Author: Beth Fantaskey
Year of Publication: 2010
Genre: YA, Science fiction, romance, fantasy, literary
Pages: 282
First Line: "I buried my father the day after my seventeenth birthday."
Summary: Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents' rules -- especially the one about never opening the mysterious old box in her father's office. But when her dad is murdered and her college savings disappear, this good girl is tempted to peek inside, because the contents just might be the key to winning a lucrative chemistry scholarship.
To better her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize but to save Tristen's sanity. Maybe his life. As things heat up in the lab, though, Jill's accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and will compel her to risk everything -- even Tristen's love -- just for the thrill of being...bad.
Source: Back of book
Review: I really liked this. Saccharine when it came to the romance, but I didn't feel it was in an obnoxious way. Cute and interesting. Well put-together. Jill was maybe slightly crazy for forgiving Tristen so many times, but both characters were fairly human in everything they did. The story was really original, if not a little drawn out in some ways. I felt too many things happened and the book really should have ended about half-way through, but, of course, with the scenes which had already happened, extended. Definitely worth picking up. You don't have to read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to enjoy, but it might give you slightly more insight.
Worst part: Jill was slightly inconsistent in her character and personality. Just enough to notice. But I really felt the whole thing about her being under the potion was kind of unnecessary.
Best part: Okay, seriously -- authors need to stop creating such attractive fictional characters. Unless it becomes possible to make me a fictional character as well. (IE -- I loved Tristen.)
Grade: B+
Other Books by This Author: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side.