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melissamyers's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
reydeam's review against another edition
3.0
Jane Eyre is amongst my most loved books that reside on my shelf. Jane Steele is inspired by Jane Eyre, it's not a retelling but the trajectory is similar. While I love reading Jane Eyre, Jane Steele did not inspire the same sentiment. All was not lost, I did enjoy Jane Steele as evident by how I kept going back to the book to read. True, the onset didn't keep me flipping the pages with rapid speed, but the last half certainly did. And also true, when all is said and done, I don't really like the character of Jane Steele. I could tell you the reasons why, dear reader, but then that would spoil the story for you. What I will say, her character is much to be desired. She is misunderstood and put into dire circumstances but regardless of those circumstances, her behavior (in my opinion) cannot be excused away. Still, I could not set the book aside. I do credit Jane's narrative. Her manner - time and pace - mesmerized me. And for that, dear reader, I have come away from the story satisfied well enough.
dontstopreadin's review against another edition
2.0
Honestly, I don’t even know what to say about this book. In truth, it wasn’t horrible, but it was overhyped for me. I expected a lot out of it for the sole reason that people whose opinions I highly value adored it.
For a lot of the books I haven’t enjoyed recently, the “why” comes down to characters and my entertainment/engagement throughout the story. Jane Steele is no exception.
I adored the beginning of the book when Jane is in school. As soon as she leaves that environment, the novel falls apart for me. I was fascinated by what Jane and her classmates had to do in order to survive this horrid place filled with drastically strict and cruel people. I was invested in the relationships she formed with her classmates—especially one in particular. When these intricacies of the plot are cut off, I quickly became bored and reading this book became a chore.
This book is a “retelling” of sorts of Jane Erye. I say of sorts because Jane Erye does exist in this world, Jane Steele is obsessed with it; however, the story also follows a similar and purposeful trajectory. I haven’t read Jane Erye but I am familiar with the story. I understand why Steele had to leave the school for the story to continue the way it needed to. It just took away the aspect of the story I was personally enjoying.
I liked that there was some sexuality representation in the story, though it wasn’t really discussed too much. I didn’t like how race was depicted in this story. The characters felt forced and the way a particular character was depicted in the end actually upset me. For these reasons, I am lowering my original rating from a 3 stars to a 2 stars.
I liked that Jane was a strong character, but I didn’t see a lot of that strength. I didn’t like her killing streak or how it made her feel. I just didn’t like her. Which makes liking her story much harder. I didn’t like any other characters either. I didn’t like the romance. I didn’t like the setting. I didn’t gel with the writing. Unfortunately, this story was just NOT for me.
For a lot of the books I haven’t enjoyed recently, the “why” comes down to characters and my entertainment/engagement throughout the story. Jane Steele is no exception.
I adored the beginning of the book when Jane is in school. As soon as she leaves that environment, the novel falls apart for me. I was fascinated by what Jane and her classmates had to do in order to survive this horrid place filled with drastically strict and cruel people. I was invested in the relationships she formed with her classmates—especially one in particular. When these intricacies of the plot are cut off, I quickly became bored and reading this book became a chore.
This book is a “retelling” of sorts of Jane Erye. I say of sorts because Jane Erye does exist in this world, Jane Steele is obsessed with it; however, the story also follows a similar and purposeful trajectory. I haven’t read Jane Erye but I am familiar with the story. I understand why Steele had to leave the school for the story to continue the way it needed to. It just took away the aspect of the story I was personally enjoying.
I liked that there was some sexuality representation in the story, though it wasn’t really discussed too much. I didn’t like how race was depicted in this story. The characters felt forced and the way a particular character was depicted in the end actually upset me. For these reasons, I am lowering my original rating from a 3 stars to a 2 stars.
I liked that Jane was a strong character, but I didn’t see a lot of that strength. I didn’t like her killing streak or how it made her feel. I just didn’t like her. Which makes liking her story much harder. I didn’t like any other characters either. I didn’t like the romance. I didn’t like the setting. I didn’t gel with the writing. Unfortunately, this story was just NOT for me.
jenmangler's review against another edition
2.0
I really enjoyed the first 1/3 of the book, but once Jane started working as a governess for Mr. Thornfield it rather lost me. I really did like Jane Steele quite a lot and wished the story had retained the urgency of the first part. I loved young Jane fighting to survive and thrive at school and in London, but governess Jane's story was a bit of a bore.
sereia8's review against another edition
4.0
Some reviewers felt that the end of the book lagged but I did not agree. I was captivated from start to finish. It was beautifully written and clever and I was kept guessing throughout. This would've been a five-star read for me but the murder aspect left me squirmy.
dkamada's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Too much romance not enough serial killing
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Bullying, Blood, Murder, Physical abuse, Death, Grief, Medical content, Rape, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Incest, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Medical trauma
bhnmt61's review against another edition
My daughter loves this book with a great love, but I’ve tried it twice now and I just can’t get into it. Not sure what the problem is. I read 3-4 chapters and then flipped over and read the last 50 pages. I guess it’s just not for me.
linyarai's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5