Review "Jekel Loves Hyde" by Beth Fantaskey

"Jekel Loves Hyde"
by Beth Fantaskey


3

Pub. Date: May 3, 2010
Pages: 282

Synopsis: 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.

I have to admit I was a bit disappointed by "Jekel Loves Hyde". I loved the character Lucius in "Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side" and found his narrating voice of the story refreshing; however, I didn't fall in love with either Tristen or Jill. They both seemed pretty generic, Tristen as the misunderstood rebel and Jill as the smart girl who needs scholarship money for any hope of a future. On top of the characters being predictable, the plot didn't have any huge twists. I wish Fantaskey had been a little more creative in her interpretation of the story because I felt like it was just too predictable. I am trying not to give away any spoilers, but I didn't find Jill's actions towards the end of the book to be very believable. It seemed way too out of character and I feel like she should have realized what was happening to her.

With all this said, the book was still enjoyable. The book wasn't too long so it was a quick read. Jill's character was very generic, but she was strong willed and made it through situations where most people would have crumbled. The family dynamics in the book were really interesting. Jill takes on the role of the parent in the family. Tristan struggles to live with the knowledge of his family's past and tries to figure out how he can escape the madness that he fears will eventually overtake him. Even though the premise of the book was interesting, it just didn't have any flare.