I know this book is getting loves of buzz, but I couldn't get into it.

Five novels in one! While visiting Tu Reviens, a highly unusual island mansion, quirky college dropout Jane is faced with a question; the book explores 5 different (yet interconnected) outcomes based on 5 different decisions, each one written in a different genre. Consider the four-star rating an average, since the earlier sections (mystery, thriller) are a bit basic, while the later sections (horror, SF, fantasy) are more attention-grabbing. In fact, the horror section was so captivating that I read it all in one sitting. One disturbing sitting.

References to pop culture and classic literature abound, which suits the patchwork-style storytelling nicely. There's also a hint of romance for Jane, who is matter-of-factly bisexual. She's also depicted (quite deliberately) as racially ambiguous. The cast of supporting characters, however, is diverse, not to mention large--bewilderingly so at times. Of these characters, Jasper the basset hound is the most memorable and endearing.

As a follow-up to the Graceling Realm series, Jane Unlimited may puzzle some readers or put them off. But for those who are willing to wade into this choose-your-own-adventure multiverse will be rewarded with an unusual and entertaining reading experience.

I struggled with this book. At one point I put it down and thought I wouldn't go back to it. Then I read a review and found out it was (more or less) a choose-your-own-adventure tale for adults. Except there was no warning to let the reader know that was happening. I've never read Kristin Cashore before and went into this story with no expectations. When a new chapter suddenly seemed to jump back several scenes and started repeating stuff I'd already read, only not exactly how I remembered it, it drove me crazy. I do not like to be confused by a book.

But after reading a few reviews, I was curious and went back for another try. And after some effort, I finally finished it. I liked the beginning. Cashore did an excellent job of introducing her quirky characters and describing the unusual setting. I liked Jane, who was both vulnerable and spunky in the beginning. But it was hard to keep a connection to her through the confusion and bizarre events that followed through five completely different alternative stories. Perhaps in a printed book, a reader would have visual clues to help in transitions, but on my Kindle each was abrupt.

The unusual format failed for me. It was like the Cashore did a brainstorming "what-if" session and threw in every single idea that entered her head, some boring, some outlandish, some simply sickening.

But what turned me off most is the preachiness that kept creeping in. I like my social commentary to be a little more subtle.

Look, this book hit my sweet spot exactly. I am a sucker for a multiverse tale, and this is an interesting one! Jane is a recent college drop out who has been at loose ends since the Aunt who raised her, Magnolia, died recently. Her old tutor Kiran invites her to come to her mysterious island home full of rare art for a gala. While there, Jane learns that the house and its inhabitants are full of mysteries, including possible art theft and forgery, kidnapping, espionage and even weirder ones. Early in the book, Jane is presented with a choice to continue talking to Kiran or follow one of the mysterious threads and the book follows Jane through the consequences of five different choices. They didn't all work for me - the one about Kiran's missing stepmother Charlotte didn't work for me at all - but the world Cashore builds gets bigger and weirder and I loved that.

I was excited when I discovered a new Kristin Cashore book was on the way. While I liked her 1st book enough, those following didn't live up to the 1st. Nevertheless, my hopes were high for Jane, Unlimited... until I started reading. Then, I had to but it down. Finally, me picking it back up and trudging through just came to a stop.

Life's too short for me to wade through something I can't get into. I'm not connecting with the flat characters or with the modern gothic mystery. I mean, an episode of Scooby Doo is often easier to get through than this story of a girl-child stumbling into a spooky mansion and tries to figure out sinister house guests' motives. Is there more to this story than that? Probably. Unfortunately, as Jane probably realized after the death of her aunt, life's too short to be wasted -- especially with a boring book.

For a more in-depth review watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK9OnO2dTCM&feature=youtu.be

I received an eARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jane spent her whole life in the care of her Aunt Magnolia a adjunct professor and undersea photographer. But when Aunt Magnolia goes on a expedition and never returns Jane is lost. Then her former tutor Kiran returns and invites Jane to a gala at Kiran's family home Tu Reviens. Acting on a promise to her late Aunt Jane agrees to the visit and starts a journey that will defy everything Jane knows is true.

This was a very interesting concept. Jane is given decision to make and the reader follows her through all possible outcomes. It's all about alternative universes which I usually love to read. However, there was just way too much story for me. Jane had too many options and I had difficulty keeping the stories straight which made me not really want to continue with the book. I think the writing is well done and the characters are interesting but it was jus too difficult for me to finish for this have been an enjoyable read.

I’ll be honest, right up until 40%, this book was seriously on my DNF list. I struggled so hard, even when I was at 65%. (view spoiler)

Seriously. Right up until 40%, I was rolling my eyes at the artsy-fartsy people running around doing artsy-fartsy things and talking circles around each other. I was literally screaming at the kindle, “Oh my goodness! Can’t you people ever sit down and have a freaking regular conversation??!

So did I stick around? Even better, why the four stars? Well, it’s Kristen Cashore, and I’m going to tell you a little secret that I had to jump into the reviews to read, because I just about lost my shit when things started repeating themselves.

This book involves the multiverse.

After the horrific intro (gah, the angst), Jane makes six different decisions, which lead to six different outcomes—which are all included in the book. It’s like a choose your own adventure to uncover what happens, what changes, and what doesn’t. And yes, they are all wildly different so that you aren’t stuck in Groundhog Day, but each contain the same set of possibilities and outcomes. Does that make sense? No? It will, I promise.

This is not an easy read. Seriously. Graceling and Fire fans who hated Bitterblue with all the power of a thousand suns will probably not like this one. But, those cherished lovers of the weird, wacky and wonderful who enjoyed the last book in the trilogy just might find something to love here in this book. And tortured artists who love the ironically—and not so ironically—quirky.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Jane, Unlimited
Kristin Cashore
NetGalley eBook ARC

I’m a huge Cashore fan so I, like many others, have been anxiously awaiting her return to publishing. Jane, Unlimited certainly doesn’t disappoint either. I’ll admit I wasn’t initially sold given the narration style (third person limited-I think?), but I think a large part of that might simply be because it’s not a viewpoint I’m used to, or can even remember having read (at least not so noticeably so). I’ve never actually read a “pick your own mystery” style of book but the way that Cashore uses that as a plot device is fascinating. I didn’t realize it would follow this suit till I had actually started it and was swiping back to see if they’d accidentally misprinted the second section (total panic moment). Once I caught onto what was happening, I started to really see the different threads and how they were overlapping in the different universes and how all the various storylines pull together to tell a complete story. Cashore also uses the different universes to weave different genres together into one narrative. Overall I’d say the mystery/thriller element bled through in every universe but was more the focus at the start of the novel. The narrative gets progressively more fantastic as it unfolds through the different sections and universes; pulling in slightly gothic and horror narratives to full blown sci-fi and fantasy.

Recently I’ve been reading Beth Revis’ Paper Hearts, so looking at this from a writing perspective I’m endlessly fascinated, especially just looking specifically at character development. It’s definitely a title I would highly recommend for writing courses since there is so many different themes and styles that can be addressed within a single title and essentially a single story (despite being made of five different stories). The alliterations alone within the text, literally all over is honestly enough of a reason to feature this title in courses (I’m already recommending it to college profs because of how they’re woven in) because some are right on the nose like the Winnie the Pooh references whereas other are so incredibly subtle that I didn’t catch them till I read her acknowledgements at the end. Jane, Unlimited is also an incredible example of how to do a standalone novel in YA and do it well. With the market saturated with series (I get it-they make more money), YA standalones are rare this one is a gem. While there’s room for expansion into the worlds, and even telling the same stories through a different character's perspective, I would honestly be disappointed feeling like some of the magic was ruined by giving me too much and leaving a that little bit left to wonder. Now don’t get me wrong, I’d read the hell out of a sequel, especially if I’m getting some space “first Mrs. Thrash” and her bizarre world, but I think it would still feel a tad bitter sweet.

I was on the fence when I first started Jane, Unlimited since it starts so far from her usual style, genre, and the narration curveball, but I honestly swiped to the acknowledgements page and just felt literal warm fuzzies. I’m honestly not sure there could have been a more perfect ending to the book and am so incredibly glad I didn’t let the initial discomfort at the narration style throw me too much to fully dive in and experience this universe. Cashore pulls in a diverse cast, mystery, romance, fantasy, and chilling details all into one journey from five different viewpoints. Seriously y’all, her publishing hiatus has been worth the wait.

For librarians specifically (or parents), I would say it’s probably more suited for high school age readers based off the sophistication of the narration. Initially it is a bit to sort through with the different threads overlapping, but as you progress it all unfolds and makes perfect sense. However, with that I think it would be too advanced for the majority of younger YA readers. There’s some language, but Jane is a college-age character so to me that should be pretty expected (more than one use of the f-word). While there’s snippets of hints toward sexual activity it’s all off page. My higher age rating is completely based off how accessible I think the sophistication of the novel is for less experienced readers. Since Jane, Unlimited also crosses so many genres, I feel like it’s an easy recommendation for a lot of readers but I would keep in mind that it’s a slower burn. It’s got elements of Cashore’s high fantasy to it, but it’s still got a base in our reality; through I also don’t think I’d go so far as to call it urban fantasy either. Honestly just categorize it under “fantastic” and leave at that (pun and all).

Sidenote: I read this as an ebook ARC so I haven’t actually seen any of the final artwork beyond the color cover so it’ll be interesting to see how it plays into the final narrative and I’ll get to learn why there were blank pages between sections. I’m assuming it’ll be lots of umbrellas, but hopefully some Jasper, and the House too (especially the dreamy library). I’m definitely looking forward to *hopefully* attending one of her upcoming events since she’s in driving distance of me!

I adored Kristin Cashore's Graceling series, so I was VERY excited to get an advanced copy of this book. And it did not disappoint. I whipped through it in just a couple of days, even though I was super busy!
As usual, Cashore's writing is lovely, and the characters are compelling and interesting and unique. The structure of the book is very unusual, basically the same story told multiple times, with the main character, Jane, making a different choice in each telling. I was a little confused by that at first, especially because I had slightly wonky formatting in my advanced Kindle version, but figured it out pretty quickly. It is this structure that has given me pause about how to rate this book. Because I adored some of the alternate realities, really didn't like one of them, and was sort of "meh" on another. That knocked this down from a 5-star to a 4-star book for me. Part of me felt frustrated because I wanted to keep dwelling in the realities I really liked, and hear more of that story. Each of them could have been a full and fascinating book in and of itself and I would have loved that from a literary master like Cashore. But because of the choose-your-own adventure-ish format, there wasn't really closure in each of the stories, you know? But at the same time, I think that was kind of the point of the book -- the way our lives are formed by our choices, even the ones that don't seem that significant in the moment. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends, and I'll go back for a re-read when my preordered hardcover arrives in October. But I don't know that this quite hit the level of the Graceling books for me.

I was lucky to read a small excerpt from this novel earlier this year. I enjoyed the forthcoming mysteries and the setting set up from that excerpt. I could not wait to read more. Unfortunately, for me, I should have stuck with the beginning.
The heroine of Jane was well defined and surrounded by a host of well imagined characters. Each person was given a back story, a personality, and some mystery to be solved. Cashore’s attention to detail was wonderfully shown. The setting was also great. A large mansion on a secluded island, full of seemingly endless rooms, and inhabited by some of the most peculiar people.
Jane’s love of art was front and center for this novel and played a large role itself. For the uneducated artist, this is slightly problematic, as most references are lost. Cashore did her research, and obliously has a love of art herself, yet alienates a large number of readers who might not be able to get past this.
The long chapters are what lengthened my read. It felt as if the novel was never-ending and took on a drone like feel. Sometimes this technique can be an effective way to portray an unescapable situation, yet here just felt as if the author could not be bothered to break it up. This is a risky choice that can also be daunting for teen readers.
As the subplots became stranger and stranger, they almost floundered into completely absurd. Luckily they stayed on the saner side of the line. This novel will be a big sell because of the author, but I am curious to start getting the feedback from my regular readers at the library.

This book is a challenging one to review. First of all, the description of it is a bit misleading, but then again it has to be given the concept of this story. As such, this review is purposely vague to avoid spoilers.

The novel doesn't have chapters, but instead, parts. The first part is true enough to the blurb - Jane's late aunt made her promise that if she ever had the opportunity to go to the mysterious island estate Tu Reviens that she would go. And so Jane receives an invitation from a girl she knew in college, heads to the island, and while there, makes choices. From there, Cashore plays with narrative structure and the biggest game that authors play when writing: asking themselves "What if?" The subsequent parts build off the baseline of information we learn in the first part (and readers eventually end up in a place where we know more than Jane does), but parts two through six are independent of each other.

Once I realized what was happening, I had an easier time getting into and accepting the story. However, that took a while. At first I thought the repetitive passages were due to the fact that this is an ARC and sometimes things like that happen. This book would be a true four stars for me if I knew that going in. As it is, this is more like a three stars rounded up to a four because the writing is beautiful and each part was lush and imaginative, however it reminded me of how I sometimes feel reading short story collections in that some parts I wanted to the author to commit to and make *that* the story, and others I could have taken or left.

I'm not sure how my students would respond to this type of story telling, so I'm still on the fence about buying it for my school's collection. I'll wait for the feedback of others before I decide.

One of my new favorite books. One of the things I love is that starting out, you don't realize it's gantasy, which us what makes the fantasy so believable. I always admire authors who can weave the alternating realities of fiction so seamlessly, and Cash ore dies this splendidly. Highly recommended.

Jane Unlimited is for sure one of the best books I have read this year, The story was very unique and once I started to read it I couldn't put the book down. The story was very addictive and intriguing, the writing style of the author was amazing and she did an amazing job with the descriptions! It was as we were part of the story, part of an amazing and unique new world. I will recommend this book to all my friends for sure <3

Wow, where to start? Perhaps with Jane herself; a young woman drifting after the death of her beloved Aunt. The real action begins after Jane decides to honour a request made before her Aunt's demise to accept any invitation to the house Tu Reviens. Which is why upon the arrival of Jane and her friend Kiran, at Kiran's family home - the mysterious Tu Reviens, readers are introduced to most of the other main characters as they are also residing there currently, prior to a 'Gala' event.

Without giving too much away there are mysteries to solve, adventure, crazy science, a touch of romance and a main protagonist full of potential plus a celebration of art and artists... and many, many umbrellas. Written in very distinct sections, each one almost a novella of it's own, the book works, as each section adds layers of nuance and understanding to the one before.

Plus there is the most enchantingly lovable dog, who is a character in his own right and not just a pet.

Hopefully you will enjoy this delightfully quirky, charming novel too.

With thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC.

This review will be posted on the ppld.org website when the book becomes available to be placed on hold - typically two weeks before publication date.

Wow. That was...wow.

Jane's parents died when she was quite young, but she never felt like an orphan due to the amazing parenting skills of her quirky Aunt Magnolia. When Aunt Magnolia heads off on a photography expedition to Antartica never to return, Jane feels unmoored. She drops out of college and continues her dead end job at the university bookstore. When a surprise visit from an old friend results in an invitation to a mysterious mansion, Tu Reviens, Jane jumps on the chance to experience something new. Not only that, but Aunt Magnolia has told her to NEVER turn down an opportunity to visit the enigmatic island retreat, and Jane is eager to learn more about Magnolia's connection to the place.

That was a hard synopsis to write, as this is a book that somewhat defies description. The book starts off as kind of an Agatha Christie meets Jane Eyre meets John Fowler's the Magus, and then quickly turns into an almost Whitehead inspired choose your own adventure. Jane makes the same choice several times with different consequences each time, and the result is a compilation of strange, horrifying, thrilling and delightful stories and plot twists. Cashore's storytelling abilities are on full display here as she seamlessly weaves together a number of different genres. Character development, while it seems like it would be secondary, is also an integral part of the story. I loved all of the side characters (some of them almost eclipse Jane), and would read an entire book about almost any of them.

Jane, Unlimited is a book that I'll reread in a year or so, because there was a lot of intricate plotting and connections that I'm sure that I missed. I actually don't think I've ever read something quite like this, and that's saying something because I read a lot. The unique format of the book was attractive to me, though I can see it being frustrating for some readers; it's not until Jane makes her second choice that you really start to realize what is happening. If you read this book (and you should), I'd say just relax and enjoy the ride - it's a wonderfully weird one. I can't wait to see the art in the final copy, as I think that the right images before certain stories will add to the peculiar ambiance that permeates the book.

The ending felt both forced and rushed to me, but I think I'll enjoy it more the second time around (as I said earlier, this book practically demands to be reread). I almost loved this one, and now I really can't wait to see what Cashore comes up with next. 4.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Really loved this book. The whimsical nature of the main character and her individualized umbrellas caught me up in the story right away. With shades of The Westing Game and Choose your Own Adventure books, I was ready to go along wherever the story took me.

Not the Graceling follow-up I was hoping for, but an intriguing story nonetheless. Glad to see Kristin Cashore work coming back to the shelf and hoping for more!

Groundhog Day meets Clue in this fun sci-fi romp of a mystery. You may feel your brain's capacity tested by the mind-bending plot, but it is well worth the effort.

For some readers, Twilight was a saving grace bringing them back from years without reading. For others, The Hunger Games was that catalyst. The book that reintroduced me to reading for pleasure was Fire by Kristin Cashore. I became so immersed in this amazing world that I didn’t want to leave. Luckily, Graceling was already available. These two books are so important to my reading history that I didn’t hesitate to pick up the new book coming out by Cashore.

In fact, I didn’t even read the summary, I was so confident that it would be great. I was absolutely right up to about 30% on my reader when the story was winding down and I still had a seeming 70% to go. How can this be? Well, there’s a time jump. So panic sets in as Grounhog Day trauma comes to the forefront of my mind. I cannot begin to say how much I loathe that movie. All of my favorite shows have had that repeating day episode and I can barely watch. A quick Goodreads search brings my fears home. Yes, it is one of those books.

But this is Cashore, so I keep reading. An amazing thing happens! This is not a train wreck of boredom, with miniscule changes each jump. For Jane, one seeming small change, following a different person at a crucial moment, indeed changes everything.

The world Jane lives in has been dismal since her guardian, Aunt Magnolia, died on an expedition to Antarctica. She’s lost and can’t see which direction her life should go until she comes to a magical place where she can see all the possibilities. Tu Reviens is a place made up of lots of different parts of other houses where a host of characters just as unique live.

The plot is interesting, but it’s not why I love this book. Cashore’s characters and writing style are much more intriguing. “Every umbrella is born knowing that sound, its soul straining for that sound, waiting patiently through rainless day after rainless day for the day when raindrops will thrum against its skin.” Inanimate objects are given souls in this world and frogs are revered. If you like magical realism, fantasy or sci-fi, give this book a try.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm still not entirely sure what I just read. Was it a mystery novel? A spy story? A journey into self acceptance and actualisation? Or a choose your own adventure book? The jury is still out. It was delightfully potty in the best way in any case.

Jane promises her Aunt Magnolia, who raised her since her parents died, that she would never turn down an invitation to the home of familt friends, Tu Reviens. Aunt Magnolia dies and Jane finds herself adrift and directionless until one day she is called upon tk keep her promise.

This book is written in what if sections very remeniscent of the Ian Livington kids adventure books. However instead of choosing your own adventure Cashore guides us carefully through a series of scenarios neditating on decisions abd consequences and on both the random cruelty and random kindness of fate. There's a lot of intelligeng chatacyerisation there too and some sharp dialogue. Overall I really enjoyed this.

Where it fell down for me was that it's written in present tense and not quite well enough for me not to notice it. Basically I hate present tense narrative but if it's done well then I stop noticing that's what the delivery method is. I didn't quite here and thag jerked me out of the flow.

The other factor was in places this is 90% dialogue. Persobally I prefer a 60/40 split dialogue to narrative.

I got this because I am a fan of the autjor's Graceling series. This was completely different and I might not have picked it up if I didn't alrrady like the author. I am glad I did because this was a great book. Not a reread but definitely an enjoyable experience.