There are two things that immediately appealed to me about this novel: it had the most awesome cover design EVER (in my opinion, at least) and it was based on a classic novel, Jane Eyre. I love classics but Jane Eyre has always been one of my favorite novels and I have read it countless times. The idea of giving it a fresh spin seemed so intriguing that I knew I had to give this novel a shot!
Jane Steele has read the novel of Jane Eyre and draws quite a few similarities between herself and the heroine. For one, they both have a dreadful aunt and cousin. They both are also sent to a boarding school that is meant to be torturous instead of educational. But that is where the similarities end. For, Jane Steele kills her predatory cousin and thus becomes a murderess in her own right. From there, she escapes to the grim school where she must fight for her life every single day until she escapes London. As she makes a living writing “last confessions” of the recently hanged, she comes upon an advertisement for a governess to a child living in her childhood home. Jane knows she must go and take back what is hers but will she be able to do so without revealing her own murderous ways?
I absolutely adored this novel! It was everything I could have imagined and more! Told in the style of the original Jane Eyre, it diverged a great deal from the original tale. Jane Steele is definitely a more formidable character than Jane Eyre and possesses a strength that has nothing to do with meekness. She is spirited and sarcastic and not afraid to fight physically. I especially loved the Punjabi influence in this novel and how it played a big role in the plot details; it gave the story that edge to really distinguish it as something spectacular in its own right. I could go on gushing about this novel but I’m afraid to say any more and ruin crucial elements of the story! I would put this on my NEED-TO-BUY list because it is just that amazing a novel and it is worth rereading multiple times! I sincerely hope you will go and get your hands on Jane Steele and give it a shot because I am sure any of you would love it as much as I did!
Happy reading ~