Jane, Unlimited is the latest by Kristin Cashore, of Graceling fame. Although she spells her name wrong, she sure knows how to tell a compelling story.
The beginning: Jane is an uber-orphan, first losing her parents when she was two and then losing her aunt/guardian recently during her first year of college. She is grieving and adrift so, when invited to a unique island home by a former tutor, Jane leaves her life behind and heads to Tu Reviens. Almost from the first moment they arrive, she begins to sense (and investigate) the mysteries unfurling around her.
The twist: What follows are five different stories stemming from a single choice, a full set of alternate realities.
I don't think I can even begin to tell you anything else about this book because my brain hurts when I try to put it into a nice little pigeonhole in my mental library. This is a story with many genres and I found them all equally strong. The only thing I hoped for as I read was more romance because I liked Jane best when she was considering love and/or attraction. I wrote a little bit after I finished Bitterblue, the final book in the Graceling trilogy, and one sentence just stood out to me as I looked back: "It was harder to side with Bitterblue when she was being irrational or petulant but then a learning experience would happen and she would win me over again." This is almost EXACTLY how I felt about Jane too! She had a tendency to blurt without thinking first, to ask impertinent questions, or to be downright rude and I would get annoyed by her only to have a personal revelation or a discovery bring me right back to her side as an ally. Also, her hobby was making umbrellas which I couldn't get enough of for some reason. Anyway, if you aren't sure about genre fiction and need a unique story that lets you dip your toes in it, pick this one up!
Ready to reread already,
K
This sounds really good. Hoping this will be a contemp fantasy that clicks with me.
ReplyDeleteAs only a portion of it is fantasy, if it doesn't click, you'll be done with that bit quickly. ;)
DeleteI bounced off this one, but I want to try it again when I'm in a different mood. I found the beginning was just too cryptic for me to engage with any of the characters; instead of being intrigued by all the little mysteries, I was annoyed that nothing was made clear. I stopped reading when the first of the five stories started, and I probably should have given it more time. Although, maybe I was also a little put off by the thought that I would invest myself in one story, but then it wouldn't necessarily be the "true" one and I'd have to start over again with a new one. I don't think I do well with ambiguity!
ReplyDeleteBut I loved the umbrella making!
It took me a little while to engage with it too -- and I had the same feeling about the investment. Eventually I was happy to accept the alternate reality idea and then I appreciated it all a lot more. It also helped to see in the afterword that she initially started writing it as a "choose your own adventure". The fun is in the variety rather than the depth, I guess?
DeleteSo it’s not a Jane Eyre adaptation? For some reason I thought it was.
ReplyDeleteAnd your description of Bitterblue makes me wonder, have you read Speak Easy Speak Love? Because one of the heroines is remarkably like that
Nope! It's actually most heavily influenced by Rebecca (but still not an adaptation).
DeleteAnd I haven't read that book. I wonder if I could handle another heroine like that. ;)
I really want to get this one. It will definitely be something I pick up this year because I was so excited about it, but then didn't buy it because of my reading slump of last year. Glad you liked it!
ReplyDeleteIt would be a good "get me out of this slump" book! ;)
DeleteI got a massive kick out of this book, and I totally wasn't expecting to. I loved Graceling but couldn't finish Fire, and I haven't been sufficiently motivated to pick up Bitterblue. But Jane Unlimited was a whole other experience. I loved it and I'm recommending it to people constantly -- I love that Kristin Cashore came up with such a totally weird book as a follow-up to the Graceling series.
ReplyDeleteI love that this was something completely different from what she wrote before. I also now wish I could write a choose-your-own-adventure book!
Delete