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amydieg's review against another edition
DNF. At 20% in basically nothing has happened but then I’m expected to believe that Jane Eyre, of all people, does not believe a terrible headmaster tried to take advantage of Adele? No thanks.
steffi_88's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
matchamaker's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
The first half of this book was 10/10, chef’s kiss amazing. I love an insightful reimagining of a classic, an exploration of characters that had disappeared into the background. I loved how the author continued examining the themes of child abuse, loneliness, and dependency that are found in Jane Eyre.
Unfortunately, the story became utterly bewildering in the second half. Adele fancies herself a protector of girls because… she steals trinkets from men? And it’s not an unreliable-narrator-descends-into-madness thing like I thought at first. I’m sure other readers will take issue with the final twist and resolution, but I’m more disappointed in how poorly supported it was, rather than the events in principle: I hadn’t been given enough throughout the story in order to believe it’s ending.
Unfortunately, the story became utterly bewildering in the second half. Adele fancies herself a protector of girls because… she steals trinkets from men? And it’s not an unreliable-narrator-descends-into-madness thing like I thought at first. I’m sure other readers will take issue with the final twist and resolution, but I’m more disappointed in how poorly supported it was, rather than the events in principle: I hadn’t been given enough throughout the story in order to believe it’s ending.
noxaqualis's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
bethregi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
elizabetheby's review against another edition
dark
sad
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
spottledot's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bookishrealm's review against another edition
2.0
This was not it. I think I was anticipating so much more and that ending did not help.
Reader, I Murdered Him is a YA historical mystery/re-telling loosely based on Jane Eyre. It follows main character Adele as she is sent to an all-girls boarding school. In a strange turn of events, Adele becomes a vigilante of sorts to assist in protecting those who seemingly cannot protect themselves.
What Worked: There wasn't much that I enjoyed the book to be honest. I think that there were some important conversations about the agency of women or lack thereof; however, outside of that there isn't much that I would state that I enjoyed.
What Didn't Work: Oh, where do I begin? This book was SO SLOW. I made it through 50 percent of the book before anything truly happened. Even after Adele became of vigilante, it felt as though there was more talking and planning then action. However, the icing on the cake for me as a reader was the ending. While I can't provide exact context because of spoilers, I will say that it was extremely disturbing. I didn't see it coming and it honestly disgusted me. According to other reviewers (because I haven't read the original source material), it was out of the character's normal behavior and something that readers of Jane Eyre found disturbing. Regardless of my familiarity with the original material, I still found it to be disturbing as well.
Overall, this isn't one that I would actively recommend to anyone.
Reader, I Murdered Him is a YA historical mystery/re-telling loosely based on Jane Eyre. It follows main character Adele as she is sent to an all-girls boarding school. In a strange turn of events, Adele becomes a vigilante of sorts to assist in protecting those who seemingly cannot protect themselves.
What Worked: There wasn't much that I enjoyed the book to be honest. I think that there were some important conversations about the agency of women or lack thereof; however, outside of that there isn't much that I would state that I enjoyed.
What Didn't Work: Oh, where do I begin? This book was SO SLOW. I made it through 50 percent of the book before anything truly happened. Even after Adele became of vigilante, it felt as though there was more talking and planning then action. However, the icing on the cake for me as a reader was the ending. While I can't provide exact context because of spoilers, I will say that it was extremely disturbing. I didn't see it coming and it honestly disgusted me. According to other reviewers (because I haven't read the original source material), it was out of the character's normal behavior and something that readers of Jane Eyre found disturbing. Regardless of my familiarity with the original material, I still found it to be disturbing as well.
Overall, this isn't one that I would actively recommend to anyone.
deadgoodbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0