By Kalynn Bayron
Feiwel and Friends, 2023. 263 pages. Young Adult Fiction
This gothic remix of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde stars a queer, Black teenager named Gabriel who is searching for the reason behind his best friend Henry's disappearance and the arrival of a magnetic stranger. Henry Jekyll has been reclusive and distant for going on two years, and Gabriel cannot keep himself from looking into details of his friend's whereabouts. In doing so, Gabriel meets Hyde, a strangely familiar young man with white hair and a magnetic charisma. But the secret behind Henry's apathy is only the first part of a deeper mystery that has begun to coalesce. Monsters of all kinds prowl within the London fog, and not all of them are out for blood...
This book captivated my attention from my first glance at the cover. Upon reading the inside flap, I knew I had to take it home! Readers will cheer for Gabriel from the very first page; his uphill struggle and fierce determination set him apart from other young people. The relationship between Gabriel and his first love, Henry, is written sweetly and charmingly. The clashes between Henry's father, Dr. Jekyll, and those around him are shocking and very true to the time. The mysterious Mr. Hyde will draw you in. If you like a dark, period piece with sympathetic characters, this book is for you.
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By Kiersten White
Delacorte Press, 2018. 292 pages. Young Adult Fiction
Elizabeth Lavenza knows her place: she's the calming influence over Victor Frankenstein's violent moods, and if she stops being useful to the Frankensteins, she'll have nowhere to go. When Victor stops writing letters from university in Ingolstadt, Elizabeth, who's terrified of becoming unnecessary, sets out to track him down. What she finally discovers is gruesome, albeit awe-inspiring, but her instinct to protect him is impossible to fight. As Victor's actions become more deranged, however, Elizabeth can't bring herself to be a willing accomplice.
The City Beautiful
By Aden Polydoros
Inkyard Press, 2021. 462 pages. Young Adult Fiction
Chicago, 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Alter Rosen is a seventeen-year-old Jewish immigrant from Romania, saving up to move his family to the U.S. When the fair comes to town, Alter starts noticing a pattern of young men disappearing from the tenements on the street where he rents a room. When one of his roommates - his secret crush, Yakov - ends up dead, Alter tries to find the killer. This novel incorporates Jewish folklore, illuminates historical events, and reminds us that beautiful queer love existed and flourished back then.
My Contrary Mary
By Cynthia Hand
HarperTeen, 2021. 498 pages. Young Adult Fiction
Welcome to Renaissance France, a place of poison and plots, of beauties and beasts, of mice and … queens? Mary is the queen of Scotland and the jewel of the French court. Except when she's a mouse. Yes, reader, Mary is an Eoian (shapeshifter) in a kingdom where Verities rule. It's a secret that could cost her a head -- or a tail.
LKA
