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mary00's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed every minute of it. It reminds me a bit of These Is My Words. On to the sequel!
kraley's review against another edition
2.0
I found the main character so whiny that she was too annoying to get lost in the story. No e of the characters had a lot of depth. It could have been a great romance or a great vehicle for teaching about the early northwestern settlers, but it was neither.
erincataldi's review against another edition
5.0
In middle school I was so enamored with this book that I read the whole book from start to finish EVERY night for a week. It resonated with me, I loved the characters, the plot, the romance, the adventure. I am soo pleased that even reading this book as an adult holds up. It is soo good! At sixteen Jane leaves her father behind in Boston and sails to the wild frontier of California to meet and marry William, a former apprentice of her father. When she arrives to the bay her betrothed is nowhere to be found. And the settlement is only a trading post and a local Indian tribe. With no other options she puts all her etiquette skills to use, mending clothes for the men, trading with the Indians, and trying to figure out cooking. All the while there is a handsome and rugged sailor who has his eye on her if she'd only notice. Lots of action, hilarity, and character development. I can't recommend this enough!
rachelmerry_'s review against another edition
4.0
Closer to a 3.5.
I loved loved this series as a preteen and this is the first time I’ve revisited it since then. I found Jane to be a lot less likable this time around, but I appreciated a lot more her development—I especially thought the author did a great job of challenging historical and contemporary racial bias in a story aimed toward a younger audience, and that she wove those perspectives into the story without making it feel like a revisionist history. I’m also going to throw out there that the pacing wasn’t great (the whole first third was a flashback and it seemed like…why is this a flashback instead of just the beginning of the story?) Anyway, for the audience and genre, I thought this was not quite brilliant, but very well done.
I loved loved this series as a preteen and this is the first time I’ve revisited it since then. I found Jane to be a lot less likable this time around, but I appreciated a lot more her development—I especially thought the author did a great job of challenging historical and contemporary racial bias in a story aimed toward a younger audience, and that she wove those perspectives into the story without making it feel like a revisionist history. I’m also going to throw out there that the pacing wasn’t great (the whole first third was a flashback and it seemed like…why is this a flashback instead of just the beginning of the story?) Anyway, for the audience and genre, I thought this was not quite brilliant, but very well done.
blogginboutbooks's review against another edition
4.0
After loving THE LION OF MARS, I want to read all of Holm's books. I started with BOSTON JANE because it sounded right up my alley. Sure, the plucky redheaded heroine trope is way overdone, but I enjoyed everything else about this historical novel. Its pioneer/homesteading setting appealed to me, especially since it's peopled with colorful characters who are both interesting and likable. Jane is a sympathetic heroine who learns and grows throughout this first installment and will presumably continue to do so as the series progresses. She's not the most original character in the world, but I found her to be relatable. Story-wise, the tale moves quickly with plenty of action to keep it exciting. Holm's prose is engaging, which gives her books a warm, upbeat vibe that shines through even when discussing difficult topics. I think that's the reason I'm so drawn to her work.
I checked out the whole Boston Jane trilogy yesterday, so I could read the books one after the other. I'm reading—and enjoying—the second book right now.
I checked out the whole Boston Jane trilogy yesterday, so I could read the books one after the other. I'm reading—and enjoying—the second book right now.
emilyjoy828's review against another edition
5.0
Probably not as swoon worthy as I remember, but 6-grade me thought this was the sh*t.
lilyevangeline's review against another edition
4.0
This was a book I should have read when I was 12--in fact, this was exactly the sort of book that I was reading about that age anyhow. In fact, it's highly probably that I did read this around that age and have since forgotten about it. Growing up, almost everything we had in our house was historical fiction (perks of homeschooling), but it's been years since I've read any. I can't exactly say what inspired me to order this from the library, and I probably wouldn't have read it at all, except that my computer was taking a long time uploading and I needed to kill time. Regardless, I'm glad I read it.
This is the story of Jane, an insufferably proper young woman who is headed out to the American frontier to marry her childhood crush. Unfortunately, her etiquette book proves to be less helpful than she'd thought, and soon she has to set being a lady aside in the face of a much bigger challenge: making a living.
I'll be honest. There was nothing particularly brilliant about this novel, but it is undeniably sweet, with just the sort of message that growing girls need to hear every now and again: there's nothing wrong with getting your hands dirty now and again. Granted, it's not a deep, thought-provoking tale, but it's aimed towards younger readers and in general I think that deep, thought-provoking tales are often overrated anyhow. There's real adventure in here and solid history and a good love story as well--Boston Jane is all about being brave and doing what needs to be done. It's not about throwing manners out the window, but rather about adapting and learning to recognize what really matters.
Confession: I'm feeling nostalgic for twelve-year-old me and my historical fiction obsession. But I'm glad that Boston Jane is here to help me cope.
This is the story of Jane, an insufferably proper young woman who is headed out to the American frontier to marry her childhood crush. Unfortunately, her etiquette book proves to be less helpful than she'd thought, and soon she has to set being a lady aside in the face of a much bigger challenge: making a living.
I'll be honest. There was nothing particularly brilliant about this novel, but it is undeniably sweet, with just the sort of message that growing girls need to hear every now and again: there's nothing wrong with getting your hands dirty now and again. Granted, it's not a deep, thought-provoking tale, but it's aimed towards younger readers and in general I think that deep, thought-provoking tales are often overrated anyhow. There's real adventure in here and solid history and a good love story as well--Boston Jane is all about being brave and doing what needs to be done. It's not about throwing manners out the window, but rather about adapting and learning to recognize what really matters.
Confession: I'm feeling nostalgic for twelve-year-old me and my historical fiction obsession. But I'm glad that Boston Jane is here to help me cope.
beths0103's review against another edition
5.0
Jenni Holm has an amazing ability to write a story that you initially think you're not going to like (as Ruta Sepetys says -- historical fiction is often treated like the ugly girl at the dance: nobody wants to touch it) and then BAM! There it is. You suddenly have fallen in love with it and with the main character. I was initially dubious of Jane's motivations to up and move to the Pacific Northwest frontier for the sake of marrying a man she barely knew, but she quietly and unexpectedly grows on you throughout the course of the narrative. I look forward to reading book 2.
amalies's review against another edition
5.0
If I had discovered this book as a 5-8th grader in my childhood, I would have eaten it up. As an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed everything from the historical fiction, the time period, and appreciated the things Jane learns throughout the book as she gains maturity and understanding. As a young girl Jane is a wild and playful motherless child being raised by her doctor father. At an impressionable age, she meets with a young man who leads her to think about her lack of womanly characteristics and she enters a school that teaches her the proper etiquette to be a young lady. She ends up journeying on a boat from her home in Philadelphia all the way to Oregon after becoming engaged to the young man that changed her childhood outlook on life. The rest of the book tells the adventures that befall her on her voyage and when she lands in Oregon. If I could sum up all that I learned/read recently about Grit in Angela Duckworths book, this book presents it in a fictional reading. I can't wait to give this book to my child to let her read it and also check out the next 2 books in the series.