A dark queer retelling of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that delves into racism and homophobia, this book captures the angsty vibes that I feel the original story does not follow through on. This is a true gothic novel, and readers who are looking for an intense read will be happy.

I was not my cup of tea, but I think the author did a wonderful job establishing the tone and delivering on the expectations of the classic counterpart.

I absolutely love the Classic Remix series and was thrilled to hear that Kalynn Bayron had been tapped to do one!
Bayron absolutely nails the eerie nineteenth century London atmosphere. The writing is immersive and beautifully cinematic.

Unfortunately, this was not my cup of tea, I have never been a fan of the original source material, and should have guessed that I would struggle quite a bit with this. The world of My Dear Henry is DARK, both physically, due to the pollutive fog that we now know was due in large part to the noxious smoke of coal burning homes and factories, and tonally. The themes and characters of this story are complex, desperate, violent, and heartbreaking. If you're a fan of the original Curious Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde or any of its many other retellings this may be a better fit for you!

Thank you to Kalynn Bayron, Fiewell & Friends, and MacMillan Children's Publishing, and Netgalley for the E-ARC.

Kalynn Bayron has done it again. My Dear Henry is beautifully written.

This is the first physical novel I’ve read since July. I’ve been in the deepest reading slump and only Kalynn Bayron could pull me out of it. Perfectly gothic and bleak, My Dear Henry was unlike any book I’ve ever read. Baryon is brilliant at taking an old tale or piece of mythology and giving it a fresh spin. You probably know the story of Jekyll and Hyde, but you don’t know the story of Henry and Gabriel.

The Victorian Era has always enticed me (largely due to the fact that I spent the majority of my teen years being obsessed with the Bronte sisters). Bayron’s Victorian London was everything I desired. The atmosphere was gorgeous. Bayron weaves darkness masterfully. Everything was so thrilling. Bayron made me want to immediately step into Victorian London… and also not. I enjoyed the first part of the story because I got to follow Gabriel through his everyday life as he navigated a very bleak world. It is incredibly evident that Bayron thoroughly researched the period and I found no faults with the accuracy of the world-building. The atmosphere complimented Gabriel’s journey and was a brilliant vessel for exploring the intense themes of the novel.

The aspect that stood out to me the most was the yearning. Bayron’s portrayal of queer longing is effortless. I felt every inch of Gabriel’s yearning for Henry. There were passages that literally made my heart clench in sympathy. I cannot imagine what it would have been like to live as a queer person in the Victorian era. Apparently Bayron can, because her portrayal of queerness felt so fitting. Both Henry and Gabriel struggled within a very homophobic and racist society. I appreciated the nuanced portrayal of class, and how merely existing as Black and queer people in this period made their lives so dangerous. Bayron’s exploration of shame was masterful. Though this was set in Victorian England, shame is a feeling that a lot of queer readers will understand. It’s something I completely resonate with. It was wonderful to see pockets of bravery expressed by Gabriel as he fought to be with Henry whilst grappling with his own identity. Shame is so difficult to overcome and Gabriel’s struggle was so palpable.

Another Kalynn Bayron masterpiece!!! She can do no wrong, I swear. I loved these characters a lot and the Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde vibes were very much present throughout. It was so much fun especially since that's one of my favorite classics. I think it's not my favorite book from Kalynn, but it's definitely still a great one to read. As with most historical fiction featuring Black characters, there is some racism on page that is tough to read, but I wasn't surprised by that, however I wish it could've been left out and this could've been more of an alternate history type of historical fiction, but I still really enjoyed it!

I liked this, but I didn't love it. I was probably at a bit of a disadvantage because I'd never read the original Jekyll and Hyde. I do still like the premise of these where they take a classic and diversify the characters and circumstances. While this may not have been the book for me, I still think others will really enjoy it.

Kalynn Bayron does it again!!! THIS TIME THOUGH...She completely flips the script and makes this classic Jekyll and Hyde story become a completely original, queer story of it's own. I was like...drooling while reading this book because of how good it was. It was everything I could want in a YA novel, a queer novel, a retelling, OR a book in general!!! It was THAT good. Kudos to Bayron for this fantastic story!

I like that this one does more than just change the race of the characters to "remix" the familiar plot. It changes plenty of superficial details but all of those changes bring new intent to the plot. This goes beyond the intellectual curiosity and hubris of the original. Here we have intensity and lack of compassion driven by desperation and the desire for a better life when society is determined to keep one down. We can actually understand the motivation for these experiments far more than in the original book. This is one of the better, more compelling, retellings I've encountered and one I would easily recommend.

I've read everything Kalynn has written before and love them, so I was naturally excited for this one. And it was as wonderful as I expected. The atmosphere of Victorian London that she manages to create, the longing and yearning between the characters, the portrayal of being queer at a time when homophobia was the norm, add to that the compounded effects of racism, it all made for a very impactful read.

I've been really loving these Remixed Classics books and have read most of them, and this book is a wonderful addition to the collection.

This book is a gothic, creepy and very atmospheric slow burn that is great perfect for spooky season. I would have liked if Henry and Gabriel’s relationship was showed to me instead of being told to me.
It was hard to feel the connection between the two when it felt like the relationship wasn’t fully developed. Despite that minor issue this was a good story and the ending was fast paced and held my attention. The narrator did a great job as well.

A delightful remix of Jekyll and Hyde! The pacing and length of this book was perfectly snack-sized, and I loved the writing style so much; a nice emulation of the Victorian style without being too outdated. I only wish that we had gotten to see more of Henry and Gabriel's relationship as it developed, since the early chapters have months-long gaps in between them and most of their relationship happens off-screen. There was a lot of "telling" surrounding their relationship, and not much showing. I still loved the moments they had together, and I loved seeing Gabriel piece together the mystery surrounding Henry and Hyde.

Trigger Warnings: homophobia, racism, attempted SA, off-screen murder, side character with terminal illness, elements resembling conversion therapy

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel and Friends for an eARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

I'm seriously in love with the YA Remix series that have been done by Macmillan. My latest is a Jekyll and Hyde queer gothic horror/romance set in the late 1800s, London.

During a time when color, status and representation are still scrutinized and ostricized, Gabriel will stop at nothing to understand the change in Henry's isolating behavior. When Hyde comes into play it's only a matter of time before secrets start to unfold.

Bayron did an excellent job tying in racism, queer prejudices and the gothic atmosphere of that time period. I especially liked how realistic the oppression from teachers, family and friends weighed on our two MCs. There is so much emotion and feeling that came from Gabriel's unstoppable push to find answers.

The audio is narrated by Clifford Samuel. I really liked his cadence and inflections for the different characters. I ended up breezing through the audio and hating it was over by the time he read the last page.

If you haven't grabbed one of these yet, I absolutely recommend them. Not only have they rekindled my love for YA and the classics but they represent authors from marginalized backgrounds. Each one expressively retells different classics from their own ethnic or cultural perspective. This was one of my faves by far.

Thank you Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends for the gifted digital copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. True rating 4.5/5.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of my fave classic gothic stories and I thought this was a great retelling of the story.

It begins with Gabriel going to the same college as Henry, watching their relationship grow as time goes on. Gabriel leaves for the summer and comes back with Henry inaccessible. He then finds out about Hyde and begins to question what's really going on.

CW: This book deals with deals with racism, homophobia, and attempted sexual harassment / assault.

Most of the books in the classic remix series does end a bit more hopeful than the classics for sure, My Dear Henry included.

I really enjoyed this remix of Jekyll & Hyde that imagines Jekyll and Gabriel as two Black gay boys in Victorian (I think) England. I'm not super familiar with the original tale but I thought Bayron did an excellent job at infusing this story with creepiness and questions, and it moved along so quickly.

My Dear Henry is a retelling grounded in history and friendship. Bayron describes both the racism and exploitation while also featuring these moments of comraderie and love. The ways that racism infuses their lives and decisions. But My Dear Henry is also firmly rooted in our family. What we will do in our desire for pride and acceptance. The relationships we have to our fathers.

MY DEAR HENRY by Kalynn Bayron is the Black queer Jekyll and Hyde retelling I didn’t know I needed. This YA gothic novel kept me wanting to know what’s going to happen next. It’s atmospheric, eerie, and chilling. MY DEAR HENRY deals with the issues of respectability politics in marginalized communities, survival, and self-worth vs. self-hate.

Oh the high hopes I had for this book. I felt disappointed by it but it wasn't absolutely horrible. I really enjoyed the theme and the gaslamp fantasy that was brought into this novel. It was absolutely clear to see how this was remixed and where the original fit in. But that's about where it ended. One of the things about the original Jekyll and Hyde was the mystery and darkness surrounding Hyde. That didn't really happen with this book. I never felt that draw to know more. The mystery never felt present to me that I was hoping for. However, I loved the representation in this book and how it made me really feel in the past. I thought it was excellently executed and I really have to give my props to that.

The characters were so uninteresting and uninspiring. The beginning started out and I was like okay, I want to know more. And then the next chapter it was they're a couple and they love each other and the know each other so well. But it never translated. There was never a buildup and I think that's one of the reasons I struggled with the main plot. There was no connection to the characters and I felt like the connections between the characters were non-existent. All of their personalities felt lackluster and just there.

Overall, My Dear Henry by Kalynn Bayron was disappointing. The book itself was okay but it could have been so much better. I think a big part of that for me personally was the connection between the characters themselves. It all happened so fast in the beginning, it never got my invested. And not having that investment resulted in a plot missing the suspense and mystery. The remix itself was interesting and I wish it could have been more flushed out. However, the representation in this book was beyond phenomenal and I really enjoyed the care that went into that part of the book. If your interested in this book and are okay with insta-romance and no buildup, then definitely check this book out!

These remixes are saving my views on the classics. I read Dr. Jekyll when I was in middle school. I was interested in sci-fi back then and my mom gave me it. I ended up liking it, but it wasn’t something I would read again unless I had to. But this time I wanted to give it a try because it’s a remix. And sure enough, it gave me a whole new respect for the story.

So for what worked for me. I LOVED the setting. Bayron has a way of making the setting feel so legit. I felt the fog like I was on London or something. She mentioned the way the cobblestones felt under their feet and the way they sounded when the person was running on them. It made me feel as if I was right there. And as someone who travels from the books she reads (remember why my blog is named this?) this was right up my alley. It made the book a little more mysterious too.

I did think this story was going to be a slog for me to get through tho. I am not a huge fan of the original because it was kinda confusing. When I read it in Middle school it was in one of those Illustrated Classics. (Am I the only one who read those?) And I remember reading it and watching a documentary and it scared the bee-jebs out of me. But Bayron made this story her own and I actually really enjoyed it.

SPOILER ALERT FOR THIS PARAGRAPH. I also liked the twist, although it made me cry. TW/CW Not gonna lie, the way his dad forced the serum on him and what it did, it really felt like the dad’s version of conv/ersion ther/apy. Like that would be the way he was trying to do it back then. And it made me sad and mad so the tears fell. It didn’t make me stop liking it, but it did make me waffle on my rating. In the end, I settled on not changing anything because I felt like anything that made me cry was something that really pulled at my emotions.

The narrator was weird tho. I liked him, but his voice was too calming? I don’t know how else to say it. I had to speed him up, but then I saw that wouldn’t work for me. So I slowed it down and then he put me to sleep. (I think that was my ADHD tho. Anything under 1.5 won’t do it for me lol) But everything else, like his tone and the inflections and stuff were fine.

This book was so good it made me break my book buying ban. (Don’t tell my husband I admitted to that lol) All of these classics are so good! I really hope there’s a lot more of these to come. I love seeing all the different ways they’ve been changed.

My Dear Henry is a rewrite of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, told from the perspective of Gabriel Utterson. Set, as was the original, beginning in 1883, Gabriel Utterson is a dutiful son, setting off to attend medical school because his father wants him to be a doctor, his desire to study law notwithstanding.

Like many young men of color at the time, Gabriel stays in a boardinghouse run by Miss Laurie for young men of color, as the dormitory facilities at his college are not open to him; there, he meets Henry Jekyll, with whom he feels an instant connection, and who feels the same connection to him. The two young men are in classes together, including a class with Henry's father, Dr. Jekyll, which is taught in a dank dungeon-like room, redolent with the scents of formaldehyde, from its previous use as an operating theater - the worst room in the college, considered the only appropriate one for a doctor who, like his patients, was a man of color. As their friendship deepens into a relationship, others around them become aware - including Dr. Jekyll, who objects to his son being in a same-sex relationship, because of the societal issues inherent in being Black in London in the 1880s compounded with same-sex relationships - which leads to Dr. Jekyll attempting to convert his son to his own point of view, and disavow Gabriel, via any means necessary.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The synopsis really intrigued me, but unfortunately the execution fell flat.

Brief Synopsis: In this gothic YA remix of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, a teen boy tries to discover the reason behind his best friend's disappearance—and the arrival of a mysterious and magnetic stranger—in misty Victorian London.

I loved the concept behind a remix of a true classic (and I’m inspired to reread the classic), however I struggled with the pacing. At the start we meet our main character, Gabriel, who is attending the London School of Medicine to appease his father. Then enters Henry, another student and son of a Dr. Jekyll (a professor at the school).

This is where I began to struggle. There was little character development or relationship building. Gabriel and Henry went from meeting one another, to starting a relationship, and then to exchanging romantic letters throughout a summer in a matter of pages. A Lot of the buildup to the relationship was skipped over entirely. Because of this, I found it hard to connect with Gabriel’s feelings as events unfold in the book.

The end also fell flat for me. I craved more of a slow-burn, gothic horror suspense. Instead, I felt like the book just ended abruptly. It lacked any creepy vibes or page-turning suspense. It left me wanting more.

Overall, I was disappointed.

Definitely an interesting choice to read after A House With Good Bones: another book with gothic vibes and battling racism (though the latter is much more prevalent in this one). It was so nice to see Black boys just living their best queer joy lives in the beginning before everything started to go wrong… personally, I’m not familiar with the Jekyll and Hyde story (apart from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) but I really liked how Hyde was portrayed: less of a literal monster and more of what society deems monstrous. This is particularly exacerbated by Henry’s Blackness and the pressures put upon him specifically as a Black man of reasonable means.

And Gabriel - honest, sweet, sensitive Gabriel - is a perfect balance to that.