This book was fantastic in the first half and fell down in the second. The denouement went TOO FAR in my opinion, and it was less vigilante shit and more Robin Hood-style pickpocketing. A fast and enjoyable read, though certainly not perfect. 3.5 stars.

Oof. This book was not written for a Jane Eyre fan like me. I almost DNF and I kind of wish I hadn’t read that ending because what was that ending? I enjoyed a lot of the story itself, but I wish it had been it’s own unique story and not a companion/retelling of Jane Eyre. Not giving it a star rating because I’m not the audience for this book at all.

I thought it was okay! On the one hand I love the idea of a girl gang during Victorian times taking revenge on men, sign me right up. On the other hand I thought putting it as a sequel of sorts to Jane Eyre forced Cornwell into concentrating on that story instead of developing the really interesting one. I'd like to have read this book without that connection, because I think it'd be stronger.

Oh HELL yes! Now this is my kind of historical fiction! A feminist and queer revenge fantasy that grabs you by the throat. Remember little girl Adele from Jane Eyre? Now she’s grown up to become a vigilante, protecting other women from predatory men. You do not need to have read Jane Eyre to enjoy this riff on the story - it stands out on its own! (Also, fair warning: Mr. Rochester fans probably won’t enjoy this book.)

*SPOILERS*

I have mixed feelings about this book, so I’ll go with 3.5 stars. The writing is lovely and as a fan of Jane Eyre, I was interested to hear the perspective of Adèle, Rochester’s daughter. In the original novel, Adèle is only a side character and little is known about her. In this book, she’s given her own voice and agency as the reader follows her experiences from childhood to adulthood. You learn what’s in her heart and what’s on her mind, as well as what shapes her into the person she becomes.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about her childhood as she struggled to adapt to a new lifestyle in a new country while simultaneously refusing to completely abandon her roots, her identity, and her connection to her late mother. Her father and even her governess, Jane Eyre, talk down on her culture and previous upbringing and work to turn her into a proper English lady. Yet she does not allow their efforts to change her views and opinions. Even as a child she’s true to herself and not easily influenced.

I also liked reading about her time in school and the friendships she developed there. Especially because this is when she really starts coming into her own and discovering her purpose. Another reason I enjoyed this part of the book is because it made me reminiscent of one of my old YA favorites, the Gemma Doyle trilogy.

However, this part is also where I started having problems with the story and how it unfolded. For one, there was so much emphasis put into Adèle’s attraction and feelings towards Hannah as well as their bond, yet her relationship with Nan developed so quickly. I’m not saying I disliked Nan or their relationship and I’m not saying there had to be more romance. I’m just confused as to why more attention was put into writing about Hannah, and even Adèle’s pen pal Eric, than the person Adèle ends up with. It felt like their relationship was an afterthought and thus rushed and underdeveloped. I would’ve liked to read more about them getting to know each other. I also would’ve liked to read more of their nights as vigilantes.

Speaking of Eric, the twist towards the end was good. Except I couldn’t buy it with these characters and I wished they were all original and not based on the classic novel. Maybe the author was trying to prove a point that you never truly know someone, and love is blinding. Rochester did pull the wool over Jane’s eyes once before by hiding his first wife from her. But with how smart and insightful Jane is, and with how Rochester seems to change after the events in the original novel, could he have been this abusive creep that entire time without Jane knowing? Could he have stopped valuing her and she not have noticed? Did she never notice the letter exchanges between him and Adèle when he demanded so much of her time and attention and it was happening right under her nose? Especially when he was in his sick bed?

Despite the author reading Jane Eyre multiple times throughout her life, she wrote a sort of alternate reality where Rochester kept his eyesight after the fire at the manor. Maybe this alternate reality explains these versions of him and Jane.

I know the author took her own, as well as others, experiences with SA and poured her heart into this book and I appreciate that. I just found it to be inconsistent with the novel it’s based on.

Also, am I just ignorant to how mail worked back then or does it not make sense to anyone else how Rochester, pretending to be Eric, received Adéle’s letters from his home in England when she was writing to someone she thought lived in Jamaica?

unhinged sapphics who murder men i love you

(Almost) everything I ever wanted for a Jane Eyre sequel.

Probably negatively tainted by the narrator I didn’t like. But “I’m going to help protect my fellow women” by joining a pickpocket gang? So the men don’t know that they are targets because they’re terrible?
Also there’s only one good man in the book, literally everyone else is evil and abusive which feels like a dangerous position to take.
The author’s note at the end softened my views toward it a little but… not my favorite