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Escaping Mr. Rochester
In this fresh reimagining of Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel by acclaimed author L. L. McKinney, Jane Eyre and Bertha Mason must save each other from the horrifying machinations of Mr. Rochester in this intrigue-filled, empowering young adult romance.
Jane Eyre has no interest in a husband. Eager to make her own way in the world, she accepts the governess position at Thornfield Hall.
Though her new employer, Edward Rochester, has a charming air—not to mention a handsome face—Jane discovers that his smile can sharpen in an instant. Plagued by Edward’s mercurial mood and the strange wails that echo through the corridors, Jane grows suspicious of the secrets hidden within Thornfield Hall—unaware of the true horrors lurking above her very head.
On the topmost floor, Bertha Mason is trapped in more ways than one. After her whirlwind marriage to Edward turned into a nightmare, he locked her away as revenge for withholding her inheritance. Now his patience grows thin in the face of Bertha’s resilience and Jane’s persistent questions, and both young women are in more danger than they realize.
When their only chance at safety—and perhaps something more—is in each other’s arms, can they find and keep one another safe before Edward’s dark machinations close in around them?
Jane Eyre has no interest in a husband. Eager to make her own way in the world, she accepts the governess position at Thornfield Hall.
Though her new employer, Edward Rochester, has a charming air—not to mention a handsome face—Jane discovers that his smile can sharpen in an instant. Plagued by Edward’s mercurial mood and the strange wails that echo through the corridors, Jane grows suspicious of the secrets hidden within Thornfield Hall—unaware of the true horrors lurking above her very head.
On the topmost floor, Bertha Mason is trapped in more ways than one. After her whirlwind marriage to Edward turned into a nightmare, he locked her away as revenge for withholding her inheritance. Now his patience grows thin in the face of Bertha’s resilience and Jane’s persistent questions, and both young women are in more danger than they realize.
When their only chance at safety—and perhaps something more—is in each other’s arms, can they find and keep one another safe before Edward’s dark machinations close in around them?
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 16, 2024
47 people are currently reading
7691 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 278 reviews
February 16, 2024
3.5 Stars — Finally, justice for Bertha! I enjoyed this different concept in a Jane Eyre retelling. I feel like the characters could have been fleshed out more, and the romantic feelings between Bertha and Jane needed to be more convincing. I adore the original JANE EYRE, but it was fun to see Rochester painted as he was in this story.
January 11, 2024
This time, Jane fights back.
Jane Eyre is my all-time favorite book. I probably need to revise that assessment (though—in my defense—I have never liked Rochester; I'm in it for Jane's agency), but for now it stands...and it's such a delight to see new takes on the novel. Especially ones that are queer, especially ones that treat Rochester as the ass that he is, and especially ones with POC heroines. And Escaping Mr. Rochester delivers on all three counts.
This is Jane Eyre in an alternate history: There's a queen on the British throne (perhaps Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom? In the book it's Queen Amelia the Second); Bertha hails from New Orleans rather than from Jamaica; Jane (canonically plain, whatever that means) and Rochester (canonically harsh of feature) are both described as stunning/handsome/etc.; Jane and Bertha are both Black. And this Rochester is cruel, far crueller than the original book would have him—though of course, in the original book, he is cast as a hero.
McKinney is not shy about adjusting the original story as she sees fit, and the book is better for it. I've gone on record many times before arguing that adaptations of classics almost always work better when the writer doesn't feel obliged to hew too closely to the original—things that made sense in the early 1800s don't always make sense in the 2020s, after all. Here, McKinney flicks away side characters if they're going to get in the way, recasts Helen as someone who was something other than a perfect angel child, and of course turns the love story of the original on its head.
Jane is warier here, but not necessarily more street smart—if anything, she verges at times on reckless as she and Bertha get to know each other. In many ways she's not really Jane; she's an original character dropped into the Thornfield world to do battle with Rochester's extra-slimy stepbrother. (I never wanted to marry Rochester...but I really, really wouldn't want to marry this Rochester.) I do wish there'd been a bit more depth to this version of Rochester: villains are at their most interesting when they're allowed some good parts alongside the bad, and villains whose entire existence seems to be dedicated to villainy (not even high-level villainy, but low-level nastiness) have never brought me as much joy. I'd also have loved to see a bit more worldbuilding for this alternate universe, because a lot of the language is quite modern, but there's much that isn't explained (race relations, how visible queer people are, what happened that we ended up with a Queen Amelia the Second), and I'm chronically, terminally curious.
Three cheers: one for queering Jane, one for diversifying her, and one for escaping the dread Rochester.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
Jane Eyre is my all-time favorite book. I probably need to revise that assessment (though—in my defense—I have never liked Rochester; I'm in it for Jane's agency), but for now it stands...and it's such a delight to see new takes on the novel. Especially ones that are queer, especially ones that treat Rochester as the ass that he is, and especially ones with POC heroines. And Escaping Mr. Rochester delivers on all three counts.
This is Jane Eyre in an alternate history: There's a queen on the British throne (perhaps Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom? In the book it's Queen Amelia the Second); Bertha hails from New Orleans rather than from Jamaica; Jane (canonically plain, whatever that means) and Rochester (canonically harsh of feature) are both described as stunning/handsome/etc.; Jane and Bertha are both Black. And this Rochester is cruel, far crueller than the original book would have him—though of course, in the original book, he is cast as a hero.
McKinney is not shy about adjusting the original story as she sees fit, and the book is better for it. I've gone on record many times before arguing that adaptations of classics almost always work better when the writer doesn't feel obliged to hew too closely to the original—things that made sense in the early 1800s don't always make sense in the 2020s, after all. Here, McKinney flicks away side characters if they're going to get in the way, recasts Helen as someone who was something other than a perfect angel child, and of course turns the love story of the original on its head.
Jane is warier here, but not necessarily more street smart—if anything, she verges at times on reckless as she and Bertha get to know each other. In many ways she's not really Jane; she's an original character dropped into the Thornfield world to do battle with Rochester's extra-slimy stepbrother. (I never wanted to marry Rochester...but I really, really wouldn't want to marry this Rochester.) I do wish there'd been a bit more depth to this version of Rochester: villains are at their most interesting when they're allowed some good parts alongside the bad, and villains whose entire existence seems to be dedicated to villainy (not even high-level villainy, but low-level nastiness) have never brought me as much joy. I'd also have loved to see a bit more worldbuilding for this alternate universe, because a lot of the language is quite modern, but there's much that isn't explained (race relations, how visible queer people are, what happened that we ended up with a Queen Amelia the Second), and I'm chronically, terminally curious.
Three cheers: one for queering Jane, one for diversifying her, and one for escaping the dread Rochester.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
not-released-yet-tbr
February 19, 202213/11/2021: As someone who hates Mr. Rochester, I NEED THIS NOW. I always thought Jane should have ended up single, but this is even better. I am so ready for a sapphic Jane Eyre retelling.
Storygraph. Spotify. Youtube. Pinterest. Linktree.
Storygraph. Spotify. Youtube. Pinterest. Linktree.
November 14, 2024
Escaping Mr. Rochester was a fantastic twist on a classic novel. There were many times where I was furiously flipping through the pages as the suspense built up, needing to know what was going to happen next. I loved the MCs, I just wish that Jane and Bertha had more on-page time together.
~ slight spoilers ahead ~
Jane and Bertha didn’t meet until a little over the halfway mark, which is understandable because of the set up, however it did make their relationship feel a little insta-lovey and rushed. Their letters were really sweet though, and a clever way to show how they grew to care for each other.
My only other issue is how abruptly the novel came to an end. I would have liked more of an epilogue, and a few lingering questions answered.
All this being said, I throughly enjoyed the book, and found the writing to be as bright and beautiful as a candle burning away the darkest shadows 🕯
~ slight spoilers ahead ~
Jane and Bertha didn’t meet until a little over the halfway mark, which is understandable because of the set up, however it did make their relationship feel a little insta-lovey and rushed. Their letters were really sweet though, and a clever way to show how they grew to care for each other.
My only other issue is how abruptly the novel came to an end. I would have liked more of an epilogue, and a few lingering questions answered.
All this being said, I throughly enjoyed the book, and found the writing to be as bright and beautiful as a candle burning away the darkest shadows 🕯
March 23, 2024
it's the feminine rage for me
The pages of Jane Eyre are littered with women who are trampled on and cast aside so Jane can get her so-called "happy ending" with Mr. Rochester. This retelling gives these overlooked female characters center stage, especially Bertha and Adele. I love that Adele gets to be her own little person with a fully fleshed-out personality, and her trauma is given serious weight. And Bertha is magnificently, incandescently angry at the injustices which have been inflicted on her. I love the book's exploration of female rage, how women's anger has been historically dismissed and delegitimized as "madness"... especially when it's directed against the patriarchy. Only a crazy woman would object to being imprisoned in her own house so her husband could steal all her money, right? Right??
It's really cool that both Jane and Bertha are Black women in this reimagining. Especially since Thornfield Hall is presented as something out of a horror story, so Jane almost has "Black person in a horror movie" vibes as she consistently refuses to get drawn into the craziness around her. Now, I do have to agree with some of the other reviewers that Jane and Bertha's romance could use more development... it's such a cool concept, but they don't meet until halfway through the book, and it's a short book. So you can see how that would feel a little shortchanged. Loved the friendship bonds between Jane, Bertha, and Adele though <3
My one big criticism is how this retelling aged down Mr. Rochester?? I know this is YA and Jane is 19 (and Bertha is around the same age), but they tell us Rochester seems "only a few years older" than Jane, AND YET he's still Adele's biological father, and she's at least 9 or 10... the math ain't mathin'. Just let him be a creepy 40-year-old hitting on a 19-year-old! He's the villain! He's allowed to be creepy!
The pages of Jane Eyre are littered with women who are trampled on and cast aside so Jane can get her so-called "happy ending" with Mr. Rochester. This retelling gives these overlooked female characters center stage, especially Bertha and Adele. I love that Adele gets to be her own little person with a fully fleshed-out personality, and her trauma is given serious weight. And Bertha is magnificently, incandescently angry at the injustices which have been inflicted on her. I love the book's exploration of female rage, how women's anger has been historically dismissed and delegitimized as "madness"... especially when it's directed against the patriarchy. Only a crazy woman would object to being imprisoned in her own house so her husband could steal all her money, right? Right??
It's really cool that both Jane and Bertha are Black women in this reimagining. Especially since Thornfield Hall is presented as something out of a horror story, so Jane almost has "Black person in a horror movie" vibes as she consistently refuses to get drawn into the craziness around her. Now, I do have to agree with some of the other reviewers that Jane and Bertha's romance could use more development... it's such a cool concept, but they don't meet until halfway through the book, and it's a short book. So you can see how that would feel a little shortchanged. Loved the friendship bonds between Jane, Bertha, and Adele though <3
My one big criticism is how this retelling aged down Mr. Rochester?? I know this is YA and Jane is 19 (and Bertha is around the same age), but they tell us Rochester seems "only a few years older" than Jane, AND YET he's still Adele's biological father, and she's at least 9 or 10... the math ain't mathin'. Just let him be a creepy 40-year-old hitting on a 19-year-old! He's the villain! He's allowed to be creepy!
November 28, 2024
"There is room for more than anger. There is room for the idea of joy again."
I should say before anything that this book has been on my TBR since I heard the premise two or so years ago so I truly could NOT have jumped faster at the chance to read it. I haven't read Jane Eyre since I was at school nor watched an adaptation for several years at this point so my knowledge of the original text isn't particularly fresh in my memory. But even if it were, this reimagining offers up so many exciting and interesting deviations from it that it more than holds up as its own story.
Chief among these changes for me is the sapphic romance it features. All of the exquisite yearning and fierce protectiveness. All of the stolen moments and risk and vulnerability. There is such a sense of threat and danger throughout, but there is such comfort in truly being seen and believed and cared for. How these girls who have suffered and lost so much help open doors to futures they've hardly dared dream of for themselves and each other. How they are changed for having known each other, or are rather brought back to themselves.
With a truly sinister villain, some achingly romantic sapphic letters, and characters you will truly want the best for, this is a retelling I would absolutely recommend.
I should say before anything that this book has been on my TBR since I heard the premise two or so years ago so I truly could NOT have jumped faster at the chance to read it. I haven't read Jane Eyre since I was at school nor watched an adaptation for several years at this point so my knowledge of the original text isn't particularly fresh in my memory. But even if it were, this reimagining offers up so many exciting and interesting deviations from it that it more than holds up as its own story.
Chief among these changes for me is the sapphic romance it features. All of the exquisite yearning and fierce protectiveness. All of the stolen moments and risk and vulnerability. There is such a sense of threat and danger throughout, but there is such comfort in truly being seen and believed and cared for. How these girls who have suffered and lost so much help open doors to futures they've hardly dared dream of for themselves and each other. How they are changed for having known each other, or are rather brought back to themselves.
With a truly sinister villain, some achingly romantic sapphic letters, and characters you will truly want the best for, this is a retelling I would absolutely recommend.
March 10, 2024
When reading a retelling, I want something new and refreshing from it, but I also want the book to breath a similar atmosphere to the book it was based on. This one manages to do both, and as such, it was a successful read for me, and I enjoyed it a lot. I saw many elements I remembered from Jane Eyre, but the book also kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to know how Jane and Bertha would work together and escape. This is also a sapphic reimagining, which added a lot of heart to the story. I'd highly recommend this if you're looking for a modern update of a beloved classic.
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August 22, 2023August 22, 2023 | Update: WE HAVE A COVER & A RELEASE DATE!!!!! OMG ITS SO BEAUTIFUL!!! I NEED THIS BOOK ALREADY. 😍
November 21, 2019 | Original Review:
what do you mean this book is coming out in 2022???!!!!?! I NEED THIS NOW!!! A QUEER JANE EYRE!!!!!
November 21, 2019 | Original Review:
what do you mean this book is coming out in 2022???!!!!?! I NEED THIS NOW!!! A QUEER JANE EYRE!!!!!
January 1, 2021
Since sum fools are already rating this...and 1 stars no less. y not?
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September 29, 2022"What if the real villain of Jane Eyre was actually Mr. Rochester?"
Not the hot take you think it is when that topic is explored by 40% of secondary criticism on the novel. Academics have also written about the homoerotic relationship between Jane and her childhood friend Helen Burns. Lesbian!Jane is not new, but I am interested to see how McKinney spins it.
Not the hot take you think it is when that topic is explored by 40% of secondary criticism on the novel. Academics have also written about the homoerotic relationship between Jane and her childhood friend Helen Burns. Lesbian!Jane is not new, but I am interested to see how McKinney spins it.
February 24, 2024
Content warnings: confinement, death of a loved one (in the past), fire, physical injury, gun violence, toxic relationship, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, death of a parent.
3.25 stars.
I think ultimately, I'm too close to the original to really appreciate or engage with this story. I first read Jane Eyre in 1998 - it was one of my set texts for Year 10 English - and I fell in love with Bronte's writing within the first ten pages. I then studied it again for Year 12 Literature two years later, and I've read it and reread it dozens of times over the years. My all time favourite book - Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye - is a retelling of Jane Eyre (of sorts).
So when I saw that this was a retelling/reimagining of Jane Eyre featuring Jane and Bertha teaming up to defeat an abusive Rochester and falling in love along the way, I was S.O.L.D. And if I were a teenager picking this up with absolutely no context for the original, I'd probably have very much enjoyed this.
As a forty year old who's spent literally 26 years reading and rereading the source material? I didn't love this. It's not because I have the original up on a pedestal or anything. It's because, quite simply, I didn't understand many of the decisions that McKinney made in telling this story.
Like, how old are the characters supposed to be? Jane says that Rochester is "a handful of years" older than her (or something along those lines). And yet he's old enough to have a ten year old, so I'd guess he's, like, 26-28. And if THAT'S the case, that puts Jane in her early 20s.
Is the story set in our world or in a Bridgerton-esque world with BIPOC people everywhere? Why is Bertha from New Orleans and not the West Indies? I know the answer here is probably that McKinney knows more about New Orleans' history and therefore less research is required. But it very much changes the tone of the story, the source of Bertha's wealth, the history of Rochester's family. The whole essence of the story is changed by that one detail.
The split narration also didn't entirely work for me - it felt a lot like Bertha's story with Jane only there to fill in what was happening at Thornfield while Bertha's locked in a room. And as far as the romance goes, there's an awful lot of talking around the issue. Also given that the characters don't meet until about half way through the book, it obviously took until nearly the end to actually create a solid dynamic between the two of them.
(Unrelated side note: the narrator who reads Bertha's chapters sounds Jamaican when she's reading lines in Jane's voice and it pulled me out of the story multiple times)
Anyway. All of this, ultimately, is a Me Thing. I know Jane Eyre too well to be able to overlook my issues with this. And while there was a lot that I did like (I know I've barely touched on it, but I genuinely did like the way this reimagined the story and created a relationship between Jane and Bertha!!), my overall enjoyment suffered as a result of Just Having Too Many Questions.
3.25 stars.
I think ultimately, I'm too close to the original to really appreciate or engage with this story. I first read Jane Eyre in 1998 - it was one of my set texts for Year 10 English - and I fell in love with Bronte's writing within the first ten pages. I then studied it again for Year 12 Literature two years later, and I've read it and reread it dozens of times over the years. My all time favourite book - Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye - is a retelling of Jane Eyre (of sorts).
So when I saw that this was a retelling/reimagining of Jane Eyre featuring Jane and Bertha teaming up to defeat an abusive Rochester and falling in love along the way, I was S.O.L.D. And if I were a teenager picking this up with absolutely no context for the original, I'd probably have very much enjoyed this.
As a forty year old who's spent literally 26 years reading and rereading the source material? I didn't love this. It's not because I have the original up on a pedestal or anything. It's because, quite simply, I didn't understand many of the decisions that McKinney made in telling this story.
Like, how old are the characters supposed to be? Jane says that Rochester is "a handful of years" older than her (or something along those lines). And yet he's old enough to have a ten year old, so I'd guess he's, like, 26-28. And if THAT'S the case, that puts Jane in her early 20s.
Is the story set in our world or in a Bridgerton-esque world with BIPOC people everywhere? Why is Bertha from New Orleans and not the West Indies? I know the answer here is probably that McKinney knows more about New Orleans' history and therefore less research is required. But it very much changes the tone of the story, the source of Bertha's wealth, the history of Rochester's family. The whole essence of the story is changed by that one detail.
The split narration also didn't entirely work for me - it felt a lot like Bertha's story with Jane only there to fill in what was happening at Thornfield while Bertha's locked in a room. And as far as the romance goes, there's an awful lot of talking around the issue. Also given that the characters don't meet until about half way through the book, it obviously took until nearly the end to actually create a solid dynamic between the two of them.
(Unrelated side note: the narrator who reads Bertha's chapters sounds Jamaican when she's reading lines in Jane's voice and it pulled me out of the story multiple times)
Anyway. All of this, ultimately, is a Me Thing. I know Jane Eyre too well to be able to overlook my issues with this. And while there was a lot that I did like (I know I've barely touched on it, but I genuinely did like the way this reimagined the story and created a relationship between Jane and Bertha!!), my overall enjoyment suffered as a result of Just Having Too Many Questions.
February 8, 2024
2.5 stars. I think my expectations were too high. This was a great idea for a book and I was thrilled about it, but the characters ultimately fell flat. Rochester was an evil man through and through, and I hoped for more complexity. The insta-love came out of nowhere for me. I had hoped for more reliance on the original novel so that this one could stand alongside it as "they can BOTH be true," but this one deviates and discards the original. I liked a few elements but really had hoped for more.
February 12, 2024
Rating: 5/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: queer, #ownvoices retelling of a well known classic; captivating, enthralling storytelling; characters you will be enraptured and enraged by; that TWIST though!; this is one you won't want to miss
HUGE thanks to L.L. McKinney, Epic Reads, and Storygraph Tours for the title! My review is voluntarily written and in no way impacted or altered by the gesture.
A lady needs her rest. Maman's fingers would plait my hair against my scalp gently where I rested my head upon her lap. Just as fire needs air to maintain its flame, a lady needs a moment to herself, to breathe and be, before she can set the world ablaze.
Penguins. If you have been around MY bookish block for a while, you know that I am ALL about creating something new from well-known and well-loved stories. This is why I own at least 100, probably more, different versions/retellings of Pride and Prejudice, after all. And this? THIS retelling is EXQUISITELY done. If you've ever wished, with all your might, that an old classic could be made with representation in mind, THIS is the retelling you've been looking and waiting for. This is Jane Eyre...but make it #ownvoices and Queer. This is....EVERYTHING I've been searching for, honestly.
L.L. McKinney has a unique way of crafting a story that will draw you in, keep you hooked, AND make you feel as if you're racing to the finish line of some type of epic journey. From line one, I was entrenched--dazzled by the prose, smitten by the characters (well..........no, only a FEW of them honestly), and needing to know what happened next. There's mystery, there's drama, there's intrigue, there's time-period appropriate settings/actions/world building. The story telling in this novel is divine. AND THE TWIST?!?!?! If I'd been wearing pearls at the reveal, I would have surely clutched them in surprise.
I will not abandon her as I have been abandoned. I will have to find some way to soothe Mr. Rochester's bruised ego, at least for a time. Would that such were not necessary, but I've learned time and again that one's survival hinges on placating the monster when you cannot slay it.
I definitely recommend this read to the classic retellings seekers, those who closed older books WISHING for more from the characters, and those who don't mind a sprinkling of diverse romance with their dramatic story telling. If you're unsure you'd like Jane Eyre the original...maybe pick this version up, instead? L.L. McKinney took what can be (sometimes) a rather dry and draggy read, and made it something spectacular, with this one. Are YOU ready to take a stand, Penguins--or are you the type to just take a seat? Find out with this read!
Quick Reasons: queer, #ownvoices retelling of a well known classic; captivating, enthralling storytelling; characters you will be enraptured and enraged by; that TWIST though!; this is one you won't want to miss
HUGE thanks to L.L. McKinney, Epic Reads, and Storygraph Tours for the title! My review is voluntarily written and in no way impacted or altered by the gesture.
A lady needs her rest. Maman's fingers would plait my hair against my scalp gently where I rested my head upon her lap. Just as fire needs air to maintain its flame, a lady needs a moment to herself, to breathe and be, before she can set the world ablaze.
Penguins. If you have been around MY bookish block for a while, you know that I am ALL about creating something new from well-known and well-loved stories. This is why I own at least 100, probably more, different versions/retellings of Pride and Prejudice, after all. And this? THIS retelling is EXQUISITELY done. If you've ever wished, with all your might, that an old classic could be made with representation in mind, THIS is the retelling you've been looking and waiting for. This is Jane Eyre...but make it #ownvoices and Queer. This is....EVERYTHING I've been searching for, honestly.
L.L. McKinney has a unique way of crafting a story that will draw you in, keep you hooked, AND make you feel as if you're racing to the finish line of some type of epic journey. From line one, I was entrenched--dazzled by the prose, smitten by the characters (well..........no, only a FEW of them honestly), and needing to know what happened next. There's mystery, there's drama, there's intrigue, there's time-period appropriate settings/actions/world building. The story telling in this novel is divine. AND THE TWIST?!?!?! If I'd been wearing pearls at the reveal, I would have surely clutched them in surprise.
I will not abandon her as I have been abandoned. I will have to find some way to soothe Mr. Rochester's bruised ego, at least for a time. Would that such were not necessary, but I've learned time and again that one's survival hinges on placating the monster when you cannot slay it.
I definitely recommend this read to the classic retellings seekers, those who closed older books WISHING for more from the characters, and those who don't mind a sprinkling of diverse romance with their dramatic story telling. If you're unsure you'd like Jane Eyre the original...maybe pick this version up, instead? L.L. McKinney took what can be (sometimes) a rather dry and draggy read, and made it something spectacular, with this one. Are YOU ready to take a stand, Penguins--or are you the type to just take a seat? Find out with this read!
February 3, 2024
ESCAPING MR. ROCHESTER by L.L. McKinney is a thrilling, slow-burn retelling of Jane Eyre that reimagines the Gothic romance with a fresh perspective. The alternating narrations of Jane Eyre and Bertha Mason drive this well-crafted, powerful read and infuses it with the yearning and tension of forbidden love. McKinney creates a world as bleak as Thornfield Hall, made bright by Jane’s dedication to her young charge and later, the manor’s secret occupant whose haunting cries invade her dreams. Filled with romance and suspense, this updated classic will be hard to put down.
March 20, 2024
I want my 11 hours back. Such a great idea, and so poorly realized, this concept deserved more research, additional drafts, another editor, and maybe add a collaborator. Two-thirds of the way through I was ready to throw it against the wall but I was listening to the audio edition. I finished listening, hoping for improvement, but it got worse. Kudos to McKinney for the idea. It really showed promise. I just hope she'll give her next book more time and effort.
March 3, 2024
Another approach to Jane Eyre with Mr. Rochester being the villain.
Bertha & Jane develop a bit of a romance. Unfortunately, this was not well-written nor convincing. Best friends were more appropriate for the lack of feeling toward romance.
It was strange to have this marketed in the Young Adult Genre because it didn't seem to fit there.
It wasn't bad, and it had some new ideas, but ultimately, there's no need to keep trying to reinvent the wheel.
3 Stars
Bertha & Jane develop a bit of a romance. Unfortunately, this was not well-written nor convincing. Best friends were more appropriate for the lack of feeling toward romance.
It was strange to have this marketed in the Young Adult Genre because it didn't seem to fit there.
It wasn't bad, and it had some new ideas, but ultimately, there's no need to keep trying to reinvent the wheel.
3 Stars
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August 23, 2023ARC received via Edelweiss. All opinions are my own.
I'm not going to rate this because I have no wish to impact the overall rating.
If you love the original much imitated but never duplicated Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, I advise you not to read this trite and ridiculous reimagining. In fact I'm not convinced the author actually read the original herself (there's a fashion for not reading the source material lately, isn't there?) - maybe the cliff notes or she watched a film version. A bad one.
For reference, I have no issue with race swapping Jane herself - it's so well known and beloved that a different angle doesn't diminish it even when it's done poorly (as is the case with most retellings.) Bertha is named in the original version of the book as the daughter of a Creole. Creole can mean someone of mixed African and non-African ancestry, or it can mean someone who is ethnically white and simply living in a specific area (although please bear in mind that from the mid 1700s in Louisiana, the term did refer explicitly to a person of mixed heritage, but that exclusive understanding of the term was specific to that area.) Since Bertha's family originates in Jamaica during a time of European colonization, it's fair to assume the original character had some non-white European heritage back on her family tree a way. Jean Rhys discusses this in depth in Wide Sargasso Sea - although even she does not code the character as 'black' as we would understand the term now.
What I'm getting at, is that an interpretation of Bertha as a woman of colour is not a new idea and it's fine. It definitely adds opportunities to look at some of the aspects of Rochester's backstory which bear scrutiny. Things which Bronte herself either did not have access to information on, or choose not to delve into. (I love Charlotte Bronte but she did write without overtly challenging convention beyond what we would now call feminism and even that wasn't a patch on what her sister Anne tackled.) But this isn't a new take.
Nor is the idea of reading Jane as a queer heroine. The discourse around the discussion of homoeroticism in Jane Eyre is an interesting one and far too long to get into here. Let's face it, a queer reading on many books regarded as classics from Anne of Green Gables to Wind in the Willows, Moby Dick to Lord of the Rings can definitely make them more accessible for a wider audience. I can see Jane as a queer character.
I have difficulty seeing her as having a queer relationship with Helen Burns or Bertha Mason however. Let's leave aside for a moment the fact that Helen was dying of TB and Jane only knew her for 6 months (and that she was a memorial to Charlotte's older deceased sister Maria), at the time they knew each other Jane was ten years old and Helen was fourteen. Yeah. Admittedly the author does not specify ages but if you know the story well, that implication that there was some kind of sexual activity going on at Lowood is a serious yick moment. And that kinda raises a few brows for a Jane and Bertha pairing because all the arguments you could raise against Jane being with Rochester, also apply to Bertha.
Ignore the fact that Bertha in the original book is not merely suffering from mental ill health (as in depression or the sort of 'hysteria' that had a direct relation to a woman being gaslit and oppressed, perhaps abused) but actively, murderously violent without there being much differentiation over who she would attack and who she wouldn't; she stabbed her brother and bit him, and drank his blood (sidebar but someone please write me a version of Jane Eyre where she is an unlikely vampire hunter and Rochester is in thrall to vampiric Bertha because that would be an innovation!), she set things on fire and assaulted people; But yeah, ignore that. She's a wronged woman locked in an attic by a nefarious husband. Once again the author skates over the ages but in the original Jane is eighteen when she goes to Thornfield Hall. Rochester is about thirty-eight or thirty-nine. Bertha is five years his senior at forty-four. If you're squicked out by the idea of a wealthy man, twenty years Jane's senior with all the power, experience and ability to manipulate this implies, then you should be equally disturbed by the idea of Jane with Bertha. Significantly older? Check. More worldly and experienced? Check. Wealthy? Check (depending on what was agreed in the marriage contract).
So the story is already at a disadvantage because those issues are going to make it difficult for me to suspend disbelief. But maybe the rest of it overcame that and provided a nuanced and engaging treatment of the themes of Jane Eyre - independence, moral courage, claiming equality, love and redemption - that make the book so beloved? Well, no. Not at all. Everyone in this book apart from Adele (who does not for on second ever sound like even a very intelligent ten year old) and Bertha is horrible to Jane. Not only that but they are horrible because they don't like her skin tone. This book is a laundry list of microaggressions which is a) very tedious to read because it swamps what story there is and b) never deals with the fact that Jane is rude, mean and kind of a bitch. Which is weird because there is very little characterisation for anyone in this book - they all seem to be mouthpieces for the author's grievances. Rochester himself is so 2D I expected him to tie someone to train tracks and twirl his moustache.
Some people want to read historical fiction light where the author does not put in much detail. I am not one of them but ok, that's a choice. But the world building is so threadbare here that it felt at times it could literally be set anywhere or any-when. Only the restrictions put on women (specifically woc because apparently Rochester keeps a house full of white servants who think they won't get fired over being disrespectful to two women who are their social superiors) give any context for time period and only when convenient. Here's the thing, Jane Eyre was part of the gentry. She had no money because her family cast her off, but she couldn't just be dumped in a gutter because she was part of the upper middle class (just below aristocracy). She was the literal poor relation. Hence she was given a good education which those of the lower classes could only dream of. Consequently, the only careers open to her as a woman were marriage (yes, it was considered a career for women!), lady's companion or governess. That's it. She was more restricted in some ways than the lower classes or the upper classes but she was a lady; a gentlewoman of the gentry. Servants would know that and treat her with respect because she had more power than they did, was better educated than they were and had more social status even if she was penniless. There's very definitely a hierarchy of voices where those at the very top are listened too most and those near the bottom, not at all. Jane may not have been heard over a man of her social class, but she would absolutely have been believed over a servant. Chew on that. It literally makes no sense to have servants who are rude for the sheer sake of being disrespectful due to skin colour in this context. It's a contrivance.
Part of the problem is that I actually know the source material really well and I both know and understand the historical context. I can't help looking for it in a recreation of the original and being infuriated when I find laziness and contrivance. Not that a reimagining of any 19th C text has to be completely faithful - Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye is a fantastic example of what you can do. It asks the question 'what if Jane Eyre was bad?' and then answers it in an entertaining and enjoyable way.
And that's probably one of the things that put a nail in the coffin for this one. The author has chosen to erase Jane's childhood which is instrumental in setting up both the themes and her character in the original. Charlotte Bronte's publishers originally wanted her to cut that section and she refused and it turned out she was right. It's just not a whole story without it and probably explains why Jane's character is so thin here. A final nail, is the dialogue which is bad in all the ways that dialogue can be; saying nothing; info dumping; not communicating historical setting and context; being anachronistic etc
Over all a very weak effort. Do not recommend.
I'm not going to rate this because I have no wish to impact the overall rating.
If you love the original much imitated but never duplicated Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, I advise you not to read this trite and ridiculous reimagining. In fact I'm not convinced the author actually read the original herself (there's a fashion for not reading the source material lately, isn't there?) - maybe the cliff notes or she watched a film version. A bad one.
For reference, I have no issue with race swapping Jane herself - it's so well known and beloved that a different angle doesn't diminish it even when it's done poorly (as is the case with most retellings.) Bertha is named in the original version of the book as the daughter of a Creole. Creole can mean someone of mixed African and non-African ancestry, or it can mean someone who is ethnically white and simply living in a specific area (although please bear in mind that from the mid 1700s in Louisiana, the term did refer explicitly to a person of mixed heritage, but that exclusive understanding of the term was specific to that area.) Since Bertha's family originates in Jamaica during a time of European colonization, it's fair to assume the original character had some non-white European heritage back on her family tree a way. Jean Rhys discusses this in depth in Wide Sargasso Sea - although even she does not code the character as 'black' as we would understand the term now.
What I'm getting at, is that an interpretation of Bertha as a woman of colour is not a new idea and it's fine. It definitely adds opportunities to look at some of the aspects of Rochester's backstory which bear scrutiny. Things which Bronte herself either did not have access to information on, or choose not to delve into. (I love Charlotte Bronte but she did write without overtly challenging convention beyond what we would now call feminism and even that wasn't a patch on what her sister Anne tackled.) But this isn't a new take.
Nor is the idea of reading Jane as a queer heroine. The discourse around the discussion of homoeroticism in Jane Eyre is an interesting one and far too long to get into here. Let's face it, a queer reading on many books regarded as classics from Anne of Green Gables to Wind in the Willows, Moby Dick to Lord of the Rings can definitely make them more accessible for a wider audience. I can see Jane as a queer character.
I have difficulty seeing her as having a queer relationship with Helen Burns or Bertha Mason however. Let's leave aside for a moment the fact that Helen was dying of TB and Jane only knew her for 6 months (and that she was a memorial to Charlotte's older deceased sister Maria), at the time they knew each other Jane was ten years old and Helen was fourteen. Yeah. Admittedly the author does not specify ages but if you know the story well, that implication that there was some kind of sexual activity going on at Lowood is a serious yick moment. And that kinda raises a few brows for a Jane and Bertha pairing because all the arguments you could raise against Jane being with Rochester, also apply to Bertha.
Ignore the fact that Bertha in the original book is not merely suffering from mental ill health (as in depression or the sort of 'hysteria' that had a direct relation to a woman being gaslit and oppressed, perhaps abused) but actively, murderously violent without there being much differentiation over who she would attack and who she wouldn't; she stabbed her brother and bit him, and drank his blood (sidebar but someone please write me a version of Jane Eyre where she is an unlikely vampire hunter and Rochester is in thrall to vampiric Bertha because that would be an innovation!), she set things on fire and assaulted people; But yeah, ignore that. She's a wronged woman locked in an attic by a nefarious husband. Once again the author skates over the ages but in the original Jane is eighteen when she goes to Thornfield Hall. Rochester is about thirty-eight or thirty-nine. Bertha is five years his senior at forty-four. If you're squicked out by the idea of a wealthy man, twenty years Jane's senior with all the power, experience and ability to manipulate this implies, then you should be equally disturbed by the idea of Jane with Bertha. Significantly older? Check. More worldly and experienced? Check. Wealthy? Check (depending on what was agreed in the marriage contract).
So the story is already at a disadvantage because those issues are going to make it difficult for me to suspend disbelief. But maybe the rest of it overcame that and provided a nuanced and engaging treatment of the themes of Jane Eyre - independence, moral courage, claiming equality, love and redemption - that make the book so beloved? Well, no. Not at all. Everyone in this book apart from Adele (who does not for on second ever sound like even a very intelligent ten year old) and Bertha is horrible to Jane. Not only that but they are horrible because they don't like her skin tone. This book is a laundry list of microaggressions which is a) very tedious to read because it swamps what story there is and b) never deals with the fact that Jane is rude, mean and kind of a bitch. Which is weird because there is very little characterisation for anyone in this book - they all seem to be mouthpieces for the author's grievances. Rochester himself is so 2D I expected him to tie someone to train tracks and twirl his moustache.
Some people want to read historical fiction light where the author does not put in much detail. I am not one of them but ok, that's a choice. But the world building is so threadbare here that it felt at times it could literally be set anywhere or any-when. Only the restrictions put on women (specifically woc because apparently Rochester keeps a house full of white servants who think they won't get fired over being disrespectful to two women who are their social superiors) give any context for time period and only when convenient. Here's the thing, Jane Eyre was part of the gentry. She had no money because her family cast her off, but she couldn't just be dumped in a gutter because she was part of the upper middle class (just below aristocracy). She was the literal poor relation. Hence she was given a good education which those of the lower classes could only dream of. Consequently, the only careers open to her as a woman were marriage (yes, it was considered a career for women!), lady's companion or governess. That's it. She was more restricted in some ways than the lower classes or the upper classes but she was a lady; a gentlewoman of the gentry. Servants would know that and treat her with respect because she had more power than they did, was better educated than they were and had more social status even if she was penniless. There's very definitely a hierarchy of voices where those at the very top are listened too most and those near the bottom, not at all. Jane may not have been heard over a man of her social class, but she would absolutely have been believed over a servant. Chew on that. It literally makes no sense to have servants who are rude for the sheer sake of being disrespectful due to skin colour in this context. It's a contrivance.
Part of the problem is that I actually know the source material really well and I both know and understand the historical context. I can't help looking for it in a recreation of the original and being infuriated when I find laziness and contrivance. Not that a reimagining of any 19th C text has to be completely faithful - Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye is a fantastic example of what you can do. It asks the question 'what if Jane Eyre was bad?' and then answers it in an entertaining and enjoyable way.
And that's probably one of the things that put a nail in the coffin for this one. The author has chosen to erase Jane's childhood which is instrumental in setting up both the themes and her character in the original. Charlotte Bronte's publishers originally wanted her to cut that section and she refused and it turned out she was right. It's just not a whole story without it and probably explains why Jane's character is so thin here. A final nail, is the dialogue which is bad in all the ways that dialogue can be; saying nothing; info dumping; not communicating historical setting and context; being anachronistic etc
Over all a very weak effort. Do not recommend.
January 29, 2024
*spoilers and content warnings for this review*
*please note this was my personal experience with this book and you may have a different experience if you choose to read it
This was a nice historical fiction novel to read and yet... I do need to highlight the fact that I firmly do not believe do not think this book should be categorized and promoted for young adults as its target audience.
Reading the blurb, I was under the impression that this book would be an adventure-filled sapphic romance with undertones of a haunted house with two girls finding love. Instead, this book is a frightening trigger to anyone who has grown up in a narcissistic and abusive household and/or has a history with DV/DA.
Edward is a nightmare of an employer, husband, and father who has emotionally neglected his 10 y/o ward, chained, physically abused, and withheld food for his 23 y/o wife claiming she's dead to the world, and hiring a 19 y/o governess in dire need for money, who he refuses to pay wages for, gaslighting and manipulating her into going along with his machinations, and coming on to her in multiple ways and threatening her to go on dates with him.
In summary, the plot in this novel is three innocent women fighting for freedom from their abuser and his entire support staff who are also very much contributing to that abuse. With a history of murdering and getting rid of those that don't follow his will, the women are frightened and yet doing the best they can with the hand of cards life has dealt them. This novel is a prolonged exposition DV/DA and even as an adult, the immersiveness of the beautiful prose and these full bodied characters had me hyperventilating with flashbacks. To me, this felt even more intense as I did not at all expect such a lengthy exposition on all the ways one man can take advantage of those who can't fight back in a young adult novel, without the adequate commentary necessary to support these topics typically present in books for teens.
I do understand the need for the youth to read books that discuss and explore hard hitting topics and tough social commentary which may or may not reflect their home lives or the relationships they go through. For example, the young adult and middle grade books written by Amber McBride (see: Gone Wolf), Sonora Reyes (see: The Luis Ortega Survival Club), Candice Iloh (see: Salt the Water), Randy Ribay (see: Patron Saints of Nothing), Hannah V. Sawyerr (see: All the Fighting Parts), Angie Thomas (see: The Hate U Give), Maia Kobabe (see: Gender Queer), Aislinn Brophy (see: How To Succeed in Witchcraft), etc etc all deal with incredibly hard hitting topics that are necessary for children to read. However, as mentioned previously, what this book lacks is proper the conversations necessary to be able to support the heavy weight of the contents of this novel.
While adults would be able to properly parse out the implications of the endless, mostly subtle horrors presented in this novel, the intended target audience needs a lot more nuanced conversations. For example, but most significantly, the comeuppance the major abuser faces which comes at the very end of the book where he is killed by his own 10 y/o daughter. They come to a head in the "final battle scene" where both Jane and Bertha are incapacitated, and this child ends up having to murder her own father and abuser. There are no further conversations around this massive undertaking that a young girl who has suffered years of abuse must endure; there is no discussion on the abuse that this man heaped upon all three women before the novel ended. Just that they were finally free and able to finally have a happy sapphic ending.
In conclusion, while I did enjoy my reading experience with this novel, it would be quite irresponsible for me to ever promote this as a YA book and even recommending this to adults, I would caution readers to check content warnings before choosing to dive in.
*please note this was my personal experience with this book and you may have a different experience if you choose to read it
This was a nice historical fiction novel to read and yet... I do need to highlight the fact that I firmly do not believe do not think this book should be categorized and promoted for young adults as its target audience.
Reading the blurb, I was under the impression that this book would be an adventure-filled sapphic romance with undertones of a haunted house with two girls finding love. Instead, this book is a frightening trigger to anyone who has grown up in a narcissistic and abusive household and/or has a history with DV/DA.
Edward is a nightmare of an employer, husband, and father who has emotionally neglected his 10 y/o ward, chained, physically abused, and withheld food for his 23 y/o wife claiming she's dead to the world, and hiring a 19 y/o governess in dire need for money, who he refuses to pay wages for, gaslighting and manipulating her into going along with his machinations, and coming on to her in multiple ways and threatening her to go on dates with him.
In summary, the plot in this novel is three innocent women fighting for freedom from their abuser and his entire support staff who are also very much contributing to that abuse. With a history of murdering and getting rid of those that don't follow his will, the women are frightened and yet doing the best they can with the hand of cards life has dealt them. This novel is a prolonged exposition DV/DA and even as an adult, the immersiveness of the beautiful prose and these full bodied characters had me hyperventilating with flashbacks. To me, this felt even more intense as I did not at all expect such a lengthy exposition on all the ways one man can take advantage of those who can't fight back in a young adult novel, without the adequate commentary necessary to support these topics typically present in books for teens.
I do understand the need for the youth to read books that discuss and explore hard hitting topics and tough social commentary which may or may not reflect their home lives or the relationships they go through. For example, the young adult and middle grade books written by Amber McBride (see: Gone Wolf), Sonora Reyes (see: The Luis Ortega Survival Club), Candice Iloh (see: Salt the Water), Randy Ribay (see: Patron Saints of Nothing), Hannah V. Sawyerr (see: All the Fighting Parts), Angie Thomas (see: The Hate U Give), Maia Kobabe (see: Gender Queer), Aislinn Brophy (see: How To Succeed in Witchcraft), etc etc all deal with incredibly hard hitting topics that are necessary for children to read. However, as mentioned previously, what this book lacks is proper the conversations necessary to be able to support the heavy weight of the contents of this novel.
While adults would be able to properly parse out the implications of the endless, mostly subtle horrors presented in this novel, the intended target audience needs a lot more nuanced conversations. For example, but most significantly, the comeuppance the major abuser faces which comes at the very end of the book where he is killed by his own 10 y/o daughter. They come to a head in the "final battle scene" where both Jane and Bertha are incapacitated, and this child ends up having to murder her own father and abuser. There are no further conversations around this massive undertaking that a young girl who has suffered years of abuse must endure; there is no discussion on the abuse that this man heaped upon all three women before the novel ended. Just that they were finally free and able to finally have a happy sapphic ending.
In conclusion, while I did enjoy my reading experience with this novel, it would be quite irresponsible for me to ever promote this as a YA book and even recommending this to adults, I would caution readers to check content warnings before choosing to dive in.
dnf
March 28, 2024DNF @64% — god I wanted to enjoy this so much (justice for bertha!!!) but the characterizations were so alien to those from the original novel that it wasn’t even a retelling. Rochester was a cartoonish villain whose motivations were so unclear I couldn’t even try to understand his character. there is no trust put in the reader, everything is spelled out to an absurd degree. the plot (from escape plan to romance) could have been compelling if there was nuance, but NO- Rochester is evil, Jane sees through him from the start, she and bertha basically experience instalove… after perusing other reviews I knew it was time to give up my library hold and just cut my losses.
Want to read
November 14, 2021oh mah gah
I hope Mr Roach ends up dying or in jail
We stan two women in love *cries*
WE STAN WOMEN
I hope Mr Roach ends up dying or in jail
We stan two women in love *cries*
WE STAN WOMEN
February 11, 2024
Oh, this was such a great story, loved this retelling, it was such a great concept and was executed so well!
February 6, 2024
4.5 stars
Best YA novel I've read in some time. The writing was sharp, descriptive, and captivating. The characters were rich and I was invested in Jane and Bertha's stories instantly. There were some minor gripes with the pacing of the conclusion and my attention waned a few times in scenes with Mr. Rochester, but for the most part, this was very enjoyable for me.
Admittedly, I haven't read Jane Eyre. I didn't even really have an idea of what that story was about. So, I came at this novel completely fresh and interested in a diverse, queer story with some basis in Bronte's work. Obviously much of the premise is owed to Bronte, but based on what I've seen of the plot of the original, McKinney made some changes to make this a fresh take on it.
I loved Jane as a character and her easy affection for Adéle. Part of me thought her opinion on Emm was a bit misguided, but stories can't progress without that kind of thing, I suppose. Bertha was interesting, as well. I enjoyed her stories of her life before meeting Rochester.
My only issues with this were that I wanted a bit more of the romance. For like 60% or 70% of the book, all we get of it was Bertha thinking Jane was pretty. It felt just a bit rushed. As did the conclusion.
Overall, I enjoyed this a lot, so those minor things kept it from being a perfect 5 stars, but this is an easy recommend for me. Honestly, it didn't really read like a YA novel to me. I'm surprised it's considered one.
Best YA novel I've read in some time. The writing was sharp, descriptive, and captivating. The characters were rich and I was invested in Jane and Bertha's stories instantly. There were some minor gripes with the pacing of the conclusion and my attention waned a few times in scenes with Mr. Rochester, but for the most part, this was very enjoyable for me.
Admittedly, I haven't read Jane Eyre. I didn't even really have an idea of what that story was about. So, I came at this novel completely fresh and interested in a diverse, queer story with some basis in Bronte's work. Obviously much of the premise is owed to Bronte, but based on what I've seen of the plot of the original, McKinney made some changes to make this a fresh take on it.
I loved Jane as a character and her easy affection for Adéle. Part of me thought her opinion on Emm was a bit misguided, but stories can't progress without that kind of thing, I suppose. Bertha was interesting, as well. I enjoyed her stories of her life before meeting Rochester.
My only issues with this were that I wanted a bit more of the romance. For like 60% or 70% of the book, all we get of it was Bertha thinking Jane was pretty. It felt just a bit rushed. As did the conclusion.
Overall, I enjoyed this a lot, so those minor things kept it from being a perfect 5 stars, but this is an easy recommend for me. Honestly, it didn't really read like a YA novel to me. I'm surprised it's considered one.
November 7, 2024
I've loved Jane Eyre ever since the Great Illustrated Classics version scared me so badly at age 8 that I threw it across the room. Naturally I think the idea of a gay retelling is excellent, though McKinney isn't the first to do it. It's a great hook! But the problem is that Jane and Bertha don't even meet until halfway through the book, and Rochester isn't really a character yet during that time either, so the build-up to the halfway point is interminably slow. Rochester, when he finally does show up, is just kind of evil and boring and one-note, and the additional villain at the end doesn't actually add anything. The plot, such as it is, doesn't really make any sense either--he wants Jane to pretend to be Bertha?--and takes the straightforward, Gothic, bananapants-ness of Jane Eyre and reduces it to a pretty underwhelming story.
March 1, 2025
A clever story that takes the original plot of JANE EYRE and twists it, turning Edward into a diabolical monster. Bertha is still in the attic, but she's trapped there until she signs her significant trust over to her destitute (and desperate) husband, who can't do anything to her until it matures. Edward is full of plots and evil ways, including some of involving little Adele, and it's all quite smart, but wow, it's really hard to watch our beloved mercurial Mr. Rochester be truly cruel and awful!
The characters can fall slightly flat here, but I enjoyed Jane and Bertha's GAY backstories, with a wonderful Helen Burns re-imagining! The story does a great job of retaining Jane's strength (and Bertha's!) but it lacks much of her original wit, which is a little sad. The best part is Jane and Bertha's letters to one another.
Glad I read it, and I love the lesbian angle, but I'll always adore the original. 3.5 stars.
The characters can fall slightly flat here, but I enjoyed Jane and Bertha's GAY backstories, with a wonderful Helen Burns re-imagining! The story does a great job of retaining Jane's strength (and Bertha's!) but it lacks much of her original wit, which is a little sad. The best part is Jane and Bertha's letters to one another.
Glad I read it, and I love the lesbian angle, but I'll always adore the original. 3.5 stars.
Want to read
June 21, 2023"What if the real villain of Jane Eyre was actually Mr. Rochester? "
OMG, we got a cover. I repeat, we got a cover!!! And a release date too!?! Let´s freaking go, honestly. I´ve been eyeing this for a very long time now, so even though I know this year isn´t even halfway over, 2024 can´t come soon enough. This book is going to change lives, I am telling you right now. Maybe also ruin a few, but we stan either way.
(And also, not to ´be dramatic´ or whatever, but from the look of that cover, I really hope they get to burn down his house at some point in the book, preferably with him in it. Jk, jk... unless 😈??)
OMG, we got a cover. I repeat, we got a cover!!! And a release date too!?! Let´s freaking go, honestly. I´ve been eyeing this for a very long time now, so even though I know this year isn´t even halfway over, 2024 can´t come soon enough. This book is going to change lives, I am telling you right now. Maybe also ruin a few, but we stan either way.
(And also, not to ´be dramatic´ or whatever, but from the look of that cover, I really hope they get to burn down his house at some point in the book, preferably with him in it. Jk, jk... unless 😈??)
January 24, 2024
You are a wonder, Bertha Mason. A marvel and a glory. In you I feel I have found my own furious maelstrom’s match.
3.5 stars. I enjoyed this, but I have to admit that for the majority of the story, like 80% of it or so, I thought it was just baseline... fine? Good, but not great? Jane Eyre isn't my favourite classic, but I do think it's a GREAT vehicle for retellings. Fuck Mr. Rochester fr fr. So this being a queer black reimagining, with Bertha as one of the main characters... my hopes were high! But the book didn't totally live up to that.
I do have to register my slight disappointment that Bertha was an American woman rather than a Caribbean woman, but that's a very tiny quibble. I can understand why that change was made. I also understand the way the author chose to deal with race and sexuality, which was pretty much to not deal with it at all. But I have to admit, it isn't my favourite way to write historicals. Like, I hate when books act as if people of colour were a complete anomaly in the 1800s, or as if it were completely unheard of to see them in society in the 1800s. So I'm glad the book didn't go that route. But instead we're in an England where race isn't commented on at all, and... I didn't like that either? It's not that I think it was a bad way to write the story, but just not my favourite. It's an expectations thing, I guess. When I hear that a story is going to be a queer black retelling, I do expect race and racism to be discussed meaningfully (and I was hoping to have some conversations about colonialism, since the original Bertha was from Jamaica). But none of that is ever even mentioned, and I found that to be really dissatisfying.
Otherwise, the book was good, but again, just good. I was just sorta going through the motions, following along, having a fine time. It took a really long time for the two main characters to meet up. The Rochester plot was simple and one-note, which I think is fine, because he's a simple bitch, but after a while it was just kind of boring. There were a couple small things that didn't make sense that I unfortunately couldn't stop thinking about: All insignificant, in the grand scheme of things, but they kept bugging me. I did like the atmosphere and feel of Thornfield, with all of its mysterious inhabitants, Jane's new friends and enemies. Adele was sweet and I liked Emm from the beginning. And near the end, things did start to pick up a lot for me. There were a few events that I didn't see coming at all, and for the first time, I started to get really emotionally invested in the characters and everything happening to them. The romance really only picked up in the latter half as well, and it was really good. Seriously, I think the last 10% made me feel more than the rest of the book combined. So that kinda saved the book for me, added that extra .5.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Nneka Okoye and Machelle Williams, and I really liked them both, but I do think this is one of those cases where there maybe should have only been one narrator. Their voices are very different, and when they each attempt each other's accents, it's soooo noticeably not the same that it was distracting. The book was good, all in all, and I do think all my quibbles are very subjective, so I'd still very much recommend this. It wasn't my absolute fave, but I still liked it.
February 3, 2021
People are rating this book one-star and isn’t even out until NEXT YEAR??? Racist dolts. So it should be fine to rate it five stars too. “dont mess with the classics!!,,,,” <— that’s what y’all thinned skin crazies sound like -_-
February 6, 2024
Ohhh what I'd have given to read this as a 13 year old queer girl newly obsessed with Jane Eyre!
March 25, 2024
I love reading retellings of classic novels and this is the first I've read of Jane Eyre.
Jane Eyre is a complicated novel but I really enjoyed the way L.L. McKinney adapted it for Escaping Mr. Rochester. It has bold twists, strong female characters and is a refreshing perspective of Jane herself.
This alternate history features a diverse cast, queering the narrative and presenting a POC in both Jane and Bertha, challenging the traditional roles and dynamics of the original. McKinney skillfully adjusts the storyline, providing a more modern and critical take on Rochester's character, transforming him into a much darker villain. While maintaining the essence of Jane's character, the novel ventures into uncharted territories, offering a critique of the original's societal norms and expectations. The adaptation thrives on its willingness to diverge from the classic, inviting readers into a world where Jane's agency and the reimagining of her relationships take center stage, making it a compelling read for fans of the original and newcomers alike.
I listened to the audiobook and overall, both narratives did well with their own characters. However, one narrator struggled with adapting a British accent for other characters and it was so tough to stay in the moment of the book. A shame really, as it would've been a near perfect read for me otherwise.
Highly recommend a read but maybe try the written version... 🙃
Jane Eyre is a complicated novel but I really enjoyed the way L.L. McKinney adapted it for Escaping Mr. Rochester. It has bold twists, strong female characters and is a refreshing perspective of Jane herself.
This alternate history features a diverse cast, queering the narrative and presenting a POC in both Jane and Bertha, challenging the traditional roles and dynamics of the original. McKinney skillfully adjusts the storyline, providing a more modern and critical take on Rochester's character, transforming him into a much darker villain. While maintaining the essence of Jane's character, the novel ventures into uncharted territories, offering a critique of the original's societal norms and expectations. The adaptation thrives on its willingness to diverge from the classic, inviting readers into a world where Jane's agency and the reimagining of her relationships take center stage, making it a compelling read for fans of the original and newcomers alike.
I listened to the audiobook and overall, both narratives did well with their own characters. However, one narrator struggled with adapting a British accent for other characters and it was so tough to stay in the moment of the book. A shame really, as it would've been a near perfect read for me otherwise.
Highly recommend a read but maybe try the written version... 🙃
January 28, 2024
McKinney's reimagining of Jane Eyre is a bold and refreshing take on the beloved classic. McKinney successfully captures the essence of the original tale while injecting new life into the characters and their relationships. The narrative benefits from significant changes, introducing strong black characters unafraid to show vulnerability and crafting a sapphic relationship that adds a breath of fresh air to the genre. The exchange of letters between the two women beautifully unfolds their love story and adds an endearing layer to the story, as two women find solace and perhaps more in each other's words.
The gothic atmosphere is enhanced by the confined setting and the looming danger orchestrated by a predatory villain. The portrayal of Mr. Rochester as an incredibly quiet, predatory character adds a chilling and realistic layer to the story as he takes advantage of these women. The staff who supports Rochester is just as chilling.
This was gorgeous and I highly recommend it. "Escaping Mr. Rochester" is a captivating blend of gothic fiction, romance, and mystery, offering a unique take on a classic story. Readers who appreciate a slow-burn plot, sapphic romance, and a touch of darkness will find this reimagining both thrilling and heartwarming.
Thank you to the publisher and Storygram for the copy. I really appreciate the opportunity. All opinions are my own.
The gothic atmosphere is enhanced by the confined setting and the looming danger orchestrated by a predatory villain. The portrayal of Mr. Rochester as an incredibly quiet, predatory character adds a chilling and realistic layer to the story as he takes advantage of these women. The staff who supports Rochester is just as chilling.
This was gorgeous and I highly recommend it. "Escaping Mr. Rochester" is a captivating blend of gothic fiction, romance, and mystery, offering a unique take on a classic story. Readers who appreciate a slow-burn plot, sapphic romance, and a touch of darkness will find this reimagining both thrilling and heartwarming.
Thank you to the publisher and Storygram for the copy. I really appreciate the opportunity. All opinions are my own.
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