CATHERINE by April Lindner Book Review
Publication Date: January 2nd 2013 by Poppy
Rating: – Acceptable |

Book Summary: A forbidden romance. A modern mystery. Wuthering Heights as you’ve never seen it before.

Catherine is tired of struggling musicians befriending her just so they can get a gig at her Dad’s famous Manhattan club, The Underground. Then she meets mysterious Hence, an unbelievably passionate and talented musician on the brink of success. As their relationship grows, both are swept away in a fiery romance. But when their love is tested by a cruel whim of fate, will pride keep them apart?

Chelsea has always believed that her mom died of a sudden illness, until she finds a letter her dad has kept from her for years—a letter from her mom, Catherine, who didn’t die: She disappeared. Driven by unanswered questions, Chelsea sets out to look for her—starting with the return address on the letter: The Underground.

Told in two voices, twenty years apart, Catherine interweaves a timeless forbidden romance with a compelling modern mystery.

Catherine by April Lindner Book Review Overview:

• Fun contemporary with an intriguing mystery
• Likeable protagonists but Catherine is more of my favorite
• I never read Wuthering Heights: I can’t judge on how successful it is as an adaptation.

I picked up CATHERINE by April Lindner without any knowledge of Wuthering Heights. As much as I itched to search up a plot summary, I really wanted to read CATHERINE without any outside influences. CATHERINE by April Lindner is a fun contemporary with an intriguing mystery told from alternating perspectives set nearly twenty years apart.

When Chelsea finds an old letter addressed to her from her missing mother, Chelsea leaves home in search of her mother in New York City. She is determined to find out what has become of her mother after all these years. Once in New York, Chelsea starts to find out more about her mother as a teenager when she discovers her mother’s old diary. Chelsea hopes that this will be the clue to help track her down.

Chelsea is likeable enough as a protagonist. Her determination is infectious and you want nothing more to find her mother. Of the two, Catherine is probably the one who is more likeable because it is her character that has a questionable future. Catherine’s happily ever after was more in question than Chelsea’s. Catherine had a lot more forces going against her, so I tended to sympathize more with her character.

I wasn’t a fan of how New York City is portrayed in the story; it was like reading a novel from the eyes of a tourist. As someone who lives in the city, it was quite a disappointment.

The romance in CATHERINE by April Lindner is inevitable. It isn’t necessary to the plot and I thought it filler than anything else. I would have been fine if Chelsea had gone through the novel without a romance. It was more of her mother’s story that I found interesting.

Guest reviewer, Loreal, also had a chance to read CATHERINE by April Lindner. I asked her to co-write a review with me, but she said that she loved the book so much that it would be impossible for her to write anything coherent. I should also add that she loved CATHERINE by April Lindner even more so than the original.

CATHERINE by April Lindner succeeds as an engaging contemporary mystery with a touch of romance. But because I have not read Wuthering Heights I can’t judge on how successful it is as an adaptation. However, CATHERINE by April Lindner did not convince me to pick up Wuthering Heights unlike how Lindner’s Jane immediately got me to pick up Jane Eyre.

Other Book Reviews:
Chapter by Chapter
Once Upon a Prologue
WinterHaven Books

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Permalink Book Review, Three Stars - Audience: Young Adult, Author: April Lindner, Book: Catherine, Borrow It, Genre: Contemporary, Genre: Mystery, Genre: Retelling, Genre: Romance, Publisher: Poppy | 1057 words

JANE by April Lindner
Publication Date: October 11th 2010 by Poppy
Rating:

Summary: Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, an iconic rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer, and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance. But there’s a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane’s much-envied relationship with Nico is tested by a torturous secret from his past.

Part irresistible romance and part darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers.

Review Overview:

• Recommended to reluctant classics readers who haven’t read Jane Eyre
• Great chemistry, wonderful story

Yes, I haven’t read Jane Eyre. But over the years, I’ve become pretty acquainted with the plot and the characters. It would be pretty difficult not to be when it’s become so prominent in pop culture. Coming into the book, I had some knowledge of the characters, the forbidden romance, and the plot. I’m pretty sure I read the plot summary on Wikipedia before when I had myself convinced that I would never read Jane Eyre because it’s a classic… and classics are just too boring for me. Well, huh. Funny how that’s changed.

I loved JANE. I found it so easy to relate to her and I love how she’s exactly my age. There’s not too many books out there that involves protagonists of exactly my age so I was loving every single moment of it. I read a couple of reviews that argued that Jane wasn’t as strong of a heroine in this modern retelling as she was in the original, but since I’ve never read the classic, I had nothing to compare it to. As a 19-year-old faced with so much difficulty in her short life, I thought that Jane handled herself very maturely. I know that there are a ton of girls my age that couldn’t have handled her parents death and lack of funds any better than she has.

The one thing that bothered me a little was the fact that I really didn’t know Nico’s age. Was it essential to the story? Not at all. It’s quite obvious that he’s older, but not so old that he could be her father. Still, I found him very charming and I was simply drawn immediately to his character. I loved the chemistry in this book. There was no surprise how it was going to turn out, but I had fun getting there.

I thought that the story of Jane Eyre based on my limited knowledge of the plot worked fantastically in this contemporary setting. I was actually craving to read a story involving a rock star so it was just my luck that I had JANE sitting on my shelf from the library. I am so happy for this book because it’s given me a rare appreciation for classics. I can only imagine how much more I will enjoy Jane Eyre and I cannot wait to get my hands on a pretty leather-bound copy.

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Permalink Book Review, Four Stars - Audience: Young Adult, Author: April Lindner, Book: Jane, Genre: Contemporary, Genre: Retelling, Genre: Romance, Publisher: Poppy, Romantic Read | 668 words