Keertana's Reviews > Jane, Unlimited

What a strange novel. Anyone who knows me knows that Kristin Cashore's Graceling and Fire rank among my favorite books of all time. Which, coming from someone who reads as voraciously as I do, is saying something. Needless to say, I've been excited about Jane, Unlimited for quite awhile but I confess that I'm at odds about how I feel about this book.

On one hand, Jane, Unlimited made me feel like a child again. It gave me back that feeling of childhood reading where every page is a surprise and, because you've read so few books in your life, all of the plot threads are plot twists. I felt amazement and awe and sheer wonder. In a sea of rather predictable YA stories, Jane, Unlimited stands out for being truly unique. It's a novel that, after a rather hefty opening, breaks off into five separate stories--each caused by a different choice our protagonist, Jane, makes--and in each multiverse, Jane solves a different aspect of the puzzle of Tu Reviens, the mansion her recently-deceased aunt made her promise her she would visit if she ever received an invitation. Whether it be a mystery of stolen artwork, the Italian mafia, physics or lore, I thoroughly enjoyed each new facet of the novel that was revealed.

Cashore has carefully plotted and written this book, ensuring that all the pieces fit together, for the reader, by the end. Unlike other multiverse books which can become cumbersome through repetition, Jane, Unlimited sets up a common base with its opening chapter which allows the consequent multiverses to avoid repetition, picking up from where we left off and diverging quite thoroughly. The characters, too, never become predictable from having known them in previous multiverses, which is another testament to Cashore's writing. Truly, they feel believable while maintaining their unique quirks and oddities and I unexpectedly found myself caring for them. Jane, especially, is endearing--grieving, trying to find herself both sexually and emotionally, and immensely intelligent and talented. I was never frustrated with her for being obtuse and overlooking major clues in this mystery; she's a protagonist who would have acted as any independent, strong-willed young woman would do.

Yet, I will say that while Cashore's debut and sophomore novel are close to my heart, Jane, Unlimited is not a novel I necessarily want to re-read. The ending is ever-so-slightly unsettling, only because each version of Jane lives a truly different life, and I've found myself confused as to how I truly feel about this book. I enjoyed it, certainly, but I didn't love the characters or plot. I think it's incredibly unique, especially in the YA genre, and I whole-heartedly recommend it, but I did want more from Cashore after waiting all these years for her next release.

Jane, Unlimited is a whimsy of a tale, more akin to Sarah Rees Brennan or Jaclyn Moriarty's writing styles than Cashore's. It's an impressive feat, that Cashore has managed to write such an original novel in a completely different style or genre from her previous works--and a good book, at that, too. Compared to her character-driven novels of before, it's the plot that shines here--its sheer unpredictability and fun--but I find myself missing those deeper connections to characters that I'm used to from Cashore's work. Certainly, we see many facets to these characters and I found myself caring for them, but definitely not to the degree I would have liked. Nevertheless, this book is a gem. Read it and I think you'll be filled mostly with awe and wonder, feelings that will overlook any faults within this narrative.