State of Paradise

by Laura van den Berg

1 minute read

These are independent reviews of the products mentioned, but TIME receives a commission when purchases are made through affiliate links at no additional cost to the purchaser.

After a mysterious illness sweeps the world, normalcy is hard to come by in Laura van den Berg’s State of Paradise. That’s especially true for her unnamed protagonist, a ghostwriter who is living in her recently deceased mother’s Florida home. While she’s there, her virtual reality-obsessed sister goes missing, setting off an investigation that leads the ghostwriter down a rabbit hole of family secrets and long-buried childhood memories. Van den Berg’s descriptions of her swampy home state are visceral and keenly observed, propelling a gripping narrative about ghosts, grief, and technology.

Buy Now: State of Paradise on Bookshop | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

More Must-Reads from TIME

Write to Annabel Gutterman at [email protected]