Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jekel Loves Hyde

by Beth Fantaskey (Goodreads Author)

3.65 of 5 stars 3.65 · rating details · 4,400 ratings · 594 reviews

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 H...more

ebook, 282 pages

Published May 3rd 2010 by Harcourt Children's Books

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Rose That Grew from Concrete by Tupac Shakur

A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race by Robert A. Wascher

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

well written books

10th out of 23 books — 3 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Apr 13, 2010 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, ya, skimmed-to-finish

There are some books that begin slowly, but the writing is so well done, that you continue on, knowing that anyone who can string words together so masterfully will surely create an interesting story. Then there are books that contain a story or characters that are so spot on, endearing, or enticing, that you can’t help but read, regardless of the quality of writing. Jekel loves Hyde was none of the above.

At the story’s opening, we meet Jill Jekel as she attends her recently murdered father’s fu...more There are some books that begin slowly, but the writing is so well done, that you continue on, knowing that anyone who can string words together so masterfully will surely create an interesting story. Then there are books that contain a story or characters that are so spot on, endearing, or enticing, that you can’t help but read, regardless of the quality of writing. Jekel loves Hyde was none of the above.

At the story’s opening, we meet Jill Jekel as she attends her recently murdered father’s funeral. Jill’s mother has withdrawn into herself, and as Jill has no friends, she is feeling alone and despondent. But suddenly, the crowd parts, and Tristan, a boy who she has never even spoken to inside or outside of school, strolls up to her, offers her words of comfort and a shoulder to cry on, then walks back from whence he came.

Tristan Hyde is concerned. Prior to his passing, Tristan’s grandfather spoke of a family curse, passed down through the generations, plaguing the men of their family to turn into hideous, killing beasts, waking with no memory of what was done, but haunted by bloodlust. Turns out, what was thought to be a book of fiction, was based in truth, for Tristan is a descendant of the infamous Mr. Hyde.

Jill Jekel, like her chemist father, is a nerd. She has been forbade by her family to open the box residing within her father’s office, for it contains the original experiments created by Dr. Jekel, creator of Mr. Hyde. It has been kept hidden within their family for more than a century, but that is about to change.

Jekel loves Hyde unravels once Tristan learns about Jill’s own, troubled lineage and the knowledge that she secretly contains. Knowledge that could cure Tristan of his blackouts and ever troubling dreams. Knowledge that could destroy everything.

Perhaps I would have enjoyed this story more had I liked the work this book was based upon, “Dr. Jekel and Mr. Hyde". But alas, I thought it was boring, and as such, passed the same judgment upon this book. Furthermore, the characters of both Jill and Tristan are mind-numbingly lackluster. Jill dresses and acts as though she is a long lost cast member of “Little House on the Prairie” and Tristan attempts and fails terribly at being enticing. *Note to the author* Your leading men have to be one of three things: really hot and troubled, really hot and bad, but with a hidden heart of gold, or just made of so much awesome that you don’t notice he isn’t hot. Lastly this book reads like poorly written fan fiction. I say that as someone who has written crap fan fiction. If you are contemplating this book because you loved Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Darkside, as I did, spare yourself.
(less)

17 likes · like · see review

Apr 19, 2010 Tatiana rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who will read and like anything

Recommended to Tatiana by: sweet memories of Lucius Vladescu

Shelves: 2010, romancelandia, ya, tres-annoying

I have to agree with my matey Heather's review of "Jekel Loves Hyde." If you expect this book to be akin to "Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side" in entertainment value, you are up for a huge disappointment. While "Jessica..." had some weak points plot-wise, they were overshadowed by Lucius' snarky personality, humor and some hot vampire biting. "Jekel Loves Hyde" is pretty much a depressing disaster and nothing like Fanteskey's amusing debut.

As you probably know, this book is inspired by...more I have to agree with my matey Heather's review of "Jekel Loves Hyde." If you expect this book to be akin to "Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side" in entertainment value, you are up for a huge disappointment. While "Jessica..." had some weak points plot-wise, they were overshadowed by Lucius' snarky personality, humor and some hot vampire biting. "Jekel Loves Hyde" is pretty much a depressing disaster and nothing like Fanteskey's amusing debut.

As you probably know, this book is inspired by Stevenson's "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Fantaskey liberally borrows from this work, which is not always a bad thing, there are many great retellings. Two main narrators - Jill Jekel and Tristen Hyde are descendants from Stevenson's fictional characters. The teens are brought together by Jill's father's death. Tristen suffers from the dual personality disorder, he has awful dreams of being a monster and killing young girls, and Jill is in possession of her chemist father's research papers that contain a formula that could possibly cure the boy. They agree to try to recreate the potion to kill two birds with one stone - to cure Tristan and to enter the formula into a chemistry contest to win a 30K college scholarship for Jill. The potion is created after some trouble and later used by both Tristan and Jill to flip their personalities from bad to good and vice versa. Tristen's bad side manifests in killing urges, and Jill's - in being a slut. How will the two deal with their dual personalities while falling in love with each other and fighting the villains who want to get hold of the potion?

Well, this premise is not that bad and the prologue is rather enticing. However the interest doesn't hold for long. "Jekel Loves Hyde" reads like someone's embarrassingly bad first writing effort. There is absolutely nothing to like about the book. There is no character development (being a shy virgin/painter/chemist or a brooding composer/runner/chemist doesn't constitute a personality!), interesting dialog, hot romance, or at least cohesive writing. The book is just like a first rough draft of a story. The writing doesn't flow, it is disjointed. The story is underdeveloped, absurd and often makes no sense (I still do not understand how come Tristen never faced any trouble for breaking another student's arm while being in school or how it is possible to enter a chemistry contest with a potion that changes personalities). The romance comes out of nowhere and suddenly turns into some sexual affair with no rhyme or reason.

Ok, I just realized I can go on for hours describing what is wrong with this book. I don't think it is worth so much time. I'll just wrap this review up by saying that "Jekel Loves Hyde" is one of the worst books I have ever read and I am not quite sure how it made it to print. I am removing Beth Fanteskey from the list of the authors whose work I will follow in future.

Reading challenge: #1 - J.(less)

23 likes · like · see review

Aug 10, 2010 ~Tina~ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, read-2010

Jekel Loves Hyde was a cool twist to the classic novel Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. I liked the storyline and thought it was unique and interesting, however, while I adored Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, I think this one lost a little spark in comparison. It's not exactly flat, but I couldn't connect with the characters and didn't like how Jill and Tristen (more so Tristen) felt to formal for there role, at one point I almost thought I was hearing Lucius (Jessica's Guide) while readin...more

7 likes · like · see review

May 13, 2010 Michelle Rebar rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

JEKEL LOVES HYDE is a stunning, dark, dangerous and sinfully romantic tale of good girl meets bad boy becomes bad girl to save bad boy. Intrigued? You should be. Those who are fans of Beth Fantaskey's writing (JESSICA'S GUIDE TO DATING ON THE DARK SIDE) will simply devour her newest book.

Jill Jekel is a good girl, always has been. She follows the rules and works hard to be the best. Unfortunately, all the hard work in the world couldn't stop her life from falling apart. Tragedy struck her famil...more JEKEL LOVES HYDE is a stunning, dark, dangerous and sinfully romantic tale of good girl meets bad boy becomes bad girl to save bad boy. Intrigued? You should be. Those who are fans of Beth Fantaskey's writing (JESSICA'S GUIDE TO DATING ON THE DARK SIDE) will simply devour her newest book.

Jill Jekel is a good girl, always has been. She follows the rules and works hard to be the best. Unfortunately, all the hard work in the world couldn't stop her life from falling apart. Tragedy struck her family when her father, a chemist, was brutally murdered. Not only is Jill dealing with her father's death, but now she must face his betrayal. He was not the man she thought he was. She found out that he stole her college fund and lead a secret life that neither she, nor her mother knew about. He was a criminal and whatever he was up to was dangerous enough to get himself killed and put Jill in danger herself. The police couldn't solve her fathers murder, in fact they were no help at all. Even they had no idea what kind of dark secrets he was hiding, but soon enough, Jill will find out.

Jill's life must go on, and she suddenly finds herself in a terrible position. She no longer has money for college, but luckily a chance comes for her to get a chemistry scholarship. Unfortunately, it involves asking the gorgeous and mysterious Tristen Hyde for help. Together, they are Jekel and Hyde, and Jill has an idea to recreate the experiments from the classic novel. Not only is it clever, but she's heard tales that connect her own family with the origins of the legend. Little does she know that there may be more truth to the story than fiction. Tristen also believes he is connected to the original story, but this relation terrifies rather than excites him. Tristen agrees to help, but he has ulterior motives. He knows that what Jill thinks is a simple experiment could be his last hope at recovering his own sanity. As these two chemistry partners turn up the heat in the lab, they also head into a dangerous downward spiral when Jill has an accidental taste of the potion they are working on. A moment on the lips lets loose her inner bad girl. The effects are temporary but addictive, and the problem for Jill is that it feels so good to be bad. Now they both know the true nature of being the beast, but can love tame it? They may have other things to worry about as they discover more about the murder of Jill's father and who may have done it. Time is running low as a menacing evil draws near and nothing is safe for Jill and Tristen. They must risk it all to stay alive and to stop the madness from consuming, well, everyone.

Your pulse will race, your heart will pound and your jaw will drop. Don't miss out on this fantastic book.(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Feb 22, 2013 Lissa & Alexa The Novel Lasses rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Young Adult Readers of Romantic Fiction

Recommended to Lissa & Alexa by: B4R Read and Review Club

Shelves: 4stars_i_was_crazy_about_it, juvenile

Part of http://www.NovelLasses.blogspot.com 2013 TBR Pile Challenge Blogged Reviews

Lil' Lass Muses:

My Book Boyfriend: Tristen!!! I really really liked him. He is so hot!!! He did not want to hurt anyone not even Jill and the way Tristen fought for good when his granddad and dad were bad makes him perfect.

Most Like Me or who I want to be: Jill because the way she fought to find her dads murder when everyone gave up. And the way she fought for Tristen. She is strong in some way and weak in othe...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 21, 2010 kari rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really wish I could give this one more stars, but it didn't take off like I hoped it would. I was confused when the book was over, felt like I'd missed something and that's never a good thing. Maybe it would have helped had I read the classic Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde before this one since it is referenced quite a bit and not knowing that one could have affected my enjoyment of this story. I'll leave that as a possibility.
I liked Jill Jekel as a character, but her constant putting herself down, go...more I really wish I could give this one more stars, but it didn't take off like I hoped it would. I was confused when the book was over, felt like I'd missed something and that's never a good thing. Maybe it would have helped had I read the classic Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde before this one since it is referenced quite a bit and not knowing that one could have affected my enjoyment of this story. I'll leave that as a possibility.
I liked Jill Jekel as a character, but her constant putting herself down, got to be irritating after awhile. I did not care at all for her hystrionics when Tristan finally was brave enough to tell her his secrets. She was too easily willing to toss him aside the moment things got difficult so that made their love story a bit tough to hold onto. She was willing to believe her 'friend' without even asking him if what she said was true. I did like that she did finally find her voice and her inner-strength, but I'd have liked to see that develop more, rather than just, ta-da, here it is. I didn't understand what made her take the formula after the first time when she was accidentally exposed to it. I don't get how this super-smart girl, knowing the effects, having actually seen them for herself, why she would then choose to take the chemicals, made so sense to me.
Tristan Hyde was a sympathetic character and his struggle was well-written. His anguish over his situation was easy to understand and I hoped he'd be able to find the solution. He was brave and caring of Jill and the scenes where he is battling his own inner monster was well done, clearly hearing the conversation/argument between himself and the monster insied him.
I was confused about why Jill didn't become a total monster while Tristan was born with and inherited that trait. This really didn't make sense to me. Why taking the formula 'cured' him while the formual made her a monster. This really needed to be made much more clear as I'd have to stop reading to think: Wait? What?
The best parts of the story were the second half, I'd have liked that part to be played out quite a bit more and the 'research' part which I didn't really understand needed to either be clarified or pared down so it wasn't so much the focus of the story.
The mean girl stuff with Darcy could have been left out, didn't add to the story. The stuff with Becca as well, provided added drama which detracted from the plot and was unneccessary, in my opinion.
Good ending, but left an awful lot of questions.
This was an okay story, but could have used a lot more clarity. I'll still read Fantaskey's next book, hopefully it will be an improvement over this one.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 13, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, paranormal, pretty-good-but-not-awesome, liked

*This review can also be seen on http://www.cheshirecatbookreviews.blo...

Jill Jekel loves Tristan Hyde. Are they each others alter ego's? Like The Strange Case of Dr.Jekell and Mr.Hyde? Well you will just have to enter the Chemistry Lab and find out.... MWHAHAHA

This book was fun. Fun is really the one of the only words that can describe how I felt about Jekel Loves Hyde. It was fast moving and exciting. At times I did feel like it was moving a little to fast for real life. The characters started...more *This review can also be seen on http://www.cheshirecatbookreviews.blo...

Jill Jekel loves Tristan Hyde. Are they each others alter ego's? Like The Strange Case of Dr.Jekell and Mr.Hyde? Well you will just have to enter the Chemistry Lab and find out.... MWHAHAHA

This book was fun. Fun is really the one of the only words that can describe how I felt about Jekel Loves Hyde. It was fast moving and exciting. At times I did feel like it was moving a little to fast for real life. The characters started to develop feelings a little to rapidly to be believable, but once the status of "couple" or "partners" was established the relationship was more conceivable.

The Characters:
Jill is a timid, shy, sweet, and innocent girl who just wants to get into her dream school and get over her father's brutal murder, a couple months before. She is a character that we can all relate to, her being socially awkward and quiet. But when it comes to Chemistry, she is a super-star. She wants to win a 30,000 dollar scholarship and get into Smith (the school she wants to attend after high school). Being a smart girl, she teams up with the resident bad-boy, Tristan Hyde, who also happens to be a chem genius. That where things start to get interesting.The Jekel-Hyde team is born.

Tristian is the over-confident, rich, British, hot boy next door. But he has a curse. The Hyde family curse.... The "beast", as he calls it, lurks beneath his calm outer facade and threatens to overtake him when angry. When he finds out the quiet girl Jill Jekel has an idea of how to cure him, of course he accepts.

What happens when the very thing you were trying to fight consumes the thing you were fighting for?

When Jill and Tristan are kissing in the chem lab, some of the elixir is taken in by Jill. The beast now lives in her. She starts going mad and turning into the bad girl she was never suppose to be. Lust, seduction and blood rule her world. Tristan was saved but can she be?

Just an overall great read. I thought the other may have needed to slow down in some parts but it ended up fairly well. Happy reading!

Cheers,
Jessica (less)

1 like · like · see review

Dec 19, 2010 Faye rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010, young-adult, paranormal, romance

It was a very different story from the others I have read. It was dark, very dark and twisted that it took some time for me to appreciate the story. It was about the story of two people, so different from each other but was drawn by a story that connected their life together, inseparably. Jill, the shy, timid girl was mourning her father’s death when the most popular and notorious boy, Tristen, went to her side to comfort her and since that faithful day, everything has changed in their lives. Ji...more It was a very different story from the others I have read. It was dark, very dark and twisted that it took some time for me to appreciate the story. It was about the story of two people, so different from each other but was drawn by a story that connected their life together, inseparably. Jill, the shy, timid girl was mourning her father’s death when the most popular and notorious boy, Tristen, went to her side to comfort her and since that faithful day, everything has changed in their lives. Jill found out that her trust fund was gone and her father took it before he was murdered, then her mother seems so lost that she barely hold on to her sanity. Meanwhile, Tristen was getting more and more anxious by the story that haunts him all his life. That he was a descendant of Dr. Hyde, the criminal, murderer that was brought in the world by some crazy experiment by a Jekel, the Jekels where Jill descended from.

Jill begin to see Tristen on a different light when her teacher in Chemistry asked both of them to enter a competition on making their own invention and she begin to see the different side of Trsiten that most people on their school wasn’t given the privilege to see. Tristen agreed to go along with Jill in joining the competition because it will be his only chance to gain a cure before he become a fully murderer, and he will be able to help Jill to gain money for her lost trust fund. That was their deal, until they begin to fall for each other.

It become more twisted when Tristen’s father was so out of control that he even hurt Tristen and threaten to kill him if he would not drink the potion that would make him a monster like all the Hydes he came from were, so twisted that even Jill was drawn to drink it.

As my other reviews went by, I wouldn’t tell how it ended but I will tell that I did enjoy reading this book, even if it was so different from Fantaskey’s previous book that I read and which I loved so much, Jessica’s guide to dating the dark side. For comparison, I think Beth Fantaskey is very good at making a twisted, very complex plot and make a very good story out of it. A story that is not only memorable but is also unique and very hard to level with.

(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 04, 2011 Soph...*Lock&Key* rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010, amazing-story-lines

I am not sure whether this book should get two point five stars, three stars or three point five stars, this book left me feeling weird. I am not really sure why but it did.

I loved the storyline of this book; I thought it was amazingly creative. I didn’t expect much from this novel but it took me by surprise I found that I really did enjoy it, even though there was something about it that just made me feel strange.

This book tormented me, I mean why couldn’t they just bloody well be together? One...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 23, 2010 Tiffany rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Love, lust and… Chemistry?

We start this book meeting Jill Jekel at her fathers funeral. Her father was a scientist and he was murdered one night. She’s standing at his grave, everyone saying something to her, when Tristen Hyde comes up to her and tells her its going to get easier. She doesn’t understand why he’s there but leaves it alone.

Jill starts senior year, and in science class Tristen shows up, commanding in nature, showing up late and not even caring. After class Jill, Tristen and a class...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 25, 2013 Brooke rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Sigh...

Shelves: guy-i-fell-for, love-stories, overrated, sci-fi, young-adult, what-was-i-thinking

Well, that's it. I am never reading another retelling/homage/whatever of a classic novel again. Ever.
Does Beth think we're stupid? Does she think we've never read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Because this is as far from Stevenson's original novella as you can get without losing touch altogether.

Here's a few lines near the very end that I found amusing:
I thought I'd gone beyond taking orders from Tristen Hyde, but how could I disobey as he bent his head to mine and pressed our lip...more

like · see review

Feb 18, 2013 Lindsay Pittman rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Considering that Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side was so good, this book is something of a let down. Whereas Jessica's Guide was told mostly through Jessica's point of view in first person, with a scattered few letters from the love interest, Jekel Loves Hyde is told in first person point of view from BOTH characters. Even though the characters' points of view are clearly labelled, I find it extremely difficult to switch between one and the other, especially in the middle of a scene. N...more

like · see review

Jul 14, 2012 Saleana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Really awesome read, I finished it in one sitting!

We start off with Jill Jekel and Tristan Hyde the chemists who have dark family secrets and secrets that are all their own.
Jill is quiet and shy the "goody two-shoes" that goes unnoticed whereas Tristan is the bad boy that no one wants to get close to for fear of finding out just how bad he is.

The two don't start their relationship under normal circumstances, you see, they first truthfully spoke at Jill's father's funeral when she was falling...more

like · see review

Jul 09, 2012 Book Angel Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics-carnival

CLASSICS CARNIVAL - REVIEW BY HANNAH OF MY BOOK JOURNEY

To be honest I haven’t read the original story that Jekel Loves Hyde was based on. And I didn't actually know much about Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella, ‘Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’, apart from the fact that the story revolved around Dr Jekyll and his alter ego Mr Hyde, the latter of which causes mayhem in Victorian London. Despite how little I knew, this didn’t stop me understanding and enjoying Fantaskey’s modern continua...more CLASSICS CARNIVAL - REVIEW BY HANNAH OF MY BOOK JOURNEY

To be honest I haven’t read the original story that Jekel Loves Hyde was based on. And I didn't actually know much about Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella, ‘Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’, apart from the fact that the story revolved around Dr Jekyll and his alter ego Mr Hyde, the latter of which causes mayhem in Victorian London. Despite how little I knew, this didn’t stop me understanding and enjoying Fantaskey’s modern continuation of the story. I say continuation because Jekel Loves Hyde is set in modern day America, with Jill and Tristen try to recreate Dr Jekyll’s original experiment.
When I started reading I was surprised by the different aspects to the plot; the emotional and psychological dilemmas entwined with the scientific alchemy of the ‘cure’. I loved the dichotomy for Tristen Hyde who is plagued by nightmares and the legacy of his ancestors but wants only to be rid of his dangerous thoughts. His desire and sense of urgency to find and test the cure, and the events that followed on from this, gave the latter part of the book a lot of pace and action and I enjoyed this second half of the story a lot more than the beginning which was a little slow to get going. To add to his internal torment, Tristen’s relationship with his father was also very fraught with tension and danger, and added another layer and element of suspense to the plot.

Jill’s character underwent a lot of interesting change and growth during the story, from being shy and basically a pushover to strong and daring. I could totally relate with her desire to try the formula and unleash her 'wild' side, and it was these moments that made me smile but also cringe a little for the rational, normal Jill hiding underneath. Although she is quite reserved to start with, I found myself growing to like her. I can imagine a lot of young people would be able to empathise with Jill and Tristen’s situations, both of them being outcasts, just wanting to fit in and be normal.

I haven’t decided yet whether it was a good or a bad thing that the story stuck to the original concoction of simple household chemicals to make the ‘cure’. By doing so the story retains a feeling of authenticity and continuity with Stevenson’s story. However with such major advances in science since the 1800s, my mind immediately starts questioning how might the chemicals work in a physiological or neurological way. I think the plot would have benefited from a little explanation as to what affect the formula was having on the brain. But having said that, I can imagine how in Victorian times people would have easily believed that even simple alchemy could create a monster capable of such terrible evils. And it actually makes me want to read Stevenson’s novella, to immerse myself in the fog of London and the strict Victorian morals and see how the fear of Mr Hyde compares to this modern day telling.

Jekel Loves Hyde is a thrilling continuation of the original Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde tale. Although I enjoyed the story, I didn’t fall completely in love with it. But it still makes me want to pick up the original story and read of Dr Jekyll’s psychological struggles with his alter ego.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Apr 27, 2012 Jennifer Rinehart rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I didn't finish this book.

I know, I know, how can a person write a review for a book they didn't finish?

I tried to finish it.

I got the book and sat down with a cup of coffee and a bowl of pretzels, and then nothing. No zing, no falling into the book and hours later realizing that you've been sitting in the same spot for hours, the sky outside is dark, the room's grown cold and you are squinting at the words on the page because the lights are off and you're just now waking up to reality.

For me ea...more

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 30, 2012 Johanna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jekel Loves Hyde
by Beth Fantaskey

Genre: Young Adult | Supernatural Thriller | Romance

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, this good girl is tempted to peek inside, because the contents just might be key to winning a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To better her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has h...more Jekel Loves Hyde
by Beth Fantaskey

Genre: Young Adult | Supernatural Thriller | Romance

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, this good girl is tempted to peek inside, because the contents just might be key to winning a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To better 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. As things heat up in the lab though, Jill’s accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and will compel her to risk everything – even Tristen’s love – just for the thrill of being… bad.

Jill, a brilliant student, tragically lost her father and after learning some dark truths about him, must now win scholarship money to keep alive any hope of attending college. Tristen, an accomplished musician, is a British heart-throb, but deep down inside contains a dangerous monster just waiting to get out. Thus, both teenage descendants of the legendary Dr. Jekyll ( Jill Jekel ) and Mr. Hyde ( Tristen Hyde ) team up to recreate tricky experiments with the aid of an old box holding “original documents detailing the actual experiments that inspired the novel”. They both enter into their chemist partnership for different reasons, but soon realize things could never really turn out as they hope!

I had high hopes for this book since I thoroughly enjoyed Fantaskey's first book, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, but this book just kept getting worse and worse. I don't mind a dark tale as long as it is a good tale, but this one was just too morbidly unsatisfactory for my taste. Rape, abuse, murder, depression . . . those are just a few of the grim subjects touched throughout the story. Also, I couldn't say I liked the main characters: Jill was either way too timid or too brassy & Tristen came off as too vigilant and intent on only doing what he wanted. I could go into a lot of detail here as well on how the writing style conflicted much of the plot, how unbelievable their romantic relationship developed and the unsatisfying ending, but won't since I'll just say I was sorely disappointed and begrudgingly finished the book even though I knew it would get a low rating.

Likes: Can't think of much since there was just too much sadness and self-pity going on throughout.

Dislikes: Lots, but mostly . . . contains really heavy topics . . . so don't expect a cheery or delightful read.(less)

like · see review

Feb 06, 2012 Tessa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alchimie, c’est l’histoire de Jill Jekel et de Tristan Hide. Pas besoin d’aller plus loin pour savoir dans quel univers on va arriver. Autant le dire, ces deux personnages sont fait pour s’entendre et pas seulement parce qu’ils peuvent parler chimie ensemble. On ressent dès le début de l’histoire (et peut être aussi parce qu’on connait la fameuse histoire du Dr. Jekyll et de Mr. Hyde) qu’un lien les unie et ce, malgré eux.

Jill vient de perdre son père et au passage vient d’apprendre que celui-ci...more

like · see review

Sep 18, 2011 M Matesa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone looking for escapist reading that doesn't require any thinking to process

Recommended to M by: Forced to read it - text for analysis together with the classic story

Fantaskey's take on the classic Jekyll and Hyde story gets only two stars from me: one because it made it to print (quite an achievement given the points made in the following paragraphs), and the other because the concept deserves some merit.

The execution, however, was lacklustre, to say the least. Fantaskey took the shilling-shocker-turned-timeless-classic that grappled with questions of human nature and morality and turned it into a fan fiction that reads like it was written by someone creat...more Fantaskey's take on the classic Jekyll and Hyde story gets only two stars from me: one because it made it to print (quite an achievement given the points made in the following paragraphs), and the other because the concept deserves some merit.

The execution, however, was lacklustre, to say the least. Fantaskey took the shilling-shocker-turned-timeless-classic that grappled with questions of human nature and morality and turned it into a fan fiction that reads like it was written by someone creating the female protagonist with herself in mind, the desire to fantasise completely taking over any degree of attention to characterisation or plot development. The soft core porn fascination takes over to the point where we completely miss out on the action in what should probably have been key scenes: the chemistry competition and the climactic showdown at the end. Instead, we are left with a few lines confirming that the competition actually did happen, and an epilogue explaining that something went down at the end.

You would think that my being a closet hopeless romantic would bias me towards liking this book. Of course, when I read it, I wanted a gorgeous, protective man like Tristen Hyde to come and "rescue" me, to be the plain girl of which Mr. Mysterious chose to take notice, but alas, Jill Jekel got the man. My question: how? And that's one of my biggest gripes with the book. Where did this romance and the characters' whole relationship actually come from? They go from not knowing one another to being totally, irrevocably in love with very little logical development (yes, I know love isn't always logical but narrative structure and plot development should be).

Narrative voice is another huge problem in this book, and is an art which Fantaskey has yet to master. Narrative voice should spring from the character's very nature; it is always honest and doesn't need to explain itself, which Fantaskey seems to feel the need to do. For example, marking out Jill's thought process as she struggles to remain "pure" and stay away from "bad" things and people tends to make Jill a frustrating character, much more so than if the narrative voice was allowed to just be itself: saying that Jill baulked at the thought of defying her mother's rules would be less annoying than a mental gasp of "Oh no, I couldn't do that."

But the characters' thought processes and resulting actions do not seem to spring from any sense of who they are, which as far as this book is concerned the reader will have to muddle through understanding. Tristen telling the reader how he wants to put a ring on seventeen-year-old Jill's finger and that that's why he's reluctant to have sex with her even though he really, really wants to is a little too idealistic and unsubtle even for me. And Jill constantly pushing Tristen away even though she's supposedly inexplicably and inescapably attracted to him? Not so plausibly written.

First person narration is very difficult to pull off when writing in past tense, unless you are writing an autobiography, and nothing about the clunky execution here makes it easier. Having the characters tell the story, and then attempt to oh-so-very-ominously foreshadow what they're about to tell you next is flat-out cheesy.

Enough finger-wagging. Long story short: could have been better. Much, much better. It's a teenage girl's tear-jerker at best, and a far cry from any show of literary craftsmanship.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Sep 03, 2011 Lesanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: love-me-some-ya-fiction

I have no problem with the YA re-telling of classic stories. This isn't exactly a re-telling however. I liked her writing style and boy she can write the swoon-y love scenes! But the whole premise of the story kept me from enjoying it. A girl, Jill, descendant from THE Dr. Jekyll and a boy, Tristen, descendant from THE Edward Hyde? Have you read the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? They are the SAME person, in different form. They even have this discussion in the book where Tristen claim...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 12, 2011 Therese rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

So, I decided to read this because I absolutely loved Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. I thought that maybe this would be just as wonderful. HOWEVER, I was sadly mistaken. Though, don't get me wrong, I still liked Jekel Loves Hyde, just not as much as Jessica's Guide.

Jill Jekel is a quiet, mousy, goody-two-shoes who gets involved in some heavy and dark stuff when she meets the intense and mysterious Tristen Hyde. Her father was recently brutally murdered in the back of his car, and t...more

like · see review

Apr 25, 2011 Dary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jekel and Hyde. In the original piece of literature, it was a palpable admission of the faults of humanity.In this book, the brilliant element that made the original so unique is still present; The catch is it comes with a different circumstance, it comes with a new edge design to hook you up!

These days it's almost a rule, a set and proof formula, used when a book with teenage characters come out: Innocent girl, mysterious tortured boy. They fall in love and someone comes along to harm them but...more

like · see review

Apr 24, 2011 Jess - The Tales Compendium rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

haven't read Beth Fantaskey's first book, Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side, which everyone says I should, so I may just do that after reading Jekel Loves Hyde. Jekel Loves Hyde is a dark, slightly creepy, suspenseful thriller with a murder mystery and budding romance in a high school setting. It is what happens when a good girl meets a bad boy, and tries to save him. Will she succeed in saving him before it's too late? And will she lose herself in the process?

The character of Tristen i...more

like · see review

Apr 05, 2011 Milena March rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: literature people who like to see a new aspect to their favourite classics.

There's a lot of YA literature that takes its inspiration from famous works of literature - Shakespeare being a notable example. The problem is that texts like Romeo and Juliet have been done to death; they're repeated almost everywhere you look. But the idea to use Stevenson's novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde didn't seem to occur to anyone... then I unexpectedly stumbled across this book while browsing in the library (don't you love it when that happens?).

I liked the idea so I dec...more

like · see review

Apr 03, 2011 Aaron rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As the senior year starts, Jill Jekel finds herself settling into her classes. Life seems pretty normal with the usual problems with her best friend and the other kids at school. In some ways, that is a little surprising since, over the summer, her father was found dead in his car, slashed to death with some sort of knife. To make matters worse, Dr. Jekel spent all of Jill's colelge savings on the mysterious research project he had been working on. Everyone new about his secret experiements, but...more As the senior year starts, Jill Jekel finds herself settling into her classes. Life seems pretty normal with the usual problems with her best friend and the other kids at school. In some ways, that is a little surprising since, over the summer, her father was found dead in his car, slashed to death with some sort of knife. To make matters worse, Dr. Jekel spent all of Jill's colelge savings on the mysterious research project he had been working on. Everyone new about his secret experiements, but nobody really knows what they are involved. No one really knows what happened.

As she starts senior-level chemistry, she finds herself with her best friend Becca. They are also joined in the class by Tristen Hyde, a British immigrant who shares her talent for the scientists. It is their skills, as well as that of Darcy, that brings the three to the attention of Mr. Messerschmidt, their teacher. He knows that all three of them will have a chance of entering and winning a local science contest that will result in a $30,000 payout, something that would really help with Jill's future. They would do even better if two of them paired up.

Darcy is more than happy to go it alone, but Jill really likes the idea of a partner if it improves her chances. With Darcy out of the way, she decides to try and team up with Tristen. The problem is that he admits to being too lazy to put that much work into the project. After hearing Jill's story, Tristen is a little bit more open to the idea.

Part of winning Tristen over is a little secret that Jill knows. Her father had been working on a project based on ancient experiment notes from the 1800's. This box of documents actually were related to the experiments on which the real Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was based. Her family had the box because they were descended from Dr. Jekyll.

Tristen decides to share some familial secrets in return. It turns out that his family was descended from the original Mr. Hyde, making them distantly related. As a side affect of that ancestry, each of the Hydes has a genetic tendency toward violence and anger. It is this interest in gaining control over his own violence that makes Tristen hopeful for success in their research ... so much so that he is willing to promise Jill that he will let her keep all the prize money if they win.

Thus starts a series of late night visits to the high school to work on their experiments. They are basically walking through the creation of the original series of formulas that were created by Dr. Jekyll. As they continue to work together, they find a growing friendship and, maybe, something even more.

The problem is that Tristen is troubled by incredibly violent nightmares in which he sees himself attacking and killing young women he knows. This leads him to question how save it would be to really admit to his growing feelings. Jill, who has little experience with guys, is not sure she is up to Tristen's standards, particularly in light of his reputation as a ladies man.

All of this is made more and more complicated as Jill's mom falls back into her depression, which really started after the death of Dr. Jekel. Jill is thrilled when Tristen's father, a renowned psychologist, is willing to take her on as a patient. At the same time, that brings about other concerns when considering his lineage.

The story builds into what could be the expected climax, but it does so in very surprising and interesting ways as the relationships between Jill and Tristen and their friends and family. I know that I couldn't put the book down and really wanted to see what was going to happen for Jill and Tristen. The author does a great job of playing on the "coincidence" of their names and ancestry, paralleling the original story while also adding some fun and creative twists that are sure to keep today's readers interested. This one is definitely worth a try!(less)

like · see review

Jan 22, 2011 Kaylyn's Book Blog rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, reviewed-books, favorites

I really enjoyed reading this one. Although I was a little uninterested when I read what it was about.
Right after I got done with the Prologue I was hooked and stayed up all night, even though I had school in the morning.
Jill and Tristen's point of views are something that makes the book all that more understanding for me, just to know how both of them felt. 'Cause most of the time reading a book from one point of view I find myself wondering how the other characters are feeling and what they a...more

like · see review

Jan 19, 2011 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Well it wasn't as great as Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side - but it was a great page turner story :) Every chance I got I opened the book to read a couple of pages :)
This was a really sweet story with a lot of Twisted plots - If you know of Dr Jakell and Mr Hyde's story - then this book is for you.
Turns out the book is based on a 'true story" (ok for this book it is) and the Hyde's are cursed with the monster seeking to KILL -
The story takes place in a chemestry class room where Jil...more

like · see review

Jan 15, 2011 Noémie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Une merveille plus sombre mais aussi plus mature que comment se débarrasser d'un vampire amoureux.
Un dur défi à révéler que de moderniser l'étrange histoire de Robert Louis Stevenson, docteur Jekyl et Mister Hyde. Mais je peux vous affirmer que le défi est remporter haut la main. Beth Fantaskey a le don de nous emporter dans ses romans avec une facilité surprenante, on s'attache tout de suite à Jill jeune fille frêle et sans importance aux yeux des autres et à Tristan si mystérieux (ne sommes no...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 01, 2010 Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-100-book-challenge, mundie-moms-reviews, arcs-i-own

I really enjoyed reading the book and I loved the modern spin the Beth Fantaskey gave Jekel and Hyde. It was dark, twisty and has a good love story mixed into it. I like that for most of the book, I was caught up in the story of Jill and Tristen that I felt I couldn't read the pages fast enough to see what happens next.

Both Jill and Tristen are drawn together, and each of them harbors a dark secret that can both destroy them and each other. What both of them also have, is the cure to help each...more

like · see review

Sep 11, 2010 YA Reads Book Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: katie

Jill Jekel has just lost her father to a brutal death. No one knows why. A murder in the dead of the night, no answers to be found by the police. Her mother can’t cope, spiralling downwards into a state of despair. Jill’s life has been turned upside down, with false sympathy on all sides, no one to talk to and no one to understand. Except for the mysterious Tristen Hyde who turns up at her father’s funeral for the soul purpose to comfort Jill. Or so it seems.

For Jill and Tristen are about to get...more Jill Jekel has just lost her father to a brutal death. No one knows why. A murder in the dead of the night, no answers to be found by the police. Her mother can’t cope, spiralling downwards into a state of despair. Jill’s life has been turned upside down, with false sympathy on all sides, no one to talk to and no one to understand. Except for the mysterious Tristen Hyde who turns up at her father’s funeral for the soul purpose to comfort Jill. Or so it seems.

For Jill and Tristen are about to get to know each other better than what they ever thought they would. Paired up together to work in secret on an entry into the prestigious Foreman Foundation for the Promotion of Scientific Inquiry national scholarship contest, Jill and Tristen start to discover that their own family history might be closer linked than anyone had ever imagined. Found in the locked box in her father’s study, Jill and Tristen start to work on the secret manuscripts that were part of the hit novel The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. As Tristen starts to let Jill into more of his life, the pair discover that not only is it a matter of winning Jill a scholarship so she can attend college, but it might just be the answer to saving Tristen’s life. Yet as things begin to spiral more out of control, will Jill know when enough is too much?

Jekel Loves Hyde is the second novel from bestselling author Beth Fantaskey, her first novel being the popular Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. Jekel Loves Hyde is something different. Borrowing themes and linking in with the classic novel, I found you didn’t need to know anything about the original to understand the story. It was captivating and intriguing, the plot moving forward from one surprising revelation to the next. Twists that you didn’t originally see coming soon developed into influencing the ending.

Jill and Tristen were also developed characters. They interacted in ways that are real, feeling like they could actually be real people in Fantaskey’s developed world. They faced trials and hardships and overcame them in their own unique way. However, it seems that despite two well-crafted lead characters, Fantaskey lacked development in her supporting characters. Becca, for instance, was weak and difficult to like. Supposedly the best friend to Jill, she never acted like it, and felt like a character that was merely there to create a conflict between Jill and Tristen.

Despite all the merits to Fantaskey’s plot, writing and main characters, I felt that Jekel Loves Hyde another novel aimed at the Twilight loving fans. The danger Jill and Tristen went through seemed too much like a heighted state of ‘life or death’ that they characters had to overcome to be together. It was, at times, difficult to see that the situations they found themselves in would really occur. I found that I needed to convince myself to continue reading, that whenever I put it down, it was difficult to pick it up again.(less)

like · see review

Sep 06, 2010 Janeen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really don't know how to rate this book. There was a lot of tension, and I liked Tristen, and the set-up was intriguing. Much of the reading was perfectly enjoyable, and I even liked that the two characters were "together" way more than in other similar books, instead of just being constantly at odds until the last two pages.

But one major decision Jill makes was not 100% justified in my mind, and it is a key one: when she decides to drink the potion because she feels so sorry for herself beca...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Interesting Ending	6	34	Mar 07, 2013 04:09am
Books 4 Review: Jekel Loves Hyde Reviews	8	5	May 01, 2012 08:49am
Books 4 Review: Jekel Loves Hyde (w/ spoilers)	25	9	Apr 30, 2012 08:32am

combine
Other Editions (13)

More editions...

Videos About This Book

Add a comment

Add a comment

Genres

Young Adult

200 users

Romance

115 users

Fantasy

92 users

Fantasy > Paranormal

75 users

Fantasy > Supernatural

41 users

Romance > Paranormal Romance

27 users

Mystery

20 users

Science Fiction

19 users

Young Adult > Teen

19 users

Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

15 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Beth Fantaskey

1. My favorite hobby is traveling the world - but my biggest fear is flying.
2. My second-biggest fear is public speaking… but I’m a college professor (who sometimes teaches public speaking!)
3. I have two 8-year-old kids - who AREN’T twins.
4. My weirdest work experience was helping to “tan” deer hides using cow brains. (I was actually writing a magazine story about it.)
5. I’ve only been fired...more

More about Beth Fantaskey...

Books by Beth Fantaskey

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (Jessica, #1)

Jessica Rules the Dark Side (Jessica, #2)

The Wedding of Antanasia Jessica Packwood and Lucius Valeriu Vladescu (Jessica, #1.5)

Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Jekel Loves Hyde

1 trivia question

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Jekel Loves Hyde

“I knew that most people would consider us too young to talk about lifelong commitments or marriage, but I couldn’t imagine taking her to bed without that promise. Even if it meant never being with her, I didn’t want to have one desperate, hurried, hidden night. I wanted to put a ring on her finger. I wanted a future—or nothing. I knew, in her heart, that she would want that, too” — 27 people liked it

“On the stage Tristen bent over the piano, his fingers swift and sure, his blond hair gleaming under the spotlight. I glanced around at the audience, watching their faces, gratified that they were as captivated as I was by the dark, thunderous song that Tristen conjured.” — 18 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Jekel Loves Hyde
avg rating	preview: Jekel Loves Hyde Goodreads rating: 3.65 (4400 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8228513-jekel-loves-hyde?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1279734483l/8228513.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8228513-jekel-loves-hyde?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey[/url]

Jekel Loves Hyde

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website