What Kind of Paradise - a teenage daughter raised in seclusion breaks free from the father trying to protect her from the outside world.

It's the mid-1990s, and seventeen-year-old Jane Williams is living a secluded life with her father, Saul, in a remote cabin in Montana. After the death of her mother in a car accident when she was very young, Jane has been homeschooled and rarely interacts with others, except for when she visits the local bookstore. Saul spends his time writing his thoughts on society and his concerns regarding the dangers of emerging technology. He often leaves Jane alone for days at a time. After his last absence, he returns with an IBM computer. After Jane teaches herself how to use it, the world opens up to her. When Jane begs to go with Saul on his next outing, everything turns to disaster. Seeing no other choice, Jane runs away and heads to San Francisco.

I've read Janelle Brown's books, but none of them could have prepared me for her latest, What Kind of Paradise. It is a deep and thought-provoking story that delves into the mind of a brilliant man (perhaps a madman) who is trying to protect his daughter and others from a doomsday scenario where machines and AI control our lives. The story is intentionally claustrophobic as Jane is essentially a captive of her father's beliefs. Once she breaks free, the story becomes extremely intriguing as Jane has to exist on her own, clearly benefiting from the survival skills she had learned throughout her years with Saul. This is a well-crafted blend of genres set during a period when home computers were being increasingly introduced into households, and the World Wide Web was starting to revolutionize everything. It's a captivating read. 

Many thanks to Random House for the advance.

Rated 4.25 out of 5 stars.

Mystery Thriller | Historical Fiction.

Publication Date: June 3, 2025.

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