September 10, 2003
Jenna Starborn by Sharon Shinn

Jenna Starborn by Sharon Shinn: a retelling of Charlotte Bronte’s classic story Jane Eyre in a very different time and setting - far in the far in outer space.

Jenna Starborn is a woman who was created in the gen-tanks of planet Baldus for a woman who could not conceive. A few months after Jenna was “born,” a scientific break-through was achieved and Jenna’s “aunt” could now carry her own baby. Thus, Jenna became an unwanted half-citizen loved nor cared for by anyone.

Since the story is a basic retelling of Jane Eyre, it was never hard to tell exactly what was going to happen next since I’d read the book years ago. However, Shinn has created a very believable future and characters that I could sympathize with. I really liked Jenna and wanted to see good things happen to her, though I knew some very painful experiences awaited her future.

All in all, it was a very satisfying read and I enjoyed my time in Jenna’s world. Incidentally, this novel is classified as science fiction, but that’s mostly due to it taking place in the future in outer space.