I should have DNFed. This was not for me. I just couldn’t connect with the main character and the initial part of the book when she was kept isolated in wilderness with her dad was a plot element that I’ve read several times now. It picked up a little when she left but it was all a bit too dystopian/paranoia for me. I was bored and skimmed. I’m an outlier. Some have said this was among their faves. Not me. If you want a 5⭐️ read about a girl raised in the wilderness who then reconnects with the outside world and her mom, read The Scent Keeper by Erica Burmeister.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the e-arc!

Jane and her father live in an isolated cabin in the middle of the Montana woods. Jane’s father is always worried that a shady government agency is coming to get them. He considers himself an anti technology truth-teller and “they” don’t want his voice heard. When her father is getting ready to go on one of his mysterious trips, Jane convinces him to take her too. He takes her to Seattle and what happens there turns Jane’s life upside down. She learns her entire existence has been a lie. Swipe to read the full summary.

I loved Jane! She smart and vulnerable. She goes from a quiet isolated life centered around her father to getting caught up in his horrific crime. She sets out for San Francisco to find her mother and find answers to who she really is. The story is set the mid 1990s just a the burgeoning internet is taking hold. It was a walk down memory lane with all the references to early internet life. Anyone besides me old enough to remember chat rooms?

It was interesting to watch as is Jane plunged into the world she had little to no experience with and how she grows. She has to learn how to navigate living in a big city, get a job, and make friends.

This is an all round great mash up of mystery/thriller and historical fiction. The plot, pace, the characters, the settings are all top notch. What Kind of Paradise comes out June 10. Just go ahead and preorder it now because it’s a perfect beach read.

Where to start? I liked this book but it was very different. Jane's father is hiding from something and hides her till she's 18 in the woods in a cabin with him to keep her safe. Safe from what? His own deranged mind or someone? Jane starts to uncover a past that her father has hidden from her and after she becomes an accomplish in her father's crime she runs. She finds a whole different world and finds her mother that she thought was dead. This book was interesting and a page turner because you want to find out who Jane and her father really are and what he is hiding. Definitely a good read but the reasons he was hiding well you will have to read to find out. Love this author she makes her books such easy reads due to her excellent ability to keep you reading !

Wow. This was a very heavy read. I wouldn’t say it’s a “thriller”, more of a suspenseful drama. It was slow to start but I was all in by 40%. I enjoyed reading about Jane/ Esme but the doom of modern technology was heavy throughout. It’s a very emotional read with lots of intrigue. Solid 4 stars as it’s very well written with well drawn, human characters. Well done, Ms Brown!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC. This book is absolutely fantastic and I could not put it down. Loosely based on the Unabomber, but if the unabomber had a daughter and raised her in the cabin, in was such an amazing story of finding yourself and right and wrong and resilience. I adored this book.

This is my second Janelle Brown book and I’m pretty sure she’s an auto-buy author for me at this point. Always can count on complex characters dealing with compelling situations. I really enjoyed both the plot details and the character development in equal measure and that is not easy to do. I don’t want to go too much into the plot because I think it is best just discovered along with Jane.

“I know I’ve given you a strange life, and I’ve been hard on you sometimes. Too hard, maybe. I had the best intentions, you have to believe me; but I’ve still sometimes wondered whether I did the right thing….But the thing is, Jane, deep inside you’re just like me. You can see things, understand them, the way I do. And that’s a gift I’m glad we can share as equals. Because you’re my girl.”

I was amazed at my reaction to Jane’s experience. It ignited a strong reaction to the injustice and violation of rights and helped me understand why I see my world in black and white. I love how Brown has taken something that we crave (isolation, peace and digital detox) and turned it upside down to show us the flip side of this perceived utopia.

This book asks so many thought-provoking questions. I pondered:
- Why we feel the need to possess/control someone
- What a healthy parent-child dynamic looks like
- What we’ll do for approval/why we model ourselves on someone else
- How we break free from indoctrination
- What things come naturally and what needs to be taught
- The blurry line between mental illness and sociopathy
- Our innate self-preservation instinct
- Does knowledge unlock happiness? Or is it more like, the more we come to know about the world, the less sense it makes?
- Is being oblivious a utopia? Is ignorance bliss?
- Is naivete a valid excuse for blindness?

I won’t forget Jane in a hurry. She’s an inspiring character who embarks on a new adventure, challenges her beliefs, confronts her fears and discovers she has the power to reinvent herself and shape her own identity. She learns invaluable lessons about vulnerability, preparedness, connection and freedom.

This story is worthy of all the stars; it’s a unique, unexpected narrative and the intentionality in Brown’s storytelling is stellar! Not only has Brown invented a creative premise, but she has also perfected the measure of detail needed to envision her characters as they interact and the events as they unfold. I’ll be championing this book because it challenged me to examine my perceived narrative and armed me with the intention to reshape mine and live a better story.

You’ll be glad you added this engaging story which leads readers to question the ripple effects of obscuring the truth and secret-keeping to your TBR.

I was gifted his copy by the publisher through NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Another phenomenal thriller from Brown that doesn't just entertain, it gets you thinking about the implication of how we've folded technology into our culture--or rather, how it engulfed us. This novel was of special interest to me because I also got into HTML in high school in the late 90s and had pure belief in the democratization of information. And now, well look at the world burning because of it. This novel feels special-made for us Xennials who have had that love/hate relationship with the internet.

Even without that special interest, any reader will enjoy the depth of the characters, the pace of the plot, and the exploration of the implications of our online lives.

The novel was provided by the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

This book was absolutely great! It was fast-paced and so unique. A cross between a mystery and a coming-of-age story, this book will have you rooting for Jane while you question how she grew up to be such a strong woman while having such an interesting and complex upbringing. I don't want to give too much away because there are just so many twists and turns that I don't want to ruin. Just read this book - you won't regret it!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to preview What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown in exchange for my honest review. I have loved everything I've read by Brown, and this was no exception. This kept me riveted from the first chapter as I followed Jane/Esme's coming of age journey.

Brown is a skilled creator of complex female characters that feel like real, layered people. Jane/Esme isn't perfect, but she is very relatable. Having grown up off the grid with her anti-technology zealot father, Jane/Esme if forced to reconcile reality with her father's teachings all while learning how to live outside the cabin that was her home since age 4. Her journey is hard, and she makes a lot of mistakes along the way. However, Brown wrote her with such empathy that you can't help but be on her side through it all.

I can't wait to see what Brown comes up with next.

Another wonderful novel by Janelle Brown. An unusual coming of age story with unforgettable characters, unique storyline, and enough suspense to keep you turning the pages. 4.5 stars

Janelle Brown’s *What Kind of Paradise* is a gripping novel that dives into themes of isolation, identity, and self-determination. The story revolves 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.

Brown’s writing pulls you in with its vivid descriptions and emotional depth, exploring the tricky dynamics of parental devotion and the fine line between survival and control. As Jane pieces together her past and learns more about her mother, the book raises important questions about personal freedom and the stories we choose to tell about ourselves.

*What Kind of Paradise* blends suspense with deep introspection, making it both a thrilling read and a thoughtful look at identity and the burdens of the past. Fans of literary thrillers and coming-of-age stories will definitely enjoy this captivating and thought-provoking journey.

What Kind of Paradise, Janelle Brown's newest thriller, is compelling and unputdownable. The plot is perfectly paced; as the author meted out each little piece of the puzzle, I just wanted more. At the same time, it was definitely one of those books I did not want to end because I was enjoying it so much.

This is the fourth book I've read by this author and I've thoroughly enjoyed every one of them. She is a fantastic storyteller who has an amazing talent for crafting interesting and multi-dimensional characters. Any reader who enjoys this genre needs to put Janelle Brown on their must-read list.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random House and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Living off the grid with her father, Jane knows that he is her everything. With no tv, internet, or any outside distractions, Jane learns to live off the land and study from the books her father provides. As she gets older though, she begins to push back, and eventually finds a photo of her and her mother, but with different names listed on the back. When her father includes her in a horrible crime, Jane it determined to find the mother she thought was dead.

Oh man, Janelle Brown knows how to write a crazy story. I was so mad at Jane’s dad throughout the book, I just wanted him to tell her the truth and let her life her life! I found the deep look at AI, and the internet when it first came out so fascinating, and damn if Jane’s dad didn’t make a few good points. Sadly, we are far past that at this point! While Jane was insanely naive, I felt like she also had a really strong head on her shoulders, and I loved watching her move into the real world. I could not put this one down and highly recommend it!

Thank you to @randomhouse for my gifted copy of this book!

4.75 Stars

Such an interesting read that delves into the impact of AI and technology on society while following the journey of a young girl and her quest to find answers.

Jane/Esme was such a well written character. The novel starts off while she is living off the grid (OTG) in the Montana woods with her survivalist father. Her father is convinced that technology will only bring doom to society and implements that mentality into all of his teachings to her. However, as Jane gets older she begins to question his teachings and after a whirlwind outing with her father she is left to fend for herself in San Francisco. I loved this part of the book the most, when Jane is experiencing everything in the modern world for the first time and finally able to draw her own conclusions about the world without her father breathing down her neck.

I highly recommend everyone read this book, its plot is beautifully layered with complex characters and the content is so thought provoking.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.

I was drawn into this immediately -- the narrative voice was sharp and compelling. It didn't take long for my brain to recall a similar case from American short-term history, which shall remain nameless here. Nonetheless, the story swept me along, realistic, painful, plausible. I remember the heady early days of computers, fast money, and the Internet. This story rang true.

My only complaint is that the end felt a little rushed. For the sake of the story, I get it, but it was a little unsatisfying for me.

I really appreciated the philosophical issues presented here -- it would do us good as a society to continue to look at them.

Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

What Kind of Paradise is a gripping and immersive read, full of secrets, privilege, and moral dilemmas. Janelle Brown weaves a compelling story that explores wealth, ambition, and the cost of reinvention. The characters are flawed yet fascinating, and the setting is lush and atmospheric, adding to the novel’s sense of unease. With sharp social commentary and plenty of twists, this is an addictive and thought-provoking read that kept me turning the pages.

I found this to be a compelling story with complex, fleshed out characters. I was intrigued by the main character's mother.

Loved this book. The story pulled me in right away, and while it got maybe a little far fetched in the final third, and a tad rushed right at the end, I enjoyed the ride and was satisfied with the ending. The writing was rich and the characters were vivid, the subject matter was as relevant as it’s ever been. Another entertaining read from this author!

A girl is raised in isolation with her father, who rants against technology. She has to decide how she wants to live her life, in an unusual coming of age story. Emotional and thought-provoking.