It’s been a few years (probably 10 or more) since I’ve read the classic Bronte tale of Jane Eyre. Most of the details are pretty much lost in my mind. But let me tell you, reading April Lindner’s forthcoming Jane makes me want to pick the classic up again just to compare the original with the retold tale.

Jane Moore’s parents tragic accident forced her to make a decision that she didn’t want to make: she needed to drop out of her elite college in order to work. The investments that they had made for her had lost all value, and now she’s found herself seeking out nanny positions in hopes of making enough money to possibly return to school some day.

That’s when she’s placed as a nanny for Nico Rathburn, a rock star who everyone knows and adores . . . except Jane. She’s been sheltered and doesn’t follow pop culture, so it takes some research and hours of listening to his music to get caught up on who he is before she begins her job as his daughter’s caretaker.

Something strange is happening at his estate, though. She’s not allowed to go up to the third floor of his estate, despite the fact someone is living there. She’s woken up more than once to strange dreams and strange people wandering around, and there have been other strange events happening at Thornfield. But despite the feeling of something being off, Jane becomes enamored with Nico and Nico draws her closer and closer, until they find themselves in a very serious relationship, ready to make their love permanent. That is, until a horrible secret from Nico unravels before them.

Jane is a well-plotted story, with a cast of strong and memorable characters. Beyond the characterization and setting that make this book work well is an incredibly pleasing writing style. Lindner is a poet and this comes through clearly in her writing: it is vivid, smooth, and pleasing to the reader. This is a world I was easily swept away in because of how fluid her words ran.

Jane herself is a character for whom you have great sympathy. She never once tries to elicit this feeling from the reader, despite the hardships she’s had in her young life, and this is precisely why she gets it from the reader. It’s hard not to feel bad for a girl who has lost both her parents and her seemingly open future in one incident, and it’s even harder not to feel sorry for her when she becomes entangled in a romance that comes back to bite her. She’s strong willed and has a survivor’s fight within her, and with that, she’s willing to do what she needs to do in order to accomplish her goals. This is a theme we’ll see again and again with her.

Nico as a main male character is shrouded in mystery and allure. He’s your standard rock star but he has a different side to him. Throughout his interactions with Jane, it seems obvious he sees something much greater in her than simply her nannying skills with his daughter. At times it seems downright creepy (particularly in a scene where they’re spending time together in the pool) but the last few chapters made me rethink some of the assumptions I’d had about him. This in and of itself should speak to the writing skills of Lindner.

Though the book it set in contemporary times, this had all the feelings of a classic. While reading, it was hard not to feel like I was back in Victorian England along side the original Jane Eyre, despite the rock star musician and other pop cultural elements. It works well in this case, and I think it will give this book a little more staying time in an expanding teen market. This is the kind of book that would be well used in a classroom setting alongside the original. There are some language and situational issues to be aware of, but the book’s setting and characters make them work. They aren’t gratuitous or detract from the plot.

One element that didn’t quite work for me in this book was the pacing. This is a lengthy book — well over 400 pages — but many chapters have large time jumps in them, particularly in the second half of the book. Jane’s post-Thornfield time moves at breakneck speed, in an attempt to bring it to its conclusion more quickly. As a reader, this was a little irritating, as I found it hard to believe in some of the situations and some of the relationships she made after leaving Thornfield, and I wanted this to be as well-fleshed as her time at the estate.

This is a great book to hand to your fans of Victorian literature, as well as fans of the original Jane Eyre or similar titles. There’s romance, mystery, and a cast of enjoyable (and frustrating!) characters. Fans of Lauren Baratz-Logsted’s The Twin’s Daughter will find this an excellent readalike, as well. Give this one to your skeptics of young adult literature, too; it’s a fantastic example of what’s out there and could make those skeptics rethink their assumptions. And for people who haven’t read the original in a long time, it might just make them revisit the classic.

Did I mention that Lindner is a debut author, too? This is an author to keep an eye on. Jane comes out October 11!

*Review copy received from the publisher. Thanks!