Review: Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore

Collaborative feature with Alexa. We read ARCs together and post our reviews on the same date.

Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore
pub 9/19/17 by Kathy Dawson Books
Young Adult - Fantasy
Received ARC from pub for review

Plot • Jane has no idea what to do next with her life, is mourning the death of her Aunt Magnolia—the woman who raised her—and passionately creating umbrellas that look like her own dreams. Aunt Magnolia, known for her sense of adventure as a deep sea photographer, once told Jane that if anyone ever invited her to Tu Reviens, she should go. It feels mysteriously like kismet when Kiran Thrash, a rich and glamorous acquaintance of Jane re-appears and asks her to accompany her to a gala at her family's island mansion called.. Tu Reviens. Jane says yes and what awaits her (and quite frankly, the reader!) is anyone's guess.

Characters • Jane is an interesting character to follow. I have to say I never felt like I truly knew her or connected to her but instead was just watching her journey as she struggled to make sense of what was going on inside Tu Reviens. Once she's there, there are plenty of secondary characters who all play important parts but again, we only see them through Jane's eyes and there are few she lets in as friends. To be honest, I think my favorite character might just be the dog. (You'll see if you read it!)

Writing • I respect Kristin Cashmore so much as a writer and I really enjoyed the unconventional format she used to let this story unfold. We start off with meeting Jane but the moment she gets to Tu Reviens, her story gets split into 5 different possibilities and we get to see each one play out. Furthermore, each possibility is written in a different genre. It was that concept, more than anything, that made me want to read this book.

Overall feelings • The fact that I couldn't connect to Jane (and I actually don't think we're meant to) was a deal breaker for me. It's the first thing I look for when I'm reading and unfortunately, I just never felt invested in her character. So as much as I enjoyed the format, overall the book wasn't for me.

What's your favorite genre to read? • This is an impossible question! I don't know why we decided to ask ourselves this. But contemporary, fantasy and romance are my favorites.