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Sunday, August 21, 2011

Jane by April Lindner - Review

  Jane
by April Lindner 
Publisher: Poppy
Release Date: October 11, 2010

Format: Hardcover, 373 pages

Source: Bought from Amazon
 

Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, an iconic rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer, and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance. But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is tested by a torturous secret from his past.

Part irresistible romance and part darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers.



- Summary taken from goodreads

My thoughts:

Having never read the original version of the story, my opinion of Jane may be a bit biased.
Jane is forced to leave school after her parents die in an accident. Having no money and no support from her loathsome siblings, Jane must take on a job as a nanny to make ends meet. Because of her serious nature and lack of interest in pop culture, Jane is chosen to be Nico Rathburn's newest nanny. Jane is understandably nervous about working for a rock star, but as time goes on she begins to feel like she belongs with Nico and his five year old daughter Maddy. She begins to feel like she is "home". Not everything is all love and roses though. There are some scary things happening at Thornfield Manor, and Jane ends up being right in the midst of the drama

I absolutely adored Jane. Even though she went through so much in her short 19 years on earth, from losing her parents to be tortured by her brother as a child, she was strong willed and kind hearted.  She was utterly devoted to adorable Maddy, and she was able to take the incorrigible NIco down a peg when needed.

Speaking of Nico, he was not what I expected the character to be. He was quite broody throughout most of the novel, yet he was sensitive and showed a great interest and devotion to Jane. Though he was a bit dramatic for my taste, I enjoyed seeing the relationship between him and Jane unfold. 

As for the plot, it was filled with twists and turns that I did NOT see coming. I thought this would be more of a "serene" book, but it was quite volatile in places. I can't go too deeply into the plot points without spoiling things, but I will say that Jane was an unexpected book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I am now eager to read the original!

Have you read the original Jane Eyre or the modernized retelling? If so, I'd love to hear your opinions on how they compare!

My Rating

4/5 Coffee Cups = Loved It!

3 comments:

  1. Hey There,

    I have actually read both. And before I say anything else, I must admit that I am a totally biased towards the original when it comes to the language. I am a sucker for the 'classical works' and thus I prefer the original. Having said that, I found April's book to be quite an enjoying read.

    Looking forward to reading yours in a paperback someday... :)

    Mohur
    http://mohur.blospot.com

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  2. I'm a big fan of the original Jane Eyre and have had my eye on reading this retelling. I'm glad you liked it; I'm sure I will, too. I was curious about how the Jane/Rochester relationship would come across in a YA book today, given the age difference, but if she's 19, then Jane is a little older than most YA heroines.

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  3. Mohur - It's nice to get an opinion from someone who's read the original! I actually remember thinking that the language used in the retelling of Jane was more formal than in other YA books.

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