cover image Jane

Jane

April Lindner, Little, Brown/Poppy, $17.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-316-08420-8

Jane Moore's parents die in a tragic accident, and she is left with only two unfeeling, absentee siblings to call family. Poor and alone, Jane quits college, interviews to become a full-time nanny, and—because of her unassuming personality and total lack of celebrity awareness—quickly lands a job caring for the daughter of an aging, world-famous rock star who's about to make his comeback. Lindner, a poet, makes her YA debut with this update of the gothic classic Jane Eyre. Well-written and faithful to the original, Lindner's story imbues Jane with the requisite innocence, stubbornness, and darkness of Brontë's protagonist. Perhaps not surprisingly, this modern, Sarah Lawrence–educated version of Jane feels rather morose by today's standards, buttoned up in her manners and social attitudes, though she also shows a good dose of sexual liberation. Additionally, this new Jane can be frustrating in her moralizing, and it is far easier to find the age difference between 19-year-old Jane and her employer, Nico Rathburn—Lindner's answer to Mr. Rochester—off-putting in contemporary context. A fresh and addictive adaptation, regardless. Ages 15–up. (Oct.)