A review by inkandscholar
Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye

4.0

An absolutely incredible novel stemming from such deep roots. At some point, I'm sure I'll stop crying, but not before I beg everyone whoever held a vigil in their soul for Jane. This book gave me what I had hoped for in its deliverance of sweet damnation of those that wronged that beloved protagonist-- but it also offered so much more. The novel’s depiction of the all too familiar guilt that settles into the bones of those who survive abuse, particularly in those who take any stand to retaliate against such violence, is stunning and so very needed. The rawness of her heroine's shame and the weight of her unkind yet unrepentant history made Faye’s retelling one I won't be forgetting anytime soon. I am grateful for all that was done here, but I find myself most sincerely thankful that this wasn't a lesson in forgiveness, but in rebirth. And that's the narrative that I needed more than anything.