Review of 'My Calamity Jane'

Welcome to 1876 America, a place bursting with gunslingers, outlaws, and garou—better known as werewolves.

And where there are garou, there’re hunters: the one and only Calamity Jane, to be precise, along with her fellow stars of Wild Bill’s Traveling Show, Annie Oakley and Frank “the Pistol Prince” Butler.

After a garou hunt goes south and Jane finds a suspicious-like bite on her arm, she turns tail for Deadwood, where there’s talk of a garou cure. But rumors can be deceiving—meaning the gang better hightail it after her before they’re a day late and a Jane short.

In this perfect next read for fans of A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, bestselling authors Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, and Brodi Ashton bring their signature spark to the side-splittin’, whopper-filled (but actually kind of factual?) tale of Calamity Jane.

Review

The Janies authors do it again, bringing heart and humor while reinventing history, giving it their fantastical spin.

Storytelling

I can’t say this enough, I love these authors. Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows are fabulous in giving their characters life. But also in the way they work together to put the storytelling.

In My Calamity Jane, readers are taken to the old west, following Calamity, Frank Butler, and Annie Oakley. If these names sound familiar to you, they should! Three famous historical figures did travel the west, putting on shows for folks around the country.

The “Wild West” comes alive in this novel. From the slang to the characterization and scene structure, the reader sees the classic west in all its beauty.

But the authors use their voices to further bring the story to life. These authors break the fourth wall, addressing the reader, the story, and the characters in a way that makes the reader laugh. But they also don’t spoil the story. Instead, they use their voices to build upon the plot, giving additional backstory where needed, allowing the story’s pacing and momentum to remain intact without taking any hits.

I love that about these authors. The pacing of the story never breaks. It never falters when they decide to delve into each character’s internal narrative or when the authors themselves decide to use their voices. My Calamity Jane just has an incredible pace that keeps the reader engaged.

Characterization

Of course, My Calamity Jane would be nothing without these characters. But, again, I must applaud the authors for the way they work together to bring the characters to life.

Each author works on developing a single narrative, giving the characters a strong individual voice, and focusing on developing their personalities and developing.

Except, when you read this novel, it does not feel like the story was written by three different authors. You can tell how well these authors work together through their characterization. Each character balances the other. They build the plot off of one another, yet, while they all sound differently, they work harmoniously in the story.

It truly is exceptional to see these characters come to life in the way they do. But at the end of the day, the humor kills me. But in a good way.

Each character is quirky in their own way, and the humor here, these authors have such a knack for letting the humor seep into the tone and language of the story. It feels natural and fits the character.

Final Thoughts

My Calamity Jane is a riot. The last book in the Janies series, it will make you laugh and smile long after you’re done with it.

• Writing Quality : 10/10
• Character Development : 9/10
• "Couldn't Put It Down"-ness : 10/10
• Intellectual Depth: 9/10
• Originality: 10/10
• Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

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About the Author

Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband, son and daughter and their two cats.