Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey

Jill Jekel is a good girl. She does what she’s told. She obeys her parents. She concentrates on school instead of boys. But when her dad is murdered and her college savings disappear, Jill realizes that being good all the time might not get her anywhere. That’s when she decides to peek in the mysterious old box in her father’s office, the one she was told never to touch, the one containing transcripts of experiments that could help her win a chemistry scholarship. With the help of Tristen Hyde, Jill tries to recreate experiments connected to the classic novel containing their namesakes. This is a darker side of chemistry, though, with the power to contain and release a terrible evil. Both a poison and a cure, this formula will undoubtedly change both Jill’s and Tristen’s lives forever.

Jekel Loves Hyde is an interesting story that obviously draws its inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The effect is unique to say the least by at the same time certainly strange. The plot of this novel is like no other I’ve read, where monsters come and go with sip of a potion all in modern day high school. It’s so original that most readers will be kept satisfied with the constant danger, long buried secrets, chemistry experiments, and undercurrent of romance. The characters for the most part are believable in their situations, particularly Tristen. His fear of his darker nature and his determination to be good make him an irresistible hero/villain. On the other hand, I didn’t like Jill’s character as much. She was difficult to understand and relate to as well as a bit annoying at times. Overall, Jekel Loves Hyde is mostly enjoyable but the unique-to-the-point-of-strange story just didn’t stand out in other ways.

Jekel Loves Hyde may be enjoyed by fans of the classic The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson although I’m not entirely sure there’s a certain niche of readers that this novel really appeals to.

Rating: 3.75

Review copy from Amazon Vine