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lazygal's review against another edition
4.0
Read for my book group.
I'll be honest, I wasn't impressed with Rufus' previous YA fiction entry. This one, however, was far better. Maybe it's because I've enjoyed Barry Lyga's I Hunt Killers series? In any case, the idea of being outcasts because your father has been convicted of being a serial killer and trying to make the best of the situation while hoping to prove his innocence felt real. The cult aspect could have been played up more, or at least brought in throughout the book (although astute readers will find the twist unsurprising if that had happened).
It will be interesting to see what topic the author picks next, given the really varied tones of this and The Vinyl Underground.
I'll be honest, I wasn't impressed with Rufus' previous YA fiction entry. This one, however, was far better. Maybe it's because I've enjoyed Barry Lyga's I Hunt Killers series? In any case, the idea of being outcasts because your father has been convicted of being a serial killer and trying to make the best of the situation while hoping to prove his innocence felt real. The cult aspect could have been played up more, or at least brought in throughout the book (although astute readers will find the twist unsurprising if that had happened).
It will be interesting to see what topic the author picks next, given the really varied tones of this and The Vinyl Underground.
kylielovesbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley for an audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars
I had never heard of this book before I decided to request it from Netgalley. I've been totally into true crime shows lately and the synopsis just hooked me from the first sentence. I'm so glad I requested it and was approved.
This book was just like a true crime show, just with more depth. We have 4 main characters, Jane and Henry, siblings whose father is in jail for being a serial killer (but is he?), Otis who is a homeschooled true crime nerd, and Lieutenant Garcia who is the only one on the police force with a brain (my own opinion). Jane and Henry have been so affected by their father's (false?) imprisonment. They are shunned and Jane suffers from anxiety and depression. They are also both very strong. They are convinced their father was framed and want to find out who the real serial killer is. Otis is absolutely adorable. He has no friends and coincidentally bumps into Henry and becomes entangled in their story. Garcia is just really a good cop and person. I also absolutely loved Jane and Henry's grandmother! She was hilarious.
The plot was so engaging and so thriller-y. As we know, Jane and Henry's dad is a convicted serial killer. An online podcast comes to Paradise to cover the story. Then someone else dies with the same MO as the serial killer. Is it a copycat or was Jane and Henry's dad really framed? Jane, Henry and Otis do some digging to find the truth. I did not see the killer coming. It was the farthest person in my mind. The ending was so scary (thriller scary, not like scary scary) and I didn't want to miss a second. It wrapped up nicely, but there was one thing that wasn't answered that I felt was a pretty big thing that happened.
Overall, this was an amazing thriller and the narrator was fantastic. Definitely give this one a try if you are into thrillers or true crime!
4.5 stars
I had never heard of this book before I decided to request it from Netgalley. I've been totally into true crime shows lately and the synopsis just hooked me from the first sentence. I'm so glad I requested it and was approved.
This book was just like a true crime show, just with more depth. We have 4 main characters, Jane and Henry, siblings whose father is in jail for being a serial killer (but is he?), Otis who is a homeschooled true crime nerd, and Lieutenant Garcia who is the only one on the police force with a brain (my own opinion). Jane and Henry have been so affected by their father's (false?) imprisonment. They are shunned and Jane suffers from anxiety and depression. They are also both very strong. They are convinced their father was framed and want to find out who the real serial killer is. Otis is absolutely adorable. He has no friends and coincidentally bumps into Henry and becomes entangled in their story. Garcia is just really a good cop and person. I also absolutely loved Jane and Henry's grandmother! She was hilarious.
The plot was so engaging and so thriller-y. As we know, Jane and Henry's dad is a convicted serial killer. An online podcast comes to Paradise to cover the story. Then someone else dies with the same MO as the serial killer. Is it a copycat or was Jane and Henry's dad really framed? Jane, Henry and Otis do some digging to find the truth. I did not see the killer coming. It was the farthest person in my mind. The ending was so scary (thriller scary, not like scary scary) and I didn't want to miss a second. It wrapped up nicely, but there was one thing that wasn't answered that I felt was a pretty big thing that happened.
Overall, this was an amazing thriller and the narrator was fantastic. Definitely give this one a try if you are into thrillers or true crime!
bookswithmybulldog's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Drug abuse, Blood, Violence, Gun violence, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent
maemaelu23's review against another edition
3.0
**Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for early access to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review**
This was a solid mystery about two kids trying to clear the name of their father, who they believe is wrongly convicted of being a serial killer. Told from several perspectives, you follow the breadcrumbs with the characters as they start to piece together clues pointing to his innocence and it leads you down an unexpected path. With a few twists and more than one red herring the ending was unexpected and satisfying. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. The narrator, while able to create different voices, did so a little too over the top. Some of the character voices were a bit campy or cliche. Subtlety would have been better for this kind of story so as not to distract from the plot.
This was a solid mystery about two kids trying to clear the name of their father, who they believe is wrongly convicted of being a serial killer. Told from several perspectives, you follow the breadcrumbs with the characters as they start to piece together clues pointing to his innocence and it leads you down an unexpected path. With a few twists and more than one red herring the ending was unexpected and satisfying. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. The narrator, while able to create different voices, did so a little too over the top. Some of the character voices were a bit campy or cliche. Subtlety would have been better for this kind of story so as not to distract from the plot.
eek0001's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
cholla25's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
5.0
alecia3dixie's review against another edition
5.0
Wow I really liked this book! The narration was really great, and I loved the characters. And I did not see it coming! Everytime I was sure I had it right, I was totally off. The ending was great and crazy! 5/5
mothgoth's review against another edition
4.0
This book definitely deserves to have more readers. A very interesting thriller that tackled a lot of heavy topics such as addiction, poverty, and the true crime phenomenon. There were a lot of characters to follow and at times it felt like it was slipping away into a different sort of book, but overall it was a good read and one I couldn't put down. The reveal with the killer was pretty wild and unexpected, to me, though a tiiiiny bit unrealistic, I thought! But still pretty well done.
a_bookish_butterfly's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
I feel like I shouldn’t say I had a really good time listening to an audiobook about a convicted serial killer’s kids, who are determined to prove his innocence, and a copycat slayer terrorizing the people of Paradise, WV, but if I didn’t say that, I’d be lying. This was a fun story. 🤷♀️
Paradise, WV captivated me from start to finish. There is a great mystery in all of this and despite the serious subject matter, the author didn’t seem to take it all too seriously. There’s a bit of a campy feel to the book, and while the story is pretty surface level and there is a mountain of stereotypes and cliches, it all seemed very intentional. This won’t work in every story, but it was executed well here.
I would have loved to have seen a bit more depth here, especially in the character building, but that’s really the only thing that bugged me. Despite what wasn’t accomplished with these characters, I did like most of them, especially Otis.
The best part for me was that I never figured out the twist! The author successfully distracted me from that shocking reveal again and again and I felt quite satisfied as the truth played out.
Engaging with fun thrillers can be such a struggle for me, so finding one like this that really keeps me invested without delivering the meaningfulness I tend to crave makes me really happy. This was just… well… a good time. If that’s all you’re in the mood for, you might want to pick Paradise, WV up!
Side note: I do want to reiterate that this is a thriller and in all thriller and horror books, it’s important to go in expecting dark, disturbing content. I don’t know what might be too much for any one person, but I don’t want anyone mad at me for calling this fun (because that’s happened!). It still has aspects that have the potential to trigger. Please keep that in mind.
I am immensely grateful to Keylight Books for my audio review copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Paradise, WV captivated me from start to finish. There is a great mystery in all of this and despite the serious subject matter, the author didn’t seem to take it all too seriously. There’s a bit of a campy feel to the book, and while the story is pretty surface level and there is a mountain of stereotypes and cliches, it all seemed very intentional. This won’t work in every story, but it was executed well here.
I would have loved to have seen a bit more depth here, especially in the character building, but that’s really the only thing that bugged me. Despite what wasn’t accomplished with these characters, I did like most of them, especially Otis.
The best part for me was that I never figured out the twist! The author successfully distracted me from that shocking reveal again and again and I felt quite satisfied as the truth played out.
Engaging with fun thrillers can be such a struggle for me, so finding one like this that really keeps me invested without delivering the meaningfulness I tend to crave makes me really happy. This was just… well… a good time. If that’s all you’re in the mood for, you might want to pick Paradise, WV up!
Side note: I do want to reiterate that this is a thriller and in all thriller and horror books, it’s important to go in expecting dark, disturbing content. I don’t know what might be too much for any one person, but I don’t want anyone mad at me for calling this fun (because that’s happened!). It still has aspects that have the potential to trigger. Please keep that in mind.
I am immensely grateful to Keylight Books for my audio review copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
hedyd's review against another edition
3.0
The author did a great job describing the despair, sadness and drug addiction in the small WV town of Paradise. He also made the bullying of Jane and Henry believable. There were plenty of red herrings that lead me to suspect other characters had committed the murders and the cult was fascinating . What I had a hard time with was the child detective Otis and wished there had been more development of Garcia’s character.