Something Beyond Paradise

Something Beyond Paradise follows 17-year-old Franny, who feels trapped by her family circumstances in Hawaii: an unhappy mother and a grandmother whose memory is fading. Franny dreams of a dance career, a stark contrast to her current reality. The narrative intensifies when her friend Akiko becomes involved with a group promising 'instant bliss,' hinting at cult-like activities, and Franny herself encounters an actor from New York. These developing events become frightening and dangerous, forcing Franny to confront difficult truths and make challenging choices. Ultimately, her journey, though perilous, illuminates a path for her to achieve her long-held ambition. This book is suitable for young adult readers, exploring themes of identity, family dynamics, peer influence, and resilience.

Reluctantly tied in Hawaii to an unhappy mother and a grandmother with a fading memory, Franny, age 17, longs for a dance career, and when her friend Akiko joins a group promising instant bliss, and she herself meets an actor from New York, the developing events, while frightening and dangerous, finally show her a way to fulfill her ambition.