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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
I LOVED THIS BOOK! It took me a bit to finish, but I loved how well this book paced itself! It had the perfect amount of action and mystery and honestly-- I'm so glad I picked it up and just started reading without doing reading the novel's blurb.
I've never read ANYTHING about the original classic Jekyll and Hyde novel-- so I was pleasantly surprised upon reading the first chapter that our protagonist is Mary Jekyll, daughter of the late Dr. Jekyll and Ernestine Jekyll. We're introduced to Mary, grieving the fresh loss of her mother and navigating the trouble of organizing her family's finances and other matters. For Mary, life is very ordinary, with her days consisting of keeping after the house finances and taking care of her mother. However, unknown to Mary, but her life is about to become a lot more interesting.
When a visit with her solicitor turns into a shocking discovery regarding the likes of Dr. Hyde, one of her father's close friends, Mary becomes interested in finding out why exactly her mother was involved with anything of the man. However, before she can further investigate, she seeks the aid of the famous Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, hoping to gain some money for the exchange of information regarding an old murder case involving Hyde as a suspect. Unexpectedly, Mary finds her self assisting the pair in an ongoing murder case. Before she gets a chance to actually look at the most recent body, though, Mary is accompanied by Watson to the Society of St. Mary Magdalen. Mary is surprised to find that the payments for the keeping of Hyde are not for the man himself, but for his daughter. Enter Diana Hyde, a troublesome preteen that the society seems keen to be rid of, awarding her custody to Mary without much care or concern. From Diana, Mary will learn more about what exactly her father was working on, and more information on the Mysterious SA.
Found family involving the daughters of famous fictional scientists solving a mystery was a great hook, but as soon as Holmes was introduced I was GLUED. I understand it may be a big cringey to read for older folks-- especially with the comments from our protagonists as the story's taking place. For me personally, it made it ever more enjoyable to imagine these characters talking about there adventures and seeing their characters not only from the descriptions within the story, but also based on their comments in the present.
While I as a reader do acknowledge that there are some rather insensitive elements that are included in this novel (see: two especially racist comments left in the story), but if I'll be honest it sells the story more to me. Not to say I encourage the use of archaic viewpoints in literature-- but this novel IS set in the 19th century, so it's not as if the author can escape problematic elements of the time. I do encourage folks to read on trigger warnings in the book, but if you've read the likes of Shelley or Stoker, these topics aren't exactly new to you.
That being said, 5/5 stars. Theodora Goss you are ONTO SOMETHING HERE, and trust I **will** be reading the next two installations in this series.
I've never read ANYTHING about the original classic Jekyll and Hyde novel-- so I was pleasantly surprised upon reading the first chapter that our protagonist is Mary Jekyll, daughter of the late Dr. Jekyll and Ernestine Jekyll. We're introduced to Mary, grieving the fresh loss of her mother and navigating the trouble of organizing her family's finances and other matters. For Mary, life is very ordinary, with her days consisting of keeping after the house finances and taking care of her mother. However, unknown to Mary, but her life is about to become a lot more interesting.
When a visit with her solicitor turns into a shocking discovery regarding the likes of Dr. Hyde, one of her father's close friends, Mary becomes interested in finding out why exactly her mother was involved with anything of the man. However, before she can further investigate, she seeks the aid of the famous Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, hoping to gain some money for the exchange of information regarding an old murder case involving Hyde as a suspect. Unexpectedly, Mary finds her self assisting the pair in an ongoing murder case. Before she gets a chance to actually look at the most recent body, though, Mary is accompanied by Watson to the Society of St. Mary Magdalen. Mary is surprised to find that the payments for the keeping of Hyde are not for the man himself, but for his daughter. Enter Diana Hyde, a troublesome preteen that the society seems keen to be rid of, awarding her custody to Mary without much care or concern. From Diana, Mary will learn more about what exactly her father was working on, and more information on the Mysterious SA.
Found family involving the daughters of famous fictional scientists solving a mystery was a great hook, but as soon as Holmes was introduced I was GLUED. I understand it may be a big cringey to read for older folks-- especially with the comments from our protagonists as the story's taking place. For me personally, it made it ever more enjoyable to imagine these characters talking about there adventures and seeing their characters not only from the descriptions within the story, but also based on their comments in the present.
While I as a reader do acknowledge that there are some rather insensitive elements that are included in this novel (see: two especially racist comments left in the story), but if I'll be honest it sells the story more to me. Not to say I encourage the use of archaic viewpoints in literature-- but this novel IS set in the 19th century, so it's not as if the author can escape problematic elements of the time. I do encourage folks to read on trigger warnings in the book, but if you've read the likes of Shelley or Stoker, these topics aren't exactly new to you.
That being said, 5/5 stars. Theodora Goss you are ONTO SOMETHING HERE, and trust I **will** be reading the next two installations in this series.
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
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
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was a riot to read! I loved how the characters got to interact with the story with 4-wall breaks framed conversations!! This was also a refreshing take not only on Sherlock Holmes but on Dr. Jeckell and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, Dracula, and many other classic stories! Plus, I got to learn of more classics I had never heard of like The Island of Dr. Moreau and Rappaccini's Daughter. I highly recommend this book, and I cannot wait to start book 2!!
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
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
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
When I started reading the book, I'll admit, I thought it was a bit hokey. Some of the character ideas are taken from other famous novels, and it almost reads like a fanfiction of gothic literature. Overall, though, it's a good piece of fanfiction, and I thoroughly enjoyed this new spin of characters from old tales.