Jenna Starborn by Sharon Shinn

Jenna Starborn
Sharon Shinn

Just got done reading Jenna Starborn by Sharon Shinn. It’s  retelling of Jane Eyre, only in space.  For me it was inevitable to draw the comparisons between this and Jane Eyre, as Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books.  I feel that may have detracted a little bit of my enjoyment, but simply because I love the original so much.  If you don’t like Jane Eyre because of the language and the sheer volume of detail it goes into, and you do like sci-fi, I say give this one a chance.  It shortens a lot of the beginning of Jane Eyre, condensing the story without really losing any of it, although some of those are my favorite parts from Jane Eyre.

Jenna Starborn captures the whole essence of Jane Eyre, only in a completely different setting and society.  I guess, at it’s core this story is a romance and that part carries through in Jenna Starborn.  I started reading the book a couple of nights ago, but was barely 50 pages in when I finished it tonight.  Shinn is a wonderful storyteller and she captured these characters and yet made them  her own at the same time.  I got caught up in the story, even though I already knew what was going to happen since I have read Jane Eyre so many times.  I was still able to lose myself in this book and I knew I had to finish it tonight.  And what a great way to spend my night!  I love to read, and while a lot of people might balk at the idea of reading on a Friday night, I found it quite enjoyable.  Curled up on my couch with iTunes playing.  It was great.

I recommend this book, even if you don’t like the original Jane Eyre, you should still give a try.  You may just like this version.