When I first saw this book in a Barnes and Noble, what drew me to it was the mysterious figure shadowed by the red light. For some reason I thought it looked like a magician alluring some young girl into a world-wind romance. While that book sounds awesome,
Paradise turned out to be something much better. The book starts out from the straight-laced, responsible Billie, the voice of reason in her small dysfunctional family, when she finds that her recently decreased grandmother, whom she never met, left her house to Billie in her will. The book then introduces a new point of view, Billie's mother, Hetty. These switching points of view create two stories about mother and daughter, that are then joined by Evelyn, Billie's grandmother and Hetty's mother. The stories layer each other to make a family portrait of three generations of women that is poignant and complex.
Sometimes when there's more than one character narrating a book, it is easy to make them all sound the same, but that is not the case with these women. Each has their own distinct voice. However, there are other characters that could use some work. *SPOILER* Jake, Billie's new flame, is a bit of a flat character. There is really no reason to why Billie is so drawn to him. Well there is one, but it's a big, fat spoiler. But even this shocking connection does not explain what is so appealing about Jake. We get it
he swims, he's a bad boy blah blah blah. Overall I was really satisfied with this book. It was tragic and beautiful and real. The themes of family and love are ones that almost everyone can relate to.
8.5/10 stars
