Reviews

State of Paradise by Laura van den Berg

katieparker's review

mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

dvogel's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

whatellisreadnext's review

adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was really frigging weird and all over the place, and I loved it. Reading a Laura van den Berg book is a unique experience. State of Paradise has this train of thought like narrative that follows our protagonist as she gets us up to speed on her life. She bounces effortless through past and present, creating this fever dream type story that ramps up as the book goes on. At points, I was questioning what reality even was, saying that I love how matter of fact our narrator is about everything. Based in a post covid society where people are being aducted by virtual reality, she navigates ghost writing whilst living in a very flooded florida, with her mother who is running an 'end to humans' cult, things are bound to be a little weird. This is one for fans of One's Company, Leave the World Behind, and Death Valley. Thank you to FSG for the gifted e-arc in exchange for an honest review. 

knoxmulder's review

adventurous challenging funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

mariguz's review

mysterious medium-paced

4.75

bonkers. beautiful. tore pieces of the world and pinned them to the page. surreal. i think i loved it. it made no sense. it made so much sense. like a fever dream. the writing was incredible, both on a sentence and character level. i never knew where i was going. i guess i went Where I Needed To Be. it captured so much in just 200 pages. 

it was weird in a way i loved, but it also crept around behind me like something terrifying and crouching that i was afraid to look at. 

raijoy's review

5.0

State of Paradise chronicles strange pandemic days, the rise of mindless electronic escape, and grief's otherworldly whims in this wholly original and epically engaging novel from a master of episodic oddity. I'll follow van den Berg wherever she wants to take me, even Florida.