My Plain Jane: Now a Streaming Series (The Lady Janies, 2) - Hardcover

Hand, Cynthia; Ashton, Brodi; Meadows, Jodi

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 006265277X ISBN 13: 9780062652775

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2018

Synopsis

Move over, Charlotte Brontë. The authors of the New York Times bestselling My Lady Jane put an irreverent spin on Jane Eyre―a fantastical tale of mischief, romance, and supernatural mayhem perfect for fans of The Princess Bride or A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue.

You may think you know the story. Penniless orphan Jane Eyre begins a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester―and, Reader, she marries him. Or does she?

Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

This isn’t your English teacher’s classic novel:

• A Heroine Who Sees Ghosts: Jane Eyre isn’t just a penniless orphan; she’s a magnet for the dearly departed, making her new governess job at Thornfield Hall... complicated.
• A Famous Author as a Sidekick: Before she was a literary legend, Charlotte Brontë was Jane’s best friend, a wannabe detective, and an expert in all things Gothic—at least, she thinks she is.
• Supernatural Comedy: A laugh-out-loud funny retelling where the ghosts are cheekier than the heroes and spectral shenanigans are around every corner.
• A Very Broody Ghost Hunter: Alexander Blackwood of the Royal Society for the Relocation of Wayward Spirits is here to deal with ghosts, not fall for a governess. (Famous last words.)

About this title

About the Authors

Cynthia Hand is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for teens, including the Unearthly trilogy, The Last Time We Say Goodbye, The Afterlife of Holly Chase, The How & The Why, and With You All The Way. She also writes the Jane books with fellow authors Jodi Meadows and Brodi Ashton: My Lady Jane, My Plain Jane, My Calamity Jane, My Contrary Mary, My Imaginary Mary, and My Salty Mary. Before turning to writing for young adults, she studied literary fiction and earned both an M.F.A. and a Ph.D. in fiction writing (although please don't refer to her as "Dr. Hand," because that sounds like a cartoon supervillain.) She currently resides in Boise, Idaho, with her husband, two kids, two cats, one crazy dog, and a mountain of books.

Brodi Ashton received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Utah and a master’s degree in international relations from the London School of Economics. She lives in Utah with her family. She is also a coauthor of New York Times bestsellers My Lady Jane (now streaming on Prime!), My Plain Jane, and other books in the Lady Janies series (Harper).

Jodi Meadows wants to be a ferret when she grows up and she has no self-control when it comes to yarn, ink, or outer space. Still, she manages to write books. She is the author of the Incarnate Trilogy, the Orphan Queen Duology, the Fallen Isles Trilogy (Harper), and the Nightrender duology and Bye Forever, I Guess (Holiday House). She is also a coauthor of New York Times bestsellers My Lady Jane (now streaming on Prime!), My Plain Jane, and other books in the Lady Janies series (Harper).

Her books have been selected for Junior Library Guild, Kids' Indie Next List, Bookshop Best of, Publishers Weekly Best of, Kirkus Best of, Booklist Best of, Bustle Best of, YALSA Best of, nominated for Tome Society and Young Adult Virginia awards, as well as other honors and selections.

She lives in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia.

From the Back Cover

A fantastic, romantic, comedic, entirely faithful <but not really> retelling of JANE EYRE

You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap <yikes!> and his uneven temper <double yikes!>, they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him.

We have a different story to tell.

JANE <--- best friends with a ghost
has endured years of hardship and misery, and is ready to embark on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. She’s rather poor. She’s rather plain. Also, she has terrible taste in men.

CHARLOTTE <--- just try to tell her no
is an aspiring novelist. (Yes, she’s that Charlotte.) And she’s determined to capture her friend Jane’s story even if it means worming her way into the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

ALEXANDER <--- ghost hunter extraordinaire
is an agent of the Society for the Relocation of Wayward Spirits. He’s about to discover something very disturbing going on at a little place called Thornfield . . . 

READER, there will be murder. Mayhem. Conspiracy. And, of course, romance. Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, and a certain gentleman, Mr. Rochester, is hiding more than skeletons in his closets.

Reviews

Gr 9 Up—This standalone alternate history novel inserts teenaged aspiring author Charlotte Brontë into the world of her own making (with the addition of ghosts) as she chronicles the life of her best friend at Lowood, Jane Eyre, as inspiration for her first novel. Charlotte's authorial ambitions and Jane's plans to become a governess are thwarted when Jane's ability to see ghosts comes to the attention of Alexander Blackwood, an agent for the once-prestigious Society for the Relocation of Wayward Spirits. Determined to help his mentor restore the Society to its past glory, Alexander is keen to recruit Ms. Eyre as an agent—even if it means taking off his ever-present mask and accepting help from the overly eager Ms. Brontë and her screw-up brother. This simple task spirals into a madcap story of ghosts, possession, revenge, and murder as Charlotte, Jane, and Alexander must set aside their differences to solve the mysteries of Thornfield Hall, help the Society (and the ghosts), and maybe even save the King of England in the process. Narrated by Charlotte, Jane, and Alexander, this novel uses Jane Eyre as a loose framework. It humorously blends fact with fiction and offers a gentler, more hopeful outcome for Charlotte, her siblings, and her heroine. VERDICT A must-read for fans of My Lady Jane or Jane Eyre and a fun alternative for fans of paranormal romances.—Emma Carbone, Brooklyn Public Library

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 006265277X
• ISBN 13: 9780062652775
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 464