Review by xcameronfx - What Kind of Paradise

xcameronfx 's review for:

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown

4.0

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Such a great concept for a book, and so well done! This book is definitely a love letter to 90s San Francisco, and is an interesting perspective on the dawn of the internet age. I loved how complex Jane is as a character, and how complicated her relationship with her father

(and eventually her mother)

is. There is no black and white villain, and I appreciate that it's both hard to like and hard to hate Saul.

I did think that the romantic relationship between Jane/Esme and Lionel was a bit predictable, but I suppose it makes sense considering he helped her out, and they shared a lot of interests. I think there was a big risk in making their dynamic unbalanced, since she was so vulnerable and new to the "real world," but I think in the end it didn't come off as creepy (which I was afraid of).

Despite being primarily set in the 90s, a lot of what is said about technology is surprisingly topical given the explosion of AI, and makes the whole villain arc of Saul all the more complex. A really compelling read!

*ARC access provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Content Warnings