Book Club Questions: "What Kind of Paradise" by Janelle Brown

Let’s talk about What Kind of Paradise—Janelle Brown’s twisty, brainy, emotionally layered novel that gave us cult-ish vibes, tech doom spirals, coming-of-age angst, and at least five characters we alternated between hugging and yelling at. In short: it’s the perfect book club pick.

Whether you devoured this book in a weekend or slow-burned it over several weeks (looking at you, Molly), there’s a lot to talk about. Was Jane a reliable narrator? Did Saul have a point? Did anyone else want to stage an intervention for Lionel and his painfully trusting heart?

To help you unpack it all—without turning into a hermit living off the grid with only dial-up internet and a composting toilet—I’ve put together a shiny, printable PDF of discussion questions (link below) that will spark conversation, reflection, and maybe even a heated debate or two (no actual fistfights, please).The questions cover everything from narrator reliability to the internet’s golden age, to how exactly one defines paradise in a world of FaceTime, surveillance drones, and emotionally unavailable fathers. Plus, you’ll get to reflect on your own personal tech habits, your thoughts on girlhood power dynamics, and whether or not you’d join a commune (no judgment either way).

Click the link below to download the PDF and bring it to your next book club meeting—or, if you’re me, to your cat’s book club meeting where you do all the talking and he just sits there judging you.

Happy reading, happy discussing, and remember: paradise is a state of mind... or maybe a WiFi-free island with a really good cold brew.