The book mashes the perspectives of Tabitha Woodward and Pearl Davenport, two girls recruited to the Salvation Army intent on making a difference in New York City, and the infamous Jack the Ripper, an unknown man terrorizing the streets of London. Tabitha had hoped that joining the Salvation Army would help her better understand her purpose, and find friendship with her new roommate. Instead, she got Pearl - a devout girl whose humor and passion for their mission drives Tabitha crazy. The two set off each day to preach and connect with the people of Lower Manhattan, where they come across a network of prostitution that they vow to stop. Meanwhile, in Whitechapel, London, Jack the Ripper hides in the shadows, killing women to create a cure for his own dying body. As Jack travels to New York to escape persecution, and the girls fall deeper into the world of vices, their stories meet in a fantastical myth-bending world where retribution comes from women scorned.
The mashup of the two infamous figures - Medusa and Jack the Ripper - was one that was incredibly intriguing to me, and it was done in a way that was unique to what I have read before in retellings and historical fantasies. The dichotomy of having these two exist in tandem to one another and even interact is what makes this book interesting. Jack the Ripper, a figure whose actions note a hatred of women and his belief in their insignificance, and then Medusa, a women scorned by a man and forever eternalized as a female protecter and avenger of men's wrongs.
The are multiple Medusa's in this story - each being a woman that interacts with a man who has been attacked by a Medusa and lives to tell the tale, and/or has some sort if traumatic experience involving the wrong doing of a man. I think that this 'sisterhood'/group definitely could have had more background in the story, because it was only mentioned in passing by characters as it related to the story sequence.
The story focused a lot on Tabitha and Pearl, two Salvation Army girls from differing pasts that are forced together and end up leading a mission to saving prostitutes in their neighborhood. I honestly was surprised when it was revealed that Pearl was the Medusa and not Tabitha, because the story really didn't give Pearl's perspective and left her feeling more like a side character to Tabitha. I think that there could have been less emphasis on Tabitha and Pearl's Salvation Army work, and the reader still would have understood their work and why they want to save the prostitutes.
There was a lot of elements of Christianity in this book, which I thought was possibly a little overdone, but maybe that is because I am not religious. There was a point in the story where Tabitha speaks to what she believes to be God, speaking through her, and that was a bit confusing and didn't add much to the story.
The Jack the Ripper character was done in a way that makes him almost anonymized/a figure who could be any man. For most of the book, he is an enigmatic man hiding in the shadows, but comes face to face with a race of women who embody his crimes and his worst fear: that women have more power than him.
The back matter is incredibly fascinating, and I think it's very insightful of the author to do this kind of research on a book about a different time period (and including two influential/infamous historical figures) and include the information they found and a bibliography . The author includes information about the time period, the history of the Salvation Army and Salvation Army girls, the myths associated with Medusa, and most interestingly, information about Jack the Ripper. No one knows who the Ripper was, and the author notes this, as well as giving her reasoning for using the man she did as her main character (a man who was a Ripper suspect).

"a true-crime-nail-biter-turned-mythic-odyssey pitting Jack the Ripper against Medusa. A defiant love song to sisterhood, a survivors’ battle cry, and a romantic literary tour de force laced with humor."

Synopsis: "It’s autumn 1888, and Jack the Ripper is on the run. As London police close in, he flees England for New York City seeking new victims. But a primal force of female vengeance has had enough. With serpents for hair and a fearsome gaze, an awakened Medusa is hunting for one thing: Jack. And other dangers lurk in Manhattan’s Bowery. Salvation Army volunteers Tabitha and Pearl discover that a girl they once helped has been forced to work in a local brothel. Tabitha’s an upstate city girl with a wry humor and a thirst for adventure, while farmgirl Pearl takes everything with stone-cold seriousness. Their brittle partnership is tested as they team up with an aspiring girl reporter and a handsome Irish bartender to mount a rescue effort, only to find their fates entwine with Medusa’s and Jack’s."

I really enjoyed this story and how they weaved together Jack and Medusa of all characters! Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the Arc!

I am so sad that I did not like this book. I loved The Lovely War by Julie Berry, but this did not work for me. I had no interest in the characters, and the pace was too slow for me to enjoy the plot.

After finding out the premise of the book, I really want to like it. However, I couldn't put it down. I just wanted to find out what happened next. I hope there will be a sequel.

3.75! The premise of a combination Rack the Ripper and Medusa sucked me in. I was definitely intrigued on how these would come together, but oh wow did it! The first 70% of this book was set up and I would have liked more from Jack. But that last 30% was a whirlwind and I could not put this book down!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC!

Jack the Ripper vs. Medusas!! what more could you want?

I loved the alternating POVs it made the book fly by. Jack’s chapters definitely get dark and creepy, but in contrast, Tabitha brings such fun energy to the story. She’s witty, sarcastic, and genuinely just wants to help people!! She also cannot stand her roommate and street partner, Pearl a little miss perfect type who works with her at the Salvation Army.

Even though I came in knowing very little about either Jack the Ripper or Medusa beyond the basics. the book did a great job explaining everything in a way that made sense within the story. It never felt like an info dump, just smooth world-building.

The relationships between the girls were a real highlight well written, complex, and emotional. And while there is a romantic subplot it never overshadows the story!! It’s just the right amount of sweet and heartwarming.

If you’re looking for a mystery that’s solved by strong, clever girls who don’t yet realize just how powerful they are with a little bit of magic thrown in there this one’s for you.

This was a good page tuner I enjoyed it very dark mistook can’t wait for others to take a bite out of this book thank you for this read net galley

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a truly fascinating premise that I haven't encountered before. I love Greek mythology, and I've read quite a few Jack the Ripper inspired stories too. This was interesting with some slow spots and a bit heavy in the plots.

“The murderous male monster gets all the fame and fascination; the expendable women are an afterthought.”

This was so rare and original and I loved that!
For all the serious themes in this book, there was humor and wit in it too! The feisty woman who didn’t take shit from shitty men made this story so good and memorable. The themes and plots were really important and meaningful as well.

I had a fun time with this. Even though it was long and at times, dragged. lol

I was drawn to the premise of this book. I enjoyed the way the vivid descriptions put me right there in the scene. Overa, the book was well written. That being said, the story and characters did not engage me, and I felt I had to drag myself to keep going. Well written, great visuals but I felt emotions were lacking in what could have been both emotional and intriguing.

Looks Could Kill by Julie Berry is a bold historical fantasy where Medusa hunts Jack the Ripper in 1888 New York. Though I didn’t care for the slow start and heavy religious themes, the myth, mystery, and feminist twist made it a dark, gripping read overall.

An interesting take on Jack the Ripper and the women who vex him. Told on both sides of the Atlantic and set mainly against New York in the late 1880s including the slum conditions and other clear socio-economic divisions with multiple POVs, I found the pacing inconsistent and some of the messaging heavy-handed. It is the women who are the more important to be seen, and yet they feel like side characters. (Granted, we are still working in that as a world…) Early reading provided by Net Galley.

A clever, gritty mix of mythology and history! Medusa vs. Jack the Ripper in 1888 NYC is not a combo I expected, but it totally works. Tabitha and Pearl’s friendship is the heart of the story, and I loved their sharp banter. It started a bit slow for me, and some side plots could’ve been deeper (like Freida’s story), but once it kicks in, it’s smart, dark, and totally unique. Would read more in this world for sure!

If Looks Could Kill is such a fun and clever mix of historical mystery and mythology. Julie Berry brings Medusa into 1888 New York and throws her into a Jack the Ripper-style thriller that totally hooked me. The short chapters and shifting points of view make it a fast, addicting read, and I loved the gritty, atmospheric setting. It balances suspense, dark humor, and just the right amount of heart. A great pick for fans of twisty YA with a mythological edge.

If you're fan of classics, you're going to love this. Its a time era piece so of course there is some controversial words (in my opinion) and ideologies so beware of that (its not said in an offensive manner just, thats how it was at the time but not like it could have been). There was also a play on religion here that I wasn't really expecting but wasn't done in a preachy way. I enjoyed the snark and wittiness within this! I cant forget the horror aspect either! Gave me chills with the level of "gross" description and I mean that with love as a fan of horror haha. Overall, this was a good read and I dont want to spoil anything so I'll leave it there!

Thanks netgalley for the arc

Thank you to Simon Teen for sending me an Earc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this book over all. Once I got over the hump, I felt engaged. I liked this idea of saving souls and the large vengeful aspect was fun.

The pros:

-Jack The Ripper aspect
-Medusa aspect
-Slow Burn
-Female Rage
-Dark Themes

Cons
-Slower start
-Arguably too much with both storylines.

I never thought that Jack The Ripper and Medusa could work together but this book proved me wrong. Both haunting and moving, once this book got past introducing characters and the action started, I really enjoyed it. So good!

This was such a creative idea and the blurb caught my attention immediately. Having a book with Jack the Ripper against Medusa alone made for an interesting plot but throwing in a true crime vibe was really entertaining. Plus the addition information at the end of the book was really a nice addition.

Having said that I did have a little trouble getting into this at first. It did drag out for me a little until I was able to get an understanding of the characters and general plot. My favorite character changed a few times throughout this book but ultimately I really liked the character development of Pearl the most.

This book was dark but filled with an atmosphere of horror and myths.

Plot: 8/10
Pace: 5/10
Ending: 9/10
Characters: 8/10
Enjoyability: 8/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Would I Recommend? Maybe
Favorite Character: Pearl

Favorite Quote: ❝ The best part, the very best part, is how long they wait with dopey grins of excitement for her words to catch up to their beer-soaked brains. Those stretched seconds after she has finished speaking are priceless. So is the anger, and then the mute terror that scrapes over their faces as they open their eyes and see exactly who they chose to harass on a late-night train. ❞

This was a delightful read, in ways I was not expecting. I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting from a book whose main characters include Jack the Ripper and Medusa, but it certainly wasn’t the layered interesting characters that I got. Bonus points for the real-life information at the end.

I really hope I get to see this as a movie some day. No, a series. There is simply too much for just a couple of hours to do it justice. Whatever, I’ll watch the hell out of it.

I fell in love with Lovely War and when I saw that Julie Berry wrote another book that was historical fiction and Greek mythology combined, I had to read it.

This is definitely different from Lovely War in terms of tone, but it was still just as good. We follow Tabitha and Pearl, two girls who come from different backgrounds, but become roommates at Salvation Army. Pearl seems to be a religious fanatic who judges and imposes on all those around her, but there’s a completely different side to her we find out throughout the story. Tabitha seems to be one who is more of a people person who tries to read the room and connect with those around her, not really believing in what she’s doing- spreading the good word. The unlikely duo grow and find each other trying to help girls around them, or more particularly someone they ran into in the street who is now in a brothel. Redemption in the word of God, or other?

Meanwhile, Jack the Ripper is in England murdering women and we get to see some things from his point of view and a possibility of why he murdered those women. The last victim he comes across in Whitechapel was different and terrified him. She had snakes for hair and she continues to haunt him whenever he goes. Trying to escape, he flees to America and gets more than he bargained for. The explanation and development of Medusa was building since that last kill of the Ripper’s and it unfolds with Pearl.

My biggest critique is the pacing of this story. It seemed really slow and picked up more towards the end, but the entire book I was waiting for something to really happen. It felt like a long time to see how these people would meet and how the stories really intersected.

There’s still come humor and romance in this story, which helped it feel a little lighter with such a dark tone to the book. Tabitha doesn’t realize that Mike likes her, and thinks he’s interested in Pearl. Since that wasn’t true, we also follow how they navigate their relationship with what’s happening around them.

I truly enjoyed the history breakdown at the end of the book and appreciated that there was more to review and learn at the end of the story.


I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.