Title: Catherine
Author: April Lindner (Twitter)
Publisher: Poppy
Publish Date: January 2, 2013
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 320
Source: Publisher

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.

It should be said, first and foremost, that despite the fact that Wuthering Heights is a classic, I think much of the storyline actually escaped me as a reader. I simply don't think I understood the complexity of the novel, which was, in large part, why I was so very excited to read Catherine by April Lindner. Ms. Lindner has this innate ability to bring the classics to life in a way that makes me appreciate the original, while I'm becoming fully invested in the contemporary retelling. Crafting a story with a careful balance of new and old, these classical retellings simply dust off the cobwebs and bring the story back to life.

I often find with reimagined stories that authors lose crucial bits of their predecessors, which irreparably damage the novel. Catherine though, manages to hold fast to the integrity of the novel, but still manages to interject its in unique flair and flavour to what could have easily become a tired story. I found that much of the first half of the novel adhered rather strictly to that of Wuthering Heights, but once the story, the background and the mystery were set up, the story took on a bit of a life of its own, and taking us on a new sort of adventure that really helps us better understand the nature of the mystery. 

Chelsea and Catherine were worthy characters in their own right in this novel, as well. Alternating between their voices by chapter, it was an interesting twist on the classic that offered me far better insight than the original, thus giving me much more of a reason to become invested in the novel. Catherine's point of view seemed to set the stage in the past for the events in the present, while Chelsea's voice moved the pace of the story and the mystery along, injecting it with life as the story progressed. 

Reimagined classics will always face a bit of a dichotomy in their readership, if only because of those who are staunch supporters of the classics. What I enjoyed about Catherine is the fact that Ms. Lindner utilized her creative license in the best possible way by borrowing the most important pieces of Wuthering Heights, then interjecting them into an otherwise modern tale. By doing so, Catherine was transformed into a masterpiece in and of itself, alive with romance, drama, mystery and intrigue. Plus, while I had issues with some very unlikable characters in the classic. Ms. Lindner's characters are much more accessible and alive.

Overall, I think that Catherine might be Ms. Lindner's best retelling yet. While there are some implausible moments, and I think that Catherine and Chelsea sounded a bit too similar at times, I really, really enjoyed the story as a whole. I give it a 4.5 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to fans of YA, and contemporary fiction - especially those who enjoy reimagined classics.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

I have a treat for you guys today! I had the great pleasure of interview April Lindner, author of the novels Catherine and Jane, among others. As a reader with a penchant for historical fiction, I can totally appreciate her rich storytelling and bringing the classics alive in today's world. I had the chance to ask her a few questions about her newest novel, Catherine, based upon Wuthering Heights. So, without further ado, here's April!

1. There is a careful balance of new and old in Catherine. How did you choose to balance the historical nature of Wuthering Heights in this modern-day adaptation?

The challenge was to imagine a character like Catherine Earnshaw into the present, to picture what she would be like if she lived in our time. Coming of age in the late 1980s, my Catherine doesn’t have to marry a man with money and status to preserve her social status the way Bronte’s character did. Instead she’s faced with a more modern dilemma: must she give up her own dream of attending Harvard so she can stay with the guy she loves, whose own dreams and ambitions are quite different? Like Catherine Earnshaw, my Catherine tries to have it both ways, with similarly disastrous results.

2. You chose to feature dual perspectives between Chelsea and her mother, Catherine, in this novel. How did you distinguish their two viewpoints and make them original in such a classically remade story?

I’ve always felt that the multigenerational story line is really important in Wuthering Heights. Catherine’s daughter learns to love unselfishly, without pride, and the younger generation redeems the cruelties of the older one. So I felt it was really important to have two narrators and to interweave their stories, making each bear equal weight.

Though my Catherine and her daughter Chelsea look eerily like each other and share a certain spunkiness, Catherine is confident, with very specific ideas about her future and her place in the world. Chelsea is much less sure of herself. She’s also a bit angry; she’s grown up without a mother, and she’s still figuring out who she is.

3. What inspired you to remake a classic such as Wuthering Heights, which elicits extreme emotions on very opposite ends of the spectrum?

To be completely honest, I don’t think I realized exactly how polarizing Wuthering Heights is until I sent Catherine out into the world and started paying attention to the reaction. I hear from people who passionately love Emily Bronte’s novel and from others who are just as passionately repulsed by it. Of course I’m in the camp that loves the novel’s intensity and narrative complexity. As for Cathy and Heathcliff, they certainly aren’t role models, but their bad behavior grows out of the cruelty they’ve had to live with.

I like to think Catherine stands on its own, and might be enjoyed even by readers in the anti-Wuthering Heights camp. I’m a pretty mild mannered person, and though I originally set out to recreate some of the brutality in Bronte’s novel, I wound up with characters who are, I think, more on the likeable side. Hence, my Heathcliff character, has moments of being selfish and unkind, but by the book’s end we also see his bravery and loyalty.

4. When you create a modern day retelling such as Catherine, do you try to stay true to the original tale, or do you work to carve your own little niche for the story?

I try to do both. I want to get at the heart of the original story, to convey some of the emotion at the heart of the source material. But I also want to make something new that can stand on its own.

5. Do you have plans to write any more retellings any time soon? Care to share?!

Absolutely! I recently finished my third novel, Love, Lucy, a retelling of E. M. Forster’s A Room With a View. My Lucy is an American seventeen-year-old who falls for a street musician while backpacking through Florence, Italy, an encounter that changes the way she sees her life back home. The book is due out from Poppy in late 2014.

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Thank you so much for dropping by to answer some questions, April! I'm definitely looking forward to your next book. To all my lovely readers: have you read either Catherine or Jane? What was your take on these books?

Title: Jane
Author: April Lindner (Twitter)
Publisher: Poppy
Publish Date: October 11, 2010
Genre: NA, Contemporary
Pages: 373
Source: Personal Copy

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, a world-famous 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 soon tested by an agonizing secret from his past. Torn between her feelings for Nico and his fateful secret, Jane must decide: Does being true to herself mean giving up on true love?

Jane Moore didn't fit in. After facing the tragic deaths of her parents and being left penniless, Jane has to make some drastic changes in her life. She drops out of college and sets to work seeking a nanny job, if only to break even for a little while. But, Jane, the girl who never felt the need or desire to throw herself into pop culture finds herself in an interesting position. Acclaimed rocker, Nico Rathburn, needs a nanny, and her desire to simply survive, rather than seek fame, makes her the perfect match. But Jane soon finds herself very at home at his estate...and she may very well have put her heart in harm's way again. 

A few weeks ago, I do believe I confessed that I'd never read Jane Eyre. Well, I rectified that situation and, despite my initial struggle and reluctance, I found it to be a pretty remarkable read. Back in 2010, Jane was on my TBR, but having not read the book upon which it was based, I never got around to reading it. Drawing upon its classic counterpart, April Lindner weaves the classic tale into a novel that modern-day generations will relate to, empathize with and grow to love. While holding fast to its roots, Jane doesn't hesitate to spin us into a world that is entirely familiar but in a whole new setting, time and place.

I've read a bunch of retellings during my time as a book blogger, and I have to be honest and say that most of them really just haven't lived up. Either they cling too heavily to the classics, or they differ to greatly, and I do admit that it's an incredibly delicate balance for an author to manage. Jane Moore was, however, the epitome of Jane Eyre, and that was my first clue that this book might just have the ability to hold up against the classic. Jane is a very plainspoken, true and honest character. She's extremely forthright in her demeanor, in large part because of her upbringing, but this novel gave us a bit of a more lasting taste of her vulnerability. She's lost a lot, and she has a lot to gain from her job as a nanny in Nico's household, but first she has to almost lower her guard a bit. I was actually also extremely surprised at how well Nico embodied the persona of Mr. Rochester. He's decidedly hot, he's a musician and, for all intents and purposes, he's well above Jane in terms of class. Despite this though, the romance between Jane and Nico is delicious, appealing and flawless, really. Like the layers of an onion, we peel back these careful walls the characters have built and watch as they bare their souls to one another in such a true and honest fashion that we can't help but become invested in their story. Furthermore, the author writes with such a steady, confident hand that it mirrors how we feel about Jane. The prose is simple and stark, but it speaks volumes and lets the plot and romance sing through. In fact, truth be told, the only flaw I could mention about this novel is the slower entrance to the story and the need to fully detach myself from Jane Eyre to be able to full enjoy Jane.

Overall, I was really, really impressed with Jane. I think it's a worth retelling and, despite seeing many poor reviews, I think this book was brilliant, and I love the author's writing style. I give it a 4.5 out of 5 and, though marketed as YA, I would actually recommend this to both YA and NA audiences, especially those who enjoy contemporary fiction and classic story retellings.