Within These Wicked Walls (2021)

I read this supernatural YA novel last year, and I really loved it. It’s super compelling, both as a reimagining of Jane Eyre and as its own story. So great!

Andromeda is a young unlicensed debtera, trained to cleanse houses of evil spirits. She’s just gotten her first big job working in a house plagued by the Evil Eye. While Andi just wants to buckle down, do her work, and make her living, the mercurial owner of the house, Magnus Rochester, is charmed by her plain-spokenness and lack of flattery. As Andi finds herself oddly charmed by Magnus in turn, she tries to resist her feelings, wary of being toyed with by a wealthy man who could never genuinely care for her.

I really like how Jane Eyre is re-envisioned through an Ethiopian-inspired lens here. The original novel, of course, features horrors that are more psychological than supernatural, but I don’t mind the different direction that this book takes. I really enjoy learning about the nuts and bolts of Andi’s work as a debtera, the different challenges and dangers she faces, and how she goes about combatting the house’s many Manifestations. The mechanics of the curse are interesting as well, and we see how it’s shaped Magnus into the person he’s become.

Speaking of which, Andi and Magnus are both recognizably Jane and Rochester while still being very much their own characters. The way Andi can appear meek but doesn’t back down from speaking her mind, the way she’s become so accustomed to making her way in the world that she doesn’t always know how to accept help when it’s offered. The way Magnus’s curse has largely kept him away from the company of others and he’s grown irascible and blunt, the way he challenges Andi but sees it as enjoyable sparring rather than arguing. The dynamic between them very much scratches that Jane/Rochester itch—author Lauren Blackwood nails the feeling of their slowly growing romance. It’s clearly messed up in ways, even as the lure of it is intoxicating for both of them, and it leads them to palpable danger, but the way they come to understand each other is wonderful to read.

It's a small thing, but I also really like how the book interprets Kelela, the Blanche Ingram counterpart. She takes on a more interesting role and is just allowed to be much more of a person, rather than simply the woman standing in Andi’s way.

I don’t read a lot of horror, YA or otherwise, so I’m not the best person to gauge the level of horror here when it comes to the Manifestations. I certainly found different parts of the story pretty freaky, although there was nothing I personally couldn’t handle. There’s some excellent suspense and action, and Andi needs to call on her faith, her skill, her bravery, and her intelligence to do battle with the Evil Eye.

Warnings

Strong violence, disturbing images, drinking/smoking, and strong thematic elements (including child abuse.)