Title: Jekel Loves Hyde
Author: Beth Fantaskey
Hardcover: 288 pages
Reading Level: YA
Published: May 2010
My Copy: International Book Tour
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 wicked stars
Blurb (from Amazon.com):
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.
My thoughts...
I have seen a few reviews on this book, going from "I love it" to "embarrassingly bad"..and hey, to each their own. I fell somewhere in the middle on this one. I liked the book, I thought the idea of a story based on the descendants of Jekyll/Hyde was an interesting one and the characters didn't grate on my nerves. The story is told from alternating points of view, Jill and Tristen, so I kind of feel with that...I didn't get as involved in the one character as I wanted to. The mystery of not knowing what the other is thinking is fun for me.
Jill Jekel is a nerdy, timid science nut that has never really had a boyfriend. She connects with Tristen Hyde over a science project where first prize would win a $30,000 scholarship. Tristen is an aloof, good looking outsider (by his choice) that agrees with help Jill on the project for his own reasons...he believes that the "Hyde monster" lives inside him and has made him do terrible things in the past. He believes Jill has the solution to his problem, literally, in the form of a potion created from the notes of Dr. Jekyll.
I found this a quick and interesting read based on a storyline that is unique. I would have wished for maybe more character development to enroll me into their lives more, but that didn't stop me from reading it pretty quickly. If you enjoy dark, quirky, science-nerd type stories, check it out on May 3rd when it is released!
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