others around them - and also sad. Truly so much of who we are is shaped by our parents - and thinking about how much they could potentially deprive us from is shocking. And how would we ever know? Esme/Jane was deprived of so much of a "normal" life because of the choices of someone else. I thought it was a tiny bit repetitive towards the beginning, but things started to pickup after Esme/Jane managed to escape from the cabin and start a different life. I really liked the characters, the conflicts throughout the book, and the resolution at the end.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinions.

I went into this book blind and was pleasantly surprised. I was not expecting such a rich multi layered story that stuck with me days after finishing. I'll be thinking about Jane and her father for a long time, as well as the questions the book raises about whether technology hurts society more than it helps. I truly did not want this book to end, and I know it will be on a lot of top 10 lists this year.

What Kind of Paradise isn’t the thriller the cover copy promises—it’s a quietly compelling coming-of-age tale with a tech-boom backdrop and a side of existential dread. Think less whodunit, more who am I, with a sprinkle of suspense for spice. Temper your expectations, and you’ll be rewarded.

WOW!! Where to start with this book. I gave it 4 stars but I'm rethinking that maybe it should be 5 stars. What Kind of Paradise is truly a great novel. At the beginning it felt predictable and familiar - like the Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (which I also love), but then the twists started coming and really it's not comparable.

Jane has lived in remote Montana as long as she can remember. Her mom passed away when she was four and since then it's just been her and her dad. Jane is home schooled. Her dad went to Harvard - he can teach her everything she needs to know. Her father also teaches how to survive the wilderness and most importantly keep your eye out for the FBI. Jane's only connection to the outside world is an occasional trip into town to a book store.

As Jane gets older she starts to question some of her dad's ideas and ways of living. It's the mid 1990's and one day dad brings home a computer. He wants Jane to learn to program so he can share his message with the world. He needs them to know the dangers of these new computers. He's been telling anyone who will listen for ages and the people who need to hear this are online already.

This book goes from a quiet slow life in rural Montana to full speed in a moment. This book is action packed. I was on edge and flipping pages as fast as I could to see the ending. What Kind of Paradise is unlike anything I've read in a while. I recommend this book to everyone but especially those that worked in tech in the mid 90's. It's an excellent book that I'm sure we will see on top 10 lists very soon. I think it would make an excellent book club choice as well as there is a ton to discuss here.

Jane has only known a life of isolation living in a cabin in the woods of Montana with her father. It is the 1990s and she is completely cut off from society and advancements in technology, like the introduction of the internet to the masses. Her father is homeschooling her and teaching her his ways of thinking. As he has done often throughout her life, her dad leaves her for short periods of time. She has no idea where he goes, but she wants to go, too. So she finally finds a way to convince him to taker her with him. He agrees to let her come this time. It turns out, this adventure will dismantle her life as she knows it. Her dad is not who she thought he was. She is not who she thought she was. Now she is on a quest to find out the truth about herself and time is of the essence.

What Kind of Paradise is a twisty look at the impacts of technology in a family drama thriller.

This gripping novel centers on an extreme father/daughter relationship. Accordingly, if you have issues with psychological manipulation or unsettling family dynamics, you may find it triggering. It also examines other extremely topical issues, including the perhaps too rapid march of technology and the extremism that causes some to try to force their views on others by any means necessary without regard for consequences. These things may also be triggering for some people. However, if you can get past all that, it is a well-written, fast-paced, exciting, and quite timely book.

What Kind of Paradise is a really interesting read about both the dangers of both isolation and of technology. Jane lives with her father in the cabin in the woods in Montana. She's homeschooled and indoctrinated by her father's lessons about the unwieldy power of technology that he believes will eventually destroy and erase humankind.  Jane starts to notice weird gaps in her childhood and has reason to believe her father is keeping something from her, or a lot of things…
 
I thought this book was SO good. Super interesting insight into the people that feared technology's impact (in the 90s). Especially relevant today obviously as all these fears are starting to come into fruition. Super well developed characters and great pacing, honestly couldn't put it down. I'd say this book mostly reads as a literary mystery with a lot of family drama. It's not necessarily a thriller but was at times thrilling. The beginning made me think I was reading a fictional account of Educated but it actually turned into something very different. I do think similarly to Educated, What Kind of Paradise made me think a lot a parent's impact on their children and if anyone can ever fully disconnect from the beliefs their parent's instilled in them.
 
Thank you Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC.

Immersive.
Unputdownable.

A young girl is raised "off the grid" in rural Montana by a Harvard educated father obsessed with conspiracy theories. Over the years, Jane begins to unravel the half-truths about her life and sees a world outside of the woods. She learns what exists on a small TV and a place called the internet where she finds a chat room and an allie. Her father publishes his manifesto after teaches herself HTML, opening the world to his long drawn out plan.

Brown explores the implications of connectivity and the internet on our future in the fathers ramblings. This story is thought-provoking, emotional and rich in character development as Jane comes of age in a whole new world.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Random House

I’ve never read from Brown before but that definitely changes now! this character driven, long spanning book was exactly how i like my mysteries these days, where you as the reader are able to get really invested and care about the characters’ motives and what happens to them.
I love following a ‘growing up in isolation’ trope (it reminded me a lot of <i>These Silent Woods</i>), and Jane was a fully fleshed out character. We follow her growing up and then the book turns into a silicon valley thriller which i found fascinating and bingeable!

"If there’s one clear lesson that I learned from my hermetic childhood, it’s that you need lots of people around you if you’re ever going to find your true self. Listening to one voice, and one voice only, doesn’t make you a human being. It makes you a parrot."

4.25 stars. In a world where AI and technology is scaring the pants off of everyone, Janelle Brown's WHAT KIND OF PARADISE is quite the timely read. Set in the 90's and right before Y2k culture, Brown muses on technological developments like the internet and whether or not it has become our oppressor or liberator. And because this book takes place in the 90's, we get lots of nostalgic throwbacks like beanie babies, the Spice Girls, and Zima. Our protagonist is nearly 18, having lived most of her life as a recluse in the woods of Montana with her tech-paranoid father. Shut away from the real world, Jane has a limited understanding of life until she's thrust out of her simple existence and into reality after her father is caught up in a series of bombastic crimes. Jane is confronted with the reality of what happens when the person you've modeled yourself after becomes someone you've never really known.

I'll always find a fish out of water tale interesting, and this was no exception. I could not wait to see our girl run away from the woods and start a new life away from her dad because he's the fucking worst. The tragedy is she had no idea, but how could she know right from wrong when she had only been subjected to the wrong unwillingly? Having seen what technology and AI has turned into in 2025, I can sadly say that some of her dad's concerns were valid...but that doesn't justify his unspeakable actions. I DO think that Brown ultimately makes a case for both sides when it comes to technology and its role in society - like anything, it's a fine balance and it's only when things swing to extremes when we get into trouble. I was strapped in the entire time I was reading and enjoyed watching Jane carve out a new identity for herself, without the influence of her dad or anyone for that matter.

As a millennial, this book had me in its clutches and I was having so many flashbacks to dial up internet and hotmail while reading so I was gooped. It was also a welcomed reminder that humans are meant to live big and beautiful lives that aren't limited to the cages that are made for us. Break out of that damn cabin, listen to more people, and most importantly...listen to yourself. Always be growing, never stay stagnant, and never hide from the world because it's both frightening and fascinating and not to be missed. Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Some quotes that I pulled:

“Life was a party to which I had not received an invitation but hadn’t missed at all until I was made aware of the event.”

“My desire to leave wasn’t about abandoning my father. I still love him, despite my wilting worship. No, it was more about finding me.”

“Never underestimate the power of love to lead you down the path toward willful blindness. Faith in the people you adore doesn’t disappear slowly, with each tiny disappointment; instead, it collapses all at once, like the final snowfall that triggers an avalanche when the weight suddenly becomes too much to bare.”

“Memory is a fickle beast. So often we choose what we want to remember; but sometimes memories, choose us. The memories we most want to forget are the ones that fold themselves into our subconscious, waiting until we least expect them to rise up."

“I’d been given a phoenix-like opportunity to reinvent myself from the ashes of a life that had never, it turned out, been mine at all.”

"But speculation is a fools game, like pressing on a bruise to see if it still hurts."

"Life isn’t always a series of binary choices. Sometimes it’s not about either/or but about learning how to manage the complexities of both/and."

📚: What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown
⭐️: 4/5

Jane’s childhood has been… different, to say the least. Growing up in the 1990s with only her father by her side in rural, middle-of-nowhere Montana, Jane hits her teenage years and finds herself questioning the isolation she knows so well. As she yearns to push the boundaries of her normal, her father spirals further into an extremist manifesto, and the results of their wants prove catastrophic.

A coming-of-age story that ties together both Jane’s coming of age as well as the societal technological coming of age in the 1990s. While the plot could have gone all over the place, Janelle Brown does a great job keeping the storytelling tight and clear.

Overall, this was a slow burn mystery with an ending that, while satisfying, felt rushed. (Part 3 really could have used another chapter or two.)

Thanks to Random House via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. What Kind of Paradise is out now.

Book rec! #PRHAudioPartner

I'd recommend WHAT KIND OF PARADISE, but it's tricky: I went in going so little and really enjoyed letting the story unfold. Thus I don't want to say too much about it!

Would recommend to those looking for:
- a book that can pull you in right away
- an exploration of tech's role in our lives and culture
- fiction set in the 90s

This was my first by Janelle Brown and it did leave me wanting to check out her backlist. The narration was great - I found both narrators (Helen Laser and Peter Ganim) to be well cast for their roles.

*Review posted to Instagram and Goodreads on June 10, 2025.*

"What Kind of Paradise" by Janelle Brown is a suspenseful coming-of-age novel set in the mid-1990s. It tells the story of Jane, a teenager raised in extreme isolation in a remote Montana cabin by her fiercely anti-technology father, who indoctrinates her with his paranoid worldview. Believing her mother died in a car accident, Jane's sheltered existence is shattered when she discovers her deep devotion to her father has made her an unwitting accomplice to a horrific crime. Fleeing to San Francisco, the city her parents once called home, Jane embarks on a quest to uncover the truth about her past and her mother's mysterious death, forcing her to confront the burgeoning world of the internet and question everything she thought she knew about family, trust, and the elusive nature of paradise.

4.5 / 5 stars

Jane has spent her entire life in an isolated Montana cabin, raised off the grid by her fiercely self-reliant, enigmatic father. She’s never been to school, has only one friend from town, and knows the world only through dense philosophical texts and her father’s warnings about modern life — and stolen opportunities to watch the TV set her father locks in his office. But now that Jane is on the cusp of adulthood, she begins to question his worldview — and his motives for keeping her so cut off. After a shocking crime, Jane flees to California in search of ties to her father’s past. There, in the early days of the internet boom, she’s drawn into a radically different world — one that offers connection, confusion, and long-buried truths about who she really is.

What Kind of Paradise is a slow-burn mystery layered with themes of isolation, identity, and the strange hope of a newly connected world. I really liked the coming-of-age arc here — Jane is written with so much nuance and heart. She’s sympathetic from the start, navigating the dissonance between who she thought she was and who she might become. Her father’s crime is slowly and thoughtfully built toward, and while the story accelerates in the final stretch, the emotional beats still land.

As a 90s kid, I loved the details that grounded this in a very specific era: Geocities neighborhoods, zines, Mystery Science Theater 3000, and of course, The X-Files. But it never feels like nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake — the time period is essential to Jane’s journey and to the larger questions the book is asking about the tension between technology and human connection, between utopia and control.

This is a quiet, thoughtful read that still manages to pack an emotional punch. I’d recommend it to fans of layered, complex family dramas, and to book clubs looking for something that offers both character depth and big-idea discussion. It’s an introspective mystery that walks the line between literary fiction and slow-burn suspense — smart, haunting, and deeply human.

This was a very unique book! Included multiple genres and kept me engaged the whole time. I really liked the characters and especially enjoyed that it was set in the 90s at a time where technology was just starting to get big. A very enjoyable read that I will recommend to people!