3.5⭐️ rounded up
Intriguing premise that is well executed. I’m enjoying all the books that are looking at stories through a less common POV and this story - that is loosely based on the Unabomber - is infinitely more interesting when told through the eyes and memories of a daughter. Lots of fun tidbits from the 1990s, this book is part coming-of-age, part reflection on society in the technological age, and part family drama. Think Educated (by Tara Westover) meets These Silent Woods (by Kimi Cunningham Grant) then add in some murders. A few slow chapters in the middle section, but otherwise a pretty engaging read.

A page-turner from the beginning, this novel is about Jane who is being raised by her beloved father in a remote cabin in Montana, completely off the grid. She loves him unconditionally as he teaches her literature as well as the dangers of technology and the federal government. Often he stages drills if the bad guys come to get them. The reader understands his delusions but Jane is committed to him and desires his approval. Things change as she grows up, however, and begins to see the outside world in brief glimpses. Jane finds out a bit about her mother, who she thought died, and her real identity and understands that her father may not have been honest with her. In an attempt to possibly escape for a new life, Jane accompanies her father on a trip to Seattle and becomes an accomplice to a crime. They part ways and the remainder of the novel follows Jane as she tries to build a new life while still being heavily influenced by her father and upbringing. The story raises many questions about technology, AI, and the balance of both good and bad influences on society. I highly recommend it!

Where to begin? This book is incredible. Jane/Esmes story is so powerful. A child locked in isolation in the woods of Montana, growing up in a cult-like environment under her father’s rule. Growing up with Jane throughout this story was incredibly touching and felt awe inspiring as we watched her navigate struggles. Incredible novel couldn’t recommend enough.

This is a difficult book to review. The plot was very interesting, but the father's many philosophical "lessons" left me cold. I ended up skimming through the book to follow Jane's story. I have read other Janelle Brown books and liked them. Although this book was not my favorite, I still look forward to her next novel.

Thank you, Random House and Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. The comments expressed are my own.

This was the first book Ithat I have read from this author. The book was an enjoyable read. The characters were well developed and the storyline kept the reader interested. This is a book which I would recommend to others.

Seventeen year old Jane believes that her mother died in a tragic accident when she was four years of age. Ever since then, she and her dad have lived in a remote part of Montana. Jane is home-schooled and has had no contact with other people except for occasional visits to a nearby small town. Her father is a doomsday philosopher who warns Jane about the dangers associated with technology and its impact on the future of humanity. As the story progresses, it's unclear if dad is a genius, mentally ill, or maybe both.

When dad allows Jane to accompany him on a "secret mission," the story flips on its head. Suddenly Jane is alone in a strange new world and suspected of a crime. She's found evidence that her real name is Esme and that her mother may be living in San Francisco. She makes her way there, hoping she can find the answers she needs.

I loved reading this book. It has an interesting plot, well drawn characters, and a bit of mystery. It also has lots of food for thought. The timeline of the story is interesting because it takes place in the 90's when our computerized world was just getting started. The machines were still desktop and people were shocked to think about the future when a computer would fit in your hand. Internet availability on a personal level was very early on. There was talk of artificial intelligence and what that would mean.

On a personal level, Esme experiences conflicting emotions. Can she trust what her father has taught her? Will her new best friend keep her secret. Can she stay safe? Her life is a teetering balance between hope and fear. Similar to Esme's concerns, the book raises the issues of trust and safety for all of mankind. Technology, how do we evaluate its impact? Will the good outweigh the bad, or vice versa? These questions hit home more than ever today. To quote a thought in the story, "civilization's path is a pendulum that swings both ways, vacillating between hope and despair, success and failure, and all we can do is hang on for dear life."

This book is being released in June and I highly recommend it. Thanks so much Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for letting me read and review this offering.

If you fictionalized and crossed Educated, the Unabomber and the burgeoning tech industry of the early to mid-nineties, I think you would get a similar result to What Kind of Paradise. Jane lives with her father in a cabin in the woods, off the grid. As a child she doesn't question this, but as she grows up, she both questions her father's state of mind and strafes at being stuck in a cabin, increasingly alone as her father wanders off. When her father brings home a laptop and demands that she learn how to code so she can upload his manifesto, a whole new world opens up for Jane. One that sets her on a path to an incident with her father, and a search to figure out who she really is in the heart of Silicon Valley. The circumstances set in place by Brown in the book are incredibly unusual, and yet she does a fantastic job of making it feel plausible. A very intelligent man is increasingly driven to seeing advancing technology as a means of societal destruction, and the starting point of collapsing humanity and a young woman raised within the constructs of the environment he creates for her. Incredibly book smart herself, she's naive to the ways of the world and the society she tries to live in. The reader can see the teetering madness of Saul, Jane's father. He's not wrong that the technology he fears has the potential to be destructive but his self-assuredness that not only his daughter but everyone else would see things his way because he's so much smarter than everyone is delusional. Jane is the perfect balance of determined, naive and conflicted - she knows her father is doing bad things, but how can she possibly turn him in when he's the one person that's consistently existed in her sheltered life. One character that serves a secondary role but adds balance to the story is Lionel. In a world where many people are willing to take advantage of Jane, he is a nerdy programmer that's willing to take her under his wing and help her out without any expectation of getting anything in return. There's points where the book felt really long to me, and there were parts where it was hard to read about Jane trying to navigate her way through the world, but the story is well done. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“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 𝒷𝑒𝒶𝓇.”

<i>╰┈➤ˎˊ˗ <b>A sweeping, suspenseful novel from bestselling author Janelle Brown, we see a young woman on a quest to understand how we come to know ourselves. It is a bold and unforgettable story about parents and children; nature and technology; innocence and knowledge; the losses of our past and our dreams for the future.</B>

Wow. This was quite a journey and what a read! I didn’t completely know what this book was about other than isolation in a cabin in the woods with a potential unabomber.

I did a quick google search when I got to around 40% and there is in fact a case of a unabomber in the later 90s that was living in rural Montana- I didn’t read too much of the story bc if this story had anymore similarities than it already had, I didn’t want to spoil it for myself.

What Kind of Paradise is a gripping novel that dives into themes of isolation, identity, and self-determination.

The story centers around Jane, a teenager raised in total isolation by her dad in a remote Montana cabin during the ’90s. As she grows up, Jane starts to question her secluded life and realizes she’s been involved in a shocking crime without even knowing it. When she escapes to San Francisco, she sets off on a quest to figure out who she really is in the midst of a rapidly changing city.

I’ll be honest- this isn’t fast paced. It’s not a thriller. I found it to be a slow simmering story that gradually reveals its true horrors. A suspenseful drama is more accurate.

A complex story of father-daughter relationships, 90s nostalgia, moral dilemmas, coming of age, young love, and 2025 happens to be a particularly poignant time to read about the early days of the internet.

Being a damn near geriatric millennial lol I always find the whole dot com explosion so interesting. It’s so crazy that not very long ago we didn’t have the internet. It’s wild to think of the times when we were just connecting to the World Wide Web for the first time and how that would impact people.

I’m writing this review on my phone and I’ll come back to edit this again but I did want to get up my initial thoughts.

There were areas that I found a little boring, particularly the dad’s background and his biography of sorts that he left Jane. Some of the techy lingo chapters were a bit of a slog for me to get through, but as a whole I was compelled to keep reading.

I both adored Jane/Esme and loathed her- what an impossible situation she was in. What hard choices and to be honest, if I really put myself in her shoes would I do any different?

Thought provoking, gripping and one that will stay with you! Highly recommend!

Expected Pub Date - 06/10/25

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced digital copy, all thoughts are my own.

I have heard alot of buzz on this book and have read alot of positive things and was really looking forward to diving in. Although I made it through, it did feel like a bit of a struggle. Thanks for the read and much luck with it.

I had a hard time reviewing this book. While it was kind of interesting and well written, I did not connect to the story or subject matter. I didn’t find the characters compelling enough to care about; I wasn’t invested in their stories or their outcomes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

I liked What Kind of Paradise, but not as much as I'd expected. I feel the description was a little misleading - I was imagining something akin to an adult version of Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix, but the majority of the story takes place after Jane's left the cabin. (I actually thought the San Francisco section was by far the strongest, but again, not what I was anticipating!) And while I found Jane as a character believable, I thought both her father and mother read somewhat flat, and I wasn't as invested in those interpersonal dynamics as I wanted to be.

What Kind of Paradise is a beautifully reflective novel about personal journeys, healing, and the pursuit of happiness. The author’s rich storytelling paints a vivid picture of complex emotions and relationships. A deeply moving read that resonates long after finishing.

What Kind of Paradise?

Not what I was hoping for

I wanted to love this one—the premise had so much potential! But unfortunately, it just didn’t click for me. I struggled to connect with the character, and everything seemed to fall into place a little too easily, which took away any real sense of suspense.

That said, I can see how others might enjoy it—maybe it just wasn’t the right fit for me. And honestly, I’m surprised I don’t have more to say (I know, shocking, right?). Usually, I have too much to say!

2.5 ⭐️ What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown had an intriguing premise that immediately caught my attention. A young woman raised in isolation, a father-daughter relationship built on secrecy, and a journey to uncover the truth about her past, it all sounded like the kind of story I would love. But as much as I wanted to be fully immersed, I just couldn’t connect with it the way I had hoped.

I’ve read Pretty Things by this author and enjoyed it, so I was excited to pick this one up. The writing is strong, and there are moments of intrigue that kept me reading, but I found myself struggling with the pacing. Some parts moved too quickly, while others felt drawn out, making it hard for me to stay engaged. I also wanted to feel more of the emotional weight behind Jane’s journey, but something about the way it unfolded left me feeling at a distance.

That said, I know I’m in the minority. I can see why others have loved this book, and I think readers who connect more with Jane’s story will find a lot to appreciate. It just wasn’t the right fit for me this time.

Expected Publication Date: June 10, 2025

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

My first Janelle book and wow!! Big 5 stars ⭐️! I loved it, and will definitely recommend this book! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc of this book!

Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Wow! This story was completely engrossing from the very first chapter. Jane and her father, Saul, live off the land in the middle of Montana. Saul is a conspiracy theorist, and he wants the world to hear what he has to say about how technology is going to be the death of society as we know it. As the dominos began to fall, Jane is caught in the middle and has to choose whether to believe her father or make her own decisions based on the information she is given.
I loved everything about this book. I love seeing into the mind of someone who is a little more than a little nuts. I loved seeing Jane figuring things out on her own and becoming her own person, separate from.her father (basically the only person she has contact with her entire life). I loved this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Janelle Brown for offering an ARC of this title.

I’ve read other works by Ms Brown and enjoyed them very much. This was a different sort of read and I kept looking for it to take a turn and get back to more of what I am familiar with. It never really did.

I didn’t care much for the Unabomber likeness in Jane’s father or her undesirable
mother. Once the story location moved to San Francisco it began to reveal itself, but it left me flat in the end. Not a Janelle Brown book that I’m used to.

There's much to love here: a complex story of father-daughter relationships, 90s nostalgia, moral dilemmas, coming of age, young love, and 2025 happens to be a particularly poignant time to read about the early days of the internet.

Janelle Brown is a favorite author of mine. Her latest, What Kind of Paradise was amazing! Pick this one up on publication day!

Whoa. What a book. One of those books I wish I could read again for the first time. The writing was beautiful, the plot unique, and it has left me thinking for a long time. I felt this in my bones. A mix between “When the Crawdad Sings” and the Unabomber, between SF tech in the late 90s, between love and nature.