Jek/Hyde

by Amy Ross

Overview

Lulu and Jek are science nerds and have been best friends since they were young…or at least they used to be. Lately Jek has been pulling away from Lulu, just as she's coming to terms with how she really feels about him.Just as she's ready to see if there could be something more between them.

But Lulu's thoughts are derailed by a mysterious new guy who's showing up at local parties. Hyde is the definition of a bad boy, and everybody knows it…but no one can seem to resist his charms. And even though Lulu's heart belongs to Jek, she can't deny Hyde's attraction, either.

She also knows that there's something not quite right about Hyde. That the rumors of his backwoods parties make them sound a little more dangerous than what any of her friends are accustomed to. And she doesn't like the fact that Hyde seems to be cozying up to Jek, and that they seem to be intertwined in ways that have Lulu worrying for Jek's safety.

If Hyde has a dark secret, Lulu is determined to find out what it is, and to help Jek…before it's too late for both of them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781335007957
Publisher:	Harlequin
Publication date:	10/03/2017
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Amy Ross has an MFA from the University of Idaho and a bachelor's degree from Brown University. She likes bad horror flicks, dense critical-theory texts, fomenting revolution, wild bears, cooking, and the sublime. She hates everything else.

Amy Melissa Bentley is a professional stage and screen actress. A member of SAG-AFTRA, she has performed in Scotland, New York City, and throughout Connecticut.

Editorial Reviews

"Teens who enjoy suspense and horror will gravitate toward this fast-paced page-turner." -School Library Journal

"A fresh take on a classic story about the good and evil that lives inside all of us. Intriguing and imaginative." -Suzanne Young, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Program series

From the Publisher

08/01/2017
Gr 9 Up—This update of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde includes diverse characters, drug use, and bioethics. Lulu Gutierrez, a teen computer hacker, lives in a small Illinois town where most of the residents work for London Chem, a large scientific research facility described as "Big Farm meets Big Pharm." Her best friend Jek, aka Jayesh Emerson Kapoor, the only half Indian, half Black kid in town, is a chemistry genius who concocts experimental hallucinogenic drugs for his friends. When Jek's buddy Hyde, a mysterious new guy in town, starts violently lashing out at parties, Lulu grows increasingly worried about Jek's connection to him. Ross retains the basic plot of Robert Louis Stevenson's story and modernizes it with racially diverse characters and details of Hyde's sexual exploits that were only implied in the original Victorian version. Tension between the upper class children of London Chem scientists and those of the lower class workers who develop health issues from exposure to the company's chemicals adds depth to the story. Teens who enjoy suspense and horror will gravitate toward this fast-paced page-turner. For a different interpretation, they may want to check out Chandler Baker's Teen Hyde. Better yet, hand them Stevenson's classic along with this one. VERDICT Purchase where suspense, horror, and reimaginings of classic novels are popular.—Amy Duffy, Chicago Public Library

School Library Journal

2017-09-18
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is reimagined in the modern American Midwest.Lulu Gutierrez, a 17-year-old Latina, and her best friend, Jek, a biracial young man with an Indian mom and a black dad, are from different social worlds but have been best friends since they were children, with their love for science and each other as the glue that has kept their friendship going strong. Lately, though, Jek has been distancing himself and keeping more secrets than usual. Lulu has just started coming to terms with her more-than-platonic feelings for Jek, but his lack of interest is disappointing. To add even more complications, a new, white (or maybe Asian?) guy with some connection to Jek has come to town: Hyde. Everyone seems to be unable to resist Hyde's charms, even after hearing of his dangerous and violent exploits. At first, Lulu finds Hyde disgusting and wishes that Jek would cut ties with him, but soon she is unable to deny her attraction to Hyde. This retelling of a classic leaves much to be desired. Storyline holes and character-development gaps go unresolved even to the end, a contrived and painfully expository conclusion. The Gothic flourishes of the original clash with the aggressively contemporary setting.A retelling that struggles to live up to the notoriety of the story on which it's based. (Thriller. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews