Before her aunt's fatal trip to Antarctica, Jane made a promise to her: if Jane is ever invited to Tu Reviens, she must accept it without question. A few months later, Jane finds herself being asked to a gala being held at Tu Reviens by Kiran Thrash, a former classmate whose wealthy family owns the illustrious estate. While not close, Jane can't bring herself to go against Aunt Magnolia's last wish.
When she arrives at Tu Reviens, Jane is soon given a choice, one that could affect not just her life, but also the lives of Tu Reviens's occupants.
Jane, Unlimited is a 2017 young adult, multi-genre novel by Kristin Cashore. The novel is split into six sections: the first section sets up the characters and setting of Tu Reviens as well as the choice that Jane must make. The next five sections show the outcome of each individual choice. Sections can be in the order presented or out of order.
This novel provides examples of:
- Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: Jane dropped out of college, the bookstore she works at doesn't pay the bills, and the only thing she wants is to make umbrellas. It's this lack of direction- as much as her aunt's wish- that drives her to Tu Reviens. Depending on the story, she either figures out what to do next or she comes to regret it.
- Foreshadowing: Small details bleed inbetween stories, functioning as either foreshadowing or continuity nods depending on what order they're read in.
- Aunt Magnolia's photo of a large gray fish with a much smaller yellow fish peeking out of its mouth pops up in each story, but it's only in the first that its significance is revealed: a priceless painting was hidden behind it.
- Gamebook: Each section after "Tu Reviens" is in the same order as the listing of people who Jane can follow. It's possible to read each section out of order, since certain events will happen regardless of who Jane follows (e.g. Jane will always come across Aunt Magnolia's photo of the gray and yellow fishes).
- Genre Mashup: It's difficult to place Jane, Unlimited into one specific genre since each section is basically it's own. It's part detective fiction, part espionage, part horror, part sci-fi, and part portal fantasy.
- Genre Shift: Each section is of a different genre than the next, with the stories generally arranged from least to most fantastical.
- Golden Ending: Downplayed. While a few stories have happy endings, only one answers the question of why Aunt Magnolia wanted Jane to go to Tu Reviens: if you follow Jasper the dog, Jane will travel to a fantasy world in which she finds Aunt Magnolia alive and well.
- Haunted House: The section named "In Which Charlotte Claims a Soul" shows that Tu Reviens is as much alive as its living occupants. It eventually absorbs and imprisons Jane.
- Love Triangle: A complicated one. Jane always has some attraction to Ivy regardless of the story, but she handles the attraction differently in each one, and sometimes Ravi gets involved as well.
- Meaningful Name: The name of the estate Kiran's family owns, Tu Reviens, is French for "you return". The Thrash family holds a gala at the estate at least once a year, and family obligations usually force those who are part of the family to return.
- Nephewism: Jane's parents died in a plane crash when she was an infant. After their deaths, her mother's sister, Aunt Magnolia, took her in and raised her.
- Not Quite Dead: In the final story, it's revealed that Aunt Magnolia is alive in another world.
- The Noun and the Noun: The title of the final section, "The Strayhound, The Girl, and the Painting", is a reference to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
- Parasol of Pain: Jane gets the idea to make a self-defense umbrella. Depending on what choice she makes, she'll either continue building it or get an idea for a different umbrella. Regardless of if she makes it, she never uses it in combat.
- Synthetic Plague: The development of a man-made plague plays into the espionage story. As it turns out, it's not quite as synthetic as most examples, as it's a strain of smallpox. They have to hurry to get it contained before it's released back into the world.
- Title Drop: The fourth story is titled "Jane, Unlimited". The "Unlimited" part refers to the multiverse: a Limited universe tends to be restricted by strict rules, whereas in an Unlimited universe, just about anything can happen.
