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stephxsu's review against another edition
3.0
JEKEL LOVES HYDE has a fascinating premise, but Beth Fantaskey’s sophomore novel unfortunately doesn’t live up to her debut, the compelling, funny, and smoldering Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. The pace is slow, the writing stilted, and the characters lack believability and, well, chemistry.
Jill and Tristen’s romance will appeal best to fans of those often inexplicable paranormal matchups in the style of Twilight and Shiver. Jill is a timid character whose passivity and inability to get anything done get extremely frustrating extremely fast. I suppose the point of the book is to illustrate how her love for Tristen and the formula they create from her father’s papers change Jill, bring out the “bad” side of her (the side that we all have)—but when the change came about, it happened so abruptly, with such an uneven buildup beforehand, that I couldn’t really believe it actually happened.
Tristen’s character was more attractively complex: Fantaskey does a good job of illustrating his conflict of familial demands vs. individual agency. However, his thought processes and dialogue were quite obviously conceived of and executed by a female. The lack of distinction between Tristen’s and Jill’s voices, coupled with their alternating narrative POVs throughout the book, made for an almost uncomfortable read, in that the characters never stood out and achieved credibility.
JEKEL LOVES HYDE takes an intriguing look at the complex influences of family over individual agency, but that interesting concept was for the most part sadly mired in the mundanities of a less-than-fully-realized high school adolescent setting. The teachers and classmates were stock characters, and the chemistry experiments that Jill and Tristen performed lacked a richness of detail that would make us believe they are actually doing what the words on the page vaguely tell us they’re doing. Similarly, Jill’s interest in art and Tristen’s passion for music were characteristics that never fully coalesced with their characters for me.
There is no denying that JEKEL LOVES HYDE is an ambitious book. Fantaskey’s writing “tics” of flat supporting characters, love-conquers-all theme, and colloquial diction are once again prevalent here, but unlike in Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, there is no gratifying humor or steamy romance to excuse its weaker points. JEKEL LOVES HYDE will appeal most to readers who like their paranormal romances swoony and won’t mind a slow and perhaps not quite cohesive plot. Despite the lukewarm effect this book had on me, however, I still admire Fantaskey for coming up with the most original and compelling premises ever, and will not hesitate to pick up her future books.
Jill and Tristen’s romance will appeal best to fans of those often inexplicable paranormal matchups in the style of Twilight and Shiver. Jill is a timid character whose passivity and inability to get anything done get extremely frustrating extremely fast. I suppose the point of the book is to illustrate how her love for Tristen and the formula they create from her father’s papers change Jill, bring out the “bad” side of her (the side that we all have)—but when the change came about, it happened so abruptly, with such an uneven buildup beforehand, that I couldn’t really believe it actually happened.
Tristen’s character was more attractively complex: Fantaskey does a good job of illustrating his conflict of familial demands vs. individual agency. However, his thought processes and dialogue were quite obviously conceived of and executed by a female. The lack of distinction between Tristen’s and Jill’s voices, coupled with their alternating narrative POVs throughout the book, made for an almost uncomfortable read, in that the characters never stood out and achieved credibility.
JEKEL LOVES HYDE takes an intriguing look at the complex influences of family over individual agency, but that interesting concept was for the most part sadly mired in the mundanities of a less-than-fully-realized high school adolescent setting. The teachers and classmates were stock characters, and the chemistry experiments that Jill and Tristen performed lacked a richness of detail that would make us believe they are actually doing what the words on the page vaguely tell us they’re doing. Similarly, Jill’s interest in art and Tristen’s passion for music were characteristics that never fully coalesced with their characters for me.
There is no denying that JEKEL LOVES HYDE is an ambitious book. Fantaskey’s writing “tics” of flat supporting characters, love-conquers-all theme, and colloquial diction are once again prevalent here, but unlike in Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, there is no gratifying humor or steamy romance to excuse its weaker points. JEKEL LOVES HYDE will appeal most to readers who like their paranormal romances swoony and won’t mind a slow and perhaps not quite cohesive plot. Despite the lukewarm effect this book had on me, however, I still admire Fantaskey for coming up with the most original and compelling premises ever, and will not hesitate to pick up her future books.
christiana's review against another edition
3.0
This book is weird and creepy and sciencey in a good way. I like the idea of Jekyll and Hyde splitting and having separate lineage. Definitely an older teen read though. It was a 3.5 stars kind of read.
mylxa's review against another edition
3.0
Reading this, I felt like I was reading a comic book. And I MEAN a comic book, not a cool "Graphic Novel". Just like Jessica's Guide, it was definitely pulpy, not high art, and DARN I got sucked in again. At the climax I was holding my breath a bit, and there was the "don't want to put it down" moment. I was happy with the ending.
The characters the author sets up felt just like those in Jessica's Guide, and it was a disappointing. My first thought was "Wow, her formula is very clear isn't it". There's a "good" but uncool girl who thinks she's unattractive. There's the cool "bad boy" who we are supposed to be unsure about. In both books, he's European with an accent. There's an "evil" girl who's the good girl's competition for the guy and life in general. Then, somebody who comes along to mess things up when the guy and girl get close. Lastly a dangerous adult figure that claim to reveal the guy's true, dark and unworthy nature, that the guy and girl have to deal with to be together.
Jill Jekel and Tristan Hyde are supposed to be an unlikely couple, and are brought together by a science project. They have another connection which they find out about later. The project is essentially to re-create the potion that transformed Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde. I felt that this aspect was unforgivably hokey. Drugs and alcohol are so present in the lives of young people; Plenty of those will "transform" a good kid into a bad one. Maybe Fantaskey thought that was too mundane.
I liked the mystery about Jill's father, and her connection to Tristan's father. I thought the conflict between Tristan and his father was interesting and effective. There was a true tension, and I was somewhat scared by their final confrontation. The small amount of violence that was part of this mystery felt very accurate. I can easily imagine someone dabbling in unknown substances to be dangerous. I don't think the story would have lost anything to call the problem a drug addiction, a mental illness or a personality-disorder. Again, too mundane maybe.
Jill's experimentation with the potion was funny; the extent of her transformation I guess was clever but not wholly surprising. There was a little bit of "sexy" going on in the story too, which was ok. THAT part, I felt like Fantaskey got right with regard to portraying real kids.
In the end, I think of it as essentially a romance novel. I do like my romance novels, it's true. But I felt like this one missed the opportunity to do something very clever with the Jekyll/Hyde set up. Oh well.
The characters the author sets up felt just like those in Jessica's Guide, and it was a disappointing. My first thought was "Wow, her formula is very clear isn't it". There's a "good" but uncool girl who thinks she's unattractive. There's the cool "bad boy" who we are supposed to be unsure about. In both books, he's European with an accent. There's an "evil" girl who's the good girl's competition for the guy and life in general. Then, somebody who comes along to mess things up when the guy and girl get close. Lastly a dangerous adult figure that claim to reveal the guy's true, dark and unworthy nature, that the guy and girl have to deal with to be together.
Jill Jekel and Tristan Hyde are supposed to be an unlikely couple, and are brought together by a science project. They have another connection which they find out about later. The project is essentially to re-create the potion that transformed Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde. I felt that this aspect was unforgivably hokey. Drugs and alcohol are so present in the lives of young people; Plenty of those will "transform" a good kid into a bad one. Maybe Fantaskey thought that was too mundane.
I liked the mystery about Jill's father, and her connection to Tristan's father. I thought the conflict between Tristan and his father was interesting and effective. There was a true tension, and I was somewhat scared by their final confrontation. The small amount of violence that was part of this mystery felt very accurate. I can easily imagine someone dabbling in unknown substances to be dangerous. I don't think the story would have lost anything to call the problem a drug addiction, a mental illness or a personality-disorder. Again, too mundane maybe.
Jill's experimentation with the potion was funny; the extent of her transformation I guess was clever but not wholly surprising. There was a little bit of "sexy" going on in the story too, which was ok. THAT part, I felt like Fantaskey got right with regard to portraying real kids.
In the end, I think of it as essentially a romance novel. I do like my romance novels, it's true. But I felt like this one missed the opportunity to do something very clever with the Jekyll/Hyde set up. Oh well.
novahkiin's review against another edition
2.0
Interesting how different my tastes are eight years later.
lightasrain's review against another edition
3.0
I have mixed feelings about the book.The first half of the book was going so well but somehow the second part didn't live up to the promise.
The story was interesting and intriguing until Tristen got rid of his monster inside.The pacing was good.The mystery and the anticipation of what might happen next was a page turner.The growing relationship of Tristen and Jill was very well done.Their hearts connecting through the connection of grieving was kind of sweet.I found myself constantly trying to peek at the last part to know how their formula really worked.
But after Tristen got rid of his bad side the story began to fall.Jill was continuously moaning for her pathetic life and their relationship was torn apart so many times for unconvincing reasons.It was like Jill going two step forward and again two step back all the times.She knew Tristen had an evil side,then why was she so shocked to know that he committed some crime in early life?Wasn't she aware of that already?And the climax was...I don't know...didn't feel right.It was obvious that her mother was seeing Mr. Hyde.Their whole house was burned down and there was no police investigation.And Tristen took the solution but somehow it didn't work but it resurrected his dark side enough for musical inspiration!Weird.
So it was ok but not great.
The story was interesting and intriguing until Tristen got rid of his monster inside.The pacing was good.The mystery and the anticipation of what might happen next was a page turner.The growing relationship of Tristen and Jill was very well done.Their hearts connecting through the connection of grieving was kind of sweet.I found myself constantly trying to peek at the last part to know how their formula really worked.
But after Tristen got rid of his bad side the story began to fall.Jill was continuously moaning for her pathetic life and their relationship was torn apart so many times for unconvincing reasons.It was like Jill going two step forward and again two step back all the times.She knew Tristen had an evil side,then why was she so shocked to know that he committed some crime in early life?Wasn't she aware of that already?And the climax was...I don't know...didn't feel right.It was obvious that her mother was seeing Mr. Hyde.Their whole house was burned down and there was no police investigation.And Tristen took the solution but somehow it didn't work but it resurrected his dark side enough for musical inspiration!Weird.
So it was ok but not great.
breezy17's review against another edition
3.0
the only reason as an adult i can still remember ever reading this book is because i got a nasty stomach flu in 10th grade and had to stay home during one day of dissection week in biology class and i was so sad that i read this book to distract me
channywax's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked this take on the classic tale of Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde. My full review is on my book blog. My only problem with the book was the use of the "F" word. It isn't on every page, but it is there at least five times. Just a heads up.
elidavis's review against another edition
2.0
not as strong as Jessica's Guide. It was an interesting concept but needed to be flushed out more and some of the dialog was awkward. Tristen seemed years more mature than Jill, especially in how he talked about his feelings and sexual attraction towards Jill.
kristid's review against another edition
4.0
Fantaskey's debut novel Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side is one of my favorite books, so I've been dying to read more of her novels!
I love her innovative spins on familiar lore, Jekel Loves Hyde was no exception. I've never read the classic tale of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, but I've been exposed to so much of the story, I had no problem deciphering Fantaskey's inspiration. And I don't think that other readers will have a problem either.
Jill and Tristan were two very interesting characters, but I didn't feel a deep connection to either one of them. The initial attraction that Jill felt for Tristan was believable enough, but I was never sure if it was really Tristan falling for Jill or his other side. I guess either way I could see him falling for her, but it seemed a little rushed for my taste. I guess I didn't see the appeal of Jill, she was a little too timid, a little too perfect. She just didn't have much personality, although by the end of the novel I did some some personal growth in her character which was refreshing!
There wasn't as much of a love story in this novel. Not to say that there isn't a love story.... there is, but it's overshadowed by the suspense of Jill and Tristan's race to find a cure. I didn't see a lot of the plot twists that Beth threw out there, especially at the end! I love being caught off guard!
Beth Fantaskey is such a fantastic writer! I really wanted to like this just as much or more than I did Jessica's Guide, but I'd still have to choose Jessica's Guide as my favorite.
Overall Jekel Loves Hyde is an enthralling take on a classic tale!
I love her innovative spins on familiar lore, Jekel Loves Hyde was no exception. I've never read the classic tale of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, but I've been exposed to so much of the story, I had no problem deciphering Fantaskey's inspiration. And I don't think that other readers will have a problem either.
Jill and Tristan were two very interesting characters, but I didn't feel a deep connection to either one of them. The initial attraction that Jill felt for Tristan was believable enough, but I was never sure if it was really Tristan falling for Jill or his other side. I guess either way I could see him falling for her, but it seemed a little rushed for my taste. I guess I didn't see the appeal of Jill, she was a little too timid, a little too perfect. She just didn't have much personality, although by the end of the novel I did some some personal growth in her character which was refreshing!
There wasn't as much of a love story in this novel. Not to say that there isn't a love story.... there is, but it's overshadowed by the suspense of Jill and Tristan's race to find a cure. I didn't see a lot of the plot twists that Beth threw out there, especially at the end! I love being caught off guard!
Beth Fantaskey is such a fantastic writer! I really wanted to like this just as much or more than I did Jessica's Guide, but I'd still have to choose Jessica's Guide as my favorite.
Overall Jekel Loves Hyde is an enthralling take on a classic tale!
kaitrosereads's review against another edition
5.0
Beth Fantaskey has done it again. Her first book, Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side, was on my list of favorites for 2009 and Jekel Loves Hyde might have earned a place on the 2010 list. They are nothing alike but they are both brilliant books.
Jill Jekel is a good girl. She knows it and so does everyone around her. Tristen Hyde is not a good guy but her is drawn to Jill. When they team up for a science project they start to become friends, maybe even something more. But Tristen is hiding something, something bad. Will Jill be able to get past his dark secrets or will they tear them apart?
Jill was only okay for me. She was actually kind of weak and I really did not like that about her. She was always listening to Tristen and being ordered around. It took most of the book for her to grow stronger and actually stand up for herself. I began to like her more after that. Tristen was a very hot character. He was bad but it wasn't his fault. He wanted to be good and he was willing to do anything for Jill. I loved that about him!
The plot was great. There was never a dull moment with this book. There was a lot going on but it never felt like too much. And there were some super steamy scenes in this book. Oh boy! Jill and Tristen were great and I could see the chemistry between them and the romance helped speed up the plot even more.
Overall, Jekel Loves Hyde is a must read. I honestly cannot praise Beth Fantaskey enough. She is a spectacular writer and I can't wait to see what she has for readers next.
Jill Jekel is a good girl. She knows it and so does everyone around her. Tristen Hyde is not a good guy but her is drawn to Jill. When they team up for a science project they start to become friends, maybe even something more. But Tristen is hiding something, something bad. Will Jill be able to get past his dark secrets or will they tear them apart?
Jill was only okay for me. She was actually kind of weak and I really did not like that about her. She was always listening to Tristen and being ordered around. It took most of the book for her to grow stronger and actually stand up for herself. I began to like her more after that. Tristen was a very hot character. He was bad but it wasn't his fault. He wanted to be good and he was willing to do anything for Jill. I loved that about him!
The plot was great. There was never a dull moment with this book. There was a lot going on but it never felt like too much. And there were some super steamy scenes in this book. Oh boy! Jill and Tristen were great and I could see the chemistry between them and the romance helped speed up the plot even more.
Overall, Jekel Loves Hyde is a must read. I honestly cannot praise Beth Fantaskey enough. She is a spectacular writer and I can't wait to see what she has for readers next.