Unearthly Things

by Michelle Gagnon

Overview

Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre retold against the backdrop of San Francisco's most fabulous—and dangerous—elites.

After losing her parents in a tragic accident, surfer girl Janie Mason trades the sunny beaches of Hawaii for the cold fog of San Francisco and new guardians—the Rochesters—that she’s never even met. Janie feels hopelessly out of place in their world of Napa weekends, fancy cotillions, and chauffeurs. The only person she can relate to is Daniel, a fellow surfer. Meeting him makes Janie feel like things might be looking up.

Still, something isn’t right in the Rochester mansion. There are noises—screams—coming from the attic that everyone else claims they can’t hear. Then John, the black sheep of the family, returns after getting kicked out of yet another boarding school. Soon Janie finds herself torn between devil-may-care John and fiercely loyal Daniel. Just when she thinks her life can’t get any more complicated, she learns the truth about why the Rochesters took her in. They want something from Janie, and she’s about to see just how far they’ll go to get it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781616956974
Publisher:	Soho Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	04/11/2017
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	517 KB
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Michelle Gagnon is the bestselling author of thrillers for teens and adults. Her young adult PERSEFØNE trilogy (Don’t Turn Around, Don’t Look Now, Don’t Let Go) was nominated for a Thriller Award, and was selected as a top read by Entertainment Weekly, Kirkus, Voya, and the Young Adult Library Services Association. Her standalone young adult thriller Strangelets was a Junior Library Guild pick. She lives in Los Angeles with her family.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1
 
 “This is the place,” the driver said. “Home, right?”
     “Not really,” I muttered. The ride from the airport had passed in a blink. But then, my whole life felt like that lately. Every time I closed my eyes, the world seemed to jump forward to a new and terrible place.
     Less than three weeks ago, I’d been sitting on our back porch watching the tide come in. When a car pulled into the driveway, I figured my parents were back early from their “day date.” Then the doorbell rang, which was weird; weirder still, when I answered it, there were two serious-looking cops standing there. The older one asked, “Are you Janie Mason?”
     The next time I blinked, two caskets were being lowered into matching dark holes, while a priest talked about lives cut tragically short. Blink: I was in a lawyer’s office, my bare legs sticking to a leather chair as he droned on. Your parents appointed the Rochesters to serve as your legal guardians. They live in San Francisco . . . Blink: I was on a plane, watching Kona International Airport recede in the distance. Blink: at the bottom of the airport escalator, a chauffeur was holding a sign with my name on it.
     And now I’d arrived at the home of total strangers, like so much driftwood cast ashore.
     I fought the urge to cry as I tucked stray hairs into the hood of my anorak. The rain was coming down in sheets, making it difficult to see more than a few feet past the car. The driver hurried around to retrieve my suitcases from the trunk. Girding myself against the downpour, I climbed out of the backseat.
     The wind drove the rain into me, quickly soaking my clothing. It rained all the time in Hawaii, but those drops were warm, more like a caress. These icy pellets were a different beast entirely. Shivering, I tilted my head back and stared up at the house.
     “Whoa,” I muttered. It was a mansion: huge, imposing, and starkly different from our cozy beach cottage. The kind of place you could actually get lost in; especially since it was completely dark aside from the light above the door.
     The driver carefully set my battered suitcases on the front porch before pressing the doorbell. I joined him beneath an awning that blocked the worst of the storm.
     “You’re sure this is it?” I asked after a minute, trying to keep the tremor from my voice.
     “It’s the right address.” The driver frowned at the door, then pushed the buzzer again. We both listened as doleful chords bounced off the walls inside. “Sure they’re expecting you?”
     “Yeah. I mean, I think so,” I said.
     He smiled at me, and I felt badly about forgetting his name. “If you’d like, miss, you can wait in the car.”
     “No, thanks. I’ll be fine.”
     “I’ll wait with you until they answer,” he said, laying a comforting hand on my shoulder.
      He was only trying to be kind, but I flinched at the contact. For the past few weeks I’d felt like a rag doll being passed from person to person, hugged and patted and consoled. Even my parents’ lawyer, Mr. Briggs, had offered an embrace. I was seriously done with being touched by virtual strangers who claimed that everything was going to be okay, when obviously it wasn’t. Nothing was ever going to be okay again.
     The door slowly creaked open. I sucked in a deep breath and plastered a smile on my face.
     An elderly Asian woman squinted up at us. She was tiny, barely five feet tall. A ratty gray bathrobe brushed the top of her slippers. Enormous round eyeglasses made her look like a wizened owl; the dark wig perched crookedly on her head only heightened the effect. Her scowl deepened, and she barked, “No.”
     Then she slammed the door shut.
     My jaw dropped. Was this some sort of joke?
     The driver grumbled something and rapped hard on the door. It didn’t open. I pictured the elderly woman standing on the other side, willing us to go away.
     For a second, I felt a flash of hope. Maybe this had all been some sort of huge mistake. I’d call Mr. Briggs and explain that the Rochesters didn’t seem to want me after all, and he’d get me on the next flight home. I could live with my friend Kaila instead. By this time tomorrow I’d be back on my surfboard, waiting for a set of waves to come in . . .
     The door opened. The owl lady peered at us again, frowning.
     “I-I’m Janie,” I squeaked. “Janie Mason. The Rochesters should be expecting me?”
     Wordlessly, she stepped back and opened the door wider.
     The driver cast me a quick, questioning look. When I reluctantly nodded, he picked up my bags and shifted them inside.
      “Good luck,” he said, sounding relieved. Then he raced back to the car, head ducked against the rain.
     Owl lady closed the door and bolted it while I surveyed my surroundings: my new home, I told myself, but the thought was so absurd I almost laughed. In the dim lighting, it was hard to make out much aside from the thick Oriental rug I was dripping on and some huge, dark pieces of furniture.
      “So,” I tried again, “are the Rochesters here?”
      “Not home,” she muttered in a thick accent. Looking me up and down appraisingly, she added something that sounded like, “Kung backit mo deeto?”
      “I’m sorry, I don’t speak Filipino,” I apologized, recognizing the language. Tourists from the Philippines tended to make the same mistake, since I’d inherited my mom’s hair and skin tone.
 
~
 
You speak it. Why didn’t you ever teach me? I’d demanded in fourth grade, jealous of Yuko Osumi’s ability to rattle off Japanese phrases at recess.
     It brings up too many bad memories, Mom had replied, looking sadder than I’d ever seen her.
     What memories?
     She shook her head. You’re too young. I’ll tell you someday.
 
~
 
Now there would never be a someday, I thought. My lip quivered again, and I bit it to stop the tears.

Editorial Reviews

02/06/2017
Jane Eyre was no Hawaiian surfer girl, but her story provides the framework for Gagnon’s clever update of the Brontë classic. Janie Mason, forced to leave Kona after her parents are killed in a helicopter crash, finds herself in the gloomy San Francisco mansion of the Rochester family, her new guardians. She’s coolly welcomed by matriarch Marion, who seems to detest her on sight, and imposing patriarch Richard. The only friendly Rochester is six-year-old Nicholas, but Janie errs by mentioning Eliza, learning too late that she’s Nicholas’s recently deceased twin (with whom he still regularly converses). School isn’t any better, though Janie eventually meets a boy, Daniel, who has baggage and bad blood with the Rochesters. Gagnon (Don’t Let Go) plays up the gaslighting element of the story well: when things start going bump in the night, Janie isn’t sure if she’s losing her mind or if someone is trying to make her believe she is, perhaps even the newly arrived Rochester bad boy, John. Fully rounded characters and abundant suspense help Gagnon’s novel hold its own amid other contemporary Eyre reimaginings. Ages 14–up. Agent: Stephanie Rostan, Levine, Greenburg, Rostan. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Unearthly Things

“Effortlessly paced, full of heart, humor and horror, Gagnon revives the spirit of a classic while putting her own unique spin on the story. Janie is sympathetic and brave, the perfect lens for us to peer into a world of grandeur, secrets and dark lies. You can't help but lament the family Janie lost while also cheering for her to succeed in her new and strange reality. Charlotte Brontë would never have guessed that her classic fits so well with a Mean Girls twist, but the blend is addictive, fast-paced and haunting.”
—Madeleine Roux, New York Times bestselling author of the Asylum series

“Haunting in the best possible sense, from the first page to the very last twist.” 
—Leslie Margolis, New York Times bestselling author of the Maggie Brooklyn mysteries

“A page-turning ode to Jane Eyre with a ghostly twist, Michelle Gagnon’s Unearthly Things haunts and delights. Orphaned Janie Mason uncovers the awful secrets hidden behind the seemingly perfect high society life of her new guardians, the Rochesters. A deliciously terrifying read with a heroine worthy of Charlotte Brontë’s classic.”
—Joy Preble, author of It Wasn't Always Like This

“Inspired by Jane Eyre, Michelle Gagnon gives a new take on the classic tale. Making Janie an outcast surfer and having her explore social and cultural differences between the upbringing of her Filipina mother and white father make Unearthly Things a clever update of Brontë’s classic. The fast-paced suspense of the novel along with the depth of thecharacters makes Gagnon’s work worth reading for both mystery and Brontë fans alike.”
—The Popular Culture Association  

"The pace accelerates, suspense builds, and stakes mount . . . Jane Eyre has inspired retellings from literary gems to pallid retreads; Gagnon's version stands up to the competition, slyly toying with readers' expectation to surprising, entertaining effect."
—Kirkus Reviews

"A clever update of the Brontë classic . . . Fully rounded characters and abundant suspense help Gagnon’s novel hold its own amid other contemporary Eyre reimaginings."
—Publishers Weekly

“Jane Eyre fans will enjoy picking out the commonalities . . . Fate handles her roughly, but like the original Jane, our Janie discovers an inner fortitude. Hand to fans of Lois Duncan–style mysteries.”
—Booklist

“The pacing here is terrific . . . a thrilling climax allows all the loose ends and just desserts to snick into place.”
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“This fast-paced retelling of Jane Eyre will appeal to fans of contemporary Gothic . . . Pair this with the classic novels Jane Eyre or Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca.”
—School Library Connection

"Failing family fortunes, wails in the night, bizarre dreams . . . Teens who like gothic fiction will find this enjoyable."
—School Library Journal

“A real treat . . . For those who aren’t too into horror, but every now and again are looking for a bit of a spooky tale without having to keep the lights on for weeks while sleeping, this is definitely a great book to pick up.” 
—Here’s To Happy Endings

From the Publisher

03/01/2017
Gr 9 Up—San Francisco is a world away from Hawaii for surfer Janie, whose parents have just died. Her new guardians, the Rochesters, are an old money family with buried secrets and old feuds. Janie has a hard time processing her guardians' silent, formal dinners. Everyone fears patriarch Richard Rochester's explosive temper, and Marian Rochester makes it no secret that she does not want Janie in her house. Daughter Georgina is a textbook mean girl, and oldest son John is the family's good-hearted black sheep, who bows to his father's will. When Janie hears strange screams and noises coming from the attic, youngest son Nicholas spins stories of his dead sister, Eliza, and swears that her ghost tells him to do things. Janie vows to discover the "ghost" and solve the mystery of the disturbed house. Failing family fortunes, wails in the night, bizarre dreams, and a fire that nearly kills her all convince Janie that the Rochesters are up to no good. Unfortunately, this Janie is a mere shadow of Jane Eyre: she does not have the original character's fire, spirit, or strength. Love interest Daniel comes off as weak and needy, and his breakup with Janie is ludicrous. The well-plotted gothic elements, however, will entertain many readers. VERDICT While the characterizations are uneven, teens who like gothic fiction will find this enjoyable. A secondary purchase for high school collections.—Pamela Thompson, Col. John O. Ensor Middle School, El Paso, TX

School Library Journal

2016-12-21
Newly orphaned Janie Mason moves from the Hawaii she loves to a chilly mansion in San Francisco, home of the strangers her parents named as her legal guardians: the Rochesters.The Rochesters, a white family, prove cold and unfriendly, as does their Filipina housekeeper, despite the fact that Janie's biracial: part Filipina, part white. Only the youngest Rochester, Nicholas, is friendly. Visiting her opulent room, he puzzles her with comments about his invisible twin sister. His father, Richard, Janie's legal guardian and an old friend of her father, scares Janie. Richard's wife, Marion, clearly detests her but complies with his orders, enrolling Janie in their daughter's private school, where Janie struggles to keep up. When her surfboard and wetsuit arrive from Hawaii, Janie heads to the beach, where she connects with a hot boy from school. At home, Janie's sleep is interrupted by strange sounds from the attic; someone rifles through her possessions when she's out. Older brother John, expelled from school, arrives and precipitates a family crisis that somehow involves Janie. The pace accelerates, suspense builds, and stakes mount to a denouement dished up with a side order of Gothic excess. If some questions go unanswered, genre fans won't mind. Jane Eyre has inspired retellings from literary gems to pallid retreads; Gagnon's version stands up to the competition, slyly toying with readers' expectation to surprising, entertaining effect. (Suspense. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews