Jekel Loves Hyde

By Beth Fantaskey

“Updates Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic story . . . Teens who enjoy brooding love stories will not be disappointed” (School Library Journal).
 
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 a team, Jekel and Hyde recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen’s sanity—and 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.
 
“Fantaskey’s latest novel deliberately evokes the doppelganger theme and questionable experiments of Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It also owes a great deal to Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series . . . Fans of the genre won’t be able to resist this slick genre update.” —Booklist

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: May 3, 2010
• ISBN: 9780547487915

Beth Fantaskey

Beth Fantaskey is the author of Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, Jessica Rules the Dark Side, Jekel Loves Hyde, and Buzz Kill. Shelives in rural Pennsylvania with her husband and two daughters.

Book preview

Prologue

Jill

I BURIED MY FATHER the day after my seventeenth birthday.

Even the sun was cruel that morning, an obscenely bright but cold January day. The snow that smothered the cemetery glared harshly white, blinding those mourners who couldn’t squeeze under the tent that covered Dad’s open grave. And the tent itself gleamed crisply, relentlessly white, so it hurt a little to look at that, too.

Hurt a lot, actually.

Against this inappropriately immaculate backdrop, splashes of black stood in stark relief, like spatters of ink on fresh paper: the polished hearse that glittered at the head of the procession, the minister’s perfectly ironed shirt, and the sober coats worn by my father’s many friends and colleagues, who came up one by one after the service to offer Mom and me their condolences.

Maybe I saw it all in terms of color because I’m an artist. Or maybe I was just too overwhelmed to deal with anything but extremes. Maybe my grief was so raw that the whole world seemed severe and discordant and clashing.

I don’t remember a word the minister said, but he seemed to talk forever. And as the gathering began to break up, I, yesterday’s birthday girl, stood there under that tent fidgeting in my own uncomfortable, new black dress and heavy wool coat, on stage like some perverse debutante at the world’s worst coming-out party.

I looked to my mother for support, for help, but her eyes seemed to yawn as vacant as Dad’s waiting grave. I swear, meeting Mom’s gaze was almost as painful as looking at the snow, or the casket, or watching the endless news reports about my father’s murder. Mom was disappearing, too . . .

Feeling something close to panic, I searched the crowd.

Who would help me now?

I wasn’t ready to be an adult . . .

Was I really . . . alone?

Even my only friend, Becca Wright, had begged off from the funeral, protesting that she had a big civics test, which she’d already rescheduled twice because of travel for cheerleading. And, more to the point, she just couldn’t handle seeing my poor, murdered father actually shoved in the ground.

I looked around for my chemistry teacher, Mr. Messerschmidt, whom I’d seen earlier lingering on the fringes of the mourners, looking nervous and out of place, but I couldn’t find him, and I assumed that he’d returned to school, without a word to me.

Alone.

I was alone.

Or maybe I was worse than alone, because just when I thought things couldn’t get more awful, my classmate Darcy Gray emerged from the crowd, strode up, and thrust her chilly hand into mine, air-kissing my cheek. And even this gesture, which I knew Darcy offered more out of obligation than compassion, came across like the victor’s condescending acknowledgment of the vanquished. When Darcy said, So sorry for your loss, Jill, I swore it was almost like she was congratulating herself for still having parents. Like she’d bested me once more, as she had time and again since kindergarten.

Thanks, I said stupidly, like I genuinely appreciated being worthy of pity.

Call me if you need anything, Darcy offered. Yet I noticed that she didn’t jot down her cell number. Didn’t even reach into her purse and feign looking for a pen.

Thanks, I said again.

Why was I always acting grateful for nothing?

Sure, Darcy said, already looking around for an escape route.

As she walked away, I watched her blond hair gleaming like a golden trophy in that too-brilliant sun, and the loneliness and despair that had been building in me rose to a crescendo that was so powerful I wasn’t quite sure how I managed to keep my knees from buckling. Not one real friend there for me . . .

That’s when I noticed Tristen Hyde standing at the edge of the tent. He wore a very adult, tailored overcoat, unbuttoned, and I could see that he had donned a tie, too, for this occasion. He had his hands buried in his pockets, a gesture that I first took as signaling discomfort, unease. I mean, what teenage guy wouldn’t be uncomfortable at a funeral? And I hardly knew Tristen. It wasn’t like we were friends. He’d certainly never met my father.

Yet there he was, when almost nobody else had shown up for me.

Why? Why had he come?

When Tristen saw that I’d noticed him, he pulled his hands from his pockets, and I realized that he wasn’t uneasy at all. In fact, as he walked toward me, I got the impression that he’d just been waiting, patiently, for his turn. For the right time to approach me.

And what a time he picked. It couldn’t have been more dead on.

It’s going to be okay, he promised as he came up to me, reaching out to take my arm, like he realized that I was folding up inside, on the verge of breaking down.

I looked up at him, mutely shaking my head in the negative.

No, it was not going to be okay.

He could not promise that.

Nobody could. Certainly not some kid from my high school, even a tall one dressed convincingly like a full-fledged man.

I shook my head more vehemently, tears welling in my eyes.

Trust me, he said softly, his British accent soothing. He squeezed my arm harder. I know what I’m talking about.

I didn’t know at the time that Tristen had vast experience with this grief thing. All I knew was that I let him, a boy I barely knew, wrap his arms around me and pull me to his chest. And suddenly, as he smoothed my hair, I really started weeping. Letting out all the tears that I’d bottled up, from the moment that the police officer had knocked on the door of our house to say that my father had been found butchered in a parking lot outside the lab where he worked, and all through planning the funeral, as my mother fell to pieces, forcing me to do absurd, impossible things like select a coffin and write insanely large checks to the undertaker. Suddenly I was burying myself under Tristen’s overcoat, nearly knocking off my eyeglasses as I pressed against him, and sobbing so hard that I must have soaked his shirt and tie.

When I was done, drained of tears, I pulled away from him, adjusting my glasses and wiping my eyes, sort of embarrassed. But Tristen didn’t seem bothered by my show of emotion.

It does get better, hurt less, he assured me, repeating, Trust me, Jill.

Such an innocuous little comment at the time, but one that would become central to my very existence in the months to come.

Trust me, Jill . . .

I’ll see you at school, Tristen added, pressing my arm again. Then he bent down, and in a gesture I found incredibly mature, kissed my cheek. Only I shifted a little, caught off-guard, not used to being that near to a guy, and the corners of our lips brushed.

Sorry, I murmured, even more embarrassed—and kind of appalled with myself. I’d never even come close to kissing a guy on the lips under any circumstances, let alone on such a terrible day. Not that I’d really felt anything, of course, and yet . . . It just seemed wrong to even consider anything but death at that moment. How could I even think about how some guy felt, how he smelled, how it had been just to give up and be held by somebody stronger than me? My father was DEAD. Sorry, I muttered again, and I think I was kind of apologizing to Dad, too.

It’s okay, Tristen reassured me, smiling a little. He was the first person who’d dared to smile at me since the murder. I didn’t know what to make of that, either. When should people smile again? See you, okay? he said, releasing my arm.

I hugged myself, and it seemed a poor substitute for the embrace I’d just been offered. Sure. See you. Thanks for coming.

I followed his progress as Tristen wandered off through the graves, bending over now and then to brush some snow off the tombstones, read an inscription, or maybe check a date, not hurrying, like graveyards were his natural habitat. Familiar territory.

Tristen Hyde had come for . . . me.

Why?

But there was no more time to reflect on whatever motives had driven this one particular classmate to attend a stranger’s burial, because suddenly the funeral director was tapping my shoulder, telling me that it was time to say any final goodbyes before the procession of black cars pulled away from the too-white tent and the discreetly positioned backhoe hurried in to do its job because there was more snow in the forecast.

Okay, I said, retrieving my mother and guiding her by the hand, forcing us both to bow our heads one last time.

We sealed my father’s grave on a day of stark contrasts, of black against white, and it was the last time I’d ever find myself in a place of such extremes. Because in the months after the dirt fell on the coffin, my life began to shift to shades of gray, almost like the universe had taken a big stick and stirred up the whole scene at that cemetery, mixing up everything and repainting my world.

As it turned out, my father wasn’t quite the man we’d all thought he was.

Correction.

Nothing and no one, as I would come to learn, would turn out to be quite what they’d seemed back on that day.

Not even me.

And Tristen . . . He would prove to be the trickiest, the most complicated, the most compelling of all the mysteries that were about to unravel.

Chapter 1

Jill

THE FIRST PERIOD of the first day of my senior year kicked off with an academic ritual that I’d dreaded since my earliest days in school.

The choosing of partners.

Come up and get your get new lab manuals, a copy of the text, and then pair up at the lab stations, our advanced chemistry teacher, Mr. Messerschmidt, said, directing our attention to the front of the room, where his long desk held neat stacks of books and papers waiting for us. He did a quick head count, lips moving as he pointed at us, one by one. "We’re supposed to have an odd number, he added, frowning, like the tally hadn’t turned out as planned. So somebody’ll have to work alone this year, if everyone shows."

No . . . not an odd number . . .

I felt my heart race, the way it always did when there was a chance that I might end up alone. One year in gym class, I’d been the odd girl out for square dancing two weeks in a row, standing in solitary shame against the wall until the teacher forced somebody else to switch out so I could have a turn. And even though chemistry was my best subject, that was no guarantee that Jill Jekel would find a partner here, either.

As I moved to get my manual and book, I tried not to look desperate, even as I made vague attempts at eye contact.

Becca was in the class, but she was so popular . . . I looked in her direction, but Seth Lanier was telling her some joke, making her laugh. She’d probably team with Seth . . .

Tucking my stick-straight, brown hair that was forever escaping from my ponytail behind my ear, I reached for the lab manual, trying to look relaxed and nonchalant. I could always act like I wanted to work alone, if worst came to worst.

Hey, Jill.

I glanced over to see Darcy Gray edging in next to me, snapping up a manual, and I felt a surge of hope, albeit one tempered with skepticism.

Darcy seemed to be winding up to tell me something. Or ask me something. Was there a chance that Darcy Gray was going to ask me to partner? Because we were the two best students in the room . . . It made sense . . .

What’s up? I greeted her, hoisting the heavy book Mr. Messerschmidt had picked for us. Sterne and Anwar’s Foundations of the Chemical World, 17th Edition. A classic, trustworthy text. My father had kept an earlier edition in his office at home. It was, of course, still there, if we ever unlocked the door to that sacred, forbidden space.

I just wanted to tell you that station three sucks, Darcy said, taking her own copy from the pile. She scowled at the cover, like she disapproved, not even looking at me as she spoke. I had three last year, and the Bunsen burners don’t work right. It totally screwed me over, and Messerschmidt wouldn’t let me change.

Oh. So that was it. Darcy was tipping me off about a faulty lab station. Which was nice, I guessed. But not what I’d hoped for. I felt my cheeks warming, wondering if Darcy had any clue that I’d sort of expected her to ask me to be her partner. Thanks.

No problem, she said, still not looking at me as she headed for station one—and her boyfriend, Todd Flick. Gorgeous Todd, not a brain in his head, but he’d take Darcy’s directions without complaint or question. He was probably the perfect partner for somebody as domineering as Darcy.

But why had she bothered to warn me about the lab? We were competing for valedictorian, and she could have just let it go. Could have let fate take its course, maybe to my detriment. Was Darcy that confident that she’d take first place?

Probably.

Hugging my books, I took a deep breath and turned around to face the whole class. As I’d expected, most of my classmates already seemed to be pairing up as surely as the animals on Noah’s ark. It was like watching that square dance all over again as students moved around the room, coalescing into teams, gravitating toward desks. A few stragglers were still coming up for books, but in general, it appeared that the world was, as usual, operating two by two, with me as the odd girl out.

The odd, odd girl.

Just try to have some dignity, I told myself, squaring my shoulders and starting my solitary march toward the back of the room, eyes fixed on the farthest station, in the corner. I figured I might as well take the last table if I was going to work alone. At least I wouldn’t have people staring at the back of my head, thinking about the empty chair at my side.

But just as I was about to put my books down, Becca grabbed my arm, laughing her easy laugh. Jill, where are you going? Get over here!

I blinked at her with surprise. What?

Our station, Becca said, pointing to lab three. I grabbed one for us.

Us?

Becca looked at me like I’d lost my mind. Duh, Jill. We’re partnering, right? I mean, you have to save my butt! You’re the one who understands this stuff!

I . . . I . . . I stammered for a second, still uncertain. Becca Wright had picked me not necessarily because we were friends—she had too many friends to count—but because I was serviceable for her. Which, I supposed, in her eyes was a pretty darn good reason for us to link up. Not insulting at all to a person who would never imagine worrying about having a partner.

So why was I little hurt to be seen mainly as a human study aid?

And Becca had set us up at station three, which Darcy claimed didn’t work right. We should switch to lab ten, I suggested, pointing to the back of the room. I heard lab three . . .

No way, Becca interrupted, still smiling. I want to be near Seth, and he’s on five, right behind us.

I hesitated for one more second, knowing that if Becca had her heart set on being near Seth, she wouldn’t budge, even if the malfunctioning burner threatened to set us both on fire.

I gave one last glance to the empty table at the far end of the class.

Then I went with Becca to lab three, awkwardly climbing on to the high stool. Hearing somebody behind her, Darcy turned around to see who was getting stuck with the misfiring burners and gave me a surprised, incredulous look like, Didn’t I just warn you about that lab?

I smiled weakly and shrugged, and Darcy rolled her blue eyes before twisting back around to face front.

Okay, everyone, Mr. Messerschmidt announced, clapping his hands to summon our attention. Are we all set? All partnered? He counted heads a second time, then consulted a sheet of paper in his hand, frowning again. We still seem to be missing someone . . .

Just then the door opened and in walked Tristen Hyde. Late. And not seeming to care that the whole class was already assembled. He strolled right in front of Mr. Messerschmidt and picked up the textbook, checking the cover and nodding like I’d done. Like he recognized the book as a good one, too.

Mr. Messerschmidt watched this performance in silence, mouth set in a firm line. You’re late, Mr. Hyde, he finally said when Tristen took his sweet time collecting the lab manual.

Sorry, Tristen said absently, more focused on trying to jam the manual into his battered messenger bag, like he had no intention of looking at the rules and regulations.

I noticed that he’d gotten a light tan over the summer, and the sun had highlighted his thick, dirty-blond hair, and I wondered for a second where he’d been, what he’d done over the last few months. Tristen was a cross-country runner, a track star. Maybe he’d just been . . . running? Or had he traveled back to England? I’d heard that his dad was a psychiatrist, here for some kind of visiting professorship. Maybe they’d gone home for the summer break?

I definitely couldn’t recall seeing Tristen around town. Then again, I hadn’t really seen anybody around town. I’d worked in the basement of Carson Pharmaceuticals cleaning equipment and inventorying stock. A pity job that my dad’s old boss had wrangled for me. Although I’d hated the work, it had been really nice of Mr. Layne to look out for me, given what my dad had been accused of doing at Carson in the months before his murder on their property.

We were fortunate, too, that Mercy Hospital was desperate for nurses, so Mom hadn’t lost her job when she’d had her breakdown right after Dad’s funeral.

Yes, things could have been worse. So why didn’t I feel luckier?

Still standing at the front of the room, Tristen took some time to survey the lab stations, looking for a spot. He didn’t seem panicked or desperate, even though it must have been obvious that everybody was already paired up.

Do you have a pass or an excuse? Mr. Messerschmidt asked, holding out his hand.

No, Tristen said, still coolly appraising the class.

Oh. Mr. Messerschmidt didn’t seem to know what to make of Tristen’s total lack of justification or concern. My teacher’s hand flopped to his side. Well . . . take a seat, please.

Sure, Tristen agreed, starting to make his way down the center aisle.

We have an odd number this year, Mr. Messerschmidt began to point out.

That’s fine, Tristen said, heading toward the empty table at the back of the room. Lab station ten, where I’d nearly ended up.

"I suppose we could have one team of three, Mr. Messerschmidt suggested as we all followed Tristen’s solitary progress. You could join—"

No, I’m good, Tristen interrupted, thudding his messenger bag on the table, claiming the space. He slid onto the stool and began to leaf through the textbook, sort of shutting Mr. Messerschmidt—and all of us—out.

There was a weird moment of silence, during which we all stayed swiveled toward the back of the class, looking in Tristen’s direction. He continued reading.

Well, then, Mr. Messerschmidt finally said, clapping his hands again, ending the interruption and regaining control of the situation, which Tristen had somehow hijacked with nothing more than a casual disregard for . . . everything.

Over the course of the next half hour, our teacher proceeded to guide us, page by laborious page, through the contents of the lab manual, advising us of all the ways we could inconvenience the local emergency crews, the school district, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by variously scalding, searing, asphyxiating, and blowing each other up if things were mishandled.

I’d had Mr. Messerschmidt for basic chem the year before, and I knew all the proper procedures, but I turned the pages anyway, as directed.

But now and then, for some reason, my mind would wander back to the far end of the classroom. To Tristen.

Did he even remember that day in the graveyard? Should I tell him, someday, that he’d been right—and wrong—back then? That some things had gotten better . . . but some had gotten much, much worse as the police had delved into my dad’s activities, exposing a double life? Late nights at Carson labs. Murky images on security cameras. Unexplained thefts of chemicals that seemed innocuous enough, but which Dad had stolen, nonetheless.

And then there was Mom, who still seemed to be hanging on by her fingernails.

My grief had softened a little as Tristen had promised on that day he’d held me. But I wouldn’t say life was better.

Would I tell Tristen all that someday?

Of course, I knew I wouldn’t. We hadn’t even talked again, except to say hi in the halls now and then. I wouldn’t go bare my soul to him just because we’d shared one close moment in a cemetery.

Yet I found myself glancing over my shoulder at him. And when I did, I saw that Tristen wasn’t following along with his lab manual. It wasn’t even on his desk. He was still reading the textbook, which was spread open before him, and his mouth was drawn down in concentration, like he was engrossed in some concept or theory that challenged him.

I watched his face, his mouth, thinking, Those lips have brushed against mine.

How weird that touch seemed in retrospect. Tristen was like a million miles away from me although we were in the same room. How was it that he’d ever held me, stroked my hair?

Like the rest of that whole period of my life, it all seemed part of some crazy dream. A crazy nightmare.

I must have stared at Tristen so long that he sensed me watching, because he glanced up from his book, caught me observing him, arched his eyebrows . . . and smiled. A smile that was at once surprised, questioning, and maybe a little teasing. A grin that managed to say, Me? Really? I’m flattered, I guess!

NO!

I whipped back around, face flaming. Why had I been studying him?

Becca had noticed the whole thing, too. She elbowed me and whispered, "What was that about?"

Nothing, I told her, meaning it. Nothing!

Then the bell rang, rescuing me, and I gathered up my books, refusing to look in Tristen’s direction again. Fortunately Becca was immediately shanghaied by Seth—or maybe it was vice versa—so I was spared more questions.

But I wasn’t quite

Reviews for Jekel Loves Hyde

[heatherlinc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have always loved the classic story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde so this book intrigued me when I read the blurb. Taking elements of the original book by Robert Louis Stevenson, Fantaskey has written an interesting story full of suspense, mystery, danger and romance. Jill and Tristen are direct descendants of Jekyll and Hyde, and Tristen, with Jill's help, is determined to destroy the monster inside him before it takes control of him by recreating the experiments based on the ones used in the original novel. The story alternates between the two protagonists which I enjoyed, but I found Tristen's story more interesting. Tristen is definitely a bad boy with his dark, dangerous side and will appeal to teenage girls (strong similarities to Edward Cullen). Jill, on the other hand, is too frail and perfect for my liking and I feel that many of the secondary characters, especially Jill's school mates are under developed. At times the book felt a little rushed, especially the epilogue, but overall a satisfying read.

[karen813 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received an arc of this book from the publisher and I looked forward to reading it because I did like the author's previous book, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. In the story Jill Jekel, certified good girl, teams up with Tristan Hyde, bad boy with a shady past (and an even shadier future) to replicate the experiments of the original Dr. Jekyll. The book has an interesting premise and likeable characters. Despite the positives I can't say that I loved the book. I found it overly dramatic in some parts and not dramatic enough in others. I got tired of Jill's constant need to beat herself up and Tristan's brooding need to be alone. I thought it was an okay read but not a book i would go back to and not one that will stick in my memory.

[eomalley_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After reading Beth Fantaskey’s “Jessica” books, I thought I’d take a look at a stand-alone YA novel she wrote, Jekel Loves Hyde. This is a cute twist on the Stevenson classic, Jekyll and Hyde, which asks, “What if Jekyll and Hyde were real, and had descendents? What if the formula was real?”

Jekyll and Hyde is one of my favorite stories, so I’m always up for a new take on it. The story is told in the first-person, but switches between Jill’s and Tristen’s points of view. I always love when this happens so I can know what both parties are thinking about a given situation. In this instance, Tristen really fears he is descended from the monster Hyde and that there is a killer buried inside of him. Violent dreams and blackouts have left him convinced that if he does not find a cure, he will murder someone for real. His only hope is teaming up with Jill Jekel, one of the smartest girls in school, to see if they can recreate Dr. Jekyll’s formula and help him destroy the monster forever.

I liked both characters immensely. Jill is the quiet, rule-following, introvert, while Tristen is the bold, charismatic, track star. Both are intelligent and artistic – Jill paints, while Tristen is a classical composer. They are both attracted to each other, but Jill fears she is too quiet for him while he is terrified the beast inside will hurt her if he gets too close. Neither one has a parent who is there for them; Tristen’s father is a psychiatrist who is convinced there is no such thing as a “Hyde” curse and so basically ignores his son’s concerns, while Jill’s mother has been having nervous breakdowns since her husband’s murder. When Tristen convinces his father to treat Mrs. Jekel, things look like they may be turning around. But not everything is as it seems.

There are some pretty serious themes buried in Jekel Loves Hyde. At times, Tristen is convinced that suicide may be his only option to prevent the beast inside from taking over. When the beast does emerge while he and Jill are kissing in the lab, it almost turns to rape. Jill is horrified when Tristen drugs her mother to help them avoid questions from her. But Tristen is horrified when Jill takes some of the formula and shows killer tendencies of her own. While Jill’s reason for taking the formula is not the greatest, I thought it was realistic – people do stupid things when they are jealous and hurting. An ugly confrontation between Tristen and his father was unexpected, but fit with the story.

I truly expected Tristen not to make it through this alive. I wasn’t sure how Fantaskey would be able to write him out of the trap he was in, but I think she did a great job. I didn’t expect how the final confrontation would play out, or the revelation of who killed Jill’s father. Tristen had some very dark tendencies, from drugging Mrs. Jekel to murder, and yet I couldn’t find it in myself to completely condemn him. In this story, there really WAS a monster inside and Tristen did everything he possibly could to keep Jill safe. He was just as horrified as anyone when some of his actions were revealed. But I loved the fact that he didn’t want to rush Jill into something she wasn’t ready for; that he wanted her in his life forever, with a ring and everything. She wasn’t just a conquest to him, but a partner. He was willing to give up everything, including his life, for her.

Jekel Loves Hyde is a creative twist on the classic story, with two interesting main characters who are drawn to each other in extraordinary circumstances. There are some discomforting themes and a bit of harsh language that may put off some readers, but these were mitigated by the fact that there are actual monsters in this story and it’s not all in the characters’ heads. Putting others first, respecting and protecting them, is also a big part of this book and shouldn’t be overlooked. I would recommend this book to older teens and adults who enjoy paranormal romances with a touch of horror.

[novellavialli · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The first thing that fascinated me about this book was its title. I had read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekel and Mr. Hyde and had fallen in love with it. I am still quite fond of it.The book really was cute and just perfect. I loved every second of it. The way Jill and Tristan fight for their love to come out victorious is rather amazing. The way they want to have nothing to do with each other but can't seem to get enough of each other. How they fight the conflicting feelings that they feel for each other kept me wanting to continue to reading even in the midst of night.Loved it!

[ekanderson_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Retelling of classic literature and fairy tales seem to be all the rage right now. And I’ve gotta admit, I love a retelling, too. And that’s initially what drew me to Beth Fantaskey‘s new book, JEKEL LOVES HYDE. But here’s the thing — it’s not a retelling. And it’s not a sequel either (not a fan of newly published sequels to classics — though if you show me a good one, I could change my mind). JEKEL LOVES HYDE builds on the ideas that Robert Louis Stevenson used in his novel, and uses the novel as a pivotal theme in Jill Jekel and Tristan Hyde’s story.And it’s such a good story!Jill Jekel thinks of herself as the mousy nerd-girl, lucky to be friends with a cheerleader who might only be using her friendship as a path to homework help. Since her dad was killed, her mom has been a wreck. In fact, Jill takes care of her mom most of the time, making sure she doesn’t have another breakdown. The fact that her dad’s murder was never solved doesn’t help her family situation, but Jill is determined to move on and make the most of what’s left of her high school experience.Tristan Hyde is a loner, an outsider whose father is a prominent British psychologist who recently moved to Pennsylvania to work with local colleagues. With a workaholic dad never home, Tristan grew close to his grandfather. And on his deathbed, Grandfather Hyde told Tristan a secret: he’d committed murder, his family was cursed, and Tristan would be affected, too. He then gave Tristan a first edition copy of The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, saying that in those pages was the only chance Tristan might have to save himself. Now that Tristan has started having the dreams, he believes his grandfather might be right.Both students who excel in Chemistry, Tristan and Jill’s teacher offer them the opportunity to compete for a scholarship by developing an original experiment outside of class. He suggests Jill and Tristan work together, believing that it will give them a better chance at the money, especially given that a “Jekel and Hyde” team will intrigue the judges. At first, neither is interested. But when Jill realizes that her dad spent her college fund on secret research she realizes she might not have a choice. And as Tristan’s dreams — and his attraction to Jill — get more intense, she realizes that she might be the key to solving his curse. They will recreate the experiments that the original Dr. Jeckyl conducted and look for a cure. Jill, of course, is skeptical, but the attraction to Tristan is there — has been there, in fact, since the day he approached her at her father’s funeral and offered her a comforting hug right when she needed it — and her lack of college money is more than enough incentive to take up Tristan on his offer.Of course, it won’t be easy. There’s the fact that Jill’s mom is on the verge of another meltdown, that Tristan’s Dad is acting more and more erratic, that the truth about Jill’s father’s murder is painting him in a less-than-flattering light, and there’s the regular school drama of catty girls and nasty football players, one of whom Tristan pummels. This book runs the gamut of emotions, creatively weaving in the mythology Stevenson’s Jeckyl and Hyde to tell the story of two star-crossed teens doomed to deal with chemical reactions that they’d always supposed were fiction. JEKEL LOVES HYDE is science-y, romance-y, and mysterious, a great read for any reader looking for something a little different with a heroine who could be the girl next door and a bad boy who has to actually work to win her over. Do yourself a favor and pick this book up on your next trip to your library or bookstore. You won’t be able to put it down.

[haleyknitz_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth FantaskeyGenre: Young AdultISBN:9780152063900Rating: 4 Using their last names –and a mysterious box of notes in her dad's office—to their advantage, Jill Jekel and Tristen Hyde attempt to recreate the formula from the classic novel for a science competition. Tristen is becoming lost inside his other half, and knows that the formula is the only way to save himself… and Jill, since the beast wants to kill her. We've all heard about the kiss that alters your soul, but when Jill accidentally consumes a little bit of a formula, things… change.I read this book in one sitting. Even for a bookaholic like myself, I generally don't have that much patience.There were a few things about Jekel Loves Hyde that really stuck out for me: One of them was happy-land syndrome. If you've never heard me refer to it before, it's where everything works out just perfect for the character's advantage, nobody argues, and everyone forgives each other. Jekel Loves Hyde did not have happy-land syndrome. The relationship was a rollercoaster, the plot was very complex, and things didn't always work out ideally. It made the story realistic and believable. I think if everything had worked out ideally it would have been to ridiculous to read.Another thing was the plot. It was very twisted and complicated, and never ceased to surprise me. I had no idea what to expect from this book when I first started reading it, and that continued all through the book. From the very beginning, I knew the characters were keeping secrets from me, which compelled me to continue reading until 2 :00 AM (literally).Some of the characters I thought I liked, but as the story went on I discovered what kind of people they really were, and I began to dislike them a lot. The main characters, Jill and Tristen, I liked. I can't say I "liked" their relationship though the story, because as I mentioned earlier, it wasn't always pretty. There were some pretty serious downfalls, but then again some pretty wonderful uprisings.As far as the writing, it was decent but there were some fragments that were scattered throughout that were disappointing. Between the great plot, the characters, and the enjoyment, the mediocrity doesn't stand out too bad.The end was great. It answered my questions, and gave a definite conclusion to their relationship—that I liked! Maybe it's the way I've been raised, but when the hero and the heroine's story ends with them only dating, I feel like the story can't be over. Ending with them engaged, her mother no longer off the deep end, and the "bad guy" gone forever, was pretty much perfect.Content: sexual references, some language.Recommendation: Ages 16+

[lilibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fantaskey takes the classic novel Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and has the descendents of the original characters meet in modern-day Pennsylvania. Jill Jekel and Tristen Hyde attend high school together. Jill has the original Dr. Hyde’s documents which Tristen is determined to use to kill the beast that exists within him. The two take on the experiment and manage to recreate the formula.

[staceymacwrites · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In a new generation, after-the-fact, version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Jill Jekel, a timid top student and Tristen Hyde, an attractive guy with a silent beast deep within him, both find their lives and fates tragically twisted by the blood that runs within them and its history. Whether it was fate or coincidence that brought them together neither of them knew. With feelings that could have been viewed as rushed, I truly believe Jill’s and Tristen’s histories and duel-battle set the speed for this tale, intertwining their hearts as much as their ancestors intertwined their blood. Jill evolved from a girl who had no real personality to a young woman who found her strength, the ability to feel, and the answers she needed to takes the steps to move on. Tristen evolved from a depressingly haunted guy, fueled by a dangerous beast within him, to a young man able to trust in himself and the girl who stole his heart. In the end, both Jill and Tristen held on to a small sliver of the darkness that haunted them. The sliver of darkness they both held on to helped give Jill the backbone she needed and Tristen the ability to fuel his passion.I really enjoyed Jekel Loves Hyde. Jill and Tristen coming together via chemistry class was almost poetic to the ‘Strange Cases of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.’ It would be only fitting that their distant blood to the two crazed characters would fuel their ability to be young chemists, Jill following in her father’s footsteps, and Tristen letting his grandfather’s memory push and infuse him with the ability to understand what he was up against. In a strangely-almost-dark-way, Beth Fantaskey made this quick story tragic. Yet, this story was slightly romantic in a not-your-typical-romance kind of way. She left no loose ends, answering all silent questions including those stemming from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The plot wasn’t complex, but the story as a whole was. New information surrounding both Jill’s and Tristen’s losses came to the forefront several times tying up all but one loose end and even then the characters accepted that mystery.Never let down, Beth Fantaskey exceeded the expectations I set within the first chapter of this tale. I think this is a great, quick read to enjoy something based off of lore most everyone knows.

[feloniouslypink_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

similar to Jessica's Guide but good, nonetheless

[agillette_7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Shorter than Twilight but similar in characater's weaknesses/strengthes. No vampires present. Hyde is descended from the original Hyde.

[missyreadsreviews · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After reading Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side, I was already very fond of Beth Fantaskey. Her witty dialogue, plot twists, and character development left me speechless -- it was just that good! So, I knew that I would definitely like Jekel Loves Hyde, although I was skeptical of how much I would like it considering the storyline. Plus, I tend to lean more toward vampires and paranormal creatures when it comes to YA. I try not to, but I'm unsuccessful most of the time. As a matter of fact, besides getting this book the day it came out like I planned to, I put it off until I could finish a few other YA books that actually did involve vampires, werewolves, etc. What can I say? I have a weakness.After reading it, what was my first thought? I made a mistake by putting it off. If I want to be completely honest with myself, some times I have a problem with certain things being retold because I hold them to a certain classic standard. I always tell my parents they should crawl out from under their rock and live in the modern age. Maybe I should take my own advice? As a spin-off of a classic, it was marvelous. So marvelous in fact that it makes me want to re-read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. If it makes a 26 year old girl do that, then I am absolutely certain that it may do the same with younger children who may have never read it. I think we should celebrate that ... books inspiring you to read others. I'm not saying this is a re-telling because it most certainly IS NOT. But Fantaskey puts enough information of the original into her story to make you get a taste of something delicious that leaves you wanting more. That is where the celebration should be - an author who writes so well that she inadvertently makes you want to read more. It's INCREDIBLE!Having said that, I do have a few minor set-backs. I think that Jill and Tristen's relationship is ... lacking. Their turbulent on-again/off-again relationship gave me whiplash and I could barely keep up with it. It definitely wasn't a progression - it started out strong and fumbled its way through the entire novel. Along the same lines, I find it hard to believe that Jill would believe Becca -- who she admits just uses her most of the time -- over Tristen so easily, especially when she is supposed to be in love with him. Also, I found the absence of scenes where Jill takes the formula a little disappointing. You get a few glimpses, but not enough to actually understand why she's so obsessed over keeping some of the formula herself.Despite this, I found myself intrigued until the very end of the book. Beth Fantaskey has this wonderful way of leading you in one direction to make you believe something, then just completely surprise you in the following pages to prove the exact opposite to be true. Her character development is wonderful. I think the best would obviously be Tristen, though it was endearing to follow Jill's mom in her path to recovery. Other minor characters were developed as well, though like real life, some characters just had the inability to grow. The book was a little slow at the beginning, but picked up the pace once they really started doing research - however, even the slow pace helped a lot with back story and your understanding of characters.

[msmoonlight_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In a few words: Engaging & DifferentOverall I really enjoyed "Jekel Loves Hyde". It's a dark romance with twists and turns, murder, violence, dreams of murder, innocence, first love and love that concurs hardship and endures time. This book was a surprise. I had wrongly assumed this would be another chemistry teen team falling in love, I was wrong...sort of. This was darker...more violent.The heroine Jill Jekel's father has been murdered and his reputation is destroyed when his late night actions are revealed. Jill is crushed by the loss of her father but has to be strong because her mother is falling apart and can't cope with life any more.The hero is Tristen Hyde, the new kid in town with the British accent and violent short temper that makes people stay far away from him if they can help it. Tristen is tormented by violent dreams of killing people and he fears there is a dark beast living inside him - an idea put there by his grandfather long ago. Tristen believes that the Hyde family males are cursed because years ago Doctor Jekel in a crazy experiment created the beast who procreated and began the Hyde family.When Jill finds out her father spent all their money- including her college money she makes a deal with Tristen to work together on a science experiment to help her win thirty thousand dollars. Tristen doesn't want the money, he wants to be the lab rat to see if what they concoct will cure him and finally kill the evil beast inside of him. If that doesn't work, Tristen is prepared to commit suicide rather that become a killer.Slowly these two progress in a back and forth relationship of friendship and first love. Trust is hard for these two because they both have fears that must be dealt with and overcome for both of them to move forward.Wonderful read, full of surprises and bumps in the road to first love and romance.I really enjoyed "Jekel Loves Hyde" by Beth Fantaskey.

[ericajsc · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

From the above summary, I guess I was expecting a little more intrigue from this story than there actually was. There were certain aspects of the plot that could have been more suspenseful, but whenever there was a thread in the storyline that had a little bit of a mystery to it, everything was revealed too quickly for me.Jill isn’t an entirely compelling character, though that’s kind of who she is. She’s someone who fades into the background. I’m all for books featuring girls who aren’t in-your-face beautiful and confident and sassy, because that’s how I was (or felt) in high school. But despite the fact that I felt that way, in my head and with certain people I was funny and snarky. Jill just isn’t. She’s so convinced that she’s nothing special that there’s not much emotion at all. While this works for developing her character, it’s not that interesting to read.Tristen has all the potential to be the “gorgeous, brooding” guy, but he was battling his good and evil sides so much that he always seemed fake, no matter which side was controlling him at the time. It was more like an idealized version of what girls want to believe is going on inside the head of that guy who’s probably just over the edge of dangerous.All throughout the book both Jill and Tristen wonder what the other is thinking about their relationship. Repeatedly. Yes, I am that girl who no matter what a guy did, I’d try to justify it to mean something entirely platonic in order to keep from getting my hopes up. But it’s annoying. I know this, which is why I kept that stuff to myself. And although neither character is talking about their doubts, they think about them a lot. Realistic, yes, but again, it’s annoying.However, even with all the things I didn’t like about the book, I thought it was good. It took me a little longer than usual to really get into the story, but I didn’t feel like I was working just to get to the end so I could say I finished it. As someone with a degree in English Lit, I have a lot of respect for authors who take a classic story and revamp it. Fantaskey put an interesting spin on Stevenson’s novel, and I probably liked the parts of the story that focused on their experiments the best. I think the book would’ve worked better for me if the characters were a bit more fleshed out.

[jrlibrary · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed Fantaskey's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, so was very excited to read this one, but was disappointed because it seemed to drag out just a bit too long.Jill Jekel ends up partnered with Tristen Hyde. They are going to try to recreate the potion that changed Hyde, using old notes from Jill's father's research. The Hyde line has suffered with the curse for many years, and the potion they create will allow Tristan to be normal, they hope. This book definitely contains some offensive language so I am passing it along to my local high school where I am confident it will be well received.

[cinnleigh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am beginning to learn that Beth Fantaskey writes more than just a fabulous book. Instead, she takes a great story and adds a dark feel to it that makes it completely unexpected and spectacular. She did in first in Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side and then continued the approach in JEKEL LOVES HYDE. I am just loving it. The book starts out fairly simply, without a lot of worry. A funeral brings the story into focus, but even then events unfold much like we expect they would. This is how Ms. Fantaskey tricks the reader into thinking that her story is going to be just another run-of-the-mill, slightly predictable piece of fiction. A few more chapters in, however, and you begin to realize just how wrong you really were. JEKEL LOVES HYDE is the story of two science nerd, Jill Jekel and Tristen Hyde. Both have secrets and while Jill attempts to survive following the death of her father and breakdown of her mother, Tristen hides a secret that could prove to be much more deadly. Hmm…Jekel and Hyde. One might ask: any relation to the legendary Dr. Jekel and Mr. Hyde? Guess you'll just have to read to find out! There were a few fantastic elements to JEKEL LOVES HYDE that Ms. Fantaskey's fans will be pleased to see. First is the way she develops her characters throughout the story. She doesn't give us all the details on every aspect of our hero and heroines lives right at the beginning of the book. No, instead she allows us to learn about them as they discover each other. I found this to be a fantastic way of really falling into the story. Nothing says realism like experiencing the characters' world right alongside them. The other wonderful aspect of this book that made it a keeper for me are the twists and turns that Ms. Fantaskey throws out there. Just as in Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, the reader is left absolutely knowing what is going to happen next, only to have this knowledge dashed to the rocks on the very next page. This was another page turner that was difficult to put down. Both the authors clear writing style and her plot twists keep the reader poised on the edge of their seat, ready to cheer or scream right alongside the characters. Now that you're ready to run out and read this for yourselves, here's my warning. The point of view in JEKEL LOVES HYDE does tend to jump back and forth between Jill and Tristen. The sections are well labeled and it shouldn't be hard at all to figure out who is talking when. Still, sometimes I found it hard to switch gears from being in Jill's head one moment to Tristen's the next. Keep this in mind. Fans of dark fantasy and/or YA will most likely love JEKEL LOVES HYDE. I believe that Ms. Fantaskey's previous fans will also find something to love in this story. Her characters are realistic, with their own quirks, issues, and challenges and her plot is complex while still being understandable to the reader. This is the kind of story a reader can get lost in with no real plans to attempt to dig themselves back out.

[khager_9 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a sort of updated/reimagining of the Jekyll and Hyde story and it's also a love story.It's a fun story and I liked Jill Jekyl but I didn't get the appeal of Tristen Hyde. (This may be my own failing.)Anyway, absolutely entertaining and I'm glad I snagged it at BEA. :)

[kburgess1984 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Talk about bringing the classics back into popularity, Beth Fantaskey has done this in spades! By taking the idea from the well known classic, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, and combining that with her individual writing style, Fantaskey has created another winner.Jill Jekel and Tristen Hyde share the spotlight in this novel as high school students with well known last names. What no one really knows is that they truly do have a connection to the characters from the classic, whom everyone though to be fictional. We get alternating narratives from both characters and personally I loved it! You get a full account of what's going on, who is thinking what and this gave me a and I'm sure will give all readers a much broader scope of the whole story.What I wasn't expecting with this book was the dark and twisted tone that is apparent throughout, and don't even get me started on the twists and surprises that Fantaskey managed to throw in to the mix. They blindsided me and I had no warning whatsoever, nor did I know what to expect next at any given time. Fantaskey has a huge fan following from her last release, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side and I don't think her fans will be disappointed. I loved this story and really had fun reading it the whole way through.So many mysteries and questions; will they find a cure? Will the beast win? Who is behind the murder and will the good guys really be able to come out on top? You'll be asking these questions the whole way through and you'll be on the edge of your seat until the very end. I can't wait to see what Fantaskey brings us next, and hopefully this may not be be the last we see of Jekel and Hyde.

[abookwormshaven · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received an ARC of this book through the bookstore where I am a part time bookseller. I had actually just finished reading Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side when I walked into the store and saw this ARC and got really excited! I loved Jessica’s Guide so I was really eager to get my hands on Beth’s next book. Jekel Loves Hyde focuses on two high school students, Jill Jekel and Tristen Hyde who aside from sharing infamous literary last names, don’t run in the same social circles. Jill is the “goody two shoes”, she always does the right thing, you can always count on her to help out her friends and that is usually why she gets pushed around quite a bit. Tristen is the school loner, he transferred from England and his past is just as mysterious as he is. The two end up getting together to work on a school science project trying to capitalize on their last names by recreating some of the experiments conducted by the original Mr. Jekyll. However, Tristen believes that his family has the “Hyde curse” and he has a dark monster lurking inside him that thrives on violence and he sees the experiments as a way to save his soul and rid himself of the curse. As the experiment progress Jill and Tristen find themselves drawn to one another and are constantly playing a love-hate game throughout the novel.I really did enjoy this book, I liked the relationship between Jill and Tristen, you feel like these two are either going to be life long rivals or they are going to fall in love, but you weren’t quite sure which outcome would come true. I felt like I did know a lot of how the book was going to end before I got to it, it seemed a little predictable. However, there were one or two surprises that did occur that caught me a little off guard so I was happy that I did not see everything that was coming.I thought the idea behind the story was interesting, what would happen if there really was a “Hyde curse”?” How would that affect someone’s life? Could they be helped? That is what drew me into this story, the science behind the Jekyll and Hyde story, the mystery interested me almost more that the whole Jane/Tristen story. Don’t get me wrong, I loved watching their story unfold, but after I was done reading I am not dying to know what happened to them, like I was in Beth’s other book Jessica’s Guide (which if you have read that and want to know what happens, you can go to Beth's website to find out!)Overall, it is a great, quick, light read. I liked the story, thought the back story was very interesting and I was left happy with the books outcome. If you liked Beth Fantaskey’s first book you should check this one out.

[imnellen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fun read. The light romance and the mystery the main characters face equals a lighthearted who done it with ties to the original Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

[pacey1927 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved "Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side" and so I had "Jekel Loves Hyde" on my wish list from the moment it appeared on Amazon. I knew the story wasn't going to be about vampires and I looked forward to a modern spin on Jekyl and Hyde. The story is about two teenagers who decide to work together on a chemistry competition and hopefully win scholarship money. The girl is Jill Jekel, a quiet studious teenager who is just trying to get over her father's recent murder. Tristen Hyde is mysterious and prone to bouts of anger. Jill finds a secret box in her father's locked office that claims to have the formula from the supposedly fictional tale of Jekyl and Hyde. The two soon discover that they are the descendants of the book's characters. Together Jill and Tristen lock themselves away at night working on the formula. Tristen suspects that his father's dark side has killed his mother. Things get uglier when Jill ingests some of the potion. The book was good and I enjoyed reading it. Thee is no question that Beth Fantaskey can really write. Her prose flows and gives the characters a great depth of which is rarely seen in young adult fiction. As an adult with my own fourteen year old step-daughter, I hesitate as to whether she would enjoy the book. There is some talk of sex and some brief mentions of couples almost having sex. Nothing is overly graphic or unsuitable. I think the story is just not all that exciting. There isn't as much meat to this book as their was to Fantaskey's previous endeavor. The ending was abrupt...I hate when stories have their narrator disappear before witnessing or being a part of the big climax, and then we have to read about what happens in the epilogue. Unfortunately that happened here. If I hadn't liked the two main characters as much as I did, and feel about them as strongly as I did, I would probably have knocked another star off for this. The final confrontation was, unfortunately, a letdown. And that letdown happened at a point which could have actually been exciting enough to make the book better as a whole. "Jekel Loves Hyde" has a great, original premise, wonderful three dimensional characters, and fluid writing, however it is just missing something and falls quite short of being amazing.

[stephxsu · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After her father’s murder, good-girl Jill Jekel fears for her academic future when she discovers that her father had drained all her college savings. She opens the forbidden box in his office with the hopes that whatever’s inside might help her win a prestigious chemistry scholarship.It turns out that the box contains chemistry formulas that seem to link Jill’s family to the old Robert Louis Stevenson novel of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. To unravel the formulas and win the scholarship, Jill pairs up with Tristen Hyde, a brooding British transfer student whose family has lived with a dark secret for a while. Shocking discoveries about the families’ connection and an unlikely romance abound, but Jill and Tristen must unravel their families’ mysteries before they are destroyed…from the inside out.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.

[rosetyper9 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am having problems finding my writing voice recently so please bear with me. First I would like to say I truly enjoyed this book, it is a wonderful mix if classic and modern; containing elements of 'Dr. Jekel and Mr. Hyde' with a teenage twist. This story is a bit more on the serious side of YA literature and it contains some graphic descriptions and scene, without being gratuitous. I would still stick with an older young adult audience though.

Jill and Tristen have one odd relationship in this book and it is interesting that after all the weirdness, betrayal, and grief they feel and witness they can remain together. I didn't understand that, I don't know if I could be with someone who was involved in everything that Tristen was involved with, even though he was on the side-lines. I also think that the author could have built up the relationship a bit more, I didn't feel the characters knew each other well enough to end up the way that they did. I don't know *shrug*

I enjoyed the writing, it had a beautiful quality and an almost haunting feel to it. The story was pretty good and very unique, I quite enjoyed this new play with 'Dr. Jekel and Mr. Hyde'. I also would like to say props to the author because I love books that make young readers want to read more classic literature and this one definitely makes you want to pick up a copy of the book of the classic. Overall a pretty good read, I continue to enjoy this lovely author.

[titania86_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Jekel Loves Hyde takes the classic Jekyll and Hyde story by Robert Louis Stevenson, treats it likes it's actual history, fast forwards to present time, and adds teenagers. Jill Jekel and Tristan Hyde couldn't be more different. Jill is a good student who is always on time and achieves the highest she can. Tristan is content to sit in the back of the classroom and read instead of paying attention. Of course he is devastatingly handsome, but he has a dark side. When extremely angry, he blacks out and loses control. He thinks it's a curse originating from Henry Jekyll and wants to work with Jill to somehow find a cure.I'm a sucker for a good retelling and this book stood on my shelf for years. I finally decided to read it and I simply couldn't finish it. Up until the halfway point, the characters, the plot, and the writing were fine. Nothing momentously good or bad, so I kept reading. The characters are a little flat. Jill is super straight laced and rejects everything else until Tristan comes along. Then she's sneaking out at night, kissing, and breaking into schools. The romance was ok and I was becoming invested in their characters. I really wanted to know why they were two people since Jekyll and Hyde shared a body in the original story. However, I rage quit when Tristan is kissing Jill, attempts to go further than she wants, and she sticks around to comfort him after he comes very close to assaulting her. This a book for teens. I don't want to support a story or an author that shows teens that sexual assault or rape (even attempted) is ok and not the perpetrators fault. The real world solution would be to get as far away from him as possible and get help, not stick around and feel so sorry for his inner evil. Also, based on reviews, Jill and Tristan trade personalities later in the book so Tristan is super good and Jill has the dark side. Tristan's evil manifests in the urge to kill people and apparently Jill's makes her promiscuous. So a teenage girl being sexual and acting on natural sexual urges is just as bad as a teenage boy attempting to kill people. That's horrible and incredibly sexist. I'm very glad I stopped reading. I won't be subjecting myself to any other books by Beth Fantaskey.

[sheila1957 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Retelling of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, set in a small Pennsylvania town with two teen-agers and their families as descendants of the famed literary characters. Jill Jekel's father has been murdered and her mother has a breakdown. She has to take care of herself and her mom. The chance for a scholarship comes up and her science teacher thinks she and Tristen Hyde should work together and prove the formula that Jekyll and Hyde had exists and works. Tristen knows the curse that follows the Hyde line but can he and Jill find a cure for it?I liked this telling. It is imaginative and up-to-date. I like the connection Tristen feels towards Jill. They are typical teens, oblivious to what is happening within their families. There is a gothic feel to the story. I like the path Tristen and Jill take. They learn about each other and about themselves during their research. It is nothing they or the reader will expect.

[sreeparna-11 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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.