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safcsue13's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
lilyst's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
darkclouds's review
4.0
Does that not sound like the most mind-blowing summary? My thoughts exactly.
I write this review fresh after finishing this book, mostly because my brain is still in a haze, and a little fried, with all the dramatic twists and turns the book ended with. Now, I'm a HUGE fan of Stevenson's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde having read the book countless times and watched many film adaptations. I am well and truly obsessed with the twisted storyline of battling your inner demon, in Dr Jekyll's case - seriously fighting off your evil alter ego.
Jekyll's Mirror focuses on a more modernised version of the story, investing cyberbullying within its pages which was truly impressive. It's vastly common for children and teens to be victims to cyberbullying thanks to the anonymity the internet grants us with. It outlines the severe outcomes of cyberbullying and the dangers it can lead to - but not only to the victim, but the bully him/herself.
Sam was definitely one of those broken male protagonists dealing with the hardships of his past yet he tries his best to overcome it and fit in. He's also having to deal with a conflicted uncle who is less than happy to be sharing his home. I loved how he had weaknesses and flaws like a real human being, it truly made him shine as he developed. I also enjoyed the involvement of a strong female protagonist, Cass, who has flaws of her own because even a kick-ass female needs a little help sometimes!
The story is fast paced, especially towards the end when things get a little hectic. We even experience a little zombie apocalypse situation which was awesome! I totally loved it. We have dark magic and a rather intriguing villain, in fact, Edgar was most probably my favourite character. He's incredibly witty and intimidating, everything he does is acted upon with complete precision.
That man is a force to be reckoned with.
In regards to the Romance, I wasn't completely won by it and in my honest opinion I think it would have worked better if there wasn't any. Despite that, I think Sam and Cass as individuals were both striking and powerful characters that I liked very much. I also liked Cora - Sam's aunt who always seemed to see the brighter side of Sam and supported him. It was all so heartwarming!
This story is as twisted (how many times have I used this word?) as the original Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde but more complex and deals with issues I believe are imperative to include in today's children books. I think Hussey did an excellent job in portraying cyberbullying through Jekyll's Mirror and you should definitely check this book out!
I write this review fresh after finishing this book, mostly because my brain is still in a haze, and a little fried, with all the dramatic twists and turns the book ended with. Now, I'm a HUGE fan of Stevenson's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde having read the book countless times and watched many film adaptations. I am well and truly obsessed with the twisted storyline of battling your inner demon, in Dr Jekyll's case - seriously fighting off your evil alter ego.
Jekyll's Mirror focuses on a more modernised version of the story, investing cyberbullying within its pages which was truly impressive. It's vastly common for children and teens to be victims to cyberbullying thanks to the anonymity the internet grants us with. It outlines the severe outcomes of cyberbullying and the dangers it can lead to - but not only to the victim, but the bully him/herself.
Sam was definitely one of those broken male protagonists dealing with the hardships of his past yet he tries his best to overcome it and fit in. He's also having to deal with a conflicted uncle who is less than happy to be sharing his home. I loved how he had weaknesses and flaws like a real human being, it truly made him shine as he developed. I also enjoyed the involvement of a strong female protagonist, Cass, who has flaws of her own because even a kick-ass female needs a little help sometimes!
The story is fast paced, especially towards the end when things get a little hectic. We even experience a little zombie apocalypse situation which was awesome! I totally loved it. We have dark magic and a rather intriguing villain, in fact, Edgar was most probably my favourite character. He's incredibly witty and intimidating, everything he does is acted upon with complete precision.
That man is a force to be reckoned with.
In regards to the Romance, I wasn't completely won by it and in my honest opinion I think it would have worked better if there wasn't any. Despite that, I think Sam and Cass as individuals were both striking and powerful characters that I liked very much. I also liked Cora - Sam's aunt who always seemed to see the brighter side of Sam and supported him. It was all so heartwarming!
This story is as twisted (how many times have I used this word?) as the original Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde but more complex and deals with issues I believe are imperative to include in today's children books. I think Hussey did an excellent job in portraying cyberbullying through Jekyll's Mirror and you should definitely check this book out!
becydabean's review
4.0
I think that this was a great book because it shows about the issues about cyber bullying and it also adds a twist with the horror included. I would recommend this for ages 12 and up or to people who like SciFi or horror.
bookish_rex's review
5.0
My second Hussey novel, and I see a trend emerging. From now on, I shall go into every book assuming I will want to adopt the protagonist, just so I can spend the rest of their lives building them up and giving them all the paternal love.
Please, just lemme adopt Sam! The precious baby!
No worries, I won’t spoil, but Sam’s big secret, once revealed, ripped my heart out. I just wanted to pluck him straight from the book and give him all the validation and explain to him that his secret doesn’t make him a monster or any of the other things he’d spent all those years believing about himself.
*restrains self*
Anyhow… *clears throat*
At the risk of sounding somewhat deranged, what a fun [yes, I said fun… that’s the word that comes to mind] dark fantasy. I really enjoyed this, I can only imagine how much I would have raved over Jekyll’s Mirror when I was still a part of its target demographic. Even without having read the inspirational source [trust me, I’ll be reading it now], I can feel the love and care Hussey took in bringing the spirit of Robert Louis Stevenson’s work to a new audience and putting it into the modern context of cyber bullying. Thinking of it now, I’m actually surprised that The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde was never assigned reading for me.
I think my favourite moment of the entire book may have been when Edgar Dritch made his appearance and had his big villain monologue moment. I was so thrilled by how Hussey chose to present him, and Dritch’s reason for all his evil-doings… I never say this, but… *chef’s kiss* That has got to be my favourite kind of villain archetype. I mean, I made my own character, back in my days leading a role-playing club, whose sole reason for existence was his own pleasure [Malik, pre-biblical god of chaos and hedonism]. To say that Malik would think Dritch is a load of fun is an understatement.
I forget how I initially stumbled upon The Outrage, my first Hussey novel, but I’m so glad I did. I’m enjoying his writing so much. Next up, Hideous Beauty. That one’s officially just zoomed right up to the very top of my “to buy” list.
Please, just lemme adopt Sam! The precious baby!
No worries, I won’t spoil, but Sam’s big secret, once revealed, ripped my heart out. I just wanted to pluck him straight from the book and give him all the validation and explain to him that his secret doesn’t make him a monster or any of the other things he’d spent all those years believing about himself.
*restrains self*
Anyhow… *clears throat*
At the risk of sounding somewhat deranged, what a fun [yes, I said fun… that’s the word that comes to mind] dark fantasy. I really enjoyed this, I can only imagine how much I would have raved over Jekyll’s Mirror when I was still a part of its target demographic. Even without having read the inspirational source [trust me, I’ll be reading it now], I can feel the love and care Hussey took in bringing the spirit of Robert Louis Stevenson’s work to a new audience and putting it into the modern context of cyber bullying. Thinking of it now, I’m actually surprised that The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde was never assigned reading for me.
I think my favourite moment of the entire book may have been when Edgar Dritch made his appearance and had his big villain monologue moment. I was so thrilled by how Hussey chose to present him, and Dritch’s reason for all his evil-doings… I never say this, but… *chef’s kiss* That has got to be my favourite kind of villain archetype. I mean, I made my own character, back in my days leading a role-playing club, whose sole reason for existence was his own pleasure [Malik, pre-biblical god of chaos and hedonism]. To say that Malik would think Dritch is a load of fun is an understatement.
I forget how I initially stumbled upon The Outrage, my first Hussey novel, but I’m so glad I did. I’m enjoying his writing so much. Next up, Hideous Beauty. That one’s officially just zoomed right up to the very top of my “to buy” list.
alyce6d980's review
2.0
With this review, I've officially completed my 2015 A-Z reading challenge! It's been difficult but I've enjoyed hunting for books that I might not otherwise have read, and 'Jekyll's Mirror' is one of those.
Sam Stillhouse has been through a lot in his life. Suffering through life with his abusive father murdering his mother, he's now living with his aunt and uncle, struggling to control the Wrath that threatens to overtake him. He's tried counselling and it hasn't helped, but when he gets invited to take part in a new school project - Project Hyde - it finally gives him somewhere to focus his anger.
Project Hyde (based on - you guessed it - 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde') creates status updates and messages from a wide variety of fake characters, and the task of the participant is to reply to them as honestly as possible, no matter how venomously they act. Sam gets addicted to the software very quickly, spending every spare minute of his time online attacking the artificial intelligence, and it's only when Cassandra - a mysterious girl with flame red hair - shows up that Sam realises something is seriously wrong with the program.
Queue the first big reveal: the fact that the messages are from real people. It's not that surprising, because there are hints throughout the introduction of the Project, but apparently Sam isn't good at picking up on hints.
Other than this, there are two other reveals in this book.
Read the rest of my review here!
Sam Stillhouse has been through a lot in his life. Suffering through life with his abusive father murdering his mother, he's now living with his aunt and uncle, struggling to control the Wrath that threatens to overtake him. He's tried counselling and it hasn't helped, but when he gets invited to take part in a new school project - Project Hyde - it finally gives him somewhere to focus his anger.
Project Hyde (based on - you guessed it - 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde') creates status updates and messages from a wide variety of fake characters, and the task of the participant is to reply to them as honestly as possible, no matter how venomously they act. Sam gets addicted to the software very quickly, spending every spare minute of his time online attacking the artificial intelligence, and it's only when Cassandra - a mysterious girl with flame red hair - shows up that Sam realises something is seriously wrong with the program.
Queue the first big reveal: the fact that the messages are from real people. It's not that surprising, because there are hints throughout the introduction of the Project, but apparently Sam isn't good at picking up on hints.
Other than this, there are two other reveals in this book.
Read the rest of my review here!
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