This story pulled me in from the beginning and kept me invested the entire time. I could not guess what would lie ahead for these characters and I got emotionally invested in Jane. Such a brave, smart character. My only recommendation is to reel in some of the vocabulary. While I enjoy learning new words, I would have been frustrated reading this book in any other format other than electronic where I have access to the dictionary attached to my Kindle app.

This book will be one of my favorites from 2025. You're drawn in from the beginning, with Jane living with her father in the woods, starting to question what life will be like once she grows up. She starts seeing inconsistencies with what her father has told her about the past. could be a great book club read and definitely a perfect summer read.

Immediately I was drawn into Jane's story, both in the isolated cabin and what happens when the internet opens her eyes to other worlds and other truths about who she is. While there is some suspense, this is more about her journey and about the philosophical issues that she and the world are facing about the dangers of the internet and the lack of connection to people and nature. She is faced with some hard choices as she discovers who her father is and how to deal with that as he becomes a wanted man. compelling story on a lot of levels.

My student will enjoy this combo mystery, coming of age story filled with lots of local details and history of san francisco and the start of the internet.
Well researched. Easy to read and absorbing. 4.5

I don’t know what I expected this book to be, but it was so much more than that.

I’m left speechless after finishing What Kind of Paradise. It read almost like a memoir, and it left me to pause after, contemplating the world around me and how I exist within it.

The story is gripping, the writing is fantastic, and ultimately I think this book NEEDS to be read in the times we’re in as a society constantly connected to the world through computers and technology.

While the extreme nature of some of the philosophies within this book are not to be taken lightly, the overall outcome lends an eye into where we’ve been and where technology has taken us. Being mindful of the power, both good and bad, of the digital age is a step in the direction of what can be a cohesive existence with our almost-too-smart smart phones and healthy disconnect that allows us to never forget the world around us, its beauty, and the imperative connection we as humans need to maintain for our mental and physical health.

This is one I’ll read again.

Thank you Net Galley and Random House for this ARC and the privilege of leaving an honest review.

THIS will be a hit this summer, I just know. This author is becoming an auto buy author for me. I couldn't wait until June to read. I needed something that I could fly through, and this fit the bill exactly. Jane is a young teen living off the grid in Montana with her Dad. All of sudden, things aren't adding up for her--is she really Jane? Is her Mom really dead? How can she escape rural Montana? When her Dad takes her along on a trip to Seattle, she sense it's her chance to find out more about who she is, and it starts her on a journey. I loved the mid 90's references, as well as Jane's character. I could not put this down. Definitely don't miss this hit!

An interesting read but just not for me. I couldn’t get into this book. I was so intrigued by the summary but it felt flat for me.

Jane’s life if a lie. She grows up off the grid with her Dad. Who teaches her and doesn’t send her to school. The foreshadowing for this book is spot on. You can definitely tell where it’s going. The premise was good. Just couldn’t get into it. The first half was so slow for me. I could barely get through it. It does pick up in the end. The ending was good!

Jane, a 17-year-old female, has only known a life with her father in the isolated mountains of Montana. Restricted from the outside world, she is indoctrinated by her father's anti-technology stance and her only connection to the outside world is the occasional trip to the nearest bookstore, where she has a friendship with the owner's daughter. One day, her father lets her accompany him on one of his secret trips and disaster ensues, leaving her stranded in a big city, naive to modern society in the early 1990's.
As a teen in the 90's, I was able to relate to her excitement for emerging technology and her love for the "X Files." I really liked Jane and was rooting for her the entire story. The story was intense and kept me up well past my bedtime. Lionel was also a great character!
A 5 ⭐ read!!!
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.

Our protagonist Jane has really been through a lot. She is a marvelous main character and easy to root for. Her father is a believable villain whom we love to hate. Jane is inspiring as she tries to maintain a positive attitude and embrace an unknown future. In Brown's expert hands, the novel is captivating and immersive. The ending ties things up very nicely.

Please note: while some of Brown's other novels are more firmly in the suspense or thriller territory, I would describe this one as general commercial fiction or women's fiction.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

I love that her books are so immersive. The amount of detail and depth to her stories and characters is unmatched. You know when you start a book of hers that you’ll get a well thought out and planned book with an ending that will leave you speechless. Loved it

What kind of paradise is a whirlwind coming of age story, exploring themes of personal identity, unconditional love, and what it means to keep the secrets of those we love. With prose that is at once descriptive and fast-paced, the pages fly by. Where is the line between keeping our children protected from outside influences, and keeping them prisoner? When do we make our own original ideas, form our own moral compass separate from what we have been raised to believe as absolute truth? Jane and her father explore all of these questions in a story that draws you in and doesn't let go.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced reader copy.

When I picked up Janelle Brown's new book, I anticipated it being a fairly straightforward thriller; WHAT KIND OF PARADISE is definitely a thriller but in the most surprising ways. Jane has spent almost her entire life living in an isolated cabin in the woods of Montana, with her father, who homeschools her by teaching her esoteric philosophers and poets. After an initially exciting--and afterward terrifying--trip to Seattle, Jane starts to question everything she thought she new about her life, her father, and even herself. The big picture story is a battle between the tech revolution of the late nineties and the anti-tech movement that Jane's father is leading. More importantly, though, is a story about a young woman who has every last piece of her world upended and must make a decision about what path she wants to take, to forge her own existence.

What Kind of Paradise is out June 10, 2025

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 out of 5)

Release Date: June 10, 2025

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC (advanced reader copy) of this book from @netgalley and boy, it did not disappoint. I know it’s *cruel* to give a 5 ⭐️ review to a book that isn’t released yet - but yall, buckle up. This book will be one of THE books this year - it is exceptional. This contemporary fiction - coming of age - deep dive into technology and culture - hits all the right notes. It’s VERY VERY good. Pre-order it if you can!

#whatkindofparadise #janellebrown #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookclub #whatsemilyreading #booknerd #bookstagrammer #bookstagramcommunity

What Kind of Paradise is a twisty novel from Janelle Brown that I couldn’t stop reading. Jane stayed in my thoughts for days after I finished this book. I loved the character development. Janelle Brown is fantastic with that! This story was believable, heart wrenching, unsettling and suspenseful in every way. I wanted even more and didn't want this one to end! Major book hangover. Thank you NetGalley!

I am so excited to have received an ARC of What Kind of Paradise from NetGalley. Janelle Brown is one of my very favorite authors. Her writing captures all of the intricacies and awkwardness of the human condition, and I’ve loved every one of her books from start to finish.

In What Kind of Paradise, Jane is coming of age in the 90's off the grid in Montana with a paranoid father whose behavior is becoming increasingly erratic as he tries to spread his luddite theories while also maintaining their reclusivity. Keep in mind that this is occurring during the dotcom era. As Jane grapples with feelings of isolation, identity, self-discovery, and devotion to the only parent she's ever known, she begins to suspect things are not as they seem. When presented with an opportunity to leave their home and possibly escape her reclusive life, she takes it. While you can predict where Jane’s story is going, it’s a devastating and heartwarming-adjacent journey getting there. It's impossible to not feel empathy for Jane's situation and her ever-evolving feelings of parental adoration, disillusionment, and rejection. As always, a Janelle Brown character has left a lasting impression on me and I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Such a captivating read! I felt so many different emotions during this book... It was well written and researched. Highly recommend

I really did enjoy the book—the settings were excellent and you really could see how it would feel like being isolated in Montana. I liked the switch to early internet start up culture.

There were some odd mistakes though—“two buck chuck” came out in 2002, Clorox wipes and the Sims in 2000. The Sims is having a whole 25th anniversary event which made it stand out more.

Perhaps it because I am the same age as Jane/Esme but these errors were pretty glaring.

A coming-of-age story set in the 90s during the internet boom, this novel follows Jane, a teenager raised in the middle of the woods by her brilliant and hermitic father. As Jane nears adulthood, she grapples with exploring the world outside of their isolated cabin and learning to think for herself—even as she realizes her father (who has always zealously spouted the evils of technology) may not be the man she has always idolized.

Once I started reading this book, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down! I admired Jane’s tenacity to discover the truth, and identified with her struggle to stay true to her family but also forge her own path and identity. I enjoyed how it felt fast-paced but we still got to see Jane’s character development throughout.

What a nostalgic trip back to the 90s with the latest by Janelle Brown! I love her books so I was so excited to dive into her newest. WHAT KIND OF PARADISE travels the ready back to the late 90s when the internet is about to explode... as well as some other things (hint hint). Loosely based on the story of the Unabomber, I had a hard time putting this one down. I thought it was going to be a thriller at first, but while there is a solid mystery running through the center, I think the novel is a big genre-defying.

Jane, our narrator, is a 17 year old girl growing up off the grid in Montana with her Dad. She is sheltered and secluded from the world, that is until her Dad brings home a TV and a computer which she sneaks looks at when he's away. There, the world opens up to her, but once her father founds out, all things go to hell. Taking us on a whirlwind adventure, Jane sets off to figure out life as both an adult and possibly a fugitive at the same time. The book is so well-written and sad and heartfelt. Another great novel from Brown and I can't wait for more.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This might just be a five-star read for me. I found even more to love about Janelle Brown in this one, seriously so good! I always know it's a good book when I stay up late reading it!

Jane is a fantastic main character, her personality and background living in the remote setting is so well-developed and believable throughout. You can't help but root for her, not to mention you also can't help but root AGAINST her father.

I admire Jane's journey and her attitude to keep pushing into a new life, despite how scary and "unknown" the future would be if she broke away from the life she knew in Montana. Her story becomes equal parts heart-breaking, thrilling, and captivating.

Brown packs a lot of story into a little more than 360 pages, with an ending that ties a bow on the whole thing. I expect this book and it's story to stand out over time rather than fall into the abyss of the novels I read throughout the year. I will definitely be recommending this one to fellow readers, friends, and family.