Scan barcode
thatlizhunter's review
3.0
I'm rating this three stars because i really dislike Jane Eyre and maybe i should have known I wouldn't have liked a Jane Eyre retelling. So rate me one star. Because this book wasn't bad but just not my cup of tea. At all.
whitreadslit's review
5.0
Why did I put off reading this for so long?! If you are a fan of Jane Eyre and the Illuminae Files, you will love this. I loved this immensely creative retelling. It stayed true to the original story, while making this book completely its own. Loved it!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
upinthesky's review
1.0
2/10
Sometimes the loneliest you could be was surrounded by people who didn't understand you.
Sometimes the loneliest you could be was surrounded by people who didn't understand you.
perilous1's review
3.0
Originally reviewed for YA Books Central: http://www.yabookscentral.com/explore-ya-fiction/discussions/review?id=40653
3.5 Stars
An ambitious work of YA speculative fiction—a post-apocalyptic premise fused with the plot of a beloved classic.
I’d like to open my review with some necessary context: I love science fiction as a genre, and Jane Eyre happens to be one of my favorite books of all time. So, when I happened upon a book with proclaiming itself to be “Jane Eyre… IN SPACE,” I leapt at the chance to read it. At the same time, I had to approach it understanding this was an incredibly tall order to fill.
This retelling story is told in first-person past-tense, entirely from the perspective of 17-year-old Stella Ainsley. Stella is an orphan who splits her time between teaching young impoverished children, and functioning as a slightly above-par engineer—helping prolong the life of the decrepit spaceship she’s been forced to call home. (Although, she prefers the former career to the later.) When her search for a new life turns up an offer from a plush private vessel, she seizes the opportunity—unaware of The Rochester’s unsettling turnover rate…
Overall, I have to give the author credit. Not only was there an adaptive attempt to remain true to the brooding tone of the classic and its characters, there was at least some effort to stay within the realm of the scientifically plausible and away from the sci-fi-fantasy detour so many YAs seem to take.
What I liked:
Stella is a likeable enough character; strong without being aggressive, and pragmatic without being dull. At times overly preoccupied with the visual appeal of males at some points. (Close to Jane Eyre in function rather than in maturity/personality.) Her motivations for wanting to leave her impoverished, dying home ship (the Stalwart) are completely believable—given the added kick of being romantically rejected by her best friend.
The chemistry between Hugo and Stella was a gradual build, mercifully lacking in insta-love. Their banter is enjoyable, and her habit of “saving” him while clinging to her own principles feels in keeping with the original spirit of the classic. Hugo is also his own character, but if one squints and imagines Bronte’s Mr. Rochester about 18 years younger, the moodiness vs. brilliance parallels do a convincing job.
The worldbuilding was sufficiently justified, and fairly unique in its conception. Apocalyptic Ice Age via super-volcano is something I’d yet to come across in a sci-fi realm largely dominated by manmade mass-extinction tropes. (It’s nice to occasionally be reminded that Earth is perfectly capable of eradicating mankind without our help.) The social stratification of the various orbital refugee ships was also viable, while also a sort of nod toward acknowledging the classism of England during Jane Eyre’s historical time period.
------------------
What Didn’t Work For Me:
-Some of the word choices/sayings felt too modern-day for a people group who have been in orbit of the Earth for 200+ years. The only newish word I noticed throughout the entire book was ‘Frex/Frexing’ (and yes, it is the explicative substitute you think it is.) On page 163 a character uses the term "jet lag", but after 200 years, I strongly suspect it would have logically mutated into "rocket lag” or some such that wouldn’t knock readers out of the futuristic believability. And the title “Governess” has such historical connotations, it felt oddly clunky in a sci-fi setting. (As did the general Victorian era throwback direction the culture had apparently taken, though I’m sure the aesthetic will greatly appeal to some readers.)
-Hugo’s status of 19-year-old ship’s captain was hard to buy—particularly since readers aren’t privileged with seeing him do much of anything by way of captaining. He’s the technical owner of the ship and has been since he was 14. He gives his people orders and presides over awkwardly pretentious dinner parties. But it’s clearly Officer Xiao who actually runs things and knows what’s what with the ship itself.
-Characterization (outside of Stella and Hugo) was a bit bland. You never really get to know the crew of the Rochester—or the transport pilot—outside of base impressions of their gender, ethnicity, and (in the case of Orion, Xiao, and pilot Sergei) implied sexual proclivities.
-The ship’s Artificial Intelligence, Rori, seemed inconsistent—as if it existed when convenient to the plot but was frequently forgotten about. Initially I really liked the A.I. and its apparent evolved quirks, so it was disappointing to see it go by the wayside for much of the story. It was perhaps too much to hope that she might add some extra eerie gothic notes to the plot.
-While the prose is serviceable, it doesn’t hold a candle to the evocative beauty of Bronte. (i.e. Sadly, I didn’t come across any quoteables I was tempted to re-read or write down.)
----------------
While diehard fans of Jane Eyre may not quite find satisfaction, I would still recommend this book for those who haven’t experienced the classic novel. Younger readers may even be inspired to give the classic a go if they first connect with this retelling.
3.5 Stars
An ambitious work of YA speculative fiction—a post-apocalyptic premise fused with the plot of a beloved classic.
I’d like to open my review with some necessary context: I love science fiction as a genre, and Jane Eyre happens to be one of my favorite books of all time. So, when I happened upon a book with proclaiming itself to be “Jane Eyre… IN SPACE,” I leapt at the chance to read it. At the same time, I had to approach it understanding this was an incredibly tall order to fill.
This retelling story is told in first-person past-tense, entirely from the perspective of 17-year-old Stella Ainsley. Stella is an orphan who splits her time between teaching young impoverished children, and functioning as a slightly above-par engineer—helping prolong the life of the decrepit spaceship she’s been forced to call home. (Although, she prefers the former career to the later.) When her search for a new life turns up an offer from a plush private vessel, she seizes the opportunity—unaware of The Rochester’s unsettling turnover rate…
Overall, I have to give the author credit. Not only was there an adaptive attempt to remain true to the brooding tone of the classic and its characters, there was at least some effort to stay within the realm of the scientifically plausible and away from the sci-fi-fantasy detour so many YAs seem to take.
What I liked:
Stella is a likeable enough character; strong without being aggressive, and pragmatic without being dull. At times overly preoccupied with the visual appeal of males at some points. (Close to Jane Eyre in function rather than in maturity/personality.) Her motivations for wanting to leave her impoverished, dying home ship (the Stalwart) are completely believable—given the added kick of being romantically rejected by her best friend.
The chemistry between Hugo and Stella was a gradual build, mercifully lacking in insta-love. Their banter is enjoyable, and her habit of “saving” him while clinging to her own principles feels in keeping with the original spirit of the classic. Hugo is also his own character, but if one squints and imagines Bronte’s Mr. Rochester about 18 years younger, the moodiness vs. brilliance parallels do a convincing job.
The worldbuilding was sufficiently justified, and fairly unique in its conception. Apocalyptic Ice Age via super-volcano is something I’d yet to come across in a sci-fi realm largely dominated by manmade mass-extinction tropes. (It’s nice to occasionally be reminded that Earth is perfectly capable of eradicating mankind without our help.) The social stratification of the various orbital refugee ships was also viable, while also a sort of nod toward acknowledging the classism of England during Jane Eyre’s historical time period.
------------------
What Didn’t Work For Me:
-Some of the word choices/sayings felt too modern-day for a people group who have been in orbit of the Earth for 200+ years. The only newish word I noticed throughout the entire book was ‘Frex/Frexing’ (and yes, it is the explicative substitute you think it is.) On page 163 a character uses the term "jet lag", but after 200 years, I strongly suspect it would have logically mutated into "rocket lag” or some such that wouldn’t knock readers out of the futuristic believability. And the title “Governess” has such historical connotations, it felt oddly clunky in a sci-fi setting. (As did the general Victorian era throwback direction the culture had apparently taken, though I’m sure the aesthetic will greatly appeal to some readers.)
-Hugo’s status of 19-year-old ship’s captain was hard to buy—particularly since readers aren’t privileged with seeing him do much of anything by way of captaining. He’s the technical owner of the ship and has been since he was 14. He gives his people orders and presides over awkwardly pretentious dinner parties. But it’s clearly Officer Xiao who actually runs things and knows what’s what with the ship itself.
-Characterization (outside of Stella and Hugo) was a bit bland. You never really get to know the crew of the Rochester—or the transport pilot—outside of base impressions of their gender, ethnicity, and (in the case of Orion, Xiao, and pilot Sergei) implied sexual proclivities.
-The ship’s Artificial Intelligence, Rori, seemed inconsistent—as if it existed when convenient to the plot but was frequently forgotten about. Initially I really liked the A.I. and its apparent evolved quirks, so it was disappointing to see it go by the wayside for much of the story. It was perhaps too much to hope that she might add some extra eerie gothic notes to the plot.
-While the prose is serviceable, it doesn’t hold a candle to the evocative beauty of Bronte. (i.e. Sadly, I didn’t come across any quoteables I was tempted to re-read or write down.)
----------------
While diehard fans of Jane Eyre may not quite find satisfaction, I would still recommend this book for those who haven’t experienced the classic novel. Younger readers may even be inspired to give the classic a go if they first connect with this retelling.
blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
I love Jane Eyre. I had to read it for a lit class and ended up re-reading it during the same course. But yes, there are issues, but it is a Gothic story after all. I get that she could not make Hugo 40 when she had made Stella 17, that would have been creepy. But by making him 19 she did take away a bit about what made him "Rochester". The jaded, broken man. Still it does work when you get to know Henry who became captain very young and the circumstances did shape him. So sure, he is older in a way then. Because he does not really act like a 19 year old.
And at the same Stella is no Jane Eyre. Sure the story follows the same concept. But this Jane is a mechanic and at 17 is is an adult and other at her age are married. People die young now. So she is older than she looks too. And she is not a timid creature.
The concept here is awesome. An ice age came and space ships were built. They now orbit the earth and has so for 200 years. I assume a LOT of people did not get to come and died on earth. And now 200 years later the ships are failing. Honestly, awesome right!
And in comes Stella to a new private ship as a governess. The captain harbors a secret. There are voices and accidents. And she grows close to Henry as they share a love for books.
But of course there is much more. The failing ships and what should be done. This is not a lifestyle they can sustain. And it works well within the book, it all comes together perfectly.
I liked it. I think it would have been even more awesome as an adult book ;) Cos then he could have been older and so could she. But it works perfectly as YA too. It smooth over the rough edges he has and makes it more believable that he and she can like each other.
But my favorite will always be the premise itself. Ice-age and ships orbiting earth.
And at the same Stella is no Jane Eyre. Sure the story follows the same concept. But this Jane is a mechanic and at 17 is is an adult and other at her age are married. People die young now. So she is older than she looks too. And she is not a timid creature.
The concept here is awesome. An ice age came and space ships were built. They now orbit the earth and has so for 200 years. I assume a LOT of people did not get to come and died on earth. And now 200 years later the ships are failing. Honestly, awesome right!
And in comes Stella to a new private ship as a governess. The captain harbors a secret. There are voices and accidents. And she grows close to Henry as they share a love for books.
But of course there is much more. The failing ships and what should be done. This is not a lifestyle they can sustain. And it works well within the book, it all comes together perfectly.
I liked it. I think it would have been even more awesome as an adult book ;) Cos then he could have been older and so could she. But it works perfectly as YA too. It smooth over the rough edges he has and makes it more believable that he and she can like each other.
But my favorite will always be the premise itself. Ice-age and ships orbiting earth.
popthebutterfly's review
5.0
Review 2:
Disclaimer: I own this book! Love it! It’s also signed by the author. Off-topic, sorry!
Rating: 5/5
Publication Date: May 1, 2018
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, scares, romance)
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Pages: 394
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Stella Ainsley wants just one thing: to go somewhere—anywhere—else. Her home is a floundering spaceship that offers few prospects, having been orbiting an ice-encased Earth for two hundred years. When a private ship hires her as a governess, Stella jumps at the chance. The captain of the Rochester, nineteen-year-old Hugo Fairfax, is notorious throughout the fleet for being a moody recluse and a drunk. But with Stella he’s kind.
But the Rochester harbors secrets: Stella is certain someone is trying to kill Hugo, and the more she discovers, the more questions she has about his role in a conspiracy threatening the fleet.
Review: Oh wow this book was just as fantastic as the first time I read it! I loved the world building and how Donne thought up how life would work in a world where we’re in space because of an Ice Age (it’s a very real threat still). I love the characters and how she took the original plot from Jane Eyre and somehow transformed it into a modern (futuristic?) tale for today’s generation. I also love the writing! I would definitely have loved a continuation of the tale ala 100 Days, but from how the author left it off is fine with me. I also thought the commentary on class and the different socio-economic impacts of certain factors was great.
My only issues are that, from my watch-through of a quick summary of Jane Eyre, that there wasn’t a lot about the Red Room and they changed some things from the original tale, but the changes, in my opinion, were well done and made for a fantastic retelling of a piece of classic literature.
Verdict: A must read if you like Jane Eyre or if you like Space (or BOTH!)
Review 1:
Rating: 5/5
Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Romance/Dystopian/Retelling
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, sexual references, dystopian like horrors, and ice age)
Pages: 400
Amazon Link
Author Website
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book as an e-arc on NetGalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Stella Ainsley leaves poverty behind when she quits her engineering job aboard the Stalwart to become a governess on a private ship. On the Rochester, there’s no water ration, more books than one person could devour in a lifetime, and an AI who seems more friend than robot.
But no one warned Stella that the ship seems to be haunted, nor that it may be involved in a conspiracy that could topple the entire interstellar fleet. Surrounded by mysteries, Stella finds her equal in the brooding but kind, nineteen-year-old Captain Hugo. When several attempts on his life spark more questions than answers, and the beautiful Bianca Ingram appears at Hugo’s request, his unpredictable behavior causes Stella’s suspicions to mount. Without knowing who to trust, Stella must decide whether to follow her head or her heart.
Alexa Donne’s lush and enthralling reimagining of the classic Jane Eyre, set among the stars, will seduce and beguile you
So… I don’t read synopses and I shortly found out after I started reading this book that it was a Jane Eyre retelling. I’m one of those horrible people that hasn’t read many classics (well, I’ve not read the popular classics) but since I was somewhat familiar with Jane Eyre from a YouTube video explaining the highlights of it, I felt I was in a good position to read it. Surprisingly though I didn’t need my limited knowledge of the book to understand what was going on. The book was written so well and so unique given its retelling status. The book didn’t feel like a retelling and unless you were either familiar with the book you wouldn’t notice it was a retelling. The book also expanded from the original story so much and it really made the story its own. The characters in the book were very well developed and what you think is going to happen is completely the opposite of what does. The book did well at doing away at some of the tired old YA clichés. The book also had so many twists and turns that you can’t tell where the book is going. Hands down, one of my favorite Sci-Fi’s to date.
However, I did think that the book could have expanded more on the world building a bit, but once again what we got in the book was really well done and adequate. I need more though and I really hope we get a companion novel to this book. Maybe a Pride and Prejudice retelling? Little Women? White Fang? Wait…
Verdict: Jane Eyre in space is cool. If only Charlotte Bronte thought of it.
Disclaimer: I own this book! Love it! It’s also signed by the author. Off-topic, sorry!
Rating: 5/5
Publication Date: May 1, 2018
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, scares, romance)
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Pages: 394
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Stella Ainsley wants just one thing: to go somewhere—anywhere—else. Her home is a floundering spaceship that offers few prospects, having been orbiting an ice-encased Earth for two hundred years. When a private ship hires her as a governess, Stella jumps at the chance. The captain of the Rochester, nineteen-year-old Hugo Fairfax, is notorious throughout the fleet for being a moody recluse and a drunk. But with Stella he’s kind.
But the Rochester harbors secrets: Stella is certain someone is trying to kill Hugo, and the more she discovers, the more questions she has about his role in a conspiracy threatening the fleet.
Review: Oh wow this book was just as fantastic as the first time I read it! I loved the world building and how Donne thought up how life would work in a world where we’re in space because of an Ice Age (it’s a very real threat still). I love the characters and how she took the original plot from Jane Eyre and somehow transformed it into a modern (futuristic?) tale for today’s generation. I also love the writing! I would definitely have loved a continuation of the tale ala 100 Days, but from how the author left it off is fine with me. I also thought the commentary on class and the different socio-economic impacts of certain factors was great.
My only issues are that, from my watch-through of a quick summary of Jane Eyre, that there wasn’t a lot about the Red Room and they changed some things from the original tale, but the changes, in my opinion, were well done and made for a fantastic retelling of a piece of classic literature.
Verdict: A must read if you like Jane Eyre or if you like Space (or BOTH!)
Review 1:
Rating: 5/5
Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Romance/Dystopian/Retelling
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, sexual references, dystopian like horrors, and ice age)
Pages: 400
Amazon Link
Author Website
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book as an e-arc on NetGalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Stella Ainsley leaves poverty behind when she quits her engineering job aboard the Stalwart to become a governess on a private ship. On the Rochester, there’s no water ration, more books than one person could devour in a lifetime, and an AI who seems more friend than robot.
But no one warned Stella that the ship seems to be haunted, nor that it may be involved in a conspiracy that could topple the entire interstellar fleet. Surrounded by mysteries, Stella finds her equal in the brooding but kind, nineteen-year-old Captain Hugo. When several attempts on his life spark more questions than answers, and the beautiful Bianca Ingram appears at Hugo’s request, his unpredictable behavior causes Stella’s suspicions to mount. Without knowing who to trust, Stella must decide whether to follow her head or her heart.
Alexa Donne’s lush and enthralling reimagining of the classic Jane Eyre, set among the stars, will seduce and beguile you
So… I don’t read synopses and I shortly found out after I started reading this book that it was a Jane Eyre retelling. I’m one of those horrible people that hasn’t read many classics (well, I’ve not read the popular classics) but since I was somewhat familiar with Jane Eyre from a YouTube video explaining the highlights of it, I felt I was in a good position to read it. Surprisingly though I didn’t need my limited knowledge of the book to understand what was going on. The book was written so well and so unique given its retelling status. The book didn’t feel like a retelling and unless you were either familiar with the book you wouldn’t notice it was a retelling. The book also expanded from the original story so much and it really made the story its own. The characters in the book were very well developed and what you think is going to happen is completely the opposite of what does. The book did well at doing away at some of the tired old YA clichés. The book also had so many twists and turns that you can’t tell where the book is going. Hands down, one of my favorite Sci-Fi’s to date.
However, I did think that the book could have expanded more on the world building a bit, but once again what we got in the book was really well done and adequate. I need more though and I really hope we get a companion novel to this book. Maybe a Pride and Prejudice retelling? Little Women? White Fang? Wait…
Verdict: Jane Eyre in space is cool. If only Charlotte Bronte thought of it.
christym's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
zu_reviews's review against another edition
4.0
A delightful read overall that really combined two of my favourite things in literature. If, like me, you're a fan of both period pieces AND sci-fi this won't disappoint.
I was expecting this to be a more subpar read based on some of the reviews I read that talked about the world building and believability, but I actually really enjoyed the world that Alexa Donne built and didn't find that I was questioning it every other page. I also enjoyed the character of Stella Ainsley, I liked that she was a nerdy girl who also wasn't afraid to like boys and think about romance. The only part of this novel that I didn't care for was the romance, I just couldn't see the characters together, but the rest of the plot and world building, even for a retelling that I have read the source material of, kept me turning pages regardless.
I was expecting this to be a more subpar read based on some of the reviews I read that talked about the world building and believability, but I actually really enjoyed the world that Alexa Donne built and didn't find that I was questioning it every other page. I also enjoyed the character of Stella Ainsley, I liked that she was a nerdy girl who also wasn't afraid to like boys and think about romance. The only part of this novel that I didn't care for was the romance, I just couldn't see the characters together, but the rest of the plot and world building, even for a retelling that I have read the source material of, kept me turning pages regardless.
cassslaven's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75