What do you think?
Rate this book
State of Paradise
A heart-racing fun house of uncanniness hidden in Florida’s underbelly, from a reality-warping storyteller.
Along with her husband, a ghostwriter for a famous thriller author returns to her mother's house in the Florida town where she grew up. As the summer heat sets in, she wrestles with family secrets and memories of her own troubled youth. Her mercurial sister, who lives next door, spends a growing amount of time using MIND’S EYE, a virtual reality device provided to citizens of the town by ELECTRA, a tech company in South Florida, during the doldrums of a recent pandemic. But it’s not just the ominous cats, her mother’s burgeoning cult, or the fact that her belly button has become an increasingly deep cavern―something is off in the town, and it probably has to do with the posters of missing citizens spread throughout the streets.
During a violent rainstorm, the writer’s sister goes missing for several days. When she returns, sprawled on their mother’s lawn and speaking of another dimension, the writer is forced to investigate not only what happened to her sister and the other missing people but also the uncanny connections between ELECTRA, the famous author, and reality itself.
A sticky, rain-soaked reckoning with the elusive nature of storytelling, Laura van den Berg’s Florida Diary is an interlocking and page-turning whirlwind. With inimitable control and thrilling style, she reaches deep into the void and returns with a story far stranger than either reality or fiction.
Along with her husband, a ghostwriter for a famous thriller author returns to her mother's house in the Florida town where she grew up. As the summer heat sets in, she wrestles with family secrets and memories of her own troubled youth. Her mercurial sister, who lives next door, spends a growing amount of time using MIND’S EYE, a virtual reality device provided to citizens of the town by ELECTRA, a tech company in South Florida, during the doldrums of a recent pandemic. But it’s not just the ominous cats, her mother’s burgeoning cult, or the fact that her belly button has become an increasingly deep cavern―something is off in the town, and it probably has to do with the posters of missing citizens spread throughout the streets.
During a violent rainstorm, the writer’s sister goes missing for several days. When she returns, sprawled on their mother’s lawn and speaking of another dimension, the writer is forced to investigate not only what happened to her sister and the other missing people but also the uncanny connections between ELECTRA, the famous author, and reality itself.
A sticky, rain-soaked reckoning with the elusive nature of storytelling, Laura van den Berg’s Florida Diary is an interlocking and page-turning whirlwind. With inimitable control and thrilling style, she reaches deep into the void and returns with a story far stranger than either reality or fiction.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published July 9, 2024
About the author
Laura van den Berg
29 books722 followersLaura van den Berg was born and raised in Florida. She is the author of five works of fiction, including The Third Hotel, a finalist for the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award, and I Hold a Wolf by the Ears, one of Time Magazine’s 10 Best Fiction Books of 2020. She is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Strauss Living Award from the American Academy of Arts & Letters, a literature fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Bard Fiction Prize, a PEN/O. Henry Award, and a MacDowell Colony Fellowship, and is a two-time finalist for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. Laura is currently a Senior Lecturer on Fiction at Harvard. Her next novel, State of Paradise, is forthcoming from FSG in July 2024. She lives in the Hudson Valley.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
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.
July 8, 2024
The synopsis of State of Paradise sums it up so well, there’s almost no need to write a review at all. This does indeed depict a funhouse of uncanniness hidden in Florida’s underbelly and a sticky, rain-soaked reckoning with the elusive nature of storytelling. Its narrator, who works as a ghostwriter of popular-but-trashy thrillers, has recently returned to her home state of Florida. She’s living with her mother and next door to her sister, who’s become addicted to MIND’S EYE, a virtual reality headset that was handed out free during the pandemic. It’s a time of increasingly extreme weather, and during one particularly apocalyptic storm, her sister disappears.
When the story starts, its contours seem familiar; van den Berg relies on that precise assumption to wrongfoot the reader. You might think you know what the narrator’s referring to when she talks about ‘the pandemic’, but then she describes some of the lasting side effects – her bellybutton has changed shape, her sister’s eyes are a different colour – and suddenly you’re wondering if this story is taking place within our world at all. Unfamiliarity with the setting adds a further sheen of weirdness to the whole thing (I imagine this book reads very differently if you’ve ever lived in Florida). This sense of a slightly altered world is key to State of Paradise’s mission. It’s a slippery story about stories – about how we rewrite our histories to empower (or deny) ourselves.
For me, it was all strongly reminiscent of Alexandra Kleeman’s novels You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine and Something New Under the Sun. In fact, it’s as though someone spliced the two of them together: the surreal setting and mysterious disappearances from You Too, the overtones of climate disaster from Something New, the cult elements from both. This was slightly to State of Paradise’s detriment; I just love Kleeman’s writing so much, and this doesn’t quite hit the same heights. It’s also a lighter, less complex read compared to van den Berg’s last novel, The Third Hotel.
I liked it, though – the palpable humidity of the setting, the startling suggestions about our narrator’s account of her own past. Unsurprisingly, I would firmly recommend this book to fans of Alexandra Kleeman’s fiction. I’d also compare it to other tricky, hallucinatory narratives like The Scapegoat and Looking Glass Sound, and in its last act it reminded me of nothing so much as the wild twists of The Writing Retreat.
I received an advance review copy of State of Paradise from the publisher through Edelweiss.
When the story starts, its contours seem familiar; van den Berg relies on that precise assumption to wrongfoot the reader. You might think you know what the narrator’s referring to when she talks about ‘the pandemic’, but then she describes some of the lasting side effects – her bellybutton has changed shape, her sister’s eyes are a different colour – and suddenly you’re wondering if this story is taking place within our world at all. Unfamiliarity with the setting adds a further sheen of weirdness to the whole thing (I imagine this book reads very differently if you’ve ever lived in Florida). This sense of a slightly altered world is key to State of Paradise’s mission. It’s a slippery story about stories – about how we rewrite our histories to empower (or deny) ourselves.
For me, it was all strongly reminiscent of Alexandra Kleeman’s novels You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine and Something New Under the Sun. In fact, it’s as though someone spliced the two of them together: the surreal setting and mysterious disappearances from You Too, the overtones of climate disaster from Something New, the cult elements from both. This was slightly to State of Paradise’s detriment; I just love Kleeman’s writing so much, and this doesn’t quite hit the same heights. It’s also a lighter, less complex read compared to van den Berg’s last novel, The Third Hotel.
I liked it, though – the palpable humidity of the setting, the startling suggestions about our narrator’s account of her own past. Unsurprisingly, I would firmly recommend this book to fans of Alexandra Kleeman’s fiction. I’d also compare it to other tricky, hallucinatory narratives like The Scapegoat and Looking Glass Sound, and in its last act it reminded me of nothing so much as the wild twists of The Writing Retreat.
I received an advance review copy of State of Paradise from the publisher through Edelweiss.
July 17, 2024
My brain is fried atm, I got thaaangs going on. But for now, I’ll say that I’m always down for whatever’s going on in Laura van den Berg’s uncanny imagination.
A surreal allegory on the pandemic and trauma. An innovative look at the creative process. A cautionary tale on our alarming dependence on technology. The first half is pretty much realist fiction with a splash of sci-fi, and then the second half goes full-on bonkers, just the way I like it. It’s a weird one, one that I’m sure to devour on a future second reading.
Mistrust of technology. Pandemic trauma. Environmental crisis. Shady politics. Genre-bending meta fiction. This book is a fever dream.
A surreal allegory on the pandemic and trauma. An innovative look at the creative process. A cautionary tale on our alarming dependence on technology. The first half is pretty much realist fiction with a splash of sci-fi, and then the second half goes full-on bonkers, just the way I like it. It’s a weird one, one that I’m sure to devour on a future second reading.
Mistrust of technology. Pandemic trauma. Environmental crisis. Shady politics. Genre-bending meta fiction. This book is a fever dream.
Read
April 22, 2024“The novel is a pretty outdated technology, but that is exactly why we need it. The form is so archaic that it can’t be fucked with.”
I’ve read almost all of Laura van den Berg’s work. She has an irreproducible style, one that marries the uncanny with the brutally real, contained in narratives that I find to be truly hypnotizing. Her previous book “I Hold a Wolf by the Ears” is my all-time favorite story collection. Here, through a rollicking story of Florida, a pandemic, ominous virtual reality devices, ghostwriting, mental illness, and a world on the brink of collapse, “State of Paradise” is a piece of weird fiction that at its heart is an exploration of storytelling; how stories provide form to the elusive aspects of living.
I’ve been drawn to contemporary literature that explores diaristic forms, a variant of autofiction that plays with an author’s physical act of keeping a diary, exposing the author’s seemingly private dialogue with themselves. Here, van den Berg uses this structure yet interestingly (and perhaps unconventionally) leans directly into the speculative. The “reality vs. fiction” distinction tends to be at the center of novels I love, and even when this story dips hard into the fiction, Van Den Berg’s skill is in keeping the reality lurking right over your shoulder, in often horrific ways. She has done this to varying extents in her previous work, but I loved the ambition of blurring all of these lines and leaning into genre to create a new, monstrous thing, which also happens be extremely fun to read.
“The more I read, the more, and the less, I understand.”
Read if you liked / Works brought to mind: Y/N by Esther Yi, Bliss Montage by Ling Ma, 2666 by Roberto Bolaño, Something New Under the Sun by Alexandra Kleeman, The Answers by Catherine Lacey, Weather by Jenny Offill
I’ve read almost all of Laura van den Berg’s work. She has an irreproducible style, one that marries the uncanny with the brutally real, contained in narratives that I find to be truly hypnotizing. Her previous book “I Hold a Wolf by the Ears” is my all-time favorite story collection. Here, through a rollicking story of Florida, a pandemic, ominous virtual reality devices, ghostwriting, mental illness, and a world on the brink of collapse, “State of Paradise” is a piece of weird fiction that at its heart is an exploration of storytelling; how stories provide form to the elusive aspects of living.
I’ve been drawn to contemporary literature that explores diaristic forms, a variant of autofiction that plays with an author’s physical act of keeping a diary, exposing the author’s seemingly private dialogue with themselves. Here, van den Berg uses this structure yet interestingly (and perhaps unconventionally) leans directly into the speculative. The “reality vs. fiction” distinction tends to be at the center of novels I love, and even when this story dips hard into the fiction, Van Den Berg’s skill is in keeping the reality lurking right over your shoulder, in often horrific ways. She has done this to varying extents in her previous work, but I loved the ambition of blurring all of these lines and leaning into genre to create a new, monstrous thing, which also happens be extremely fun to read.
“The more I read, the more, and the less, I understand.”
Read if you liked / Works brought to mind: Y/N by Esther Yi, Bliss Montage by Ling Ma, 2666 by Roberto Bolaño, Something New Under the Sun by Alexandra Kleeman, The Answers by Catherine Lacey, Weather by Jenny Offill
March 28, 2024
This was a really solid, unique blend of sci-fi and litfic, with even some horror elements. I felt like the synopsis doesn’t really do the book justice, and it does take a while for all of the plot to be introduced.
Van den Berg paints a quirky picture of an alternate post-pandemic Florida, where lots of people have become addicted to a VR-esque technology and its users have suddenly started seemingly vanishing into thin air. I’d say that is the *main* thread of the story, but there are bits of other things interspersed like information on our narrator’s past, some bizarre cultlike behavior from her mother, and her bellybutton becoming a void. I’ve never read anything quite like this before and this has me excited to read more from her!
Van den Berg paints a quirky picture of an alternate post-pandemic Florida, where lots of people have become addicted to a VR-esque technology and its users have suddenly started seemingly vanishing into thin air. I’d say that is the *main* thread of the story, but there are bits of other things interspersed like information on our narrator’s past, some bizarre cultlike behavior from her mother, and her bellybutton becoming a void. I’ve never read anything quite like this before and this has me excited to read more from her!
Read
February 10, 2024Kind of wonderful!!! Reminded me of Offill a little. Vignettey novel about remaking the end of the world. Claustrophobic and bizarre and for all the Florida heads out there. No Florida bashing allowed unless you’re from Florida!!!!!!
July 3, 2024
State of Paradise is an unsettling and incredibly well-written foray into the darkest recesses of the mind and our current moment. Told in interconnected stories/vignettes, Laura van den Berg brilliantly blurs the lines between reality and unreality. This creates for the reader a foreboding feeling of the uncanny and the accompanying dread and grief that lurks behind each new day of our technologically dependent and increasingly dystopian world. The state of Florida, much as in Lauren Groff's famously titled story collection, is used as metaphor for humankind's aptitude for imposing ourselves onto the natural world — whether we should be here or not.
Laura van den Berg, through an unmatchable prose style and skillful storytelling, portrays the similarities between the environment, society, and the self through our collective descent into increasing chaos, confusion, and instability. All of this under late stage capitalism, mass surveillance/encroaching technology, and the increasing threat of climate change, she touches a lot of ground without it ever feeling overdone. This novel was a perfect blend of realistic, weird, and science fiction. You don't read this for the warm and fuzzies, but this has truly been one of the best new releases of 2024 and a must-read for anyone who has felt themselves living in a warped simulation post-pandemic.
Readers of Ling Ma and Jenny Offill look no further.
Laura van den Berg, through an unmatchable prose style and skillful storytelling, portrays the similarities between the environment, society, and the self through our collective descent into increasing chaos, confusion, and instability. All of this under late stage capitalism, mass surveillance/encroaching technology, and the increasing threat of climate change, she touches a lot of ground without it ever feeling overdone. This novel was a perfect blend of realistic, weird, and science fiction. You don't read this for the warm and fuzzies, but this has truly been one of the best new releases of 2024 and a must-read for anyone who has felt themselves living in a warped simulation post-pandemic.
Readers of Ling Ma and Jenny Offill look no further.
May 19, 2024
As with all her previous work, Laura an den Berg writes like no other. Except maybe her husband, Paul Yoon. The fact that they are a "literary couple like no other" explains a lot, with their shared expertise and imagination. State of Paradise is set in a place she knows well having lived there, but as with another Floridian (transplanted), she focuses on the native forces that impact the human population in weird and truly original ways.
November 15, 2023
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.
July 21, 2024
Ghosts fill this speculative auto-fiction-ish novel. It's set in that strange state that is Florida, with its bizarre politicians, its right-wingers, its swamps and humidity and insects and snakes and cats and more, set after the pandemic, or a pandemic, where those stricken, like the unnamed first-person narrator and her sister, experienced serious fevers and then other strange physical reactions. The narrator, in her late 30s, a ghost writer for a famous and rich mystery writer, and the narrator's husband, a long-distance runner and historian writing about medieval pilgrimages, came to Florida from upstate New York where he was teaching, to care for her dying father, and stayed on, living in her mother's house, when the pandemic struck. They are still there. The ghosts are plentiful - the narrator's prior selves, including the one that was committed to an institution, the ghost pal of her young niece, the pictures of those who apparently have gone missing, perhaps because of the mysterious AI device called Mind's Eye that takes you where you need to go. If that weren't enough, there's snakes galore, grasshoppers in force, a major weather event of ceaseless rain and flooding, an accidental cult created by the narrator's mother. For most of the novel, I was right there, intrigued by the narrator's voice that is cool and a bit disassociated, her observations keen about the state of the world, about the state of the novel, about the state of one's story, but when another plot point was introduced, having to do with twin sisters, and the identity of the famous mystery writer for whom the narrator is one of many ghosts, and the existence of the different realities afforded by Mind's Eye, I got tired of it and less interested as the narrator became her own secondary character in the story of her life. Still, an engaging read, often unnerving, and also sometimes funny. Really, who today hasn't been warped by, isn't now living a warped reality, caused by our own lives and collective lives, pandemic and politics and weather and technology and our minds in what is our new normal, and how do we forge on trying to create our connection to the new realities?
Thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Netgalley for the arc.
Thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Netgalley for the arc.
February 18, 2024
Another stellar novel from Laura van den Berg and one in which the jacket copy fails to do it justice.
It's a post covid Florida, in which the goverment took advantage of everyone while they were isolating and got them hooked on a new meditative, immersive technology called MIND'S EYE, and where people are suffering strange side effects that are believed to have been caused by the crazy high fevers they survived. Our narrator herself discovers that her outie is becoming a cavernous innie and her sister's eyes have completely changed color.
As she deals with these subtle physical changes, and ignores her mom's strange antics, and puts off urgent requests from the assistants of the author she ghosts for, MIND'S EYE users all around town begin mysteriously disappearing, as though into thin air... her sister being one of them. Some of the missing begin reappearing days later, a little dazed, not much worse for the wear, but with strange stories of where they've been. And our narrator's sister is one of the ones who've returned. She swears she entered another reality at their dead father's bidding and she's determined to return, with or without our narrator.
This book was just so deliciously weird. It's a fabulous mashup of grief fiction, sci-fi post-pandy fiction. Much like Florida and the pandemic itself, State of Paradise is a humid and feverish thing and oh gosh I was sooo there for it!
It's a post covid Florida, in which the goverment took advantage of everyone while they were isolating and got them hooked on a new meditative, immersive technology called MIND'S EYE, and where people are suffering strange side effects that are believed to have been caused by the crazy high fevers they survived. Our narrator herself discovers that her outie is becoming a cavernous innie and her sister's eyes have completely changed color.
As she deals with these subtle physical changes, and ignores her mom's strange antics, and puts off urgent requests from the assistants of the author she ghosts for, MIND'S EYE users all around town begin mysteriously disappearing, as though into thin air... her sister being one of them. Some of the missing begin reappearing days later, a little dazed, not much worse for the wear, but with strange stories of where they've been. And our narrator's sister is one of the ones who've returned. She swears she entered another reality at their dead father's bidding and she's determined to return, with or without our narrator.
This book was just so deliciously weird. It's a fabulous mashup of grief fiction, sci-fi post-pandy fiction. Much like Florida and the pandemic itself, State of Paradise is a humid and feverish thing and oh gosh I was sooo there for it!
July 9, 2024
Laura van den Berg’s sixth novel, STATE OF PARADISE, is a fascinating blend of speculative fiction and autofiction, set in the uniquely strange and entertaining backdrop of Florida.
About...
The protagonist, a 36-year-old ghostwriter, and her husband, also a writer, embark on a journey back to her roots in central Florida. They return to her mother’s house, which holds memories of her childhood after her father's death.
The sister lives next door, and a tech company has distributed a virtual reality device called Mind’s Eye to locals to help them meditate.
The novel delves into Florida’s erratic weather, dystopian politics, and intrusive technology, painting a vivid and thought-provoking picture of the state’s peculiarities and challenges.
Then, through meanderings in and out of reality, there is bad weather (this is Florida), and she calls up memories of her deceased father and her time as a patient in a mental facility. These memories are accompanied by strange, inexplicable body changes, adding a layer of mystery to the narrative.
Everything is not as it seems...
From a pandemic, trauma, mental illness, loss, grief, loss, and memories—from speculative and autofiction to mystery and thriller.
My thoughts...
The storytelling is MIND-BENDING!
With all the interviews I have read about this book, Van den Berg’s STATE OF PARADISE seems to be personal and intimate. Many of the events she experienced when staying at her family home during the pandemic are chronicled in her Florida Diary. This diary, which she initially intended as a personal reflection and mediation, turned into the basis for STATE OF PARADISE.
STATE OF PARADISE is deep, twisty, witty, mysterious, eccentric, weird, atmospheric, and thought-provoking. It is a story far stranger than either reality or fiction. STATE OF PARADISE resonates deeper as a metaphorical examination of post-pandemic existence.
As a Floridian for over 20 years— we all know how weird and crazy this state is. I had to laugh at the dark stories of sinkholes, swamps, floods, iguanas, alligators, snakes, hurricanes, missing people, supernatural, portals, canals, ghosts, humans, nature, bomb shelters, cults, climate, canals, bacteria, humidity, the crazy weather, politics, technology, memories, pandemic, and all the wildness and weirdness of this state.
Audiobook...
I listened to the audiobook by a favorite narrator, Megan Tusing. Fabulously talented, she delivered an outstanding performance as she brought the setting and the characters to life!
Thanks to Spotify Audiobooks and NetGalley for an advanced listening copy for an honest opinion.
blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: July 9, 2024
July 2024 Must-Read Books
July Newsletter
On a personal note...
I have lived and worked from north Ponte Vedra Beach, Ormond Peach, Palm Beach, W Palm Beach, Ft Lauderdale, Miami, to the furthest south, the Florida Keys (east coast). I have also had offices in Tampa, Sarasota, and Naples along the Gulf Coast, so I enjoyed all the landmarks and familiar spots. I loved the wink to Palm Beach and, of course, the favorite quaint town of Mount Dora (bomb shelter).
I have been trying to leave Florida for years (was relocated here from Atlanta for a job years ago). I am currently on a five-year waiting list for a senior living to relocate to Asheville, NC to retire (my home state). I am ready to return closer to family, to seasons and mountains—(minus no pesky iguanas, alligators, hurricanes, or hot, humid weather.) This state will surely be under water or dissolved soon.
The novel is very realistic and insightful in many ways, and if you are a resident, you will appreciate both the humor and the insanity.
About...
The protagonist, a 36-year-old ghostwriter, and her husband, also a writer, embark on a journey back to her roots in central Florida. They return to her mother’s house, which holds memories of her childhood after her father's death.
The sister lives next door, and a tech company has distributed a virtual reality device called Mind’s Eye to locals to help them meditate.
The novel delves into Florida’s erratic weather, dystopian politics, and intrusive technology, painting a vivid and thought-provoking picture of the state’s peculiarities and challenges.
Then, through meanderings in and out of reality, there is bad weather (this is Florida), and she calls up memories of her deceased father and her time as a patient in a mental facility. These memories are accompanied by strange, inexplicable body changes, adding a layer of mystery to the narrative.
Everything is not as it seems...
From a pandemic, trauma, mental illness, loss, grief, loss, and memories—from speculative and autofiction to mystery and thriller.
My thoughts...
The storytelling is MIND-BENDING!
With all the interviews I have read about this book, Van den Berg’s STATE OF PARADISE seems to be personal and intimate. Many of the events she experienced when staying at her family home during the pandemic are chronicled in her Florida Diary. This diary, which she initially intended as a personal reflection and mediation, turned into the basis for STATE OF PARADISE.
STATE OF PARADISE is deep, twisty, witty, mysterious, eccentric, weird, atmospheric, and thought-provoking. It is a story far stranger than either reality or fiction. STATE OF PARADISE resonates deeper as a metaphorical examination of post-pandemic existence.
As a Floridian for over 20 years— we all know how weird and crazy this state is. I had to laugh at the dark stories of sinkholes, swamps, floods, iguanas, alligators, snakes, hurricanes, missing people, supernatural, portals, canals, ghosts, humans, nature, bomb shelters, cults, climate, canals, bacteria, humidity, the crazy weather, politics, technology, memories, pandemic, and all the wildness and weirdness of this state.
Audiobook...
I listened to the audiobook by a favorite narrator, Megan Tusing. Fabulously talented, she delivered an outstanding performance as she brought the setting and the characters to life!
Thanks to Spotify Audiobooks and NetGalley for an advanced listening copy for an honest opinion.
blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: July 9, 2024
July 2024 Must-Read Books
July Newsletter
On a personal note...
I have lived and worked from north Ponte Vedra Beach, Ormond Peach, Palm Beach, W Palm Beach, Ft Lauderdale, Miami, to the furthest south, the Florida Keys (east coast). I have also had offices in Tampa, Sarasota, and Naples along the Gulf Coast, so I enjoyed all the landmarks and familiar spots. I loved the wink to Palm Beach and, of course, the favorite quaint town of Mount Dora (bomb shelter).
I have been trying to leave Florida for years (was relocated here from Atlanta for a job years ago). I am currently on a five-year waiting list for a senior living to relocate to Asheville, NC to retire (my home state). I am ready to return closer to family, to seasons and mountains—(minus no pesky iguanas, alligators, hurricanes, or hot, humid weather.) This state will surely be under water or dissolved soon.
The novel is very realistic and insightful in many ways, and if you are a resident, you will appreciate both the humor and the insanity.
July 7, 2024
This was…ambitious? It felt like eight ideas thrown into one, without any semblance of a clear path. Maybe that was the point, but as a reader, I failed to digest anything that will stick with me beyond the final page. Except, of course, the MC’s f*^king belly button.
July 13, 2024
Spoilers ahead.
Now that I’m in my post-COVID, menopausal phase of life I have no problem admitting that sometimes not all cylinders are firing at once, if you know what I mean, and so the times while reading this book when I thought, “What the heck?” Or, “Does this make any sense at all?” could be attributed to that, but I’m not sure.
I liked the book for the most part, it is an interesting story where paranormal experiences via virtual reality and mysterious weather events are metaphors for how we deal with trauma, memory, and what is at this point in our collective existence an environmental disaster that will not be resolved or avoided. I appreciate the author’s, or at least the narrator’s, views on Florida. Referring to the Governor as a cro-magnon is in my opinion a more than fair, if possibly too kind, description of the man currently in office. The author is from Florida, and I think creating a main character with liberal views living in a very much not liberal state is relatable.
But something just doesn’t connect all the different storylines and left more questions than answers. The style of writing is a challenge at times as the author moves from one event or thought to the next, each separated by a few spaces on the page. This is more than likely how many of us think, but I don’t know whether it makes a good writing style.
In the end, it’s hard to know how things really are, for example, is The Institute open or closed? Was the main character kidnapped by the man who worked nights at the Institute or did she stalk him? I had trouble figuring out if there are parallel worlds or not because the author writes of these events that happened well before the pandemic and the start of people using the virtual reality system given out for free to people in lockdown. Does this virtual reality make people aware of their parallel lives or does it create false ones? Answers please.
I think this book would have worked better without so many competing stories. What was the point of the story of the mother’s hospitalization? Was it necessary to create a story about her starting a cult?
And ultimately for me, the part about the famous writer’s assistants was disappointing and didn’t provide enough information. It was like being in Willy Wonka’s factory but it’s run by fembots instead of oompa-loompas.
This is the first time I’ve read a book by Laura Van Den Berg and I’m not against recommending this to others or reading her other works, in fact, I’d like to, I just wish there had been a clearer, more streamlined story here.
Now that I’m in my post-COVID, menopausal phase of life I have no problem admitting that sometimes not all cylinders are firing at once, if you know what I mean, and so the times while reading this book when I thought, “What the heck?” Or, “Does this make any sense at all?” could be attributed to that, but I’m not sure.
I liked the book for the most part, it is an interesting story where paranormal experiences via virtual reality and mysterious weather events are metaphors for how we deal with trauma, memory, and what is at this point in our collective existence an environmental disaster that will not be resolved or avoided. I appreciate the author’s, or at least the narrator’s, views on Florida. Referring to the Governor as a cro-magnon is in my opinion a more than fair, if possibly too kind, description of the man currently in office. The author is from Florida, and I think creating a main character with liberal views living in a very much not liberal state is relatable.
But something just doesn’t connect all the different storylines and left more questions than answers. The style of writing is a challenge at times as the author moves from one event or thought to the next, each separated by a few spaces on the page. This is more than likely how many of us think, but I don’t know whether it makes a good writing style.
In the end, it’s hard to know how things really are, for example, is The Institute open or closed? Was the main character kidnapped by the man who worked nights at the Institute or did she stalk him? I had trouble figuring out if there are parallel worlds or not because the author writes of these events that happened well before the pandemic and the start of people using the virtual reality system given out for free to people in lockdown. Does this virtual reality make people aware of their parallel lives or does it create false ones? Answers please.
I think this book would have worked better without so many competing stories. What was the point of the story of the mother’s hospitalization? Was it necessary to create a story about her starting a cult?
And ultimately for me, the part about the famous writer’s assistants was disappointing and didn’t provide enough information. It was like being in Willy Wonka’s factory but it’s run by fembots instead of oompa-loompas.
This is the first time I’ve read a book by Laura Van Den Berg and I’m not against recommending this to others or reading her other works, in fact, I’d like to, I just wish there had been a clearer, more streamlined story here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2024
A whirlwind, a rollercoaster, a crazy train and maze of mirrors.
The ghostwriter is our protagonist, and she has returned to Florida with her husband post Covid to assist her mother. Her father has recently died, her sister lives next door and her husband is struggling as he continues to try to complete a book on Pilgrims. Van Den Berg punctures each paragraph with insights that are hard to argue yet sometimes also hard to swallow.
The Ghostwriter is stuck, she hasn't moved on from her stint in a mental institution after high school, and she never made peace with her family. She is now in her childhood home writing ridiculous thrillers for famous named-authors. When a storm hits and her sister goes missing, the world is truly put on it's end and we are all forced to deal with what is actually happening in the world today.
It's a carefully wrought crazy burst of sanity, this is the ride you need to take - Read States of Paradise!
#fararstruss&giroux #lauravandenberg #stateofparadise
The ghostwriter is our protagonist, and she has returned to Florida with her husband post Covid to assist her mother. Her father has recently died, her sister lives next door and her husband is struggling as he continues to try to complete a book on Pilgrims. Van Den Berg punctures each paragraph with insights that are hard to argue yet sometimes also hard to swallow.
The Ghostwriter is stuck, she hasn't moved on from her stint in a mental institution after high school, and she never made peace with her family. She is now in her childhood home writing ridiculous thrillers for famous named-authors. When a storm hits and her sister goes missing, the world is truly put on it's end and we are all forced to deal with what is actually happening in the world today.
It's a carefully wrought crazy burst of sanity, this is the ride you need to take - Read States of Paradise!
#fararstruss&giroux #lauravandenberg #stateofparadise
July 20, 2024
3,5
I admire writers that can blend everything they want to say into a single fluent narrative. In 'State of Paradise' Laura van den Berg certainly explores an extremely wide range of ideas (addiction, the role of technology in our lives, storytelling, ghostwriting, sectarianism, time travel, to name just a few), but they don't necessarily coalesce into a coherent whole.
And in a way that doesn't really matter, because - this being a Covid-novel too - yet another idea is that our reality is changing and we are no longer able to make sense of it. And what better setting for such a tale than the surreal state of Florida.
I struggled to make sense of it, but once I chose to go with the flow I ended up finding it quite enjoyable and interesting.
I admire writers that can blend everything they want to say into a single fluent narrative. In 'State of Paradise' Laura van den Berg certainly explores an extremely wide range of ideas (addiction, the role of technology in our lives, storytelling, ghostwriting, sectarianism, time travel, to name just a few), but they don't necessarily coalesce into a coherent whole.
And in a way that doesn't really matter, because - this being a Covid-novel too - yet another idea is that our reality is changing and we are no longer able to make sense of it. And what better setting for such a tale than the surreal state of Florida.
I struggled to make sense of it, but once I chose to go with the flow I ended up finding it quite enjoyable and interesting.
July 15, 2024
In this book, our narrator recounts her life in post-pandemic Florida and her struggles with addiction. She often goes off on tangents about her family life and the wilderness of Florida. In the beginning of the novel, there isn't a clear central focus, which made it hard for me to stay engaged. Interspersed with her stories and recollections, the narrator faces a series of weather events in Florida, her sister's disappearance, and a mysterious VR headset.
Things start to get weird in the second half and I found myself much more interested in what was happening. While there are some sci-fi elements, they aren't the focus of this novel. This definitely leans more towards literary fiction. Overall, the first half was a bit of a slog for me, but things definitely picked up in the second half.
Things start to get weird in the second half and I found myself much more interested in what was happening. While there are some sci-fi elements, they aren't the focus of this novel. This definitely leans more towards literary fiction. Overall, the first half was a bit of a slog for me, but things definitely picked up in the second half.
July 26, 2024
Cannot be bothered to write a review.
June 17, 2024
3.5 stars
This was an absolute trip, featuring both highs and less-than-highs for this reader.
The narrator, a ghost writer, has experiences that anyone who has spent significant time in Florida will understand are perfectly placed there (don't come for me - I HAVE spent a lot of time there). Along with the setting, the unsettling, potentially unreliable narration makes for an exciting jaunt through a variety of past and present scenes and leads readers to reflect on how much we're still learning about pandemic impacts in every way. All members of the narrator's family are struggling (or have struggled) in some way, and the narrator is not exempt from this. Her at times nearly apathetic, factual recollections of traumatic events are both sound in the traumatic response realm and deeply disturbing since some of them reveal just how harmed she is.
I loved the concept, the sentiment, and so many of the details, but I did struggle with the style and organization. Transparently, this may be fully related to listening to an audio version rather than reading by sight, as for me, the latter tends to result in more effective processing. I still enjoyed the work and am interested in reading more from this author.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks for this alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
This was an absolute trip, featuring both highs and less-than-highs for this reader.
The narrator, a ghost writer, has experiences that anyone who has spent significant time in Florida will understand are perfectly placed there (don't come for me - I HAVE spent a lot of time there). Along with the setting, the unsettling, potentially unreliable narration makes for an exciting jaunt through a variety of past and present scenes and leads readers to reflect on how much we're still learning about pandemic impacts in every way. All members of the narrator's family are struggling (or have struggled) in some way, and the narrator is not exempt from this. Her at times nearly apathetic, factual recollections of traumatic events are both sound in the traumatic response realm and deeply disturbing since some of them reveal just how harmed she is.
I loved the concept, the sentiment, and so many of the details, but I did struggle with the style and organization. Transparently, this may be fully related to listening to an audio version rather than reading by sight, as for me, the latter tends to result in more effective processing. I still enjoyed the work and am interested in reading more from this author.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks for this alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
July 14, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5 stars. If you have Spotify premium, you can listen to this audiobook for free. The first 10% of the book I actually thought this was a memoir. The narrator moves to Florida to help her father die, she and her husband stay with her mother, then end up staying because of the pandemic. I then realized, she is not talking about COVID, but a different and bizarre virus. The next 40% of the book is absolutely beautiful narrative fiction. Her complicated relationship with her sister, her husband’s running habits, her childhood memories and trauma coming back in waves.
Then BAM. The last 50% is straight sci fi. Not in an overly scientific explanation way, but more like the movie Memento or The Matrix… things just seem a little “off” and get weirder and weirder.
I am sure there is some symbolism about the end times or about climate change I am missing. I am sure this is a commentary on something I don’t really fully understand.
I will tell you what, though. Some of the sentences are painfully, beautifully constructed. I made liberal use of the rewind button just to hear a few over again.
It’s a short read, 224 pages or 5.5 hours.
Then BAM. The last 50% is straight sci fi. Not in an overly scientific explanation way, but more like the movie Memento or The Matrix… things just seem a little “off” and get weirder and weirder.
I am sure there is some symbolism about the end times or about climate change I am missing. I am sure this is a commentary on something I don’t really fully understand.
I will tell you what, though. Some of the sentences are painfully, beautifully constructed. I made liberal use of the rewind button just to hear a few over again.
It’s a short read, 224 pages or 5.5 hours.
July 21, 2024
Florida is weird. This book is weird. It works?
March 23, 2024
State of Paradise starts off in a familiar place in the recent past; a ghostwriter and her husband move to her childhood home in Florida during the early days of the pandemic. This quickly evolves into something much more surreal and wonderful in this fantastically weird novel that I couldn’t put down and was lucky enough to read in the Miami sun.
I would be hesitant to describe the plot, even if I could, because it was such an enthralling experience to see how this story unfolds. There’s the mysterious author the main character writes for, a sister that’s increasingly escaping into a virtual world to outrun her grief, bodies changing in strange ways after infection, and this is all set during an epic deluge that might wash away an entire state.
Can’t recommend this one enough and honestly can’t wait to read it again. Somehow this was also the first book I have read by van den Berg and I look forward to diving into her back catalogue as soon as possible. Many thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I would be hesitant to describe the plot, even if I could, because it was such an enthralling experience to see how this story unfolds. There’s the mysterious author the main character writes for, a sister that’s increasingly escaping into a virtual world to outrun her grief, bodies changing in strange ways after infection, and this is all set during an epic deluge that might wash away an entire state.
Can’t recommend this one enough and honestly can’t wait to read it again. Somehow this was also the first book I have read by van den Berg and I look forward to diving into her back catalogue as soon as possible. Many thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 12, 2024
I immediately connected with State of Paradise because I currently live in Florida, and also have experience with "the institute."
What I loved about this book was the mix of contemporary themes (AI taking over, the political state of Florida right.now, complicated family relationships) and literary fiction (how we process grief of losing loved ones, the consequences of climate change, no one had names!).
Ok actually let's come back to the no one having names thing. I confess it took me a while to catch on, but I loved it. People were often reduced to their role in *her* which gave us more of an idea of the narrator's frame of mind. But we only knew as much about the secondary characters as she was willing to describe. Really enjoyed that about this book!!
The addition of the AI world people were literally disappearing into added another layer of the narrator's analysis of how she understands her world and different versions of herself she could be given she made different choices. For example, her attitude towards her dying father from multiple POVs provided a much deeper exploration of grief than I was anticipating. Not only that but also observing how others process grief and the things we miss while caught up in our own emotions.
This book also had some humor, and I loved her husband's obsession with the pilgrimage and her mom's cult.
Overall I recommend this book if you're into lit fic and like a splash of AI sci-fi.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.
What I loved about this book was the mix of contemporary themes (AI taking over, the political state of Florida right.now, complicated family relationships) and literary fiction (how we process grief of losing loved ones, the consequences of climate change, no one had names!).
Ok actually let's come back to the no one having names thing. I confess it took me a while to catch on, but I loved it. People were often reduced to their role in *her* which gave us more of an idea of the narrator's frame of mind. But we only knew as much about the secondary characters as she was willing to describe. Really enjoyed that about this book!!
The addition of the AI world people were literally disappearing into added another layer of the narrator's analysis of how she understands her world and different versions of herself she could be given she made different choices. For example, her attitude towards her dying father from multiple POVs provided a much deeper exploration of grief than I was anticipating. Not only that but also observing how others process grief and the things we miss while caught up in our own emotions.
This book also had some humor, and I loved her husband's obsession with the pilgrimage and her mom's cult.
Overall I recommend this book if you're into lit fic and like a splash of AI sci-fi.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.
July 22, 2024
"State of Paradise" by Laura van den Berg is listed as literary fiction. Part of it is speculative fiction. Most of it is her diary about Florida, describing things like sink holes, tons of insects, humidity, and the conservative governor. Most of the story seems to be stream-of-consciousness.
During a severe weather incident of days of heavy rain, her sister goes missing. It is days before she shows up. The sister is addicted to using this virtual reality headset called Minds Eye. These sets were given out during the pandemic to help people meditate.
I had trouble following the last part that turned rather sci-fi. I went back and listened to this section all again. It still didn't make much sense. I've listened to a lot of sci-fi that made far more sense.
Characters - 5/5
Writing - 2/5
Plot - 2/5
Pacing - 2/5
Unputdownability - 2/5
Enjoyment - 1/5
Narration - 4/5 by Megan Tusing
Cover - 4/5
Overall - 22/8 = 2 6/8 grounded up to 3 stars
Thank you to Netgalley, Spotify Audiobooks, and Laura van den Berg for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
During a severe weather incident of days of heavy rain, her sister goes missing. It is days before she shows up. The sister is addicted to using this virtual reality headset called Minds Eye. These sets were given out during the pandemic to help people meditate.
I had trouble following the last part that turned rather sci-fi. I went back and listened to this section all again. It still didn't make much sense. I've listened to a lot of sci-fi that made far more sense.
Characters - 5/5
Writing - 2/5
Plot - 2/5
Pacing - 2/5
Unputdownability - 2/5
Enjoyment - 1/5
Narration - 4/5 by Megan Tusing
Cover - 4/5
Overall - 22/8 = 2 6/8 grounded up to 3 stars
Thank you to Netgalley, Spotify Audiobooks, and Laura van den Berg for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
July 2, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the eARC of State of Paradise by Laura van den Berg – available July 9, 2024.
State of Paradise TL;DR:
🦠 Twisty Dystopian Adventure
🤖 Technology vs. Human Condition
😵💫 Disorienting and Complex Narrative
State of Paradise by Laura van den Berg is a mind-bending trip into a pandemic-ravaged Florida. Buckle up for a story that's unsettling, original, and will leave you pondering long after the final page.
The protagonist, a ghostwriter seeking refuge at her childhood home, finds herself entangled in a world teetering on the edge. Reality itself seems warped, with the lines between virtual reality (courtesy of the mysterious MIND’S EYE) and the physical world blurring. The narrative is unsettling, but in a way that keeps you glued to the pages.
Be prepared, though, for a story that doesn't hold your hand. Van den Berg throws you headfirst into this strange Florida, trusting you to keep up. Some readers might find this disorienting, but for those who enjoy a challenge, it's part of the novel's charm.
If you're looking for a straightforward beach read, this isn't it. But if you're craving a thought-provoking exploration of technology, reality, and the human condition, State of Paradise is a must-read. Just be ready for the weird.
State of Paradise TL;DR:
🦠 Twisty Dystopian Adventure
🤖 Technology vs. Human Condition
😵💫 Disorienting and Complex Narrative
State of Paradise by Laura van den Berg is a mind-bending trip into a pandemic-ravaged Florida. Buckle up for a story that's unsettling, original, and will leave you pondering long after the final page.
The protagonist, a ghostwriter seeking refuge at her childhood home, finds herself entangled in a world teetering on the edge. Reality itself seems warped, with the lines between virtual reality (courtesy of the mysterious MIND’S EYE) and the physical world blurring. The narrative is unsettling, but in a way that keeps you glued to the pages.
Be prepared, though, for a story that doesn't hold your hand. Van den Berg throws you headfirst into this strange Florida, trusting you to keep up. Some readers might find this disorienting, but for those who enjoy a challenge, it's part of the novel's charm.
If you're looking for a straightforward beach read, this isn't it. But if you're craving a thought-provoking exploration of technology, reality, and the human condition, State of Paradise is a must-read. Just be ready for the weird.
July 8, 2024
I really enjoyed this one. I have been teetering on the edge of a reading slump but I picked this book up and didn’t put it down. I was reading pages at work whenever I could. The characters in this book didn’t even have names, but I still wanted to know more about them and the increasingly strange world around them.
State Of Paradise is a scary glimpse of what could be. Following a woman post-Covid who has moved back to her mother’s house in Florida, the reader is dropped into a weird universe where people are going missing left and right, and the rest of the country is watching Florida with bated breath.
The strange and dystopian always hit a bit harder when there is truth sprinkled in. For anyone concerned about the condition of our country, our world - check out State Of Paradise. The writing in this book was incredible and I can’t wait to check out more from this author!
**Thank you to NetGalley and FSG Books for the eARC of this incredible title.**
State Of Paradise is a scary glimpse of what could be. Following a woman post-Covid who has moved back to her mother’s house in Florida, the reader is dropped into a weird universe where people are going missing left and right, and the rest of the country is watching Florida with bated breath.
The strange and dystopian always hit a bit harder when there is truth sprinkled in. For anyone concerned about the condition of our country, our world - check out State Of Paradise. The writing in this book was incredible and I can’t wait to check out more from this author!
**Thank you to NetGalley and FSG Books for the eARC of this incredible title.**
Read
July 8, 2024Sharply written and a bit feverish, State of Paradise is bizarre and enveloping. I had trouble getting into this one – the story is swelteringly abstract and was at times difficult to follow, especially when the narration deviates into tangents and asides. Haunting imagery bolsters this novel but left me wanting a little more stability in the plot to grab hold of. I think this book will find its right audience (FSG never misses), but I probably wasn't in the right headspace for this.
July 10, 2024
Another fine, quick read. Scifi dystopia that is basically just the real world but slightly worse. Slightly. And I think the decision to not give any of the characters names ended up being a huge detriment. Way too many hoops and workarounds to make sure she never had to say a character's name.
July 19, 2024
No! This was not good. The entire book description happens in the last 10% of the book, and the rest was platitudes. It's like talking to a surfer bro who just started therapy - but worse, someone with an English MFA who hasn't been to therapy or Florida. 2 stars only bc it had a cool premise.
July 23, 2024
DNF at 50%
Other than the Florida nostalgia, this book isn’t doing it for me. I’m failing to connect with the story and I’m not getting that uncanny, eerie feeling. Bummer.
Other than the Florida nostalgia, this book isn’t doing it for me. I’m failing to connect with the story and I’m not getting that uncanny, eerie feeling. Bummer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews