Review: A Breath of Eyre

Emma Townsend has always believed in stories—the ones she reads voraciously, and the ones she creates in her head. Perhaps it’s because she feels like an outsider at her exclusive prep school, or because her stepmother doesn’t come close to filling the void left by her mother’s death. And her only romantic prospect—apart from a crush on her English teacher—is Gray Newman, a long-time friend who just adds to Emma’s confusion. But escape soon arrives in an old leather-bound copy of Jane Eyre…

Reading of Jane’s isolation sparks a deep sense of kinship. Then fate takes things a leap further when a lightning storm catapults Emma right into Jane’s body and her nineteenth-century world. As governess at Thornfield, Emma has a sense of belonging she’s never known—and an attraction to the brooding Mr. Rochester. Now, moving between her two realities and uncovering secrets in both, Emma must decide whether her destiny lies in the pages of Jane’s story, or in the unwritten chapters of her own…

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I will be the first to admit that I don't read the classics.  I have never read Jane Eyre.  But there was something about this book that drew me so I tossed my name in the hat for it.  And I am glad that I did.

I was very impressed by the character of Emma Townsend.  She starts out as  a teen who has a stepmother that she doesn't care for and attends a private school on a scholarship that she hates.  Typical teen attitude in that the world is out to get her.  By the end of the book, she becomes a very impressive young lady.

Actually Ms. Mont does a wonderful job with all of her characters.  Even the villains are shown to have redeeming qualities. And they are all so realistic and really contribute to the book.

While the pacing in the book was spot on in most places, I did find it rather slow in the first scene in Jane's time.  Otherwise it was one of the books I couldn't put down.  I basically spent all day yesterday reading it. 

I am really glad that I have been introduced to Ms. Mont's work as I will be keeping an eye out for more.  Most of the young adult books that I have read were fantasies and I enjoyed being introduced to the new to me genre within a genre.

I rate this book a 4.5 and suitable to any readers.

--I received this book through GoodRead's First Reads program in exchange for an honest review.  No monies have or will exchange hands.