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Reader, I Murdered Him
In this daring tale of female agency and revenge from a New York Times bestselling author, a girl becomes a teenage vigilante who roams Victorian England using her privilege and power to punish her friends' abusive suitors and keep other young women safe.
Adele grew up in the shadows--first watching from backstage at her mother's Parisian dance halls, then wandering around the gloomy, haunted rooms of her father's manor. When she's finally sent away to boarding school in London, she's happy to enter the brightly lit world of society girls and their wealthy suitors.
Yet there are shadows there, too. Many of the men that try to charm Adele's new friends do so with dark intentions. After a violent assault, she turns to a roguish young con woman for help. Together, they become vigilantes meting out justice. But can Adele save herself from the same fate as those she protects?
With a queer romance at its heart, this lush historical thriller offers readers an irresistible mix of vengeance and empowerment.
Adele grew up in the shadows--first watching from backstage at her mother's Parisian dance halls, then wandering around the gloomy, haunted rooms of her father's manor. When she's finally sent away to boarding school in London, she's happy to enter the brightly lit world of society girls and their wealthy suitors.
Yet there are shadows there, too. Many of the men that try to charm Adele's new friends do so with dark intentions. After a violent assault, she turns to a roguish young con woman for help. Together, they become vigilantes meting out justice. But can Adele save herself from the same fate as those she protects?
With a queer romance at its heart, this lush historical thriller offers readers an irresistible mix of vengeance and empowerment.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published November 15, 2022
About the author
Betsy Cornwell
8 books672 followersBetsy Cornwell is a New York Times bestselling author living in west Ireland. She is the story editor and a contributing writer at Parabola, and her short-form writing includes fiction, nonfiction, and literary translation and has appeared in Fairy Tale Review, Zahir Tales, The Violence Prevention Initiative Journal, and elsewhere. She holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Notre Dame and a B.A. from Smith College.
Mechanica was published in 2015 and has featured on several best of the year lists, including Amazon.com’s Best Young Adult Books and USA Today‘s Must-Read Romances. In a starred review, Kirkus called this retelling of Cinderella “a smart, refreshing alternative to stale genre tropes.” Mechanica is a YALSA Teens’ Top Ten nominee for 2016.
Betsy’s debut novel, Tides, was published in 2013 to critical acclaim including a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, a place in the Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year, and a Bisexual Book Awards nomination.
Betsy has two more novels forthcoming from Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, in 2017 and 2018.
Mechanica was published in 2015 and has featured on several best of the year lists, including Amazon.com’s Best Young Adult Books and USA Today‘s Must-Read Romances. In a starred review, Kirkus called this retelling of Cinderella “a smart, refreshing alternative to stale genre tropes.” Mechanica is a YALSA Teens’ Top Ten nominee for 2016.
Betsy’s debut novel, Tides, was published in 2013 to critical acclaim including a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, a place in the Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year, and a Bisexual Book Awards nomination.
Betsy has two more novels forthcoming from Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, in 2017 and 2018.
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September 17, 2020I have absolutely no idea what this book is about, but I do not care in the slightest. That title has won my affection. I will be reading, thank you very much.
December 17, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. Although I hated it, so maybe not.
No. No. No. No. If you love Jane Eyre, do not read this book. I am flabbergasted at all the 5 stars reviews of this blasphemous trash.
Jane Eyre is one of my all-time favorite books so imagine my excitement when I saw a YA Jane Eyre spin-off. And it was about Adele becoming a vigilante against men who hurt women in Victorian London?! I was ecstatic.
I enjoyed the first third of the book that told the story of Adele’s early life and her perspective of the events of Jane Eyre. I appreciated that it addressed some of the issues of the original novel (mainly Rochester keeping his wife locked in the attack). But then she goes to London and the story starts to unravel (at least in my opinion). After her first accidental murder, I was hoping to see her really embrace her darkness (that she talked about quite a bit when recalling her childhood) and would go full Jack-the-Ripper-vengeance-queen on shitty men she stops from hurting women. Does that not sound like a better plot than whatever this drivel was? Instead, she becomes a petty thief…? And we’re supposed to think she’s a vigilante hero because she robs drunk men and pawns their shit? Even her romance with Nan felt underdeveloped, although props for bisexual rep in Victorian England.
But then. Then. We have her return to see her Papa on his deathbed and he’s an absolute disgusting creep?! We’re supposed to believe that (1) Jane Eyre would not see through Rochester’s facade if he was in fact a huge fucking pervert, but (2) that Rochester has been writing her love letters as his cousin and has been waiting until she was old enough to marry her?! And leave Jane and their children to go live in the Caribbean with his daughter-wife? What in the everloving hell were the author and publisher thinking? Why not just dig up Charlotte Brontë and spit on her corpse? I think we can all agree, in our 21st century wisdom, that Rochester was not the best man. But to take a character that said "I ask you to pass through life at my side--to be my second self, and best earthly companion” and turn him into this is unforgivable. No. No. No. No. I can safely say that I will never read anything written by this author again and will discourage everyone from picking up this garbage.
Also, I’m not being this harsh because I dislike retellings of classics. There are several that do a magnificent job of retelling the story in a new and more modern way, while still maintaining the original charm of beloved characters. Tirzah Price’s Jane Austen Murder Mystery series is a great example of this.
No. No. No. No. If you love Jane Eyre, do not read this book. I am flabbergasted at all the 5 stars reviews of this blasphemous trash.
Jane Eyre is one of my all-time favorite books so imagine my excitement when I saw a YA Jane Eyre spin-off. And it was about Adele becoming a vigilante against men who hurt women in Victorian London?! I was ecstatic.
I enjoyed the first third of the book that told the story of Adele’s early life and her perspective of the events of Jane Eyre. I appreciated that it addressed some of the issues of the original novel (mainly Rochester keeping his wife locked in the attack). But then she goes to London and the story starts to unravel (at least in my opinion). After her first accidental murder, I was hoping to see her really embrace her darkness (that she talked about quite a bit when recalling her childhood) and would go full Jack-the-Ripper-vengeance-queen on shitty men she stops from hurting women. Does that not sound like a better plot than whatever this drivel was? Instead, she becomes a petty thief…? And we’re supposed to think she’s a vigilante hero because she robs drunk men and pawns their shit? Even her romance with Nan felt underdeveloped, although props for bisexual rep in Victorian England.
But then. Then. We have her return to see her Papa on his deathbed and he’s an absolute disgusting creep?! We’re supposed to believe that (1) Jane Eyre would not see through Rochester’s facade if he was in fact a huge fucking pervert, but (2) that Rochester has been writing her love letters as his cousin and has been waiting until she was old enough to marry her?! And leave Jane and their children to go live in the Caribbean with his daughter-wife? What in the everloving hell were the author and publisher thinking? Why not just dig up Charlotte Brontë and spit on her corpse? I think we can all agree, in our 21st century wisdom, that Rochester was not the best man. But to take a character that said "I ask you to pass through life at my side--to be my second self, and best earthly companion” and turn him into this is unforgivable. No. No. No. No. I can safely say that I will never read anything written by this author again and will discourage everyone from picking up this garbage.
Also, I’m not being this harsh because I dislike retellings of classics. There are several that do a magnificent job of retelling the story in a new and more modern way, while still maintaining the original charm of beloved characters. Tirzah Price’s Jane Austen Murder Mystery series is a great example of this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2023
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GODDAMN. This book is everything I want out of the YA genre. Richly atmospheric, darkly feminist, with a sexy queer romance between two girls who are tired of men being shits. READER, I MURDERED HIM is a Jane Eyre retelling told from the POV of Jane and Edward's adopted daughter, Adele, and it's an interpretation I've never seen before and didn't know I needed.
Adele in this book is the daughter of a prostitute. When she comes to Thornfield, she is haunted by the ghostly appearance of Bertha, and the sickly, miasmic influence of the house's sinister influence. When she's shipped off to an all girls' boarding school, that's when she comes into her own and learns not just the value of female friendship, but also the harsh truths of inequality in the world, and how men use and abuse their privilege to take advantage of vulnerable women. Obviously, this means triggers for everything from SA to homophobia, but I thought the author handled everything really well, and Adele always had agency.
And that twist at the end, OH MY GOD.
I had chills.
This is a vigilante story but it's a really good one. The story isn't as heavy-handed as I first feared it might be (I thought it was going to be edgy-for-the-sake-of-edgy). There were so many passages that I wanted to highlight the shit out of. If you like dark coming-of-age stories, chaotic queer women, and strong female protagonists, you'll love this book. I'm honestly shocked that this has such low ratings, because the writing and story were everything. This is the third Jane Eyre retelling that I've read this week and as much as I love the source material, I loved this interpretation.
My only qualm is that the epigrams with lyrics from modern pop songs are so cheesy and really ruin the atmosphere of the book. As much as I love the artists, Brandi Carlile, Beyonce, and Kate Bush have no business being in a Victorian novel.
I'll be recommending this book to everyone I know, and you can bet I'll be checking out this author's other books.
4.5 to 5 stars
Shelved as 'dnf'
February 7, 2024Can you go ahead and murder me too? I'm bored out of my mind.
November 17, 2022
Real Rating: 3.5* of five, rounded down
The Publisher Says: In this daring tale of female agency and revenge from a New York Times bestselling author, a girl becomes a teenage vigilante who roams Victorian England using her privilege and power to punish her friends' abusive suitors and keep other young women safe.
Adèle grew up in the shadows—first watching from backstage at her mother's Parisian dance halls, then wandering around the gloomy, haunted rooms of her father's manor. When she's finally sent away to boarding school in London, she's happy to enter the brightly lit world of society girls and their wealthy suitors.
Yet there are shadows there, too. Many of the men that try to charm Adele's new friends do so with dark intentions. After a violent assault, she turns to a roguish young con woman for help. Together, they become vigilantes meting out justice. But can Adèle save herself from the same fate as those she protects?
With a queer romance at its heart, this lush historical thriller offers readers an irresistible mix of vengeance and empowerment.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: First, read this:
In its bitter essence, Jane Eyre is a terrible, horrifying account of a cruel and controlling man's determined efforts to get the twisted things he most desired from the women he surrounded himself with. They had little choice in the matter. He exerted a charm, I'm told, in his "masterful" handling of them. I don't see it, myownself...Bertha or Jane, makes little difference, he was an archetypal narcissist in pursuit of minions.
I honestly forgot Adèle's existence in the original. Not a single scintilla of memory creased my cranium about her...how typical...and thus, when I got this book, I was in essence introduced to her for the first time. Her story is very affecting. I think it's a great shame that Adèle came into my awareness as a victim. Yes, she uses her victimhood to achieve something good as the Villainess, righter of wrongs and leveler of abusers. But there's a passage where her treatment of a loving soul, and her response to a shocking and disgusting betrayal, that just...rang so hollow to me. Her drive was always mitigated by her fears, as whose is not?, but her behavior is hard for me to mentally count as redemptive.
The resolution of the story is condign. It didn't hit the wrong notes so much as it simply played them too fast, too loud, and failed thus to distract me from my edge of unbelief. It's a fine book to give to your feminist granddaughter or romantically challenged niece.
The Publisher Says: In this daring tale of female agency and revenge from a New York Times bestselling author, a girl becomes a teenage vigilante who roams Victorian England using her privilege and power to punish her friends' abusive suitors and keep other young women safe.
Adèle grew up in the shadows—first watching from backstage at her mother's Parisian dance halls, then wandering around the gloomy, haunted rooms of her father's manor. When she's finally sent away to boarding school in London, she's happy to enter the brightly lit world of society girls and their wealthy suitors.
Yet there are shadows there, too. Many of the men that try to charm Adele's new friends do so with dark intentions. After a violent assault, she turns to a roguish young con woman for help. Together, they become vigilantes meting out justice. But can Adèle save herself from the same fate as those she protects?
With a queer romance at its heart, this lush historical thriller offers readers an irresistible mix of vengeance and empowerment.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: First, read this:
“Why do you think, when women tell the stories of their lives, they end with marriage? It is not a happily ever after, chérie, only the end of happiness?”
In its bitter essence, Jane Eyre is a terrible, horrifying account of a cruel and controlling man's determined efforts to get the twisted things he most desired from the women he surrounded himself with. They had little choice in the matter. He exerted a charm, I'm told, in his "masterful" handling of them. I don't see it, myownself...Bertha or Jane, makes little difference, he was an archetypal narcissist in pursuit of minions.
I honestly forgot Adèle's existence in the original. Not a single scintilla of memory creased my cranium about her...how typical...and thus, when I got this book, I was in essence introduced to her for the first time. Her story is very affecting. I think it's a great shame that Adèle came into my awareness as a victim. Yes, she uses her victimhood to achieve something good as the Villainess, righter of wrongs and leveler of abusers. But there's a passage where her treatment of a loving soul, and her response to a shocking and disgusting betrayal, that just...rang so hollow to me. Her drive was always mitigated by her fears, as whose is not?, but her behavior is hard for me to mentally count as redemptive.
The resolution of the story is condign. It didn't hit the wrong notes so much as it simply played them too fast, too loud, and failed thus to distract me from my edge of unbelief. It's a fine book to give to your feminist granddaughter or romantically challenged niece.
October 9, 2023
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.
Want to read
September 24, 2020"A teen vigilante in Victorian England uses her privilege to protect other women from abusive Gothic heroes"
!!! and it's supposedly sapphic !!!
!!! and it's supposedly sapphic !!!
December 15, 2022
I loved the whole thing, from the lush, gorgeous writing, to the kick-ass protagonist, to the opportunity to revisit a classic from a new point of view.
Want to read
December 26, 2020Historical vigilantes!!! Sapphic historical vigilantes!!!
August 14, 2022
Ooooh this one was so good! First, the title is wonderful. It pulls you right to the story and it stays with you as the story slowly unfolds. And imagine my surprise when this is the story of Adele, the young girl from Jane Eyre. I have to be honest, in Jane Eyre, I was so completely wrapped up Jane and Rochester, that I never gave the full story of Adele even a pause to wonder how it all worked out.
Here is the story I didn't know I needed. And it's dark! It starts with Adele with her mother at the brothel and gives us the story from a small child of how he acquired her. From there, it quickly moves over Jane and Rochester's drama and moves on to Adele off to boarding school and her life there.
I loved Adele's pov. She's experienced a lot and is trying to find her way in the world. It's told both through her day to day and through letters she's sending to someone else. The story unfolding is shocking and I loved the idea that she'd befriended the hidden one in the house. It was deliciously fun to enjoy this one! I loved it!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Here is the story I didn't know I needed. And it's dark! It starts with Adele with her mother at the brothel and gives us the story from a small child of how he acquired her. From there, it quickly moves over Jane and Rochester's drama and moves on to Adele off to boarding school and her life there.
I loved Adele's pov. She's experienced a lot and is trying to find her way in the world. It's told both through her day to day and through letters she's sending to someone else. The story unfolding is shocking and I loved the idea that she'd befriended the hidden one in the house. It was deliciously fun to enjoy this one! I loved it!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Read
February 6, 2023Dnf 29% a classic case of I-do-not-care
September 27, 2022
I didn't know that I needed a Sapphic sequel to Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre focusing on Adele Varens, Mr. Rochester's ward, but upon reflection, I'm surprised I didn't. Reader, I Murdered Him joins Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea in its refutation of Rochester as a romantic hero, using Adele's story to show us that we as readers should perhaps have always been more critical of a man who thought that it was perfectly fine to lock one wife up in an attic while actively trying to marry a second one. Bronte allows us to blame Bertha Mason for her own incarceration - she was no true wife to Rochester, so naturally he deserves another, better (younger) one. But in Adele's story we see that Bertha is merely the first woman fridged by Rochester and one of many women abused by men in Victorian England. If it isn't entirely scathing, it's still impressive in its view of Bronte's novel, and Adele is a heroine worthy of the name as she learns that "wealthy" does not equate to "free" and that "wife" most certainly doesn't.
There are some very slow sections of the novel towards the middle while Adele is coming to her realizations, and I would have liked a bit more time spent developing the romance between Adele and Nan, although I give Cornwell full credit for writing a consensual lesbian sex scene in a young adult novel. (It's not hugely descriptive, if you're concerned, and a reader not ready to see it would likely miss a lot of what's going on in the sex scene.) But I love the way it's set up, the way Cornwell forces us to see Rochester for what he very well could have been, and the quiet reminder that women can and will take their power where they can.
There are some very slow sections of the novel towards the middle while Adele is coming to her realizations, and I would have liked a bit more time spent developing the romance between Adele and Nan, although I give Cornwell full credit for writing a consensual lesbian sex scene in a young adult novel. (It's not hugely descriptive, if you're concerned, and a reader not ready to see it would likely miss a lot of what's going on in the sex scene.) But I love the way it's set up, the way Cornwell forces us to see Rochester for what he very well could have been, and the quiet reminder that women can and will take their power where they can.
Want to read
December 9, 2020holy shit that title
January 21, 2024
i'm such a jane eyre girlie, so this was such a fun retelling of it!! queer and involved hurting violent men, i was so here for it. i would have especially loved this book in high school i think. i did a whole paper in college on the treatment of bertha and women in general in jane eyre, so the whole acknowledgments section was really cool to me.
December 11, 2022
I want to keep this review of Betsy Cornwell's Reader, I Murdered Him brief. Let me just say that Reader, I Murdered him is a surprising and delightful, if at times disturbing, piece of feminist vigilante revenge fiction set in Victorian England and featuring Adele: the ward of Mr. Rochester for whom Jane Eyre was hired as a governess in the novel Jane Eyre. Cornwell's version of Adele is precocious and unflinching, starkly aware of the inequities between the sexes. To see Jane Eyre retold through Adele's eyes is powerful, and Adele grows into her own power as she moves away from Rochester and Eyre and into life among a boarding school community of other young women, all very conscious of the way success or failure on the marriage market will determine the conditions of the remainder of their lives. With Adele speaking truths everyone recognizes and no one wants to talk about, these young women begin finding ways to create lives they might once have thought impossible.
If you've read Eyre, Reader, I Murdered him will offer you a valuable companion to the perspectives and realities played out by Jane and Rochester. Even if you haven't read Eyre, you'll be able to appreciate the reversal of power Adele seeks to create.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher; the opinions are my own.
If you've read Eyre, Reader, I Murdered him will offer you a valuable companion to the perspectives and realities played out by Jane and Rochester. Even if you haven't read Eyre, you'll be able to appreciate the reversal of power Adele seeks to create.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher; the opinions are my own.
September 24, 2022
3.5/5 rounded up?
I did really enjoy this. Queer Victorian vigilantism, yknow, hot girl shit. The pacing I felt could’ve been a little tighter, this is a retelling/continuation of Jane Eyre and the whole first half of the book is retelling, before we get to vigilante goodness. I haven’t read Jane Eyre but I know the story enough that I think I would’ve been fine with less time devoted to retelling, or at least let Jane be more…cursory I think is the right word? To let Adele stand on her own as a protagonist and spend more time on that viciousness the blurb promised. That being said, it’s a fast read so that first half never felt like it dragged and before I knew it we were at the vigilante part, and that was thoroughly enjoyable.
I also really appreciated how trans Nan, the love interest, felt. I don’t know if she was supposed to be a trans girl or just a butch really good at disguise but I read her so entirely as trans that it made me smile.
So yeah, the definition of “I support women’s rights but also women’s wrongs” right here, and if that sounds like your thing, go ham
I did really enjoy this. Queer Victorian vigilantism, yknow, hot girl shit. The pacing I felt could’ve been a little tighter, this is a retelling/continuation of Jane Eyre and the whole first half of the book is retelling, before we get to vigilante goodness. I haven’t read Jane Eyre but I know the story enough that I think I would’ve been fine with less time devoted to retelling, or at least let Jane be more…cursory I think is the right word? To let Adele stand on her own as a protagonist and spend more time on that viciousness the blurb promised. That being said, it’s a fast read so that first half never felt like it dragged and before I knew it we were at the vigilante part, and that was thoroughly enjoyable.
I also really appreciated how trans Nan, the love interest, felt. I don’t know if she was supposed to be a trans girl or just a butch really good at disguise but I read her so entirely as trans that it made me smile.
So yeah, the definition of “I support women’s rights but also women’s wrongs” right here, and if that sounds like your thing, go ham
Want to read
February 16, 2022Wait it's only now clicking for me...is the MC
January 3, 2023
The number of times I have fallen asleep reading this book is astounding!!! 🥴😴
March 2, 2023
“my mother always said every married woman is a ruined garden.”
my first disappointment of 2023.
reader, i murdered him is a reimagining of jane eyre from the POV of rochester’s ward, àdele varens, from her childhood in paris and then at thornfield and ferndean to finishing school in london, where an assault on one of her friends drives her to become a vigilante.
i respect that cornwell attempted her own unique approach to a beloved classic, but the execution left a lot to be desired. the first third of the novel, focusing on àdele’s childhood and relationships with the maternal figures in her life, is the strongest; once àdele leaves jane and rochester, cornwell seems more occupied with referencing them than telling a compelling story.
the storytelling is frustrating: underdeveloped LIs and side characters, far too many plot conveniences to be enjoyable, and heavy-handed, repetitive messaging (every single man in this book is evil in very similar ways). i also hated the plot twist near the end—this was going to be a “perfectly adequate, just not for me” read until that point.
thank you to netgalley for the arc!
rating: 2.0/5.0 stars
February 8, 2024
I was fortunate enough to be able to read an advance reader copy of this book and let me tell you — it is a STUNNER! Dark, adventurous, complex, and gorgeously told. I’m obsessed with it. This is one of those rare books that deserves to blow up. Preorder this! You won’t be disappointed!
April 29, 2023
This is a fun novel! Very clever, especially for fans of Jane Austen. Loved the characters and action-packed twists and turns along the way.
February 23, 2023
A welcome addition to the genre of classic book spinoffs. This book fits nicely between Wide Sargasso Sea and Jane Steele. Queer too, which made it all the better.
September 2, 2022
This was a fantastic read.
First off, the premise is *chef's kiss*. A girl who grows up knowing her worth and agency as a woman attends a boarding school where she keeps an eye out for her fellow classmates. Much to my shock, this is about Adele, the adopted daughter of JANE FREAKIN EYRE. I mean...WHAT!! This book is dark and I found myself hooting and hollering for Adele and her friends even when they do some uncouth things.
The writing really drew me in. The story starts off with a hook that will have you screeching and never lets up. Even the slow-moving parts felt so beautiful in their execution.
Oh, and the female friendships are so nice to see. Adele's fierce love she has for her friend (s) is a breath of fresh air. We don't get many close female bonds in YA.
This is a tour de force of a book and one of my favorites of the year.
First off, the premise is *chef's kiss*. A girl who grows up knowing her worth and agency as a woman attends a boarding school where she keeps an eye out for her fellow classmates. Much to my shock, this is about Adele, the adopted daughter of JANE FREAKIN EYRE. I mean...WHAT!! This book is dark and I found myself hooting and hollering for Adele and her friends even when they do some uncouth things.
The writing really drew me in. The story starts off with a hook that will have you screeching and never lets up. Even the slow-moving parts felt so beautiful in their execution.
Oh, and the female friendships are so nice to see. Adele's fierce love she has for her friend (s) is a breath of fresh air. We don't get many close female bonds in YA.
This is a tour de force of a book and one of my favorites of the year.
October 19, 2023
3.5/5
There were parts that I liked but it wasn't as dark as I was hoping and the first 1/3 was a STRUGGLE to get through. It finally had a good pace about halfway through.
I saw "for fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper" comparison a few places but the only connections I saw was a female lead and a murder.
There were parts that I liked but it wasn't as dark as I was hoping and the first 1/3 was a STRUGGLE to get through. It finally had a good pace about halfway through.
I saw "for fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper" comparison a few places but the only connections I saw was a female lead and a murder.
January 22, 2023
Given that I managed to forget pretty much everything about the kid in Jane Eyre (as in, I knew logically there must have been one, otherwise Jane wouldn't have been there, but other than that... nope), I didn't expect this to be related to that book except for the reference in the title.
Turns out, not only is it related, it's a whole sequel that tackles everything I hated about the original novel (seriously, why people think it's a great classic romance is beyond me) and fixes it in spectularly entertaining fashion, with a wonderful queer romance at the heart of it all. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Turns out, not only is it related, it's a whole sequel that tackles everything I hated about the original novel (seriously, why people think it's a great classic romance is beyond me) and fixes it in spectularly entertaining fashion, with a wonderful queer romance at the heart of it all. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
November 29, 2023
2.5🌟
i was mislead, but all i have to say is: k1ll all men, today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow
i was mislead, but all i have to say is: k1ll all men, today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow
March 30, 2023
3.5/5 *SPOILERS AHEAD*
A dark twist on the beloved classic “Jane Eyre”, with the best title to exist in history, told through Adele’s (aka the Villainess, aka Protector of Women) eyes. I’m afraid it’s been a couple of years since I last read “Jane Eyre”, so my memory is fuzzy on the original storyline, but this book brought some of the details back, as well as gave voices to neglected side characters (though I’m sorry—Mr. Rochester is completely ruined for me now. The romance? Nuh uh. Gone. We don’t mess around with predators). The author did a great job of capturing the voice and vernacular of the (I think?) Victorian era. I admired the themes woven throughout of solidarity and loyalty between women, and our duty to protect one another from the ghastly fates we may face; of the fact that the menaces in society are more often than not the rich who abuse their power, rather than the poor who are overlooked. The author also expanded on the queer themes which might be sowed throughout the original script—as the wise Marie Kondo said, this sparked joy.
I thought it was intriguing how the author interpreted some feminist themes. In “Jane Eyre”, our heroine gains financial power and independence at the end of the story, which allows her to enter a marriage with Mr. Rochester for love rather than necessity. They are on equal standing, a rare thing for women in the 19th century. In “Reader, I Murdered Him”, however, we see how Jane becomes ensnared in domestic life, tending to her children and (manipulative) husband. This isn’t to say that the domestic life isn’t wonderful for those who seek it, it’s the fact that Jane was in love with someone she thought she knew, but didn’t, and this created a power imbalance where Mr. Rochester was the swindler and Jane was the swindled. Adele comes into her own fortune in a similar fashion as her governess at the end of the book. Seeing how even the strong-minded, iconic Jane was duped by the big fat lie which is ✨men✨, she compensates by refusing to tie herself down (at least legally—she does fall in love with a girl, to whom she is betrothed in spirit, and they form a partnership of true equals). Long story short: as many men will inevitably disappoint you, stick with women, kids.
I have dreamed about writing a story where women punish the men who act like pigs yet never face the consequences, and this book provided that catharsis. Cleansing for the soul, maybe not for the clothes; murder is a drastic way to take matters into your own hands, but there are slightly less “get-you-incarcerated” ways in which we can look out for one another, stand up against bullies, and lift each other up in real life. Perhaps the worst tactic the patriarchy uses to keep women oppressed is training them to see each other as threats, when this is the furthest thing from the truth. We need to empower one another, because if we don’t, then who will?
My only qualms with this book were that it was a tad slow and repetitive in a couple of places. The language would get a bit precious for my taste, but then it would pick up pace. The description was beautiful, and listening to the audiobook felt almost meditative.
The author’s note added another layer of appreciation to the story, and I admire Betsy Cornwell for creating a whole new world out of this classic. It’s definitely made me want to re-read “Jane Eyre” through an older, more mature lens.
A dark twist on the beloved classic “Jane Eyre”, with the best title to exist in history, told through Adele’s (aka the Villainess, aka Protector of Women) eyes. I’m afraid it’s been a couple of years since I last read “Jane Eyre”, so my memory is fuzzy on the original storyline, but this book brought some of the details back, as well as gave voices to neglected side characters (though I’m sorry—Mr. Rochester is completely ruined for me now. The romance? Nuh uh. Gone. We don’t mess around with predators). The author did a great job of capturing the voice and vernacular of the (I think?) Victorian era. I admired the themes woven throughout of solidarity and loyalty between women, and our duty to protect one another from the ghastly fates we may face; of the fact that the menaces in society are more often than not the rich who abuse their power, rather than the poor who are overlooked. The author also expanded on the queer themes which might be sowed throughout the original script—as the wise Marie Kondo said, this sparked joy.
I thought it was intriguing how the author interpreted some feminist themes. In “Jane Eyre”, our heroine gains financial power and independence at the end of the story, which allows her to enter a marriage with Mr. Rochester for love rather than necessity. They are on equal standing, a rare thing for women in the 19th century. In “Reader, I Murdered Him”, however, we see how Jane becomes ensnared in domestic life, tending to her children and (manipulative) husband. This isn’t to say that the domestic life isn’t wonderful for those who seek it, it’s the fact that Jane was in love with someone she thought she knew, but didn’t, and this created a power imbalance where Mr. Rochester was the swindler and Jane was the swindled. Adele comes into her own fortune in a similar fashion as her governess at the end of the book. Seeing how even the strong-minded, iconic Jane was duped by the big fat lie which is ✨men✨, she compensates by refusing to tie herself down (at least legally—she does fall in love with a girl, to whom she is betrothed in spirit, and they form a partnership of true equals). Long story short: as many men will inevitably disappoint you, stick with women, kids.
I have dreamed about writing a story where women punish the men who act like pigs yet never face the consequences, and this book provided that catharsis. Cleansing for the soul, maybe not for the clothes; murder is a drastic way to take matters into your own hands, but there are slightly less “get-you-incarcerated” ways in which we can look out for one another, stand up against bullies, and lift each other up in real life. Perhaps the worst tactic the patriarchy uses to keep women oppressed is training them to see each other as threats, when this is the furthest thing from the truth. We need to empower one another, because if we don’t, then who will?
My only qualms with this book were that it was a tad slow and repetitive in a couple of places. The language would get a bit precious for my taste, but then it would pick up pace. The description was beautiful, and listening to the audiobook felt almost meditative.
The author’s note added another layer of appreciation to the story, and I admire Betsy Cornwell for creating a whole new world out of this classic. It’s definitely made me want to re-read “Jane Eyre” through an older, more mature lens.
September 12, 2022
Based on the description of the book, I was super excited to read it. A Victorian queer revenge YA book? It was an immediate yes. However, it left me wanting a lot more.
I liked the idea of the story, and I did like the characters. I enjoyed reading about Adele's relationships at boarding school and how they became a sort of family. A lot of stories set during this time period makes young women seem stuffy, and this story humanized them and made them seem more like regular teenagers. However, while the characters make this book enjoyable to read overall, I had a lot of issues with the plot and writing style.
The author makes it VERY clear in the beginning that the book is a Jane Eyre spinoff from Rochester's daughter's perspective. In fact, I wish I kept track of how many times Jane Eyre was name dropped in the book. It seemed like the author focused more on how to insert Jane Eyre' s story into hers that it overshadowed Adele's narrative completely for me.
I also thought the pacing was a bit odd for me. A first third of the story is a Jane Eyre retelling (which we should know if we are reading a spinoff) and the last third is Adele becoming a vigilante. Everything in between felt like filler, especially when the description is so heavy on the vigilante aspect of the story.
Overall, I think the author's idea was amazing. Again - a Victorian queer revenge YA book? YES. I think removing the Jane Eyre aspect of the book would have left the author much more leeway to experiment with the story and characters.
Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I liked the idea of the story, and I did like the characters. I enjoyed reading about Adele's relationships at boarding school and how they became a sort of family. A lot of stories set during this time period makes young women seem stuffy, and this story humanized them and made them seem more like regular teenagers. However, while the characters make this book enjoyable to read overall, I had a lot of issues with the plot and writing style.
The author makes it VERY clear in the beginning that the book is a Jane Eyre spinoff from Rochester's daughter's perspective. In fact, I wish I kept track of how many times Jane Eyre was name dropped in the book. It seemed like the author focused more on how to insert Jane Eyre' s story into hers that it overshadowed Adele's narrative completely for me.
I also thought the pacing was a bit odd for me. A first third of the story is a Jane Eyre retelling (which we should know if we are reading a spinoff) and the last third is Adele becoming a vigilante. Everything in between felt like filler, especially when the description is so heavy on the vigilante aspect of the story.
Overall, I think the author's idea was amazing. Again - a Victorian queer revenge YA book? YES. I think removing the Jane Eyre aspect of the book would have left the author much more leeway to experiment with the story and characters.
Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
December 6, 2022
Thank you Booksparks and the author for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
When I found out I was chosen to be a #frc2022 influencer, it was Reader, I Murdered Him by Betsy Cornwell that I was most excited to read. Not only is it a sequel of sorts to Jane Eyre, my favorite classic, but it’s also a story about a teenage vigilante who takes it upon herself to protect her vulnerable friends from their abusive suitors.
There was so much I liked about this book- the feminist themes, the flowery prose that sucked me right back into Brontë’s world, and the love story. I enjoyed getting to see glimpses of Jane and Mr. Rochester while the storyline followed Adele’s adventures. Had the novel stayed its course and focused on Adele’s life away from her former mistress, I think it would have been a hit for me.
Unfortunately, the book proceeded to take two of literature’s most endearingly flawed characters and twist them into unrecognizable antagonists. The disappointment I felt while watching these characters I knew so well morph into complete strangers was overwhelming. If you have any love for Jane Eyre, I can’t confidently recommend this book to you. However, if you’ve never read the original or have no strong feelings about it either way, then there’s a good chance this could be an enjoyable read for you. If the author had just written an original story and left the classic characters out of it, I’d feel much more confident in recommending it.
When I found out I was chosen to be a #frc2022 influencer, it was Reader, I Murdered Him by Betsy Cornwell that I was most excited to read. Not only is it a sequel of sorts to Jane Eyre, my favorite classic, but it’s also a story about a teenage vigilante who takes it upon herself to protect her vulnerable friends from their abusive suitors.
There was so much I liked about this book- the feminist themes, the flowery prose that sucked me right back into Brontë’s world, and the love story. I enjoyed getting to see glimpses of Jane and Mr. Rochester while the storyline followed Adele’s adventures. Had the novel stayed its course and focused on Adele’s life away from her former mistress, I think it would have been a hit for me.
Unfortunately, the book proceeded to take two of literature’s most endearingly flawed characters and twist them into unrecognizable antagonists. The disappointment I felt while watching these characters I knew so well morph into complete strangers was overwhelming. If you have any love for Jane Eyre, I can’t confidently recommend this book to you. However, if you’ve never read the original or have no strong feelings about it either way, then there’s a good chance this could be an enjoyable read for you. If the author had just written an original story and left the classic characters out of it, I’d feel much more confident in recommending it.
February 1, 2023
Don’t mind me, I’ll just be here crying over the fact that Adele and I can never be friends or get into any vigilante shenanigans together.
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