Jekel Loves Hyde

Title: Jekel Loves Hyde
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Pub Date: May 3rd, 2010
Author: Beth Fantaskey
Received From: Library





Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents rules; especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father's office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she's tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be the key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To improve her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen's sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill's accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything, even Tristen's love just for the thrill of being . . . bad


The title of this book alone is what intrigued me to pick it up! I came across it at the Library and just had to check it out. I am really glad I did. With teenager characters who are deep and tough, mixed in with the typical mean girls and jocks what's not to love! As I followed the trials of Jill Jekel and Tristan Hyde both in their lives and in the chemistry lab I began to really love both characters. Both characters have tumultuous relationships with their fathers and this plays a big role both in what they try to do together and how they end their story. 
The formula they experiment with proves to give them each something they need and can cause some seriously hilarious moments of writing! I felt so much for the relationships of the parents and children in this book and had a lot of pride in the kids who chose to overcome thing that they could not even control! The one thing I would have liked to see more was a stronger backbone on Jill. She could easily let others walk all over her and as the lead it made it hard sometimes!