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mirandyli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Chronic illness, Homophobia, Racism, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Murder, Outing, Physical abuse, Classism, Cursing, Hate crime, Abandonment, Body horror, Addiction, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, and Medical content
mallorypen's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
As a YA novel, I did get the feeling that elements of the original story may have been toned down appropriately for the audience, but overall this novel did not pull its punches. The story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde being used as a metaphor for conversion therapy was dark, though incredibly cogent. Given that this was clearly called out as a "remixed classic" the plot twist wasn't the main focus of the story for my reading, but the implications behind why Henry's father chose to try and force Henry's queerness out of him via chemical treatment. The struggles of being queer on top of being systematically oppressed for being Black in a recently-post-slavery society were articulated in a way that allowed the reader to feel the characters' despair, anger, fear and frustration even on top of the horror elements of the story.
Gabriel as a narrator was sympathetic and easy to root for - I was invested in his joy in the early days of his relationship with Henry, the pain of his coldness, and his determination to stick to the mystery and figure out how to help.
Overall, though, I do wonder if the "remixed classic" approach hurt the storytelling a little. Again, not familiar with the source material, but I got the sense that the major plot points were written to align with the original story and in some ways, they didn't always translate smoothly in the novel's pacing. There were big swathes of the story where we were told things were happening, but we weren't given much detail to believe it. The scene where Gabriel is taken out of school and handed over to the lawyer as his clark was a little clunky; some of the interactions with Gabriel's cousin and school friend felt rushed. And honestly, the build up of the romance between Gabriel and Henry wasn't given a lot of screen time - given that all of Gabriel's actions thereafter are driven out of the intense love he has for Henry, I wanted more to relationship development to anchor his motivations.
I'm happy there was a
Moderate: Violence, Homophobia, and Racism
Minor: Sexual assault, Body horror, and Murder
danie_faye's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Homophobia, Murder, and Racism
wildatheart1339's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Medical content and Racism
Moderate: Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, and Sexual harassment
evelynyle_88's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Medical content
Moderate: Violence, Sexual harassment, and Death
Minor: Murder, Sexual assault, and Slavery
eni_iilorak's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Homophobia, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Blood, Classism, Death, Grief, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, and Terminal illness
Minor: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Slavery
stardustandrockets's review
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Homophobia
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, and Medical content
Minor: Murder and Classism
tofi_15's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Homophobia, Violence, and Sexual assault
Minor: Death and Murder
axel_p's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Minor: Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Slavery, Death, Pedophilia, Stalking, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, and Murder
pey333's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Racism, Homophobia, and Medical content
Moderate: Death, Violence, Pedophilia, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual assault, Drug abuse, and Child abuse