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What Kind of Paradise
A teenage girl breaks free from her father's world of isolation in this exhilarating novel of family, identity, and the power we have to shape our own destinies—from the New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Things and Watch Me Disappear
The first thing you have to understand is that my father was my entire world.
Growing up in an isolated cabin in Montana in the mid-1990s, Jane knows only the world that she and her father live the woodstove that heats their home, the vegetable garden where they try to eke out a subsistence existence, the books of nineteenth-century philosophy that her father gives her to read in lieu of going to school. 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 to raise her in a Thoreau-like utopia.
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 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.
The first thing you have to understand is that my father was my entire world.
Growing up in an isolated cabin in Montana in the mid-1990s, Jane knows only the world that she and her father live the woodstove that heats their home, the vegetable garden where they try to eke out a subsistence existence, the books of nineteenth-century philosophy that her father gives her to read in lieu of going to school. 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 to raise her in a Thoreau-like utopia.
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 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.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published June 3, 2025
2476 people are currently reading
85543 people want to read
About the author
Janelle Brown
12 books3,187 followersWelcome to my home on Goodreads.
A little about me: I'm the New York Times bestselling author of the novels PRETTY THINGS, WATCH ME DISAPPEAR, ALL WE EVER WANTED WAS EVERYTHING, THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE, I'LL BE YOU and the upcoming WHAT KIND OF PARADISE. My books have been New York Times bestsellers and published in a dozen countries around the world. My books tend to be page-turners with dysfunctional family relationships at their hearts; domestic dramas crossed with literary suspense. I'm also very much a California writer, and my books are set across the state.
I'm always happy to answer questions here, but you can also find me on Instagram and Twitter -- and if you visit http://www.janellebrown.com you can also sign up for my newsletter.
I've known I wanted to be a novelist ever since I was in first grade, when my teacher looked at the whimsical little books I liked to make (and the pile of books I checked out of the school library every week) and said that I could be an author when I grew up. I took her suggestion to heart.
It took me several decades to get to novel-writing, though. I first started off as an essayist and journalist, writing for Wired and Salon in San Francisco, during the dotcom boom years. In the 1990’s, I was also the editor and co-founder of Maxi, an irreverent (and now, long-gone) women's pop culture magazine. My writing has also appeared in Vogue, The New York Times, Elle, Wired, Self, The Los Angeles Times, and numerous other publications.
I've spent the fifteen years working on my novels, writing the occasional essay, and living in Los Angeles with my husband and two children.
A little about me: I'm the New York Times bestselling author of the novels PRETTY THINGS, WATCH ME DISAPPEAR, ALL WE EVER WANTED WAS EVERYTHING, THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE, I'LL BE YOU and the upcoming WHAT KIND OF PARADISE. My books have been New York Times bestsellers and published in a dozen countries around the world. My books tend to be page-turners with dysfunctional family relationships at their hearts; domestic dramas crossed with literary suspense. I'm also very much a California writer, and my books are set across the state.
I'm always happy to answer questions here, but you can also find me on Instagram and Twitter -- and if you visit http://www.janellebrown.com you can also sign up for my newsletter.
I've known I wanted to be a novelist ever since I was in first grade, when my teacher looked at the whimsical little books I liked to make (and the pile of books I checked out of the school library every week) and said that I could be an author when I grew up. I took her suggestion to heart.
It took me several decades to get to novel-writing, though. I first started off as an essayist and journalist, writing for Wired and Salon in San Francisco, during the dotcom boom years. In the 1990’s, I was also the editor and co-founder of Maxi, an irreverent (and now, long-gone) women's pop culture magazine. My writing has also appeared in Vogue, The New York Times, Elle, Wired, Self, The Los Angeles Times, and numerous other publications.
I've spent the fifteen years working on my novels, writing the occasional essay, and living in Los Angeles with my husband and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,042 reviews
September 3, 2025
Dear bookish friends,
Stop what you’re doing right now and request an ARC of this book immediately! And after its release, make sure to grab your own copy to proudly add to your treasured library. Trust me—go into this book blind and devour every single page. It’s truly extraordinary! As many brilliant readers and reviewers have already noted, this is not only Janelle Brown’s best work but also one of the finest novels of 2025. I’ve already placed it on my top ten fiction/mystery list!
This masterpiece explores the impact of technology, the rise of AI, societal changes, the fine line between intelligence and madness, and themes of family dysfunction, abandonment, and doomsday fears. From the moment you start, you won’t be able to stop reading. The story’s provocative ideas and deeply resonant themes will leave you speechless, as every chapter masterfully challenges the reader with thought-provoking perspectives.
The story follows 17-year-old Jane, who lives an isolated life in a remote cabin in Montana with her overprotective father. Jane’s only connection to the outside world is through occasional trips to a bookstore and rare phone calls with her only friend, Helen, the bookstore owner’s daughter. Jane is homeschooled and well-versed in philosophy, survival skills, and self-reliance, from cooking freshly hunted chickens to chopping wood for winter fires. However, she has never socialized with peers, applied for a driver’s license, or even experienced popular culture like watching her favorite TV show, The X-Files, on a colored television.
Her father strictly teaches her that technology is destructive and warns of its potential to destroy civilization. Jane is told her mother died in a traffic accident and that her father is the only person she can trust. However, her father begins disappearing for days, leaving Jane alone. One day, he returns with an IBM computer, which becomes Jane’s first glimpse of freedom. Through it, she connects with the modern world and strikes up an online friendship with Lionel, a 21-year-old tech worker in San Francisco.
When Jane finally begs her father to let her accompany him on one of his secret trips, her world spirals out of control. Left stranded in a big city without any survival skills, Jane must navigate her newfound freedom, investigate her father’s mysterious past, and uncover the truth about her family. Along the way, she discovers that nothing is as it seems, forcing her to redefine her identity—at a cost that may be greater than she can bear.
I devoured every page of this book and was captivated by its flawless execution, deeply layered plot, and perfectly developed characters. Jane’s tragic family dynamic chilled me to the core. I absolutely loved everything about this novel and cannot recommend it enough. Shout it from the rooftops—this book is a must-read! Don’t let it languish on your TBR pile. Grab it and dive in!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with this brilliant ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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Stop what you’re doing right now and request an ARC of this book immediately! And after its release, make sure to grab your own copy to proudly add to your treasured library. Trust me—go into this book blind and devour every single page. It’s truly extraordinary! As many brilliant readers and reviewers have already noted, this is not only Janelle Brown’s best work but also one of the finest novels of 2025. I’ve already placed it on my top ten fiction/mystery list!
This masterpiece explores the impact of technology, the rise of AI, societal changes, the fine line between intelligence and madness, and themes of family dysfunction, abandonment, and doomsday fears. From the moment you start, you won’t be able to stop reading. The story’s provocative ideas and deeply resonant themes will leave you speechless, as every chapter masterfully challenges the reader with thought-provoking perspectives.
The story follows 17-year-old Jane, who lives an isolated life in a remote cabin in Montana with her overprotective father. Jane’s only connection to the outside world is through occasional trips to a bookstore and rare phone calls with her only friend, Helen, the bookstore owner’s daughter. Jane is homeschooled and well-versed in philosophy, survival skills, and self-reliance, from cooking freshly hunted chickens to chopping wood for winter fires. However, she has never socialized with peers, applied for a driver’s license, or even experienced popular culture like watching her favorite TV show, The X-Files, on a colored television.
Her father strictly teaches her that technology is destructive and warns of its potential to destroy civilization. Jane is told her mother died in a traffic accident and that her father is the only person she can trust. However, her father begins disappearing for days, leaving Jane alone. One day, he returns with an IBM computer, which becomes Jane’s first glimpse of freedom. Through it, she connects with the modern world and strikes up an online friendship with Lionel, a 21-year-old tech worker in San Francisco.
When Jane finally begs her father to let her accompany him on one of his secret trips, her world spirals out of control. Left stranded in a big city without any survival skills, Jane must navigate her newfound freedom, investigate her father’s mysterious past, and uncover the truth about her family. Along the way, she discovers that nothing is as it seems, forcing her to redefine her identity—at a cost that may be greater than she can bear.
I devoured every page of this book and was captivated by its flawless execution, deeply layered plot, and perfectly developed characters. Jane’s tragic family dynamic chilled me to the core. I absolutely loved everything about this novel and cannot recommend it enough. Shout it from the rooftops—this book is a must-read! Don’t let it languish on your TBR pile. Grab it and dive in!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with this brilliant ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
twitter<
June 2, 2025
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The Book Review Crew Blog
This is my first book by this author, and it was a winner. Jane and her dad live in a cabin in the woods of Montana. She knows nothing about her past except that they used to live in San Francisco and her mom died in a car accident, but as Jane comes of age, she starts to question everything her father has ever told her. She then learns that her dad is a criminal, prompting her to escape and head to San Francisco to investigate her past.
Janelle Brown writes beautifully, and I don't mean in a flowery prose sort of way; her writing sucks you in and keeps you turning pages to find out what happens next. This was such a compelling read and very thought-provoking. There are plenty of genres to describe this one, and it didn't bother me at all. This is a character-driven literary mystery, a coming-of-age tale, and a smidgen of romance all in one. It asks the question, "Has the internet and technology improved our lives or has it ruined us?"
The author magnificently builds suspense and slowly peels away the layers of family secrets like an onion. This isn't just a mystery or thriller in the usual sense; it's really about how our parents' choices impact our lives far into the future and whether we can ever escape them. The premise is utterly unique and executed well. I have to admit that it is a slow burn as we learn about everything from the past, but in a really good way, I thoroughly enjoyed it. And it was a great throwback to the '90s.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
The Book Review Crew Blog
This is my first book by this author, and it was a winner. Jane and her dad live in a cabin in the woods of Montana. She knows nothing about her past except that they used to live in San Francisco and her mom died in a car accident, but as Jane comes of age, she starts to question everything her father has ever told her. She then learns that her dad is a criminal, prompting her to escape and head to San Francisco to investigate her past.
Janelle Brown writes beautifully, and I don't mean in a flowery prose sort of way; her writing sucks you in and keeps you turning pages to find out what happens next. This was such a compelling read and very thought-provoking. There are plenty of genres to describe this one, and it didn't bother me at all. This is a character-driven literary mystery, a coming-of-age tale, and a smidgen of romance all in one. It asks the question, "Has the internet and technology improved our lives or has it ruined us?"
The author magnificently builds suspense and slowly peels away the layers of family secrets like an onion. This isn't just a mystery or thriller in the usual sense; it's really about how our parents' choices impact our lives far into the future and whether we can ever escape them. The premise is utterly unique and executed well. I have to admit that it is a slow burn as we learn about everything from the past, but in a really good way, I thoroughly enjoyed it. And it was a great throwback to the '90s.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
June 16, 2025
“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.”
╰┈➤ˎˊ˗ 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.
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, and young love.
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.
╰┈➤ˎˊ˗ 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.
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, and young love.
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.
August 3, 2025
A recluse and his daughter, Jane, live in the backwoods of Montana. They’ve been there for 15 years since her mother died. He’s anti technology and believes it will be the end of the human race. Jane, on the other hand, craves new experiences, friends. When her dad comes home with a computer, she creates the html to upload his ranting manifesto. Then their lives go on a destructive course and Jane has no choice but to run -as she is now complicit in her father’s quest.
Brown reveals the negative aspects and implications of technology on children; on society. Extreme ideologies that can wield destruction. But also, the positive aspects, the simplification and the ease that it can provide.
Themes of identity, isolation, familial relationships and the role technology plays in our lives.
4⭐️
A solid story.
Brown reveals the negative aspects and implications of technology on children; on society. Extreme ideologies that can wield destruction. But also, the positive aspects, the simplification and the ease that it can provide.
Themes of identity, isolation, familial relationships and the role technology plays in our lives.
4⭐️
A solid story.
June 9, 2025
4.5 rounded to 5 for GR! i looooved this one! was constantly thinking about it when i wasn’t listening and couldn’t wait to get back to it. plus it was creative, thought-provoking, unique and a good blend of genres. AKA my fave type of books lately 👏🏼
🎧 also the audiobook was SO good. narrated by one of my faves Helen Naser (same narrator of THE WEDDING PEOPLE and YELLOWFACE) and that’s prob why i liked this book so much (not sure i woulda felt this strongly if i read it). she brought it to life so well and we got a male narration when the POV shifted to the MMC which was a nice surprise!
this book is so unique idk how to compare or describe it! i kinda went in blind but all i knew is there was a young girl who had lived off the grid and she “escaped” and started learning about who she really was—and who her dad really was and why they lived that way.
it was so thought provoking and i think this would be so great for book clubs. i’m actually shocked it wasn’t picked up by Reese or Jenna for June—this is just so good. this was my first book by her but makes me want to go read more. she is a fabulous storyteller!!!
this book has a bit of everything… family drama, thriller/suspense/mystery elements, dystopian/science fiction, romance, coming of age-ish.
and the way it takes place in the 90s/early 2000s with the rise of the internet and computer/digital age and hints at AI and what it will do to us…. to see where we are now 😅👀 just yes.
my main critique is that it ended so fast!! there was suuuuuch a long build up and i wanted a bit more with the resolution and seeing it all play out. that said, maybe the beginning “setting the scene” was a bit too long but i was so fully immersed in their off the grid life and think it was impactful when you consider how extreme everything was when sh*t hit the fan. makes me wonder if there are people that still live that way and refuse to conform to this digital age (or if it’s even possible?!?!)
bravo to this!!! will certainly be a fave 2025 read for me! pick up the audiobook and thank me later :)
thanks to Randomhouse for getting this on my radar!!
🎧 also the audiobook was SO good. narrated by one of my faves Helen Naser (same narrator of THE WEDDING PEOPLE and YELLOWFACE) and that’s prob why i liked this book so much (not sure i woulda felt this strongly if i read it). she brought it to life so well and we got a male narration when the POV shifted to the MMC which was a nice surprise!
this book is so unique idk how to compare or describe it! i kinda went in blind but all i knew is there was a young girl who had lived off the grid and she “escaped” and started learning about who she really was—and who her dad really was and why they lived that way.
it was so thought provoking and i think this would be so great for book clubs. i’m actually shocked it wasn’t picked up by Reese or Jenna for June—this is just so good. this was my first book by her but makes me want to go read more. she is a fabulous storyteller!!!
this book has a bit of everything… family drama, thriller/suspense/mystery elements, dystopian/science fiction, romance, coming of age-ish.
and the way it takes place in the 90s/early 2000s with the rise of the internet and computer/digital age and hints at AI and what it will do to us…. to see where we are now 😅👀 just yes.
my main critique is that it ended so fast!! there was suuuuuch a long build up and i wanted a bit more with the resolution and seeing it all play out. that said, maybe the beginning “setting the scene” was a bit too long but i was so fully immersed in their off the grid life and think it was impactful when you consider how extreme everything was when sh*t hit the fan. makes me wonder if there are people that still live that way and refuse to conform to this digital age (or if it’s even possible?!?!)
bravo to this!!! will certainly be a fave 2025 read for me! pick up the audiobook and thank me later :)
thanks to Randomhouse for getting this on my radar!!
June 4, 2025
"The first thing you have to understand is that my father was my entire world."
The mid-1990's witnessed a notable increase of conspiracy theories due to the increase in technology and the internet. The public's trust in the government plummeted after many failed promises. UFO theorists thought the government was covering up after several movies depicted it as true. The end of the Cold War suggested uncertainty in other countries and the critical race theory came to light thanks to technology, so many people began to plan for a fight against enemies unknown.
In an isolated cabin in Montana, Jane knows only the world that she and her father live in. Her father, Saul, a conspiracy theorist, sees the world as the "death of society" due to lack of respect for nature and the increase in technology. He earned 4 degrees at Harvard with his knowledge presented to his daughter who had to diligently study Thoreau's philosophy. As his anti-government issues grew, she began to see a chilling side. He became more challenging and controlling as he lived in fear. When she became part of a horrific crime, she ran.
As she set out on her own, she tried to find her way, feeling isolated in an unknown world. This is a thought-provoking book. Not everything you disagree with. Some points are valid, but later revealed as a mental illness. This book will challenge your thoughts and awareness and may become one of the top books for 2025. The author did a great job researching the historical part of society and presenting it in a fictional way.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The mid-1990's witnessed a notable increase of conspiracy theories due to the increase in technology and the internet. The public's trust in the government plummeted after many failed promises. UFO theorists thought the government was covering up after several movies depicted it as true. The end of the Cold War suggested uncertainty in other countries and the critical race theory came to light thanks to technology, so many people began to plan for a fight against enemies unknown.
In an isolated cabin in Montana, Jane knows only the world that she and her father live in. Her father, Saul, a conspiracy theorist, sees the world as the "death of society" due to lack of respect for nature and the increase in technology. He earned 4 degrees at Harvard with his knowledge presented to his daughter who had to diligently study Thoreau's philosophy. As his anti-government issues grew, she began to see a chilling side. He became more challenging and controlling as he lived in fear. When she became part of a horrific crime, she ran.
As she set out on her own, she tried to find her way, feeling isolated in an unknown world. This is a thought-provoking book. Not everything you disagree with. Some points are valid, but later revealed as a mental illness. This book will challenge your thoughts and awareness and may become one of the top books for 2025. The author did a great job researching the historical part of society and presenting it in a fictional way.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 4, 2025
This is a blend of historical fiction and mystery. It’s set in the 1990s when the exciting world of the dot-com era start-ups were happening, along with the environment where the Unabomber mentality flourished, when the trappings of modern society and the age of the internet were met with distrust.
17-year-old Jane and her dad have lived in in a remote cabin in Montana, since she was 4. They live a quiet existence of books and homesteading skills necessary for living life off the grid. Her father has strong beliefs regarding modern society and the digital age.
But then her dad brings home a computer and Jane’s life opened up to a world beyond her own via the internet. She begins to question everything she thought she knew.
Yet, isn’t there a kernel of truth to her father’s beliefs? While finding his methods abhorrent? In hindsight, isn’t there much we know in 2025 that lends credence to his thoughts? And this dichotomy is the conundrum.
Jane is a true stranger in a strange land as she begins to venture outside her narrow world. To say anything more would involve spoilers so I will only say it’s a worthwhile read which will surely be on my favorites list this year.
I did have to accept some unlikely coincidences, but still, all the stars for such a compelling, thought-provoking read.
17-year-old Jane and her dad have lived in in a remote cabin in Montana, since she was 4. They live a quiet existence of books and homesteading skills necessary for living life off the grid. Her father has strong beliefs regarding modern society and the digital age.
But then her dad brings home a computer and Jane’s life opened up to a world beyond her own via the internet. She begins to question everything she thought she knew.
Yet, isn’t there a kernel of truth to her father’s beliefs? While finding his methods abhorrent? In hindsight, isn’t there much we know in 2025 that lends credence to his thoughts? And this dichotomy is the conundrum.
Jane is a true stranger in a strange land as she begins to venture outside her narrow world. To say anything more would involve spoilers so I will only say it’s a worthwhile read which will surely be on my favorites list this year.
I did have to accept some unlikely coincidences, but still, all the stars for such a compelling, thought-provoking read.
March 19, 2025
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.
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.
August 16, 2025
—— 𝟐.𝟕𝟓 ✰ 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬. 💻
📱┆𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧
🏷️┆𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: ℍ𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 𝔽𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟, 𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕣, 𝕊𝕦𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕖
📆┆𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝟠/𝟞/𝟚𝟝 - 𝟠/𝟡/𝟚𝟝
📃┆𝓢𝔂𝓷𝓸𝓹𝓼𝓲𝓼
「 “A teenage girl breaks free from her father's world of isolation to discover that her whole life is a lie. Growing up in an isolated cabin in Montana in the mid-1990s, Jane knows only the world that she and her father live in. 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: San Francisco.”」
══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════
ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ★★.𝟕𝟓/𝟓
ɢᴏᴏᴅʀᴇᴀᴅꜱ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 𝟹.𝟻𝟾 ☆ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ
ᴘᴀɪʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ: ᴍᴄᴅᴏɴᴀʟᴅꜱ’ ɴᴜɢɢᴇᴛꜱ 🥤
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ▶︎•၊၊||၊|။|||||။၊|။• ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴅᴀʏ ɪɴ ᴘᴀʀᴀᴅɪꜱᴇ - ᴘʜɪʟ ᴄᴏʟʟɪɴꜱ
ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɪ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ?: ❌
ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
💻 ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ᴀɢᴇ
💵 ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴏꜰꜰ ɢʀɪᴅ
💻 90’ꜱ ɴᴏꜱᴛᴀʟɢɪᴄ ᴠɪʙᴇꜱ
💵 ᴅɪꜱᴄᴏᴠᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴡʜᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ
💻 ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ᴅʀɪᴠᴇɴ ꜱᴛᴏʀɪᴇꜱ
💵 ꜰᴀᴛʜᴇʀ/ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱʜɪᴘꜱ
══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════
💬┆𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
• I think I’m going to be in the minority when I say I wasn’t a fan of this one. 🫢 It was not what I was expecting it to be. I wanted a living off grid in the woods trope. I got 20% of that, 80% of the main character, Jane, going to work. Basically, I was bored.
• Let’s focus on some of the positives, shall we? because it wasn’t all a bad time otherwise I would’ve given it 1 star.
➼ the writing.
➼ the sense of wanting to know what happens next.
➼ I was invested in Adam’s story.
➼ it had some talk of a cult.
• And now for the negatives because I am, at my core, a hater —especially since I was deceived by the synopsis. Can you tell I really hate when that happens?
✘ the pacing.
✘ plot holes.
✘ not enough of their life in the woods.
✘ the author should’ve leaned into the cult trope more, I think that would’ve really spiced things up.
✘ “jane” lived in the woods, off grid, rarely socializing for 14 years, but when she’s finally out on her own, she has too easy of a time adjusting. everything just works out for her too quickly.
✘ I don’t care about Jane’s new life I want to know about her old life, damnit.
• I might be a recluse, but why would you leave a cabin in the woods, away from humans, with beautiful views, a deck with a rocking chair overlooking a stream, & wildlife, to go work in a big smelly city, surrounded by people, & work for corporate America. Even though your dad was a nut, he had the right idea in this case.
══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════
══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════ ══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹═════
❝𝑺𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒎, 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒅𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘, 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕: 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒉𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒂 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆.❞
📱┆𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧
🏷️┆𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: ℍ𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 𝔽𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟, 𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕣, 𝕊𝕦𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕖
📆┆𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝟠/𝟞/𝟚𝟝 - 𝟠/𝟡/𝟚𝟝
📃┆𝓢𝔂𝓷𝓸𝓹𝓼𝓲𝓼
「 “A teenage girl breaks free from her father's world of isolation to discover that her whole life is a lie. Growing up in an isolated cabin in Montana in the mid-1990s, Jane knows only the world that she and her father live in. 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: San Francisco.”」
❝𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓: 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅, 𝒊𝒇 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏?"❞
══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════
ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ★★.𝟕𝟓/𝟓
ɢᴏᴏᴅʀᴇᴀᴅꜱ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 𝟹.𝟻𝟾 ☆ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ
ᴘᴀɪʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ: ᴍᴄᴅᴏɴᴀʟᴅꜱ’ ɴᴜɢɢᴇᴛꜱ 🥤
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ▶︎•၊၊||၊|။|||||။၊|။• ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴅᴀʏ ɪɴ ᴘᴀʀᴀᴅɪꜱᴇ - ᴘʜɪʟ ᴄᴏʟʟɪɴꜱ
ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɪ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ?: ❌
ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
💻 ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ᴀɢᴇ
💵 ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴏꜰꜰ ɢʀɪᴅ
💻 90’ꜱ ɴᴏꜱᴛᴀʟɢɪᴄ ᴠɪʙᴇꜱ
💵 ᴅɪꜱᴄᴏᴠᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴡʜᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ
💻 ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ᴅʀɪᴠᴇɴ ꜱᴛᴏʀɪᴇꜱ
💵 ꜰᴀᴛʜᴇʀ/ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱʜɪᴘꜱ
❝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.❞
══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════
💬┆𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
• I think I’m going to be in the minority when I say I wasn’t a fan of this one. 🫢 It was not what I was expecting it to be. I wanted a living off grid in the woods trope. I got 20% of that, 80% of the main character, Jane, going to work. Basically, I was bored.
• Let’s focus on some of the positives, shall we? because it wasn’t all a bad time otherwise I would’ve given it 1 star.
➼ the writing.
➼ the sense of wanting to know what happens next.
➼ I was invested in Adam’s story.
➼ it had some talk of a cult.
• And now for the negatives because I am, at my core, a hater —especially since I was deceived by the synopsis. Can you tell I really hate when that happens?
✘ the pacing.
✘ plot holes.
✘ not enough of their life in the woods.
✘ the author should’ve leaned into the cult trope more, I think that would’ve really spiced things up.
✘ “jane” lived in the woods, off grid, rarely socializing for 14 years, but when she’s finally out on her own, she has too easy of a time adjusting. everything just works out for her too quickly.
✘ I don’t care about Jane’s new life I want to know about her old life, damnit.
• I might be a recluse, but why would you leave a cabin in the woods, away from humans, with beautiful views, a deck with a rocking chair overlooking a stream, & wildlife, to go work in a big smelly city, surrounded by people, & work for corporate America. Even though your dad was a nut, he had the right idea in this case.
══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════
❝𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍? 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒆, 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓? 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕…𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆?❞
══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════ ══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹═════
June 11, 2025
Meet my new favorite book of 2025.
Yes, this PARADISE book was that good.
It was PARADISE.
WHY?
This deeply immersive, coming-of-age story of a girl raised by her pedantic and paranoid father in an isolated Montana cabin was character-driven, emotionally jolting, riveting, unpredictable, and unputdownable.
It was a masterpiece of atmospheric storytelling:
1) The book's Montana wilderness was not just a setting; it was a backdrop that created and intensified the protagonist's sense of isolation, naivety, despair, and vulnerability.
2) In the latter portion of the book, the meticulously rendered Silicon Valley setting vividly portrayed the excitement and passion of the early dot-com era, adding yet another dynamic level to the protagonist's poignant journey of self-discovery.
The novel's structure, alternating between timelines, kept me invested, second-guessing, and gasping.
I listened to the audiobook, expertly narrated by Peter Ganim and Helen Laser.
Both narrators did a superb job with the narration.
Kudos to author Janelle Brown for penning such a brilliant and epic read.
All the stars.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
July 16, 2025
This was fantastic! Amazing writing and story. Truly engrossing with interesting characters. Loved every minute of it!
June 28, 2025
Going into this one I expected it to be more of a thriller but I was very surprised to discover it’s so much more! It’s a fantastic blend of historical fiction, character driven, mystery, and a coming of age tale.
I loved Jane as a main character. Following Jane’s journey from an isolated and lonely teen in Montana to a young woman in San Francisco, had me hanging on the authors every word. I also really enjoyed the 90s nostalgia in this one, especially the references to Map Quest and AOL discs.
The book discusses many topics including humanity vs technology/AI, mental illness, parent-child relationship, and nature vs nurture. I was completely blown away by What Kind of Paradise and will not be forgetting it anytime soon.
I listened to the audiobook which was read by Helen Laser and Peter Ganim who both did an amazing job. If you decide to pick this one up, i highly recommend this format.
What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown was published on June 3 so it’s available now. Many thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for the gifted audiobook!
I loved Jane as a main character. Following Jane’s journey from an isolated and lonely teen in Montana to a young woman in San Francisco, had me hanging on the authors every word. I also really enjoyed the 90s nostalgia in this one, especially the references to Map Quest and AOL discs.
The book discusses many topics including humanity vs technology/AI, mental illness, parent-child relationship, and nature vs nurture. I was completely blown away by What Kind of Paradise and will not be forgetting it anytime soon.
I listened to the audiobook which was read by Helen Laser and Peter Ganim who both did an amazing job. If you decide to pick this one up, i highly recommend this format.
What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown was published on June 3 so it’s available now. Many thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for the gifted audiobook!
June 20, 2025
"What Kind of Paradise" is alchemically brilliant: a riveting page-turner set at the start of the internet revolution in the 1990s about an anti-tech genius with plans to murder the tech wizards changing the world, and his teen daughter, who becomes inadvertently complicit. But it is also a deeply beautiful coming of age tale as that young woman is thrust suddenly from an isolated cabin in Montana into the frenetic world of San Francisco at the genesis of the dot-com boom. And among the many treasures of this magnificent novel? Janelle Brown's language and the rhythms of her sentences. This novel is an absolute gem.
June 9, 2025
What a ride…
I devoured this story of teenage Jane, raised by her father Saul …off grid in Bozeman, Montana in a 700 ft cabin.
Jane is home schooled and kept isolated, has lived there with her dad since she was four after her mother died.
Saul wanted to keep her away from technology.. he believed that it would enslave humanity… tethering people to their screens.
He has schooled Jane well, she has read everything, and likes to draw, very intelligent.
Being a teenager now, Jane wants to experience the world outside and finds a way out.. helps her dad in an endeavor which goes terribly wrong ..
Well, this story ends up being a real mix of coming of age, thriller, family loss, self discovery.
Note… the author said that Saul was loosely inspired by the Unabomber!
Big thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing group for the free digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
I devoured this story of teenage Jane, raised by her father Saul …off grid in Bozeman, Montana in a 700 ft cabin.
Jane is home schooled and kept isolated, has lived there with her dad since she was four after her mother died.
Saul wanted to keep her away from technology.. he believed that it would enslave humanity… tethering people to their screens.
He has schooled Jane well, she has read everything, and likes to draw, very intelligent.
Being a teenager now, Jane wants to experience the world outside and finds a way out.. helps her dad in an endeavor which goes terribly wrong ..
Well, this story ends up being a real mix of coming of age, thriller, family loss, self discovery.
Note… the author said that Saul was loosely inspired by the Unabomber!
Big thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing group for the free digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
March 20, 2025
I was amazed at my reaction to Jane’s experience. It ignited a strong indignance 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 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, 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 that 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.
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, 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 that 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.
March 19, 2025
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!
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley
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!
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley
June 17, 2025
I've read 1 or 2 of the author's previous books and enjoyed them. The slow story and build in this one kept me from feeling connected to the characters and story. I liked the protagonist a lot but it felt like we jumped years in her life, when her true character was being built. Good setting. Different topic for me. But all in all, it didn't grip me as a suspense or mystery story should.
July 18, 2025
4.5 stars - such an amazing book
Thoughts: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT6FTd6RE/
Thoughts: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT6FTd6RE/
May 7, 2025
Rounding up from 2.5
Just know that you need to REALLY love the coming-of-age genre to enjoy this story. It was sloooooow moving and at times pretty insufferable. I remember really enjoying Janelle Brown's book Pretty Things because it held some suspense in the mystery, but this one was extremely slow and did not hold my attention at all. Even the audiobook was bland. Unfortunately, we needed MORE in every aspect of the story and characters.
Just know that you need to REALLY love the coming-of-age genre to enjoy this story. It was sloooooow moving and at times pretty insufferable. I remember really enjoying Janelle Brown's book Pretty Things because it held some suspense in the mystery, but this one was extremely slow and did not hold my attention at all. Even the audiobook was bland. Unfortunately, we needed MORE in every aspect of the story and characters.
June 8, 2025
ALL THE STARS!! Wow, a very immersive & un-put-downable read, literally finished it in about 24 hours (who needs sleep LOL). This one is primarily told by Jane, the 17 y.o. MC who’s being raised “Off the Grid” and home schooled in rural Montana in the 90’s by her conspiracy-addled Dad. I initially had some issues with her blind loyalty and naiveté, but when the setting changed to the emerging tech world of San Francisco, it really picked up. That part I really appreciated, and author Brown captures that zeitgeist of dial-up modems, MapQuest, and early dot-com visionaries well. I was reading another NF tech book at the same time and found that they both had a lot to say about how we got to our current ensh*ttiified dystopia. Highly recommend this phenomenal book!
Read
August 15, 2025I'm not rating this one because I think it's 100 percent me. I just can't like anything right now and it's frustrating.
July 31, 2025
***4.5 Stars*** Wow! I loved this compulsively readable, smart and imaginative novel!
It's an emotionally poignant account of Jane, a teenage girl who lives isolated and off the grid in rural Montana. She's homeschooled by her paranoid and controlling father until she breaks free and heads for San Francisco in search of her past and her mother.
The time period was during the 90's Silicon Valley tech boom, and the story includes a good bit of technology speak. I'm mostly right-brained, yet it was every bit as fascinating as Jane's search to uncover the truth of her past.
This was a thought-provoking and intriguing mystery. I loved it, and I'm excited to read other books by this clever writer.
It's an emotionally poignant account of Jane, a teenage girl who lives isolated and off the grid in rural Montana. She's homeschooled by her paranoid and controlling father until she breaks free and heads for San Francisco in search of her past and her mother.
The time period was during the 90's Silicon Valley tech boom, and the story includes a good bit of technology speak. I'm mostly right-brained, yet it was every bit as fascinating as Jane's search to uncover the truth of her past.
This was a thought-provoking and intriguing mystery. I loved it, and I'm excited to read other books by this clever writer.
July 9, 2025
Jane grows up in an isolated cabin in Montana with her dad in the 1990s. As she gets older, she becomes more curious about their past and about the world beyond their remote existence.
One day, Jane’s father allows her to join him on one of his ventures. Jane unknowingly becomes an accomplice to a crime and decides to escape her restricted Montana cabin world once and for all. She attempts to find answers in San Francisco based on the few clues she has and while doing so, tries to live a normal life in the modern world. I was cringing at some of Jane’s choices and comments, yet felt for how much she had to learn and was rooting for her.
What Kind of Paradise is a father-daughter story, though not the heartwarming kind. It’s a slow burn suspense and has doomsday, conspiracy theory vibes. My favorite book by Janel Brown is still Pretty Things but I really enjoyed this one too.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for providing an advance reader copy of What Kind of Paradise in exchange for an honest review.
One day, Jane’s father allows her to join him on one of his ventures. Jane unknowingly becomes an accomplice to a crime and decides to escape her restricted Montana cabin world once and for all. She attempts to find answers in San Francisco based on the few clues she has and while doing so, tries to live a normal life in the modern world. I was cringing at some of Jane’s choices and comments, yet felt for how much she had to learn and was rooting for her.
What Kind of Paradise is a father-daughter story, though not the heartwarming kind. It’s a slow burn suspense and has doomsday, conspiracy theory vibes. My favorite book by Janel Brown is still Pretty Things but I really enjoyed this one too.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for providing an advance reader copy of What Kind of Paradise in exchange for an honest review.
July 21, 2025
Can you ever escape legacy? Does it define you, whether you like it or not? Even if you consciously flee it, doesn’t it still circumscribe the shape of who you are, or are not?
There’s a lot to unpack in What Kind of Paradise, and I’m convinced this will be the book of 2025. It’s in the league of The God of the Woods and All the Colors of the Dark—though, honestly, it might surpass them both.
This is my first Janelle Brown novel, and I’m baffled as to why I haven’t picked her up before, despite the rave reviews. What Kind of Paradise is a mystery, a thriller, a sordid history on the creation of the internet, a technological deep dive, and a profound exploration of family, loss, a coming of age story, and self-discovery - all wrapped into one.
The story centers on Jane, who has spent her entire life in a 700 square foot cabin in Bozeman, Montana, with her father, Saul. Homeschooled and isolated, Jane’s world consists of Baudelaire bedtime readings, memorized passages of Thoreau, and a looming fear of the Feds, though she doesn’t know why. It’s just the reality Saul has instilled in her.
Saul is a man of foresight. or paranoia, depending on how you see it. He’s convinced that technology will enslave humanity, tethering us to our screens. The novel is set in the mid-90s, as the World Wide Web emerges, dial-up tones become the soundtrack of curiosity, and HTML sparks a digital revolution. For anyone who remembers this era, it’s a vivid trip back. Growing up in the Bay Area, I saw firsthand the dot-com era’s explosion and aftermath.
“San Francisco is evolving terribly fast. There’s so much moaning about all the artists being pushed out, but you have to think about all the exciting things coming in their place. And honestly, I welcome a few more decent restaurants and a few less burritos.”
As Jane grows older, she begins to sense there’s more to life beyond her father’s world. Escaping Saul sets her on a path of discovery, but also one of danger. Together, they create an online manifesto, one that leads to a crime so profound she’s forced to leave her past behind entirely. Jane’s journey takes her to San Francisco, where she seeks her missing mother and stumbles into a job at a digital publishing company called Signal, thanks to an online chatroom connection with a man named Lionel. Meanwhile Jane has no clue as to how basic life skills work - no TV, phones, no formal education, no sense of self worth, though incredibly wise beyond her years.
The depictions of the Bay Area, especially during the pre and post tech boom, are spot on. From SOMA to San Lorenzo, the Fillmore to Kepler’s Books, it’s a love letter to a changing city. Or perhaps, Brown is simply dismissing it as a place where technology has destroyed our own sense of pride.
I too, worked for a company very similar to Signal on 2nd and Market in San Francisco. I felt like I was drawn back to this era.
Jane’s learning curve is steep. Phone books, pop culture, eating at restaurants, basic human interaction—everything is new to her.
“I have a phone book at home we can use. One gets dumped on our doorstep every year and my roommates use the cover for rolling joints.”
Scenes of San Francisco reminded me so much of my own life. My aunt and grandma were seamstresses for decades.
“The floor had only recently been vacated by one of the sewing shops, and it still smelled like fish sauce and cotton fiber.”
I won’t spoil what happens next, because What Kind of Paradise is best experienced blind. It’s a thriller you won’t want to put down. Brown’s writing is gripping, deeply researched, and alive with historical authenticity.
By the end, you’ll find yourself questioning everything. Who is Saul? A visionary antihero, a manipulative sociopath, or just a father doing his best in a fractured world? Has staring at our screens improved life, or are we more lost than ever?
“Reading this, I realized, with a spasm of guilt, that I hadn’t read a book since the internet arrived at our house. I hadn’t gone on a walk in the woods, or sketched the deer in the meadow, or played a game of chess with my father. I’d abandoned everything that we valued, seduced by the infinite delights of the Web.”
Run, don’t walk—when this hits shelves in June 2025!
There’s a lot to unpack in What Kind of Paradise, and I’m convinced this will be the book of 2025. It’s in the league of The God of the Woods and All the Colors of the Dark—though, honestly, it might surpass them both.
This is my first Janelle Brown novel, and I’m baffled as to why I haven’t picked her up before, despite the rave reviews. What Kind of Paradise is a mystery, a thriller, a sordid history on the creation of the internet, a technological deep dive, and a profound exploration of family, loss, a coming of age story, and self-discovery - all wrapped into one.
The story centers on Jane, who has spent her entire life in a 700 square foot cabin in Bozeman, Montana, with her father, Saul. Homeschooled and isolated, Jane’s world consists of Baudelaire bedtime readings, memorized passages of Thoreau, and a looming fear of the Feds, though she doesn’t know why. It’s just the reality Saul has instilled in her.
Saul is a man of foresight. or paranoia, depending on how you see it. He’s convinced that technology will enslave humanity, tethering us to our screens. The novel is set in the mid-90s, as the World Wide Web emerges, dial-up tones become the soundtrack of curiosity, and HTML sparks a digital revolution. For anyone who remembers this era, it’s a vivid trip back. Growing up in the Bay Area, I saw firsthand the dot-com era’s explosion and aftermath.
“San Francisco is evolving terribly fast. There’s so much moaning about all the artists being pushed out, but you have to think about all the exciting things coming in their place. And honestly, I welcome a few more decent restaurants and a few less burritos.”
As Jane grows older, she begins to sense there’s more to life beyond her father’s world. Escaping Saul sets her on a path of discovery, but also one of danger. Together, they create an online manifesto, one that leads to a crime so profound she’s forced to leave her past behind entirely. Jane’s journey takes her to San Francisco, where she seeks her missing mother and stumbles into a job at a digital publishing company called Signal, thanks to an online chatroom connection with a man named Lionel. Meanwhile Jane has no clue as to how basic life skills work - no TV, phones, no formal education, no sense of self worth, though incredibly wise beyond her years.
The depictions of the Bay Area, especially during the pre and post tech boom, are spot on. From SOMA to San Lorenzo, the Fillmore to Kepler’s Books, it’s a love letter to a changing city. Or perhaps, Brown is simply dismissing it as a place where technology has destroyed our own sense of pride.
I too, worked for a company very similar to Signal on 2nd and Market in San Francisco. I felt like I was drawn back to this era.
Jane’s learning curve is steep. Phone books, pop culture, eating at restaurants, basic human interaction—everything is new to her.
“I have a phone book at home we can use. One gets dumped on our doorstep every year and my roommates use the cover for rolling joints.”
Scenes of San Francisco reminded me so much of my own life. My aunt and grandma were seamstresses for decades.
“The floor had only recently been vacated by one of the sewing shops, and it still smelled like fish sauce and cotton fiber.”
I won’t spoil what happens next, because What Kind of Paradise is best experienced blind. It’s a thriller you won’t want to put down. Brown’s writing is gripping, deeply researched, and alive with historical authenticity.
By the end, you’ll find yourself questioning everything. Who is Saul? A visionary antihero, a manipulative sociopath, or just a father doing his best in a fractured world? Has staring at our screens improved life, or are we more lost than ever?
“Reading this, I realized, with a spasm of guilt, that I hadn’t read a book since the internet arrived at our house. I hadn’t gone on a walk in the woods, or sketched the deer in the meadow, or played a game of chess with my father. I’d abandoned everything that we valued, seduced by the infinite delights of the Web.”
Run, don’t walk—when this hits shelves in June 2025!
May 4, 2025
What is in a legacy? How much control do you have over your own fate? Can you truly separate yourself from the life your parents gave you? These are all questions What Kind of Paradise poses and lets you answer them yourself.
Having read Pretty Things by Janelle Brown and found it relatively enjoyable I figured I’d give her newest book a spin and I’m so glad I did. This was an upgrade to me in every way from her previous books which is exactly what you want when an authour puts out new books.
I really enjoyed the lovely blending of genres from philosophy, literary fiction, thriller, and even some spy, heavy coding, and cult-like aspects. The writing was beautiful and the prose kept me engaged and excited even when the “thriller” bits weren’t active. There was never a time I was losing my train of thought, wanted it to move any faster than it was, or was bored.
I don’t have as much to say as usual but that’s purely because this one is better enjoyed blind. If you are looking for a fun combination of Where the Crawdads Sing and any popular thriller right now, this will be right up your alley.
Having read Pretty Things by Janelle Brown and found it relatively enjoyable I figured I’d give her newest book a spin and I’m so glad I did. This was an upgrade to me in every way from her previous books which is exactly what you want when an authour puts out new books.
I really enjoyed the lovely blending of genres from philosophy, literary fiction, thriller, and even some spy, heavy coding, and cult-like aspects. The writing was beautiful and the prose kept me engaged and excited even when the “thriller” bits weren’t active. There was never a time I was losing my train of thought, wanted it to move any faster than it was, or was bored.
I don’t have as much to say as usual but that’s purely because this one is better enjoyed blind. If you are looking for a fun combination of Where the Crawdads Sing and any popular thriller right now, this will be right up your alley.
July 28, 2025
the setup…
It’s 1996 and Jane Williams is turning seventeen. She and her father Frank live in a remote cabin in Montana, off the grid with just the most basic of necessities. It’s the only life she’s known and it’s her normal, homeschooled by him and subjected to his extreme philosophies based on 19th century theorists. The occasional visits to Boseman and the bookstore operated by her one friend’s mother have started to stir a restlessness for something more. One day her father takes her on a different kind of venture, one that forever changes the trajectory of her life.
the heart of the story…
This is so much more than a coming of age story. It begins near the end and then rewinds back to Jane’s origins, which provides essential foundations for understanding both her and Frank. He later dupes Jane into helping him commit a serious crime, the catalyst for her finally leaving the mountain permanently. Before she escapes, Jane discovers documents that brings question to her entire identity. Just imagine a seventeen year old girl unleashed into a world she’s never experienced, and on her own, landing in Silicon Valley during its infancy.
the narration…
Helen Laser is one of my favorite narrators and she was outstanding in her characterization of Jane and in her storytelling. Peter Ganim sounded exactly as I’d imagined him, bringing him to life.
the bottom line…
Jane is exceptionally bright and stumbles into situations that steer her towards answers and relationships that will serve her well, and some not so much. I was riveted throughout her entire journey as she struggles to create her own truths and question everything she’s known. Some of Frank’s fears about technology were prescient and you can’t help seeing some of the destructiveness he predicted. Jane was a marvel and where she landed felt authentic. This is an extraordinary story I still can’t seem to let go.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
It’s 1996 and Jane Williams is turning seventeen. She and her father Frank live in a remote cabin in Montana, off the grid with just the most basic of necessities. It’s the only life she’s known and it’s her normal, homeschooled by him and subjected to his extreme philosophies based on 19th century theorists. The occasional visits to Boseman and the bookstore operated by her one friend’s mother have started to stir a restlessness for something more. One day her father takes her on a different kind of venture, one that forever changes the trajectory of her life.
the heart of the story…
This is so much more than a coming of age story. It begins near the end and then rewinds back to Jane’s origins, which provides essential foundations for understanding both her and Frank. He later dupes Jane into helping him commit a serious crime, the catalyst for her finally leaving the mountain permanently. Before she escapes, Jane discovers documents that brings question to her entire identity. Just imagine a seventeen year old girl unleashed into a world she’s never experienced, and on her own, landing in Silicon Valley during its infancy.
the narration…
Helen Laser is one of my favorite narrators and she was outstanding in her characterization of Jane and in her storytelling. Peter Ganim sounded exactly as I’d imagined him, bringing him to life.
the bottom line…
Jane is exceptionally bright and stumbles into situations that steer her towards answers and relationships that will serve her well, and some not so much. I was riveted throughout her entire journey as she struggles to create her own truths and question everything she’s known. Some of Frank’s fears about technology were prescient and you can’t help seeing some of the destructiveness he predicted. Jane was a marvel and where she landed felt authentic. This is an extraordinary story I still can’t seem to let go.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
June 7, 2025
EASY 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ June is bursting at the seams with great books! This work of historical fiction was almost more like a thriller. I was not expecting this ride.
Jane Williams is almost eighteen. She has lived off the grid in Montana with her father, Saul, for as long as she can remember. Saul has a brilliant mind and has educated Jane in anti-technology philosophy and literature, as well as survival skills. Sometimes her father goes on week-long trips without her. He knows he has taught her well. As Jane has grown older, she has become increasingly curious about the world and more suspicious of her father. One day, when her father is gone, she decides to break into his tightly locked office to see if she can find any clues. And now, there is no going back from the truth she has discovered. She formulates a plan to escape. But when that plan leads her to travel with her father on his next trip out, her whole life is derailed, and a new trajectory is set in motion, completely out of her control.
Incredible book. Brilliant writing. I adore nature tropes, and Janelle Brown painted a beautiful picture of Saul and Jane's lives off the grid. I was caught off guard at the direction the storyline took. I did not expect this book to be so captivating. It truly is! This one is a must-read.
Jane Williams is almost eighteen. She has lived off the grid in Montana with her father, Saul, for as long as she can remember. Saul has a brilliant mind and has educated Jane in anti-technology philosophy and literature, as well as survival skills. Sometimes her father goes on week-long trips without her. He knows he has taught her well. As Jane has grown older, she has become increasingly curious about the world and more suspicious of her father. One day, when her father is gone, she decides to break into his tightly locked office to see if she can find any clues. And now, there is no going back from the truth she has discovered. She formulates a plan to escape. But when that plan leads her to travel with her father on his next trip out, her whole life is derailed, and a new trajectory is set in motion, completely out of her control.
Incredible book. Brilliant writing. I adore nature tropes, and Janelle Brown painted a beautiful picture of Saul and Jane's lives off the grid. I was caught off guard at the direction the storyline took. I did not expect this book to be so captivating. It truly is! This one is a must-read.
June 4, 2025
This was such a unique and fascinating book. A nostalgic mystery that takes us back to the 90’s. Jane is 17 and lives off grid in the desolate woods of Montana with her father. She is homeschooled and knows no one besides her dad. He is anti-government and warns of the dangers of technology. As she gets older she starts to wonder about the world outside of her sheltered life. She leaves her father and has to navigate this all new life. I was invested in reading about the difficulties Jane faces and how the author explored the birth of technology. Having grown up through those times it definitely brought back memories of those times for me. As Jane uncovers secrets, she is caught in the middle. She doesn't know if she can believe the things her dad has said. It was full of suspense and I loved the true crime vibes too. I wouldn't call this a thriller, it was more a character study, and a coming of age. The pacing was steady and the mystery was gripping. I really liked this One.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
March 31, 2025
This book is a phenomenal thriller with such deep, thought provoking questions about our society. If there was ever a “page turner,” it is this book. I absolutely could not put this down.
Jane lives in a shack in the woods with her kooky dad. He has raised her far apart from society, a Luddite of the most exceptional proportions. Jane, at 17, knows no one except her father, and has near no contact without the outside world. Set in the late 90’s, they only leave their Montana home periodically to sell a zine called Libertaire. Jane’s father tells her that her mother died in a car accident, which she had never questioned until now.
Hungry for the outside world, she sneaks episodes of the X-files and get access to the internet via a modem. In these early days of the internet, social media is arbitrary and sparse- but Dad wants her to learn HTML so he can publish his “manifesto.”
This is where the tires start to fall off, and learning who she is and that her father is more than just a tin foil hat extremist. I don’t want to give away any more of the plot, but know that once we leave the shack this entire story goes full throttle.
I think what sets this book apart from other suspense/thrillers is the theme of the complicated relationship we have with technology. Although it hurts just a little to call a book taking place in 1995 “historical” fiction, the time period when the world was hurtling towards connectivity with little regard for the implications truly doesn’t take that long to feel like a long time ago. In some ways, Jane’s “kooky” conspiracy dad is actually right about what he was warning the world about. And that’s what is so deeply moving about the greater theme— we know more than the characters about what is to come. We know he’s not totally wrong, even though in many ways, he is the villain of this story.
Also, the epilogue was so unexpected and wonderful. It doesn’t end with a bang, but with an echo.
Pub date was pushed from June 10 to June 3, so I am sure this is going to be a book club pick of some kind.
***a best mystery/thriller of 2025***
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. Book to be published 6/3/25
PS- that is THREE outstanding ARCs in a row for me after a dearth of mid picks. Reading so many good ones feels like an embarrassment of riches. I actually feel as though I am bragging to all my #bookstagram friends.
Jane lives in a shack in the woods with her kooky dad. He has raised her far apart from society, a Luddite of the most exceptional proportions. Jane, at 17, knows no one except her father, and has near no contact without the outside world. Set in the late 90’s, they only leave their Montana home periodically to sell a zine called Libertaire. Jane’s father tells her that her mother died in a car accident, which she had never questioned until now.
Hungry for the outside world, she sneaks episodes of the X-files and get access to the internet via a modem. In these early days of the internet, social media is arbitrary and sparse- but Dad wants her to learn HTML so he can publish his “manifesto.”
This is where the tires start to fall off, and learning who she is and that her father is more than just a tin foil hat extremist. I don’t want to give away any more of the plot, but know that once we leave the shack this entire story goes full throttle.
I think what sets this book apart from other suspense/thrillers is the theme of the complicated relationship we have with technology. Although it hurts just a little to call a book taking place in 1995 “historical” fiction, the time period when the world was hurtling towards connectivity with little regard for the implications truly doesn’t take that long to feel like a long time ago. In some ways, Jane’s “kooky” conspiracy dad is actually right about what he was warning the world about. And that’s what is so deeply moving about the greater theme— we know more than the characters about what is to come. We know he’s not totally wrong, even though in many ways, he is the villain of this story.
Also, the epilogue was so unexpected and wonderful. It doesn’t end with a bang, but with an echo.
Pub date was pushed from June 10 to June 3, so I am sure this is going to be a book club pick of some kind.
***a best mystery/thriller of 2025***
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. Book to be published 6/3/25
PS- that is THREE outstanding ARCs in a row for me after a dearth of mid picks. Reading so many good ones feels like an embarrassment of riches. I actually feel as though I am bragging to all my #bookstagram friends.
July 17, 2025
✰ 3.25 stars ✰
Reading it, I didn't know that the author drew inspiration from the Unabomber, by creating a spin that what if he had had a family, or even an accomplice in his attacks, in this case, his unwitting daughter. Knowing that now, I don't know if it changed my overall impression entirely, for much of my disgruntlement with the storytelling took shape once much of Jane's truths were revealed.
I didn't highlight a lot; which often can be twofold, either the writing was very simple and nothing stood out too much, or that I was very much gripped, so I didn't have time to note down much. In this case, I would have to say it was both. 😕 While I do believe a lot of time was spent in building up Jane's past with her father - the setting, the slow devolvement of her trust and faith in his ideas, the eventual attack that set them apart. It also kept me invested in how the truths would come out - how she would react from her solitary estranged confinement and once disembarking into society, how would she fare after living amongst nature for so long. 😟
“What happens after survival? What does it mean to survive, when you’re not quite sure what you’re living for?”
I did find it slightly unbelievable at how she so easily adjusted to society and well, people. Perhaps she was always sociable, so that wasn't much of a hassle, but I would have wanted a bit more into Jane trying to fit in. But, I also get the bigger picture that it was for her to enter a place linking her to her parents that became the key, and how she would have to find a way to not only outsmart the next attacks, but see what she has lost and whether or not holding onto the dream had been worth it all this time.
And not to be nitpicky, but it was odd that she never fell ill or anything that had compelled her father to resurface in the outside world; true, there was one bit of normalcy he granted, but I found it a bit of a stretch that Jane never needed any vaccine (one could argue that her isolation kept her away from being susceptible to disease), but even being a savant? 🤷🏻♀️
“I couldn’t begin to fathom how much bigger my crisis actually was.”
These circumstances, in my opinion, gave the author a chance to cut corners to make her characters' conflicts more easily solved rather than making it a broader range of circumstances. If one of the reasons for writing it was to show the impact of being cut off from society, then what would one do if it was not in a situation where one is ingrained with thoughts and ideas from a glorified, if a tad bit exaggerated, genius. 😕 A genius, who sadly, went on the wrong path, because, well, whose way of thinking did not match that of his peers, or was too extreme to be warranted credulity.
I also wasn't a fan of how much of her issues and concerns were solved a bit too easily and conveniently; granted there was an occasional hiccup along the way, but I found the predictable ease in which her father's interests and her own aligned that I found a bit unrealistic, including her own whimsical naivete that landed her in hot water, but somehow she still managed to find her way out. 🙍🏻♀️
Then, if you look at it on a broader scale, how this is a suspense thriller/memoir that highlights the adverse effects technology has on society, how nowadays we are glued to our screens more than going outside and taking in a breath of fresh air, does this not prove her father in the right? 🤔
Her father, who the author dedicates more than enough time for him to outline his manifesto of why he behaved the way he did, what led him to enact the crimes against humanity - almost for us to sympathize or empathize with his ideas and beliefs? Which, actually, rather than making me think, made me bored, because do I need a valid reason to understand him before judging him, and then in fact, forgiving him? Is that why we see Jane as she is in the present, so that a part of the ideal the man who was her entire world taught her, does in fact continue to live within her. 😔
“... 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.”
Much like my own feelings of this, I suppose! It's a challenging and conflicting notion, one which I feel and fear we'll never really reach a unanimous consensus on, one where we continue to ponder What Kind of Paradise we envision for ourselves for a happier and brighter tomorrow. Of how much being offline may be more beneficial than having a digital lifestyle, notwithstanding how much positive contribution technology still grants us.
So, I do see the idea, and at times I did feel that thrill of the impending unknown; of how we were on the brink of change that no one was prepared for, but still craved it. something that Jane's own narration steadily built up the suspense by laying out the hints of everything either falling apart, or everything working in her favor. And I do think that's where it also faltered.
The execution that got away from the author as it veered a bit into waters that were hard to really have it make sense and also relate to both sides of the story. Which had it not, and stayed focused on one aspect, it could have been a bit more engaging a read, rather than how my interest floundered at times when the events became repetitive and Jane also started behaving a bit irrational and making implausible decisions simply to outwit the very person who led her to where she was. 😐
“Sometimes you can’t help but wonder: What kind of impact could you have on the shape of humankind, if humankind were only to listen?”
Reading it, I didn't know that the author drew inspiration from the Unabomber, by creating a spin that what if he had had a family, or even an accomplice in his attacks, in this case, his unwitting daughter. Knowing that now, I don't know if it changed my overall impression entirely, for much of my disgruntlement with the storytelling took shape once much of Jane's truths were revealed.
I didn't highlight a lot; which often can be twofold, either the writing was very simple and nothing stood out too much, or that I was very much gripped, so I didn't have time to note down much. In this case, I would have to say it was both. 😕 While I do believe a lot of time was spent in building up Jane's past with her father - the setting, the slow devolvement of her trust and faith in his ideas, the eventual attack that set them apart. It also kept me invested in how the truths would come out - how she would react from her solitary estranged confinement and once disembarking into society, how would she fare after living amongst nature for so long. 😟
“What happens after survival? What does it mean to survive, when you’re not quite sure what you’re living for?”
I did find it slightly unbelievable at how she so easily adjusted to society and well, people. Perhaps she was always sociable, so that wasn't much of a hassle, but I would have wanted a bit more into Jane trying to fit in. But, I also get the bigger picture that it was for her to enter a place linking her to her parents that became the key, and how she would have to find a way to not only outsmart the next attacks, but see what she has lost and whether or not holding onto the dream had been worth it all this time.
And not to be nitpicky, but it was odd that she never fell ill or anything that had compelled her father to resurface in the outside world; true, there was one bit of normalcy he granted, but I found it a bit of a stretch that Jane never needed any vaccine (one could argue that her isolation kept her away from being susceptible to disease), but even being a savant? 🤷🏻♀️
“I couldn’t begin to fathom how much bigger my crisis actually was.”
These circumstances, in my opinion, gave the author a chance to cut corners to make her characters' conflicts more easily solved rather than making it a broader range of circumstances. If one of the reasons for writing it was to show the impact of being cut off from society, then what would one do if it was not in a situation where one is ingrained with thoughts and ideas from a glorified, if a tad bit exaggerated, genius. 😕 A genius, who sadly, went on the wrong path, because, well, whose way of thinking did not match that of his peers, or was too extreme to be warranted credulity.
I also wasn't a fan of how much of her issues and concerns were solved a bit too easily and conveniently; granted there was an occasional hiccup along the way, but I found the predictable ease in which her father's interests and her own aligned that I found a bit unrealistic, including her own whimsical naivete that landed her in hot water, but somehow she still managed to find her way out. 🙍🏻♀️
Then, if you look at it on a broader scale, how this is a suspense thriller/memoir that highlights the adverse effects technology has on society, how nowadays we are glued to our screens more than going outside and taking in a breath of fresh air, does this not prove her father in the right? 🤔
Her father, who the author dedicates more than enough time for him to outline his manifesto of why he behaved the way he did, what led him to enact the crimes against humanity - almost for us to sympathize or empathize with his ideas and beliefs? Which, actually, rather than making me think, made me bored, because do I need a valid reason to understand him before judging him, and then in fact, forgiving him? Is that why we see Jane as she is in the present, so that a part of the ideal the man who was her entire world taught her, does in fact continue to live within her. 😔
“... 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.”
Much like my own feelings of this, I suppose! It's a challenging and conflicting notion, one which I feel and fear we'll never really reach a unanimous consensus on, one where we continue to ponder What Kind of Paradise we envision for ourselves for a happier and brighter tomorrow. Of how much being offline may be more beneficial than having a digital lifestyle, notwithstanding how much positive contribution technology still grants us.
So, I do see the idea, and at times I did feel that thrill of the impending unknown; of how we were on the brink of change that no one was prepared for, but still craved it. something that Jane's own narration steadily built up the suspense by laying out the hints of everything either falling apart, or everything working in her favor. And I do think that's where it also faltered.
The execution that got away from the author as it veered a bit into waters that were hard to really have it make sense and also relate to both sides of the story. Which had it not, and stayed focused on one aspect, it could have been a bit more engaging a read, rather than how my interest floundered at times when the events became repetitive and Jane also started behaving a bit irrational and making implausible decisions simply to outwit the very person who led her to where she was. 😐
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