
Member Reviews

Put Janelle Brown with the ranks of Kristin Hannah who you may think of as popular fiction writers but can really WRITE, and make you think.
Thanks to Random House and NetGalley I had the pleasure of reading this ARC ahead of the hype I expect “What Kind of Paradise” to receive when it launches later this year. I want to avoid spoilers, so I will only describe it to say we spend more than the first half of the book getting to know teenage Jane who has been raised completely off the grid in Montana, by her brilliant but possibly a bit unhinged father. The beauty but also the deprivation of this life he has shaped for them are in contrast. Will this be Jane’s whole existence? When she insists on going on one of her dad’s mysterious trips with her, everything changes, and smart but naive Jane finds herself in SF at the beginning of the tech boom, where she learns a lot more about who she is, and who her father is.
Interweaving themes of philosophy (Thoreau, the benefits vs societal risks of technology, including concerns about AI back in the 1990s) and identify, Brown has become a favorite author and this might be her best work yet.

Growing up in an isolated cabin in Montana in the mid-1990s, Jane knows only the world that she and her father live in. Her father is elusive about their pasts, giving Jane little beyond the facts that they once lived in the Bay Area and that her mother died in a car accident, the crash propelling him to move Jane off the grid.
As Jane becomes a teenager she starts pushing against the boundaries of her restricted world. She begs to accompany her father on his occasional trips away from the cabin. But when Jane realizes that her devotion to her father has made her an accomplice to a horrific crime, she flees Montana to the only place she knows to look for answers about her mysterious past, and her mother’s death: San Francisco. It is a city in the midst of a seismic change, where her quest to understand herself will force her to reckon with both the possibilities and the perils of the fledgling internet, and where she will come to question everything she values.
I had high hopes for this book and for the most part it lived up to the hype. This story was intriguing and had me reading for hours at a time. I was so interested in Jane and how she and her father made it to their lives in seclusion. The story starts with current Jane and she tells us the story of how she got to be where she is now and when we finally got to the end and up to date, I was kind of disappointed. I had hoped for maybe a little bit more between her and dad in the end. I felt maybe it was a tad anticlimactic in the end but that’s just me. The writing was excellent and I will be recommending this to friends and other readers. 4 ⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC.

Janelle Brown’s “What Kind of Paradise” explores themes of isolation, family dynamics, and freedom. Jane, a homeschooled teenager in rural Montana, faces adulthood and existential questions. The author’s prose immerses readers in Montana’s beauty and Silicon Valley’s tech revolution. Highly recommended as a book club read.

Janelle Brown had been on my list of "authors to try" for quite some time. The premise of her newest novel seemed so interesting, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to request the advance.
This novel was reminiscent of These Silent Woods (which I loved) with paranoia mental illness instead of PTSD. It was a very dysfunctional family coming-of-age story. The 2 main characters were living way off the grid but outside life always has a way of catching up with you. Jane, and her father, were so well fleshed out. I found myself hoping Jane could overcome her naivety.
There were many thought provoking ideas that book clubs could talk through. The whole idea of father-protector/hero figure vs prison guard was a major theme, along with capitalism, tech pros and cons, finding your true self and handling the grey areas of life.
I found this a fairly quick read although the plotting was choppy in some spots. Overall, this would be a great recommendation for just about anyone.
I want to thank Random House and NetGalley for advancing the Kindle edition of the book in exchange for an honest review.
My reviews will be posted to Goodreads and Litsy and will both run indefinitely.

Jane and her father, Saul, live a simple life off the grid in a cabin in Montana. Living off the land and fending for themselves, they're a content family unit of two. Until things start falling apart as technology is introduced into the home. Saul starts behaving strangely, and Jane starts exploring a world that was previously unknown. Never did she imagine what she would find, and how it would ultimately change their lives forever.
Honestly, I did not read the premise of this book before I went in and I think I liked it better that way. It was fun going in blind and just letting the story unfold. I thought it would be another straightforward mystery but this was so much more. While there was mystery in this for sure, there were also relevant topics like the advancement of technology, coming of age, and the concept of grappling with right vs wrong.
The pacing of this book fluctuates - there are parts that are meant to get your heart racing, and other parts that may be slower but are meant to build upon each other as Jane works to figure things out. Either way, I found it all engaging, even during the slower parts.
Overall a good read and something unique to add to the TBR!
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Book blew m y mind. A 17 year old girl being home schooled living with her father that disappears days at a time. Jane asks her father if she can accompany him on 1 of his trips but will she survive after getting separated from him in the big city. A page turner for sure.

This book starts out very strong and captures your interest right away. The suspense and writing are very strong. In the end it was a like not a love as the book dragged in the last half and then felt rushed to wrap everything up.

Wow, this is a great book. First of all, it is very well written, with great character development. Set in the 90s, Jane has been raised off the grid in Montana by her father, a brilliant man but a zealot regarding the perils of the advance of technology. As someone who was in high school in the late 90s, I related a lot to the topics of the novel ( the internet, cell phones, webpages, chat rooms, etc) and the nostalgia of the times. Also a bit of a love letter to 90s San Francisco, with great descriptions. There is so much going on in this book that I don’t want to spoil! Someone else drew a comparison to Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, which was the best book I read in 2022, and I can see the parallels. So if you loved that book, definitely give this one a read. This book will stick with me, maybe Janelle Brown’s best yet.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book!

3.5 ⭐️
When I read the description for this new novel by Janelle Brown, I thought of THESE SILENT WOODS. A girl and her father in a remote cabin in the woods, and the dad has to be hiding from someone or something.
Even though the description seems very similar, this does veer off in a different direction. Teenage Jane leaves the remote Montana cabin at the request of her dad, and then they go over to the Seattle area for a project that goes awry. Jane ends up on her own and forging a new life with the skills her father urged her to get.
A few times the coincidences were a bit much. I was a bit stymied at side characters that got thrown in, and as a reader I got invested in (Heidi!), but they vanished. Some things were zoomed over in the epilogue. I’d say that could be summarized as pacing problems for me.
This is a coming of age story, of sorts, which I liked. Jane had been kept in such isolation, and I wanted her to spread her wings. That part was gratifying. The treatise on artificial intelligence in the 1990s? I just don’t feel that we were “there” at the time. Of course, it tries to link the 1990s thoughts on artificial intelligence as prophetic, which I don’t really buy.
I really liked the coming of age parts of this novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
It publishes June 3, 2025.

I have loved Janelle Brown’s earlier novels, but I found this a difficult read. It just was the wrong setting, and demographics to get my attention. It certainly is well written, as are all her novels, but not something that I really related to.
Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read a novel by a long time favorite author.

I am a huge fan of Janelle Brown. This was Tara Westover's Educated as the child of the unabomber. Such a great read. I devoured it!

4.5 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was a smart book, clearly written by someone with a deep understanding of both the promise and perils of our digital future.
I liked the main character a lot and thought her transition into the world outside of isolated existence made so much sense. You understand how she still loves her father and the reader knows that not all of his fears are the ravings of an irrational man. We get his perspective and see the complexity behind the deranged acts.
Really recommend this novel.

*Contains spoilers* Such a great concept for a book, and so well done! This book is definitely a love letter to 90s San Francisco, and is an interesting perspective on the dawn of the internet age. I loved how complex Jane is as a character, and how complicated her relationship with her father (and eventually her mother) is. There is no black and white villain, and I appreciate that it's both hard to like and hard to hate Saul. I did think that the romantic relationship between Jane/Esme and Lionel was a bit predictable, but I suppose it makes sense considering he helped her out, and they shared a lot of interests. I think there was a big risk in making their dynamic unbalanced, since she was so vulnerable and new to the "real world," but I think in the end it didn't come off as creepy (which I was afraid of). Despite being primarily set in the 90s, a lot of what is said about technology is surprisingly topical given the explosion of AI, and makes the whole villain arc of Saul all the more complex. A really compelling read!

I think this could be her best book . It is a layered and complex story that explores the complexities of human relationships and how they grow and evolve. This one makes you think
Thanks yo Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

4.75
setting: Montana and California
rep: n/a
two five stars in a row? April is shaping up to be a great reading month! I came across this on netgalley and was drawn in by the cover first, then the synopsis. I was instantly gripped from the first page - I really liked the protagonist's narrative voice and her depth of character. I think fans of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow will love this!

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown is a beautifully written and emotionally rich novel that explores family, secrets, and the complexity of human relationships. Brown’s writing style is vivid and immersive, pulling you into the lives of the characters with depth and nuance. I loved how the story alternates between different perspectives, each voice adding layers to the central mystery. The characters are flawed and relatable, each struggling with their own desires and regrets, which made them feel incredibly real. The themes of forgiveness and self-discovery are explored with such sensitivity that I couldn’t help but be drawn in. It’s a thoughtful, moving read that’s both poignant and insightful, leaving a lasting impression long after you’ve finished.

This book started a little slow, but once it picked up momentum I couldn’t put it down. Really enjoyed the philosophical/political theory discussions; I studied the same in grad school and thought they were expertly woven into the narrative. Jane’s struggle to understanding her life, her relationship with her parents was so compelling and resonant. Even though we experienced different things in our lives, the desire and struggle to be loved and the way it influences our behavior affects us all.
As someone who has interacted with anarchist ideas quite a lot, the depiction of Jane’s father and struggle over his ideas was very well done. I have heard the justifications her father has made before and go back and forth on what I truly think about them. While the oncoming technological revolution did have many harmful consequences (surveillance, algorithms promoting nationalism/anti-semitism/conspiracy theories, AI ripping from and undermining artists), they have also produced many positive things (shared communities, dissemination of information, opportunities to connect for marginalized identities, accessibility gains). I also don’t think it is reasonable to punish someone for the harm that may come from their actions, only harm that has already been inflicted. There is more nuance to the topic than I could reasonably expect the author to cover, but I think it was pretty well done. I do think the ending came together quite quickly and could have used some further discussion or explanation of Jane’s ideas and experience after the main narrative of the book ended.

I loved Janelle Brown's other books so I couldn't wait to read this new one! I wasn't disappointed. A teenage girl has been living with her father for most of her life. They were living isolated in the backwoods of Montana in an off the grid cabin. As she gets older she has questions about their past and about her presumed dead mother. As she starts gathering clues about that past, she decides to break out and do some exploring on her own. Will she get the answers she needs? Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I couldn't put it down. I love the fast pace of the writing.

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown is a brilliant, twisty, and emotionally resonant novel that explores the illusions we build—both online and in our relationships—and the painful truths that lie beneath them. The characters are deeply human and morally complex, making every reveal hit with emotional weight. It’s a smart, gripping read that lingers long after the final page—easily a five-star standout.

I did really enjoy the writing in this and it was something different from this author than what I’m used to. However I just find this trope to be getting tired and was expecting something different!