Scan barcode
mirandyli's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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
I loved this retelling. It's my favorite in the remixed classics series so far.
Content Warnings
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
cozyscones's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Racism
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Violence, Child abuse, and Death
Minor: Body horror
mallorypen's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
Though I'm familiar with the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I have never read the source material. That said, the concept of trying to divorce oneself from facets of one's personality because they are found socially unacceptable was used in a really interesting way in this book.
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 happy ending for the most part, but it did take some of the gothic sting out of the tale overall.
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Homophobia, and Racism
Minor: Sexual assault, Body horror, and Murder
the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Homophobia
Minor: Body horror
ameliabee33's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
A great retelling of this classic tale! The addition if the character Gabriel Utterson to the mix of Jekyll and Hyde added an outsiders perspective to the whole transformation.
This story focuses a lot on the internalized and public homophobia. Gabriel and Henry have a lot going against them with their insta-romantic relationship (majority of which happened off page). Henry succumbs to his own internalized homophobia as well as his father's, which is why he suffers the most in the end. Our Gabriel is so brave and persistent for the boy he loves.
I wish that their romance was more believable though, which is why I docked it a bit low. Not like explicit scenes, but more chemistry on page would have been nice.
This story focuses a lot on the internalized and public homophobia. Gabriel and Henry have a lot going against them with their insta-romantic relationship (majority of which happened off page). Henry succumbs to his own internalized homophobia as well as his father's, which is why he suffers the most in the end. Our Gabriel is so brave and persistent for the boy he loves.
I wish that their romance was more believable though, which is why I docked it a bit low. Not like explicit scenes, but more chemistry on page would have been nice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, and Body horror
squisheebee_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I love Kalyan Bayron and although I enjoyed the book very much, it was just a tad too slow for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Racism
Moderate: Body horror and Emotional abuse
Minor: Sexual harassment, Death, and Violence
eni_iilorak's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
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
axel_p's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
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
rampant_reading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I have been a devoted Kalynn Bayron fan since her debut novel back in 2020, and when I saw that she would be writing the next book in the Remixed Classics series I freaked out! While I am not super familiar with the original story of Jekyll and Hyde, beyond the representations of it in popular media, I knew that I was going to need to get my hands on a copy! I was delighted by the creepy world building in My Dear Henry, and I was especially taken with the narrative voice of the story.
I will say, this book is not for readers who are squeamish about things like corpses and medical experiments. In keeping with the original story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this book delves into the world of mad science, and can be intense at times. If you are a reader who is not sensitive to these sorts of things, this book would be a great choice!
My Recommendation-
If you enjoy dark reimaginings of classic spooky tales, you should grab a copy of My Dear Henry! I would especially recommend this book to readers who are feeling the Halloween spirit even now, in March!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Body horror
tinytrashqueen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Gore, and Body horror
Minor: Vomit