A review by wild_avalon_lass
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

“I can think of little else,” he said, finally taking the ring from her and gently, so gently, slipping it onto her finger. “After just a few days, I find I’ve completely lost my mind over you.”

And so is The Death of Jane Lawrence: A mind-losing, world-tilting, reality-altering read that left my head spinning...but in a good way.

Caitlin Starling is a genius, and that mad touch of brilliance is obvious in her leading lady, Jane Shoringfield Lawrence.
It was incredibly refreshing to read a book with a leading lady who fully felt IN CHARGE of each moment, even the moments where reality was slipping from her grasp, where she was teetering on the edge of insanity, Jane felt completely whole, herself, and in control of the moment.

All Dr. Augustine Lawrence had to do was sit there and be pretty (he succeeded in that...most of the time) and let his wife save him from his own self-inflicted tragedy (....did he succeed in that? Who knows).

I saw this book advertised for "fans of Crimson Peak" (hello! That's me!) and boy, did it deliver: ghosts, curses, tragic gothic men, women walking the razor edge of brilliance or madness, lots of rain, lots of mud, and a crumbling, destructive house in the center of it all.

Absolutely worth the read...although you WILL feel (in the final few pages) as though you are not at all smart enough to keep up with how quickly revelations are coming to life and how whiplash-smart Jane's brain is. Kudos to Starling for that.
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