Like the heroine Jane Eyre, Jane Steele suffers at the hands of her aunt and a schoolmaster. And like, the other Jane, she winds up as a governess in a house owned by a mysterious man. The one big difference between the two Janes is that when Jane Steele flees bad situations, she leaves behind corpses.
Admittedly, it's been a while since I read Jane Eyre, so this "gothic re-telling" seemed pretty fresh (although I would at points remember parts of the original book). I actually felt like this story was more of a "gothic inspiration," and liked that our heroine was much darker than the original Jane. Jane Steele is aptly named; I felt like she was someone who might appear pliant on the outside, but whose inner core is pure steel. She defies the expectations of girls of her day, and instead, isn't afraid to take matters into her own hands (and get blood on said hands). Admittedly, I would have liked a bit more of the story spent either at boarding school or on the streets of London, since I felt like once Jane became a governess, the story felt like it slowed down a little (and got a bit muddled, as well). However, I liked this fresh story --- and have already suggested it to some of my readers who have asked for Jane Eyre off the library shelves.
This is on my to-read list, but I've been waffling a bit as to whether or not to keep it there. I'm glad you liked it! :)
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