Review: Another Jekyll, Another Hyde by Daniel & Dina Nayeri

Posted 15 March, 2012 by Danny in Blog, Danny, Danny's Book Review / 27 Comments

Another Jekyll, Another Hyde

Book III in the Another series (can be read as Standalone)
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Published March 13th 2012 by Candlewick Press
copy from publisher via NetGalley

Get your own: amazon | B&N | IndieBound
synopsis from goodreads
Rating:
An elusive stalker is targeting Marlowe kids – and something unearthly has gotten into its wealthiest student – as the Another series builds up to a fiendish finale.
When his billionaire father marries French governess Nicola Vileroy, high society is all abuzz – but Thomas, the most popular student at Marlowe, is just plain high. Ever since his girlfriend Belle dumped him, he’s been spending less time with old friends and more time getting wasted at clubs. But after someone slips him a designer drug one night – and his stepmother seems to know way too much about his private life – things really start to get scary.
As Thomas’s blackouts give way to a sinister voice inside his head, and as news of a vicious hate crime has students on edge, Thomas comes to the sickening realization that Madame Vileroy has involved him in a horrifying supernatural plan.
How can he muster the strength and will to stop it? The pulse-quickening climax revisits Jekyll and Hyde as a current-day cautionary tale laced with a heady dose of paranormal intrigue.
I’d first like to clarify that although this is part of a series it totally can be read as a Standalone. In fact, I read it without having read the other two books. The stories are not connected to each other, so I just realized today (yes..lol) that it’s part of a series.
When I saw this book and read the synopsis I was intrigued! I loved the Jekyll and Hyde story and I loved the idea of setting in into the modern world with a Teenage boy. I liked the cover and I wanted to meet Thomas!

Loosely retelling of Mr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Thomas is the protagonist and who’s father is super rich and about to marry a new woman. However, there is something strange about her which the dad doesn’t seem to notice. But, Thomas is aware that there is something wrong. Thomas at the same time has different problems, his girlfriend disappears and he slowly but surely begins to drift away from his old life and friends. When his strange blackouts and the voices starts be begins to connect his new stepmother with the happenings and begins to investigate…

Missing Character Connection

And with this I mean myself. I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters, at all! Oh boy I wanted to, but it just never happened! I tried and tried but Thomas and me just never clicked. I have to take the harshest word now to describe the characters – they felt flat for me, non-dimensional and no depth. Normally I always connect with the characters in one way or another and I feel for them. I go through the drama and mystery with them and I just feel for them. For Thomas? No feelings from my side, I couldn’t care less.
Gosh, that sounds hard even writing it…

Suspenseful plot… ?!

This is what I expected and it delivered to some extent. The story was suspenseful and builded up nicely and slow to the highlight and final showdown. We follow Thomas on his journey of discovering the truth behind all the strange happenings and it intrigued me enough to read on. However, as I didn’t connect with all the characters it was just a basic intrigue and nothing that kept me on edge and made me cheer for our hero to succeed. The whole storyline and especially the story telling was sometimes just so complex and complicated, maybe just a little too complicated for my liking…

Bewitched Rating 

*cringe*

Bottom Line

As much as I wanted to like this book I just couldn’t! Characters I couldn’t bring myself to care, ruined the whole story for me. However, I believe fans of the series that loved Another Pan and Another Faust will also enjoy this one. The modern twist of old classics is definitely a great idea and will appeal to readers that love the old classic and a new dress. Maybe you give it a try and I hope you’ll enjoy it more than I did …
 
Additional Info: 
The Authors are Brother and Sister which I find really cute and a unique author duo. You can have a look at the other books in the series and might start with the other books in the series first. The Stepmother Vileroy is the one character that appears in all books, and all books are set in NYC in the same school but again, each of them can be read separately!
  
Much Love,
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27 Responses to “Review: Another Jekyll, Another Hyde by Daniel & Dina Nayeri”

  1. I haven’t read Another Jekyll, Another Hyde because, in part, I didn’t connect with the characters in the first two of the series. Thanks for your honesty!
    Bookish in a Box recently posted..Want to Read Wednesday: The Calling (Darkness Rising #2)My Profile

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    Danny 3/15/2012

    So it’s interested to see that you also didn’t connect with the characters from the other books… SO it’s not only me! Thanks for making me feel not so alone!
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  2. LOL I remember reading a sequel before without knowing it was a part of a series too, so you’re not alone in that, Danny! x) It’s cool that this one could be read without picking up the other two though, although it’s not so cool that you couldn’t enjoy it anyways. 🙁 Flat and non-dimensional characters are the worst, because at least frustrating characters rise some sort of emotion out of you! 😛

    Thanks so much for the awesome honest review, Danny! You don’t have to feel bad for writing this review — I’m really grateful that you were honest about it! 🙂
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    Danny 3/15/2012

    LOOL, Thanks Mimi – normally these things never happen but here?? I also remember looking on goodreads and there was no indication of a series back then..

    I admit always feeling bad when writing negativ reviews, but this is just how it was and I was really struggling with the rating but in the end, I just didn’t like it- period!

    Thanks for making me feel better!
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  3. A retelling of Jekyll/Hyde sounds like such a cool concept! But I agree with you on one thing, if you can’t connect with the characters, then it doesn’t matter how good the story is unfortunately.

    Sometimes I have trouble connecting with all-guy pov’s. If it switches back and forth that’s one thing, but if it’s just a guy/guys, then I just can’t relate as much it seems.

    Nice review though Danny! I think I’ll have to pass on this one even though I do love a good retelling. 🙂

    ♥ Sarah @ I’m Loving Books
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    Danny 3/15/2012

    I was very facinated by the idea and picked it up with high hopes.. but sadly.. *sigh* once you cannot connect to the characters I just cannot like the story anymore. I mean, when I’m not cheering for the hero, why should I care if he wins or not?

    I do like Guy’s POV since they are so different from girls stories, but it’s hard to pull of, I agree with you there…

    I remember you read Tempest, didn’t you like it? Oh and another good example would be the Caster Chronicles!! Ethan is awesome!
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  4. Awww! It is really cute that the authors are siblings, and I remember seeing the previous books in the series around the blogosphere, but I can’t remember how well they were rated. I’ll have to look them up because the retelling concept is interesting.

    I’m sorry this one didn’t work for you. Character that fall flat are so frustrating, especially when you are really trying to connect with them. I hope your next read is much more engaging. 🙂
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    Danny 3/15/2012

    Yeah me too, I just finished again two mediocre book, nothing that blew me away. Am I getting more critical? Maybe, but here it was easy for me – I just didn’t like the whole story, as sad as it is and.. I wanted to!!! I really truly did!

    The other books got also very mixed reviews, I looked it up this morning when putting together this post. But maybe… you like them better than I did!!
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  5. I love the idea of this one, but if the characters don’t inspire me and make me think about them even when I’ve set the book aside then it usually doesn’t matter how brilliant the premise is for me. I just can’t get into a story when I don’t love (or hate, or love to hate) the characters. They’re always the key when I’m reading! Thanks for your honesty Danny.

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    Danny 3/15/2012

    Yep, hate would have also worked but.. just nothing from my side here. I agree with you, normally I spend more time with characters even after finishing – I think about them and think about the story. Here? I just wanted to get through with it.. * cringe*
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  6. Danny, I am writing my review on this today too. I made the same mistake I read this without kmowing it was a series. While I agree it is a stand alone, I would have enjoyed it more if I read the others. I will post my review on Saturday so we can compare notes.
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    Danny 3/15/2012

    Oh I can’t wait Heidi!!!! So I come on Saturday to your blog! *noted*

    I’m not sure if I would have liked it more, maybe not – probably I wouldn’t have picked it up in this case. I believe I would not like the other books as well..
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  7. I have always seen the previous books in this series out and about in the world but never picked them up. I guess there really isn’t that much hype or reviews on this series so it has always bypassed my attention. Since you really didn’t connect with this book I’m pretty sure I won’t be reading it.

    Thanks for the great review.
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    Danny 3/20/2012

    Nope there wasn’t so much hype about them, which is also why it totally slipped my attention that this was part of a series! Lool!
    But. now I know why I never saw excitement about those book…

    Sorry for replying to late, I really thought I did that already;(
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  8. The more of your review I read, the more I cringed. Wow.. o.o I don’t think that’d be a book for me, either.

    Thank you for this great review! <3
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    Danny 3/20/2012

    Haha, you are welcome. Really reading was hard? Imagine me having to write it down. I hate writing such reviews, I prefer an exciting review of an awesome book always over a bad one!
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  9. I remember seeing these books and liking the covers but I don’t think I ever really had a big interest in reading them. I guess it’s one I’ll probably skip now. Thanks for the honest review!
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    Danny 3/20/2012

    You are welcome Candace. And yes after I realized that there are other books like this I also remembered seeing the covers around, but yeah you can guess from my review that I wouldn’t recommend it..
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  10. Well, if by the third book the characters are still flat, I have a feeling they are flat in the first and second books as well. I won’t be reading this one. I wanted to read Another Faust, but not now. Thanks for your honest review.

    Heather
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    Danny 3/20/2012

    I would have bet that I answered you already!!!! So sorry!!!
    In this series there are always different characters which is why it might be that the other ones were better…
    But, as far as I can read from the other reviews, it’s the same ;((
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  11. Omg Danny! I’m STUCK. 🙁 I just started this on Sunday and I’ve barely gotten anywhere yet. I just can’t connect to anything; the characters, the story… And I’m just confused by everything. I have no idea what the story wants, which just sounds ridiculous. Lol. Gosh… I AM intrigued to see where it’s going, but at the same time… I’m not. I so agree with you about the characters just being flat and this ruins it way too much for me. And feeling like this, it has me doubting I’ll like it anymore than others have so far. Ugh! I admire you for even getting through it ._.

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    Danny 3/20/2012

    See? That is exactly what I meant. I had the very same feeling while reading it and was always about to stop this book. I have no idea why I finished it…. It was all so confusing and the characters were just so boring and so flat?!

    I guess I finished it because I was still hoping the end would make up for the rest … but then seeing you also have such feelings for this book?! I wasted my time…
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