Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey

Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey
Release Date – May 3 2010
Publisher – Harcourt Children's Books
Pages - 282
My Rating- 6.5/10


Here is the synopsis from Good Reads

Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents rules;especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father's office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she's tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be the key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.
To improve her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen's sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill's accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything, even Tristen's love just for the thrill of being . . . bad

This novel is a twist on the classic “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” tale. I had read the original tale in high school and was interested to see what this novel would be like. I liked that the author used the novel as a prominent part of the story (Tristen actually has a copy of it that is important to the plot).

We meet Jill Jekel the “good” girl and Tristen the “mysterious” boy in her chemistry class. I liked that the author decided to make Jekyll(Jekel) and Hyde two different people. It was a nice touch, almost a yin/yang element to it. It made the chemistry between Jill and Tristen that much more electric. The chemistry between them was one of the best parts of the story. It was obvious they were meant to be together.

I also really liked that the author switched point of views between the two characters. It made it much more interesting to see what the other character was thinking. I find in stories told from one perspective people usually want to hear the other side.

What I liked most about the book was that the message was sort of relatable(even though it’s a fantasy type story). I think everyone can relate to having a side to themselves that they might be unwilling or afraid to show people. A part of themselves that they struggle to accept or bring out. This is especially true for teenagers and young adults as they are trying to find themselves, and decide who they are as an individual. Jill, for example, is the “good girl” but she does a lot of things in the novel that do not fit that characterization. She has a hard time with some of the stuff she does. Tristen is afraid of the “beast” (as he calls it) taking control and losing himself.

The story does move a littler slower, and parts were hard to get through. It was a lot darker and more twisted than I expected. The twists and turns of the story are mostly predictable (with very few genuinely surprising twists) but it was a dark and enjoyable read.