I was so excited when I saw this on Netgalley. I loved the Graceling series and was so looking forward to a new book by Kristin Cashore that I’m not even sure that I read the synopsis. So I had no idea what I was in for. I will confess that I almost didn’t finish this. I unfortunately started it when I was a bit jet lagged and my tired, fuzzy brain couldn’t handle it. So I decided that this was the issue, not the book and started it again when I was better rested. I also decided that it was the way my kindle app was formatting the book and made it hard to read. Once I switched to the Blue Fire reader, things got even better. Let this be a lesson to you, don’t start complicated books and poorly formatted books when you are really tired. You won’t enjoy them.

Once I got a handle on the book it was pure joy to read. It is really five different stories that all tie together and tell one complete story. Wait did that make sense. It really is hard to explain without giving anything away. Let’s say it is like a choose your own adventure story (remember those?) but instead of skipping around you just read straight through the five stories. Still sounds confusing doesn’t it, don’t worry just go with it and it will eventually make sense.

I loved Jane, she was smart and a little sassy and very creative. I would certainly buy one of her umbrellas as they sounded amazing and beautiful. I loved the way she could totally immerse herself in creating one of them and not care about what was going on around her. She also was very curious about what was really going on in Tu Reviens and even though some of her choices led her into some interesting stories, she did what needed to be done and got through it.

There are many characters that Jane interacts with on the island, the amount of interactions varied from story to story so it was sometimes hard to relate to the other characters. Their personalities also changed somewhat depending on the story. But I really liked Kiran in most of the stories, even when she was behaving aloof and kind of snotty. I also liked Ivy, who was the most mysterious of all of the characters even though Jane related to her the most. I’m still wondering why she was taking all of those photographs. I really liked that she would just say a random word out loud that would be a high score in Scrabble, I really liked her quirkiness. Ravi, Kiran’s twin brother, was the one who seemed to change personalities the most in the stories, but he was passionate about the art and loyal to his family and friends. Many other characters populate the book and stories and all were unique and interesting.

As I said before there is really five stories that tie together into one. The main ties are a missing family, stolen art work, a painting with an umbrella, and Jane’s Aunt Magnolia. All of these plot points are in the stories, even when the stories themselves go off in another direction. Sometimes conversations get repeated in the stories, but won’t be exactly the same as before or will take place in a different room or with a different person (can you see why my sleep deprived brain got confused?) But all of this keep you on your toes and wondering where it will all end.

This is an exciting story about how your choices can make a difference in your life and what it might be like if you made a different one. Highly recommended.

I love Kristin Cashore's Graceling trilogy, and enjoyed this book too, though a complete departure from that genre. After I adjusted to the somewhat disconcerting "reset" in each section, I began to put the pieces together. The final chapter was especially interesting, fun, and satisfying.

Jane Unlimited by Kristin Cashore was not what I thought it would be. In fact, it didn't grab me enough to make it past 20 percent of the egalley I received from NetGalley. This was my first Kristin Cashore novel, so I was expecting more from her. It was confusing to follow, and it might have been easier to follow if it would have grabbed me. I apologize for not giving it more time, but I refuse to give more time to a book that doesn't hold my interest. Maybe I will give Graceling a try before giving up on Kristin Cashore. I think this book had some great ideas, characters, and plot points, but it was hard to follow.

This brilliant book almost defies description and certainly defies my poor skills as a reviewer. Kristin Cashore established herself as a bonafide genius of young adult fantasy writing with the outstanding "Graceling" and "Fire" but she's positively transcended this (and every other) universe with this whimsical, wonderful coming of age fairy tale that somehow manages to be a spy thriller, a multiverse traveling sci fi epic, a truly chilling ghost story, a sweet love story, and a fantastical journey to a magical other world all in one book.

They say we are defined not by who we are but by what we do. If that’s true then every single decision we make from what side of the bed to get out of to whether to say yes to a marriage proposal has the potential to completely and irrevocably change the course of our lives and maybe the course of the world.

In the world of Jane Unlimited it’s a very small decision that will send somewhat eccentric, shy umbrella maker Jane careening into interdimensional portals, into illicit romances, through haunted libraries, and smack dab into an entirely different world depending on who she decides to start a conversation with at the enchanting (and very possibly enchanted) estate called Tu Reviens.

This haunting, haunted mansion sits on its own island far out to sea and its inhabitants, a motley crew of the wealthiest of the wealthy and their mysterious, not at all super suspicious staff of servants, may hold the answers to the disappearance of Jane’s beloved aunt who’s last words to Jane were a plea to travel to Tu Reviens for the answers to ‘everything.’

Tu Reviens.

You come back.

And so Jane does, again, and again, and again, cycling through just a few of the seemingly endless possible lives that might result from such a simple, small choice. Each story is more fantastic than the last but all are tied together by feint but vital threads. Finding those points of connection is delightful because it grants the reader just a taste of how truly brilliant Cashore is as a writer to pull something like this off.

The book is a technical marvel even without the wonderful writing, fascinating cast of characters, and astounding attention to even the smallest details. That it is also a breathtaking, joyous, astonishing read is nothing short of extraordinary.

Cashore's wonderful gift for quippy and clever but never corny dialogue is well in evidence as is her virtuoso level skill as a world builder, she is the absolute queen of giving the reader just enough to see everything perfectly in the mind's eye with just a tad left to the imagination. She writes Jane so effortlessly it feels at times like you’re reading an autobiography, she’s that real.

I'm honestly a bit in awe of what she's pulled off here. Two write a story that has so much honest emotion and such believable characters flying through the most fantastic scenarios and worlds is really, truly amazing.

This is a book I'll read and read and read again knowing there will always be something new to find in its dizzying worlds and twilight kingdoms. It's at once a true fantastical epic and a sweet, simple story that I dearly hope many, many people read.

After reading the description and reviews of Cashore's newest book, I couldn't wait to dive in to reading it. However, within the first third of the book, I was confused and wondered if my Kindle was acting up or if I had an unedited copy. To be fair, I did eventually figure out the alternate timeline setup, but found it to be clunky and confusing. Reading a note from the author about how it started out as a "Choose Your Own Adventure" style book made it come together, but lacking this foreknowledge made it a chore to read. I enjoyed parts of the story, mainly the description of Jane's work with umbrellas, enough to wish that it flowed more like Kate Atkinson's "Life After Life". I will say that the final ending felt too distant from most of the other versions.

I received an eARC from the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I am a fan of Kristin Cashore but did not like the format of this book with its alternative endings. I felt like I was in some sort of weird dream sequence with bizarre events overshadowing everything.

Jane is feeling a little lost in life after the loss of her beloved Aunt Magnolia, professor, deep sea photographer and her mother figure. When an old acquaintance – Kiran Thrash - randomly runs into her and invites her to attend a gala at her family’s island mansion Tu Reviens, Jane finds herself accepting in honor of a promise she made her Aunt. But Tu Reviens is not at all what it seems, and Jane will find herself faced with a choice that branches out into five potential lives where her choices will either ask a price or offer a reward.

PLOT? I honestly had no idea what Jane, Unlimited was about prior to hearing Kristin Cashore explain it at the Penguin Teen Breakfast I attended during BEA/BookCon week (vlog here, if you’re interested!). She basically described it as a girl heading to this isolated island mansion who, in one moment, is faced with five different possible choices. The reader is given the opportunity to explore the outcome of each choice Jane could potentially make, and each is a mini-story that falls into a different genre. It’s a simple structure, but I can only admire how intricate the plotting was. Cashore really manages to make all five stories cohesive in tone, but different in feel; she weaves in common details and characters, but still makes everything feel very new with each new section. It was odd and unexpected and very, very strange – but I was into it.

CHARACTERS? If I were going to be a little nitpicky about this novel, it would be in relation to the characters. I liked reading about them, but I never fully connected to any person in any of the stories. They were interesting, but they felt almost like caricatures (the secondary characters) or an inhabitable body (in Jane’s case). I wanted to specifically talk about how I read from Jane’s perspective. While I normally crave strong character connections (that put me in their mindset but still make them feel like a separate person), I could let it slide in this case. I read the entire novel as if I were Jane, and I were the one facing these choices and their results, so it was a refreshing reading experience.

WRITING? I find the structure of Jane, Unlimited fascinating. I can only imagine how much work went into fleshing out what started as a choose-your-own-adventure tale into something that’s an actual novel about a character who ends up experiencing five different possible lives. There’s a consistency to the details, even as more is revealed about people, things, places and situations. In addition to the careful structure construction, I liked that each scenario tackles a different genre. It’s a whole spectrum of things, which I sort of expected but never imagined would be executed the way it is, and I was really enthralled.

OVERALL? I liked Jane, Unlimited. It is, admittedly, a very strange novel, with a structure and a story that require the reader to really be willing to test the very limits of their concept of reality and to let go of any expectations they have going into it. While it might not necessarily work for every reader (especially for those readers who love and yearn for another Graceling-type tale), it worked for me.

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!

DNF @ 25%

I love Kristin Cashore's Graceling Realm series. All three books in that series were well written and super fun to read. This book however was just boring. I guess my main complaint was I had no idea what was going on and there wasn't enough information to compel me to continue reading to find out what the heck was going on. There's too many characters and it's not clear who they are and what role they play. I'm sure this is cleared up by the end but I wanted more information I wasn't getting.

We'll still purchase this title for my library since Kristen Cashore is a popular author. And I'll still try out Cashore's future books. Thanks!

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.