Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

UK Paperback Edition

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books (3 Jun 2011)
• ISBN-10: 0330529730
• ISBN-13: 978-0330529730

When shy, awkward Helen Hamilton sees Lucas Delos for the first time she thinks two things: the first, that he is the most ridiculously beautiful boy she has seen in her life; the second, that she wants to kill him with her bare hands.

With an ancient curse making them loathe one another, Lucas and Helen have to keep their distance. But sometimes love is stronger than hate, and not even the gods themselves can prevent what will happen . . .

As soon as I heard about this book I wanted it way before it was released....a YA with forbidden love and ancient mythology it's the perfect type of book for me.

US Hardcover Edition

Cover: I think both the UK paperback edition and the US hardback edition are great covers and are relevant to the plot, making them even better in my eyes.

The UK cover I think shows with the lightning the tempestuous emotions of the main characters struggling with love and hate.  The same can be said of the sea and clouds in the US cover, as well as having a girl matching Helen's description dressed in a Greek way in reference to the Ancient curse.

Plot: Helen always knew she was different.  What, she didn't know was what...a freak?? No.  When the Delos family moves to Nantucket she finds out what she is because she is the same as them.  Scions.  Descendants of Greek Gods, with superhuman strength and abilities.  When she sets eyes on Lucas she throws herself at him and tries to kill him.  But when they inadvertently save each other the urge to kill is gone and the chance for the Delos family to teach Helen about what she is and to train her powers emerges, along with friendship and perhaps more with Lucas.  But what Helen doesn't know is that Lucas and her can't be together...at least without devastating effects on the world that goes back to the time of the Trojan War. And could the mother that abandoned her bring help or danger.

Characters:

Helen- Helen wants to be normal but being a Scion has some perks, like being able to win a track scholarship.  She has been afraid f her abilities for so long it's hard for her to accept what she is...but the flying makes up for it!  Once she gets past wanting to kill Lucas she falls for him but doesn't understand why they can't be together and worries either Lucas doesn't feel that way or that he leads her on.

Lucas- A good looking, strong but noble guy.  He knows that he can't be with Helen and tries to keep his distance, but he falls for her anyway.

Creon- A cousin of the Delos family.  He takes notice of Helen, she could be the key for a dark plan of his.

Writing Style: I found that Josephine Angelini had a very easy to read and follow writing style.  Once I picked it up I didn't want to put it down.  It's predominantly Helen's perspective but you briefly get to read from Lucas's and Creon's point of view.

Rating: 5/5 stars.  I loved this book!  While I was reading I didn't feel like I was re-reading another YA paranormal romance book, but rather a stand out and original book.  The forbidden romance was a real forbidden romance, not like in other books when the characters can't be together and you think 'but why not??'.  The characters were all likeable and the diverse members of the Delos family each had their own little traits.  I loved Jason and Claire- Lucas's brother and Helen's best friend, and they argue all the time but you can see they would be a perfect couple  (aww totally cute :P). Josephine Angelini really made me care about the characters, Helen and Lucas in particular and I find myself desperately hoping for a way they can be together.  I can't wait for the next book.
I would definitely recommend this for fans of YA Paranormal romance, it's definitely one of the best I have read for a while! A plus if you're a fan of Greek Mythology or looking for something other than vamps and werewolves.

2011 Book Tag Part 1 Jan-June

Book Haul

Caleb + Kate by Cindy Martinusen-Coloma

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: THOMAS NELSON; 1 edition (1 May 2010)
• Language English
• ISBN-10: 1595546782
• ISBN-13: 978-1595546784

A modern re-telling of Romeo & Juliet

As the popular darling of the junior class and heiress to the five-star Monrovi Inn empire, Kate has both everything and nothing. She's bored with school and life...until she locks eyes with Caleb at a school dance.
Caleb is new to Kate's exclusive prep school, and it's clear he doesn't fit in. In fact, he and his dad work in maintenance for Kate's father. And while Caleb knows better than to spend time with the boss's daughter, it seems that every time he tries to back away, something pulls him right back in.
When their parents demand that they are to stay away from each other, they learn of a fight between their families that occurred more than fifty years ago. It's a mystery Kate doesn't understand...but a legacy Caleb has endured his entire life.
With the world stacked against them, Caleb and Kate will have to walk by faith to find the path that God has planned for them.


This appealed to me for a nice, light and perfect summer read.


Cover: The cover is perfect for what this is, a cute, romantic YA novel.


Plot: Follows the basic framework of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet- family feud and forbidden love.  Kate and Caleb's grandfather's used to be friends but they fell out over land and a woman, resulting in a bitter feud between their families.  When they meet there's an instant attraction that they can't believe and try to fight because of their families, but it soon becomes clear that they can't help their feelings for each other.
It doesn't have the original tragic ending, it could easily have down and at one point I thought it was going to.


Characters:


Caleb- Originally from Hawaii he'd much rather be surfing waves or riding his motorbike than being stuffed into a prep school uniform. He stands out at Gaitlin's school.  He can't explain his feelings for Kate.  He thinks that he should hate her but he just can't make himself.


Kate- Her family is rich and priviledged but she finds herself being bored with her life, all the continuous gossip about things that don't even matter.  Hasn't ever witnessed that fairy-tale love that everyone wants.  She connects with Caleb in a way she hasn't ever done with anyone.


Both characters have their Christian faith.  And don't be put off by that.  I think it's great that it's included.  There are teenagers that have faith, that's realistic and it's not an in-your-face-god-squad book but rather it just adds to their character.


Ted- A rich politician's son that sets his sights on Kate.


Monica- Kate's rather snobbish friend.


Finn- Caleb's cousin.  Jealous and spiteful of Caleb.  He hates hales - white people and so doesn't approve of Kate.


Writing Style: I found that Cindy had an easy flowing writing style that allowed for a really quick read.  I liked the alternating perspectives of Caleb + Kate so you get how both characters are thinking and feeling towards each other.  I also thought the relevant Shakespeare quotes were a nice touch.


Rating: 4/5 stars.  I really enjoyed this book.  The re-telling of Romeo & Juliet works well in this modern context and I loved the characters of Caleb and Kate, and their romance was beautiful.  
I would definitely recommend this for fans of contemporary YA romantic fiction such as Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles because this is something similar.  It's perfect for a light, summer beach read.

Immortal: Love Stories With Bite Anthology

• Publisher: Ben Bella (1 Sep 2009)
• Paperback: 280 pages
• Language English
• ISBN-10: 9781933771922
• ISBN-13: 978-1933771922

Rachel Caine (the Morganville Vampires series) revisits the setting of her popular series, where the vampires are in charge and love is a risky endeavor, even when it comes to your own family.

Cynthia Leitich Smith (Tantalize) gives us a love triangle between a vampire, a ghost and a human girl, in which none of them are who or what they seem.

Claudia Gray (Evernight) takes us into the world of her Evernight series, in which a pre–Civil War courtesan-to-be is courted by a pale, fair-haired man whose attentions are too dangerous to spurn, in more ways than one.

Richelle Mead (the Vampire Academy series) brings us the tale of a young vampire on the run from the rest of her kind, and the human boy who provides the getaway car, as well as a reason to keep running.

Nancy Holder (the Wicked series, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) immerses us in a post-apocalyptic New York where two best friends are forced to make a choice that may kill them both

Kristin Cast (the House of Night series) introduces us to a new kind of vampire: one with roots in Greek mythology, and the power to alter space and time to save the girl he's meant to love.

Rachel Vincent (the Soul Screamers series) explores a new corner of her series with the story of aleanan sidhe capable of inspiring the musician she loves to new creative heights, or draining him, and his talent, dry.

And Tanith Lee (Black Unicorn) shows us what happens when a bright young woman with some supernatural savvy encounters a misguided (but gorgeous) young vampire.

8 popular paranormal authors provided editor P.C. Cast with a short story, each own with their own take on vampires.

Cover: Pretty standard paranormal romance cover...nothing particularly exciting.

Each story is different and I found some to be much better than others.

I enjoyed Rachel Caine's Dead Man Stalking the most out of the anthology because it takes place in her Morganville Vampires Series which I'm currently reading and loving but also it's in Shane point of view, when she normally writes in Claire's so it was great to see events from Shane's perspective because he is one of my fav characters and it showed of her personality.  

I didn't enjoy Cynthia Leitich Smith's Haunted Love because of both her writing style and I felt that the romance fell short.


Claudia Gray's Free was on Okay read but I don' understand why it was included in this anthology because sure it had a vampire but it was not a romantic story and therefore I didn't enjoy it.


My second favourite story in this anthology was Richelle Mead's Blue Moon.  I thought the plot was well developed and thought out.  The romance could have done with being a bit more believable but I still really enjoyed it.  


Nancy Holder's Changed had so much potential, combining a post-apocalyptic world with vampires, but I found it really lacked drama or suspense and was just a bit dull.


Kristin Cast's Amber Smoke was a perfect short story for me because it combines paranormal vampires with Greek mythology-both of which I love, and I think Kristin did a great job of doing that but it was rushed, some parts needed more description and explaining and the 'romance' definitely needed more of a build up.  Overall it was a great plot, but it just needed more developing.  


I really liked Rachel Vincent's Binge up until the end.  The end totally killed the romance for me and ruined the entire story.


I actually really liked Tanith Lee's Table Manners, while I thought there could be less description at the beginning to allow for more romantic development between the two main characters the overall plot was good and enjoyable.


Rating: 2.5/5 stars.  I really liked a couple of the stories but for me the others let it down, but it was worth it for me just for Rachel Caine's story.  I would recommend this for anyone who is a fan of any of the eight authors that contributed to this anthology, but if you're looking for solid paranormal romance this isn't it.

Book Tag!

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Hodder Children's Books (7 April 2011)
• Language English
• ISBN-10: 9781444900606
• ISBN-13: 978-1444900606

A modern re-telling of Little Red Riding Hood

The story of Scarlett and Rosie March, two highly-skilled sisters who have been hunting Fenris (werewolves) - who prey on teen girls - since Scarlett lost her eye years ago while defending Rosie in an attack. Scarlett lives to destroy the Fenris, and she and Rosie lure them in with red cloaks (a colour the wolves can't resist), though Rosie hunts more out of debt to her sister than drive. But things seem to be changing. The wolves are getting stronger and harder to fight, and there has been a rash of news reports about countless teenage girls being brutally murdered in the city. Scarlett and Rosie soon discover the truth: wolves are banding together in search of a Potential Fenris - a man tainted by the pack but not yet fully changed. Desperate to find the Potential to use him as bait for a massive werewolf extermination, the sisters move to the city with Silas, a young woodsman and long time family friend who is deadly with an axe. Meanwhile, Rosie finds herself drawn to Silas and the bond they share not only drives the sisters apart, but could destroy all they've worked for.

Cover:  This is a great, clever cover and also striking with the black and shiny red.

Plot: Two sisters hunt down the Fenris, wolves that changed their lives forever when one killed their grandmother and seriously scared Scarlett.  When they find out that the wolves are searching for more than beautiful young girls to devour, the Potential.  A rare boy that during a certain moon phase can become a Fenris.  They want to beat the wolves to him.
Silas, a boy they've known since childhood returns after a year away and he starts to notice Rosie in a different way. Is Silas and Rosie's attraction for each other going to drive the sisters apart, or will the fact that they're ultimately different do that?

Characters:

Scarlett- The older sister.  After she was scarred by the Fenris protecting her younger sister, the hunt has become her life to the point that it consumes her.  She feels that herself, her sister and Silas have the responsibility to protect people from the Fenris because they know about them when others don't.  Wants her sister to fight with her but then won't let her fight solo.

Rosie- The younger sister.  Doesn't hunt with the all consuming need that Scarlett does, but rather she does it to feel close to her sister.  She feels that she owes her sister for saving her and so doesn't always do what she wants to do.  She's hesitant with her feelings for Silas for this reason.

Silas- Comes from a family of woodsmen that know about and fight the Fenris.  He was Scarlett's hunting partner before leaving for a year to visit his Uncle.  He wants more in his life than hunting, for example he wants to learn how to play guitar (Scarlett really doesn't understand this).  When he comes back and sees Rosie again he's attracted to her.

Writing Style: The story is told in alternating chapter perspectives of both Scarlett and Rosie which really gives the reader insight in to the thoughts, feelings and personalities of both sisters.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars.  I really liked the overall plot and Jackson Pearce has succeeded in updating Little Red Riding Hood into a contemporary YA paranormal romance.  Once I got past the prologue I quickly got hooked and it was a fast and enjoyable read but I sometimes found myself frustrated with Scarlett, finding her jealousy and selfish feelings, while sometimes understandable I just found that it made me dislike her.  However I loved the romance between Silas and Rosie, and that while the attraction was instant, I liked that it was hesitant and gradual.  
I would definitely recommend this book for fans of the YA paranormal romance genre, especially if you like twists on classic tales.

Book Haul- 20 Books

Midnight Alley- Morganville Vampires Book 3 by Rachel Caine

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Allison & Busby; paperback / softback edition (5 Sep 2008)
• Language English
• ISBN-10: 0749079223
• ISBN-13: 978-0749079222

Morganville is such a nice place to live...and die. If you don't mind that sort of thing. When Claire Danvers learnt that her college town was run by vampires, she did what any intelligent, self-preserving student would do: she applied for a transfer and stocked up on garlic. The transfer is no longer an option, but that garlic may come in handy. Now Claire has pledged herself to Amelie, the most powerful vampire in town. The protection her contract secures does little to reassure her friends. All of a sudden, people are turning up dead, a stalker resurfaces from Claire's past, and an ancient bloodsucker extends a chilling invitation for private lessons in his secluded home.


So again this book picks up from where Book 2: The Dead Girls Dance left off.


Cover:  This is one of my favourite Morganville Vampires re-released covers.  The black with the copper/orange is really striking and matches her hair, as well as her piercing bright green eyes.


Plot: Claire has now pledged herself to Amelie, in order for her protection she's now effectively owned by Amelie.  When Amelie orders her to study under Myrnin, an incredibly old scholarly vampire, to discover a cure for a top secret disease gradually killing the vampire race, she must.  As well as avoiding Eve's psycho/stalker/killer younger brother who seems to have taken a shine to Claire.  There's also Michael and Shane coping with Michael 'transition' and the consequences it's brought.  The book ends with two big surprises and off course a cliff hanger to lead on to book four Feast of Fools.


Characters:


Claire- Is getting used to life in Morganville and you can see her start to progress from scared little Claire to a much braver character- especially for the sake of her friends.


Shane- Is finding accepting Michael's new state difficult because of what the vampire's have done to his family.


Michael- Is happy that he's finally free to leave the house and persue playing his music in public but is torn up about hurting Shane.


Eve- Like Shane she is getting used to Michael being a vampire as well as having to cope with her psycho brother being back in her life.


Amelie- Is getting desperate to find a cure for the strange disease that in approximately 10 years will affect all the vampires.  Only her, Sam, Myrnin and now Claire know.


Myrnin- An extremely old and knowledgeable vampire.  Claire has been ordered to be his apprentice but one moment he's coherent and kind but the next he wants to eat her.


Jason- Eve's evil younger brother.  Behaves threateningly towards Claire. Is he responsible for the dead girls that keep showing up?


Writing Style: Rachel Caine really paces the book well, a very quick and enjoyable read.  Again this is from Claire's point of view and I was disappointed because in this book at the end there was no Eve's diary, which had been in the first two books.


Rating: 4/5 stars.  Again this won't really make much sense unless you have read the first two books in the series but I really recommend the series from what I have read so far, it's for anyone that likes YA paranormal novels and romance.  

Goddess of Spring by P.C. Cast

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Piatkus Books (28 Jan 2011)
• Language English
• ISBN-10: 0749953713
• ISBN-13: 978-0749953713

Can a middle aged baker be the soulmate of a God?

Lina's trendy bakery in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is proving to be less than lucrative and she must come up with a plan to save it. When she stumbles upon an Italian Goddess cookbook, she can't help but think she's found the answer to her problem - even if it means invoking a goddess to save her business. Soon enough, Lina finds herself face-to-face with Demeter, who has a plan of her own. She proposes that Lina exchange souls with Persephone, the Goddess of Spring, who will breathe new life into the bakery. In return, Lina must set order to the Underworld. Before all this, Lina's problems mostly involved dough and second dates. Now that she embodies the enchantingly beautiful Persephone, Lina has weightier things on her mind - like the formidable task of bringing Spring to a world of spirits. But when the handsome, brooding Hades kindles a spark in her heart, Lina wonders if this Lord of the Underworld might be the man of her dreams...


Book 2 in P.C. Cast's Goddess Summoning Series.  While they are a series, each is a stand alone novel so you can just pick and choose which you want to read in which ever order. So I started with Goddess of Spring because the myth of 


Reading Order:


Goddess of the Sea
Goddess of Spring
Goddess of Light
Goddess of the Rose
Goddess of Love
Goddess of Troy (Previously released as Warrior Rising)
Goddess of Legend

Original US cover

Cover:  I have the re-released UK covers of the whole series and they are much better than the previous covers.


Plot: This series is all about re-working classic myths and legends and adding a modern twist.  Persephone's mother feels she is too frivolous and needs to learn to be more responsible, so she switches her daughter's soul with the of Carolina, a middle ages baker from Tulsa.  Persephone is now in Lena's body and vice versa.  
Persephone must bring new life to Lena's struggling bakery and Lena must bring comfort to an Underworld that have long been without the comfort provided by a Goddess. This means encountering Hades, God of the Underworld. At first Hades thinks Persephone will be as selfish and frivolous as all the other Gods and Goddesses he has known but seeing her care for his realm and the spirits except her, he soon sees otherwise and can she care for him as she does his realm?
This book raises the question is it the body or the soul that loves?


Characters:


Carolina (Lena)- Middle ages baker from Tulsa.  Has always had a gift in which are animals are drawn to her, even Hades steed.  Generally an all round wise and kind mortal woman.


Hades- Dark and broodingly handsome, the God of the Underworld stands out from the other Gods because he doesn't care for casual affairs or flings but rather longs to find his soulmate.


Persephone- We don't see much of Persephone as the story's focus is on the romance between Hades and Lena (Hades doesn't know that it isn't Persephone but Lena's soul in her body).


Eurydice- A young spirit new to the underworld that Lena takes under her wing.


Writing Style: 
Very detailed descriptions provide a very vivid image of the settings but it was a little slow to get into, but once past the first 80 or so pages it seemed to flow much better.


Rating: 3.5/5 stars.  I really loved how P.C. Cast put a twist on the well known myth of Hades and Persephone and it worked really well.  The romance and interaction between Hades and Lena was the strength of the book and I loved them both but the pacing issues at the start let it down a tad for me.  
I recommend this for fans of P.C. Cast that are familiar with her writing style or for those that love greek mythology.  This series is for slightly older readers as it tends to be quite explicit and the more mature main female character may not appeal to all readers used to reading about younger heroines.

Die For Me by Amy Plum

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: ATOM (5 May 2011)
• Language English
• ISBN-10: 190741102X
• ISBN-13: 978-1907411021

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything. Suddenly, my sister, Georgia and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent. Mysterious, sexy and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen. Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies...immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.


I was excited to read this book from the sound of the blurb, that plus the gorgeous cover I was hooked in.


Cover:  A truly lovely cover!  Beautiful shades of pink coupled with the Parisian images and the black scrolling makes for a fantastic YA Paranormal cover.


Plot:  I love the plot of this book!  Amy Plum has definitely tried to stand out from other YA paranormal fiction with an original storyline and a paranormal being that isn't a vamp or a werewolf :O (some similarities with Yvonne Woon's Dead Beautiful but nothing too obvious, my reivew for Dead Beautiful : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYiQ2tY33lI ).

Kate is grieving for the loss of her parents that died in an accident and has moved to Paris with her sister to live with their grandparents.  There she meets Vincent, a beautiful boy that she feels she could grow to feel so strongly for and she doesn't know if she can open herself up to the risk of loosing someone that she loves again plus finding out that there's nothing normal about Vincent and how he lives his life.  Can Kate cope with what Vincent is?  And can she open her heart and learn to love again?


Characters:


Kate- Trying to adapt to live without her parents but finds herself depressed and the only comfort is escaping in books.  Kinda introverted.


Vincent- He hasn't been interested in a girl for a veryyyyy long time *cough* but when he meets Kate he has a spark in his life again.


Georgia- Kate's older sister.  Polar opposites.  Total extrovert and party girl.


Lucien- Same 'being' as Vincent but a more twisted version.


Writing Style:
I found that I was able to read this book really quickly, I read it in two days but it could easily have been one.  The chapters very short and so that helped the pacing.  


Rating:
4.5/5 stars because I loved that the plot stands out among other YA paranormal books and that even though this is the first in the Revenant Series the end wasn't a cliffhanger and the ending was great.

Jane by April Lindner

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Poppy; 1 edition (4 Nov 2010)
• Language English
• ISBN-10: 0316084204
• ISBN-13: 978-0316084208

What if Jane Eyre fell in love with a rockstar?


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.


I am a HUGE Jane Eyre fan, I have read the book countless times and seen every adaptation ever made but I hadn't heard of this book until I saw it on a fellow bloggers youtube channel and it was published October 2010, so I was a bit like WHY HAVE I NOT HEARD OF THIS BOOK!! Naturally I had to order it right then because I'm sure most Eyre fans would want to know how the classic story would play out today.


Cover:  I think this is a perfect cover for this book and actually included it my video Top 10 fav covers Ever...or at least at the moment.  I like that the image is what could be considered a typical Bronte-esque image of a girl looking windswept on a gloomy moor and then suddenly JANE is bright pink showing that it's a new and contemporary version of the classic novel.


Plot: The plot obviously stays as close to that of the original Jane Eyre but just updates it to a modern setting.
         Jane Moore is left to fend for herself after her parents were killed in an accident and her brother and sister don't really care what happens to her, and so she has to quit school to find work as a nanny to support herself.  And she does.  For rockstar Nico Rathburn's daughter Maddy.  Jane soon finds herself fascinated by Nico.  When he seems to return her feelings a secret from his past threatens to destroy their love.


Anyone that has read Jane Eyre will not be shocked by the 'secret'.


Characters:


Jane Moore- 19 Year old girl.  Feels that she looks plain and simple.  Her family didn't understand her, thinking that she was too cold and serious, often alienating her.


Nico Rathburn- Dark and handsome rockstar on the verge of a comeback.  


Maddy- Nico's 5 year old little girl in his custody because her french popstar mother was incapable of looking afer her.  Soon develops an attachment to Jane.


Bianca Ingram- A famous photographer that wants to photograph Nico and his band and takes an instant dislike to Jane.  Seems to Jane there may be more than a professional relationship but is Nico using her to make Jane jealous...


Writing Style:  A really well paced book but I felt that some parts of the book (Jane's interaction with Maddy and the ending) were rushed.


Rating: 3.5/5 stars.  I really wanted to give this book more but I felt that it just lacked something, and there were a few little pet hates for me, e.g. calling Nico's dog Copilot just call him Pilot, it's not clever or witty to rename Rochester's dog from Pilot to Copilot.  I also felt that Jane's interaction with Maddy was skimmed over.  This plays an important part in the original story as Jane has a positive influence on the little girl's life, and I felt that April Lindner just brushed off the interaction and made it simple and by doing so also making it insignificant, e.g.  'After I put Maddy to bed' and that would be it, and April Lindner being an avid fan of the original should have recognised that.
I also felt at times Jane was portrayed far weaker than she should have been, often having "tears spring to her eyes".
    Howeverit was well paced-easily a two day read even if I felt the ending was a little rushed and could have provided the reader with more closure as the Jane and Nico's future as is with the original plot but I commend April Lindner for writing a Jane Eyre that will  appeal to a new generation of readers and inspiring them to read the original classic.
    I really liked that more umm 'intimate' scenes between Jane and Nico were included adding more to the more contemporary context.


I would recommend this for fans of the original classic as I'm sure they'd appreciate seeing Brontë's classic updated in such a relatable way, as well as those that have never Jane Eyre for whatever reason because April Lindner successfully retells Jane Eyre in the style of a realistic, contemporary YA novel.