July 8, 2024
3.5⭐️ This year I have listened to a LOT of audiobooks. I love it as a way to consume books/stories, but also recognize there are occasional drawbacks. In this case, despite a good narrator, I really feel the story would have been better enjoyed in its physical form (e-reader or print). It was just genuinely a challenge for me to stick with the storyline between listens, since it isn’t super easy to go back and be reminded of fine details.
"State of Paradise" by Laura van den Berg is a genre-blending novel (contemporary fiction —> science fiction) set in the sweltering, surreal environment of a Florida town during the pandemic. The protagonist, a ghostwriter for a famous thriller author, returns with her husband to her childhood home, where she confronts family secrets, her sister's obsession with a virtual reality device, and the mysterious disappearance and return of townspeople.
The transition from contemporary fiction to science fiction took me a second to get used to as I was listening. But in particular, it was the style and organization of the book that made it difficult for me to fully engage with the story in audio form. Otherwise, I think the plot was intriguing and writing very strong. Specifically, the main character’s apathetic yet factual recounting of traumatic events is both a realistic portrayal of a trauma response and a deeply disturbing element that underscores the novel’s darker themes well.
Thanks to Netgalley, Spotify Audiobooks, Laura van den Berg, and Megan Tusing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
"State of Paradise" by Laura van den Berg is a genre-blending novel (contemporary fiction —> science fiction) set in the sweltering, surreal environment of a Florida town during the pandemic. The protagonist, a ghostwriter for a famous thriller author, returns with her husband to her childhood home, where she confronts family secrets, her sister's obsession with a virtual reality device, and the mysterious disappearance and return of townspeople.
The transition from contemporary fiction to science fiction took me a second to get used to as I was listening. But in particular, it was the style and organization of the book that made it difficult for me to fully engage with the story in audio form. Otherwise, I think the plot was intriguing and writing very strong. Specifically, the main character’s apathetic yet factual recounting of traumatic events is both a realistic portrayal of a trauma response and a deeply disturbing element that underscores the novel’s darker themes well.
Thanks to Netgalley, Spotify Audiobooks, Laura van den Berg, and Megan Tusing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.