The Wife Upstairs
By Rachel Hawkins
Release Date: January 5, 2021
Audiobook Available from WV Reads!
1.5 Stars - Really disappointing Jane Eyre twisted tale that didn't even touch my expectations. Anyone who gobbles up classic literature retellings or domestic thrillers may find this entertaining but I was bored silly most of the time I was listening to it. And the narration wasn't helping.
First, the robo voice narration style isn't doing mysteries like this any favors. Our main character came off sounding nasally and whiny, though she really was sort of both on the page anyway. Even at a short eight hours of running time, I was over this gimmick quick. Now, I'll do my best to voice my complaints without spoilers. Jane was completely unlikable to me. She has no life, no background, and barely any personality except for maybe a love of foul language. I don't mind swearing, sex, or violence in my books at all but it has to serve some purpose.
I have no idea what the Jane Eyre plot concept was supposed to be. It's like the suggestion was "What about Jane Eyre as a modern Netflix scary movie? Yes! Let's go with it." And it ended at that. Worse yet, it's labeled as Southern Gothic and it could not be further from it. In the beginning, I was practically picturing brick brownstone townhouses in a city where Jane starts off the book as a dog walker. There's no small town charm, no steamy heat, hardly any skeletons in the family closet concepts. Even though the author hails from Alabama. The writing here is droll, and I suspect Hawkins hasn't found her footing yet outside of the young adult genre. Like she tried to sound/write "all grown up" for a change and as a result the details and the characters came off dull. I can't say I'd recommend this one unless you're really intrigued by this idea, genre, or Hawkins other works maybe. And definitely don't one-click this on Amazon if you're a Jane Eyre fan, maybe hold out for a library or borrowed copy.
(NS)
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