Jane, Unlimited

by Kristin Cashore

[nitzan_schwarz]

Ultimately, I think I wanted this book to be something entirely different than what it is.

I'll be the first to admit I had no idea what it was about when I picked it up. I saw Cashore's name on the cover, saw it was signed and utterly gorgeous both outside and inside, and decided to get it on a whim. I wasn't going to get such an opportunity again.

So, maybe it's my fault. But I don't think it is. For those of you who don't know, this story is, in fact, five different stories, tying together loosely, in a similar fashion to choose your own adventure books, only intended to be read in order. Jane, our protagonist, finds herself invited to an elusive mansion island of a rich acquaintance after her aunt dies suddenly and leaves her bereft, lost and alone.

There, she meets many colorful and interesting people. There is Kiran, her rich friend, who seems to be depressed and struggling despite being rich, smart and pretty, with a prestigious degree. There is Kiran's twin brother, Ravi, who is charming and handsome but also madly in love with art and a bit of a womanizer. There are Ivy and Patrick, who work on the premise and grew up with Kiran and Ravi. There is something going on between Patrik and Kiran, and Ivy is beautiful and smart and funny and Jane sees possibilities in her. Then there is Jasper, the demented (adorable) dog, the household personal, Kiran and Ravi's father, their mother and their missing stepmother, an art PI who is Ravi's maybe girlfriend, Kiran's boyfriend who she doesn't seem to stand, a pair of British snobs, missing bank robbers and missing kids and a lot of confusion and mystery.

YES, IT'S A LOT

And then, comes the Choice. It's not even a big choice - just a small one, one choosing who to follow first, and that's the choice that potentially changes Everything. From this point on, we read of five possible timelines, depending on what Jane chooses. Some are good. Some are ludicrous. Some are downright horrifying and, like, why??

This is, where, for me, this book fails massively. It's a book was full of ideas. Interesting ideas, wonderful ideas, but also ultimately half-baked ideas that never got to fully blossom. This was most apparent in the more fantastical directions this book took, although I felt it in the more grounded versions as well.

I feel like each one of the five stories had potential, had it been allowed to grow and stretched past the 80 pages or so limit given to them in order to leave space for the other stories. The fantastical choices left much to be desired, because they gave you the tip of the iceberg and never fleshed out what was going on, even when it was interesting and captivating and very easily could have their own, full books.

This third option, for me, was totally unnecessary to the story, to the book, to anything. it was kind of like Cashore felt like she needed a dreadful outcome to show anything could happen and just went for it. It gave nothing to the overall story, added nothing, aside for some not much-appreciated depression.

The fourth story, while interesting, felt like it should be its own thing.

In fact, the story I would have liked to read would have been a mixture of the first, second, and third stories. Just one, single narrative, without reality jumping in between, that gives you a (mostly) full picture and story, and allows for the fantastical element to be fully explored, as well for the characters to fully come into themselves in an organic way. THIS is what I wanted. What I had maybe come to expect from Cashore.

It is not what this book is.

I will still read more of Cashore's novel. She is a fantastic writer and has a brilliant, imaginative settings. But this book wasn't her best, not from my pov.

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I GOT A SIGNED HARDCOVER OF THIS BOOK FROM FORBIDDEN PLANET AND I AM OFF THE MOON!! I love Kristin Cashore so, so much, and this hardcover is simply beautiful, naked or dressed *wink wink*