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My Dear Henry: A Jekyll & Hyde Remix
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.
London, 1885. Gabriel Utterson, a 17-year-old law clerk, has returned to London for the first time since his life— and that of his dearest friend, Henry Jekyll—was derailed by a scandal that led to his and Henry's expuslion from the London Medical School. Whispers about the true nature of Gabriel and Henry's relationship have followed the boys for two years, and now Gabriel has a chance to start again.
But Gabriel doesn't want to move on, not without Henry. His friend has become distant and cold since the disastrous events of the prior spring, and now his letters have stopped altogether. Desperate to discover what's become of him, Gabriel takes to watching the Jekyll house.
In doing so, Gabriel meets Hyde, a a strangely familiar young man with white hair and a magnetic charisma. He claims to be friends with Henry, and Gabriel can't help but begin to grow jealous at their apparent closeness, especially as Henry continues to act like Gabriel means nothing to him.
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...
London, 1885. Gabriel Utterson, a 17-year-old law clerk, has returned to London for the first time since his life— and that of his dearest friend, Henry Jekyll—was derailed by a scandal that led to his and Henry's expuslion from the London Medical School. Whispers about the true nature of Gabriel and Henry's relationship have followed the boys for two years, and now Gabriel has a chance to start again.
But Gabriel doesn't want to move on, not without Henry. His friend has become distant and cold since the disastrous events of the prior spring, and now his letters have stopped altogether. Desperate to discover what's become of him, Gabriel takes to watching the Jekyll house.
In doing so, Gabriel meets Hyde, a a strangely familiar young man with white hair and a magnetic charisma. He claims to be friends with Henry, and Gabriel can't help but begin to grow jealous at their apparent closeness, especially as Henry continues to act like Gabriel means nothing to him.
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...
272 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2023
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February 13, 2024
Dare I say I liked this more than the original? Is that blasphemy? I mean, Kalynn took a creepy horror and made it gave it much more representation. What’s not to like?
February 4, 2023
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.
There were some nasty, despicable characters in this story. It’s incredibly disappointing that men like that still thrive in our society. I cringed whenever that wretched man (who does not deserve to be named) went near Gabriel.
I loved everything Bayron had to say in her acknowledgements about why she retold the story in this way. Everything she wanted to achieve she certainly did, and I cannot recommend this enough!
Thank you so much to Gwyneth & MacMillan Marketing for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I post about queer books on: Instagram Twitter TikTok
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.
There were some nasty, despicable characters in this story. It’s incredibly disappointing that men like that still thrive in our society. I cringed whenever that wretched man (who does not deserve to be named) went near Gabriel.
I loved everything Bayron had to say in her acknowledgements about why she retold the story in this way. Everything she wanted to achieve she certainly did, and I cannot recommend this enough!
Thank you so much to Gwyneth & MacMillan Marketing for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I post about queer books on: Instagram Twitter TikTok
February 27, 2023
I really love what the author did with the Jekyl & Hyde story here! My Dear Henry remixes this classic Victorian gothic as a way of talking about the rampant racism and homophobia of the time, and what young men who were queer and Black might have faced.
While I did find the prose to be occasionally overwritten or even a little cringey- such as the overuse of the titular phrase My Dear Henry or (perhaps the worst offender) the line "If he was Hyde, than I would be Seek"- overall I really liked what this book was doing and was invested in the story. It's clear the author is very familiar with the source material and uses some of that subtext to offer a fresh take on an old story.
Young Gabriel Utterson arrives in London to attend medical school per the wishes of his father, despite the dearth of opportunities for educated Black men as medical professionals. While there, he meets and falls in love with Henry Jekyl. But whispers about their relationship result in the boys expulsion and the firing of Henry's scientist father Dr. Jekyl. Henry grows distant and a strange young man is seen entering the Jekyl residence...
While the writing isn't perfect, I think this is well worth a read and a strong entry in the Remixed Classics collection. I really hope people don't use some of the prose quirks as an excuse to discount what this novel accomplishes. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
While I did find the prose to be occasionally overwritten or even a little cringey- such as the overuse of the titular phrase My Dear Henry or (perhaps the worst offender) the line "If he was Hyde, than I would be Seek"- overall I really liked what this book was doing and was invested in the story. It's clear the author is very familiar with the source material and uses some of that subtext to offer a fresh take on an old story.
Young Gabriel Utterson arrives in London to attend medical school per the wishes of his father, despite the dearth of opportunities for educated Black men as medical professionals. While there, he meets and falls in love with Henry Jekyl. But whispers about their relationship result in the boys expulsion and the firing of Henry's scientist father Dr. Jekyl. Henry grows distant and a strange young man is seen entering the Jekyl residence...
While the writing isn't perfect, I think this is well worth a read and a strong entry in the Remixed Classics collection. I really hope people don't use some of the prose quirks as an excuse to discount what this novel accomplishes. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Shelved as 'wishlist'
February 28, 2024I've heard AMAZING things about this one
November 21, 2022
Actual rating 3.5 stars.
This is the third remix I read, and even though I liked it, it’s my least favorite.
First of all, Kalynn’s writing is stunning. She wrapped me around her finger with her descriptiveness and vividness and immediately pulled me into the story. I flew through the pages, and before I knew it, I had read half of the book.
There’s quite a lot of racism and homophobia in the book, and it felt like my heart was sometimes being speared in halves. But I also understand why Kalynn Bayron did not back away from this part because this was the reality at that time (and in some ways still is today). She pictured gothic Victorian London perfectly with its atmospheric darkness. The cover fits that atmosphere so well too.
There was one thing keeping me from a four-star rating. Somehow I didn’t connect to Gabriel and Henry as much as I wanted to. I think I needed a longer story in which their growing feelings for each other would have been explored more. But overall another great retelling!
I received an ARC from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.
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This is the third remix I read, and even though I liked it, it’s my least favorite.
First of all, Kalynn’s writing is stunning. She wrapped me around her finger with her descriptiveness and vividness and immediately pulled me into the story. I flew through the pages, and before I knew it, I had read half of the book.
There’s quite a lot of racism and homophobia in the book, and it felt like my heart was sometimes being speared in halves. But I also understand why Kalynn Bayron did not back away from this part because this was the reality at that time (and in some ways still is today). She pictured gothic Victorian London perfectly with its atmospheric darkness. The cover fits that atmosphere so well too.
There was one thing keeping me from a four-star rating. Somehow I didn’t connect to Gabriel and Henry as much as I wanted to. I think I needed a longer story in which their growing feelings for each other would have been explored more. But overall another great retelling!
I received an ARC from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.
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March 1, 2023
I’ve always found the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to be particularly fascinating, but Bayron delivered the queer, Black gothic retelling that I didn’t know that I desperately needed.
Bayron does an incredible job of making the reader fall in love with Henry and Gabriel all the while feeling the angst and yearning that comes from the forbidden love that Black boys are not granted in Victorian London. This one pulled at my heart strings so much, and I wanted nothing more to protect them both.
I think what makes this story even more striking is knowing that the bigoted and racist characters that we still in this story still exist and thrive almost 200 years later.
I honesty think where Bayron shines the most is being able to take a classic such as this and write it with such beautifully immersive words all while ensuring inclusion and giving the readers a twist that they won’t see coming!
Bayron is an auto-read/auto-buy author for me, and I can’t wait to devour more!
Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Pub and Macmillan Audio for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
Bayron does an incredible job of making the reader fall in love with Henry and Gabriel all the while feeling the angst and yearning that comes from the forbidden love that Black boys are not granted in Victorian London. This one pulled at my heart strings so much, and I wanted nothing more to protect them both.
I think what makes this story even more striking is knowing that the bigoted and racist characters that we still in this story still exist and thrive almost 200 years later.
I honesty think where Bayron shines the most is being able to take a classic such as this and write it with such beautifully immersive words all while ensuring inclusion and giving the readers a twist that they won’t see coming!
Bayron is an auto-read/auto-buy author for me, and I can’t wait to devour more!
Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Pub and Macmillan Audio for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
Shelved as 'dnf'
July 8, 2023i have decided that life is too short and that all this book is going to do is put me back into my reading slump and it has been going too well for me this past week to risk that again. the writing and pacing in this are my personal hell. dnf about 40-50% in.
March 7, 2023
My Dear Henry is the newest book in a series of queer classic retellings. As someone who enjoyed the original version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I was really excited to see what My Dear Henry would do with the story and how it would evolve. Overall, I really liked this (especially the ending!!), and I’m super excited to have read it.
Because I received an audio ARC of this one, I want to first talk about the narrator and the audiobook itself. Clifford Samuel does an excellent job of voicing Gabriel and capturing his inner thoughts, while still keeping the other characters distinct enough for us to follow along. His narration style also fits well with the original story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, too, which I thought was a nice touch to a retelling. If you’re an audiobook reader, I definitely recommend listening to this one!
When reading Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I always kind of thought that Jekyll might be gay, and when I saw this would be a retelling with a romance between Mr. Utterson (as a teen named Gabriel) and Jekyll (as a teen named Henry born to a Dr. Jekyll), I was so curious to see how that dynamic would unfold. The romance between Gabriel and Henry was an integral part of the book, so I was a little disappointed when the founding of their relationship was mostly glossed over until it was an already established thing. Because of this, I found it a little difficult to be invested in their lives at first.
Thankfully, though, Bayron does an excellent job of showcasing Gabriel’s longing for Henry and how much he means to him. The longer the story continues, the more I found myself completely invested in how their relationship and the turmoil surrounding it would conclude. I feel Gabriel’s hurt as Henry shuts him out, and I’m just as determined to figure out why as much as Gabriel is. The way his emotions are encapsulated in the page feels like a hurricane brewing. In the beginning, I’m unaware of how immense it all is, until suddenly it hits me, and I’m completely consumed.
Because of all of this, I would consider My Dear Henry a bit of a slow burn. Not just in regard to the romance, but in general. It’s a story that starts out slow and builds and builds until it explodes in the end. I cannot tell you how entirely unprepared I was for that ending. It hit me totally unaware, and I got a little teary eyed, not gonna lie. This book covers some difficult and still prevalent topics today such as homophobia, as well as inner homophobia, racism, sexual assault, and more.
Watching the conclusion to a certain character’s emotional growth and journey really hit me hard. Not necessarily because the specifics are personal to me, but because it’s personal to many I know and love. They’ve lived this story, and tons of people are still living it today. The way these topics were tackled was done really well and helped to round out and develop this book.
Overall, I really did love My Dear Henry. It stayed true to the original tale while expanding on certain ideas that absolutely need to be talked about more. Even so, it was entirely its own story, even aside from the Jekyll and Hyde narrative, and if you’re like me and enjoy a good slow burn book, then I highly recommend this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an Audio ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Because I received an audio ARC of this one, I want to first talk about the narrator and the audiobook itself. Clifford Samuel does an excellent job of voicing Gabriel and capturing his inner thoughts, while still keeping the other characters distinct enough for us to follow along. His narration style also fits well with the original story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, too, which I thought was a nice touch to a retelling. If you’re an audiobook reader, I definitely recommend listening to this one!
When reading Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I always kind of thought that Jekyll might be gay, and when I saw this would be a retelling with a romance between Mr. Utterson (as a teen named Gabriel) and Jekyll (as a teen named Henry born to a Dr. Jekyll), I was so curious to see how that dynamic would unfold. The romance between Gabriel and Henry was an integral part of the book, so I was a little disappointed when the founding of their relationship was mostly glossed over until it was an already established thing. Because of this, I found it a little difficult to be invested in their lives at first.
Thankfully, though, Bayron does an excellent job of showcasing Gabriel’s longing for Henry and how much he means to him. The longer the story continues, the more I found myself completely invested in how their relationship and the turmoil surrounding it would conclude. I feel Gabriel’s hurt as Henry shuts him out, and I’m just as determined to figure out why as much as Gabriel is. The way his emotions are encapsulated in the page feels like a hurricane brewing. In the beginning, I’m unaware of how immense it all is, until suddenly it hits me, and I’m completely consumed.
Because of all of this, I would consider My Dear Henry a bit of a slow burn. Not just in regard to the romance, but in general. It’s a story that starts out slow and builds and builds until it explodes in the end. I cannot tell you how entirely unprepared I was for that ending. It hit me totally unaware, and I got a little teary eyed, not gonna lie. This book covers some difficult and still prevalent topics today such as homophobia, as well as inner homophobia, racism, sexual assault, and more.
Watching the conclusion to a certain character’s emotional growth and journey really hit me hard. Not necessarily because the specifics are personal to me, but because it’s personal to many I know and love. They’ve lived this story, and tons of people are still living it today. The way these topics were tackled was done really well and helped to round out and develop this book.
Overall, I really did love My Dear Henry. It stayed true to the original tale while expanding on certain ideas that absolutely need to be talked about more. Even so, it was entirely its own story, even aside from the Jekyll and Hyde narrative, and if you’re like me and enjoy a good slow burn book, then I highly recommend this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an Audio ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Want to read
March 12, 2022these Remixes are getting all my money. Especially this one. That synopsis made my 🐱 throb
February 17, 2024
It's been a few...decades...since I read Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, but I remember loving it, and I've watched Mary Reilly enough times to recall the gist of the original story. I loved the setup for this retelling, but I did want more of it. This book was soooo short.
The story is told from the perspective of a fellow medical student of Henry Jeckyll's named Gabriel. Being Black, they are not allowed by oppressive white society to become full-fledged doctors, but they are permitted to attend medical school in the hopes of becoming orderlies at hospitals in the future. Even though this is YA, I kept forgetting that they were supposed to be 15 and was picturing them as young men in college. (I almost feel like the author kept forgetting, too. It just doesn't feel like YA except that the relationship never gets physical between the leads beyond two kisses.)
Gabe and Henry face racism and homophobia--and I guess technically a pedophile, since they're teenagers, after all--throughout the entire book, coming from their peers, their employers, their faculty, and their own parents. It was hard to read some of the ordeals they went through, but I feel like the author did a fantastic job setting the scene and maintaining it. SO good. Such rich and vivid detail that you feel like you're watching a movie, or like you're really standing right there on the foggy streets of London a couple centuries ago.
In the beginning of the book when the two boys meet, they have amazing chemistry. Their glances and smiles really had me eager for the romantic aspect of the story. But the story is just so rushed. They meet twice, at the boarding house where they both stay and again when they realize they are classmates, then from there the chapters open with time-skips and the story jumps to them exchanging romantic letters and planning to meet up in a romantic type of way, which never happens because Henry decides he has to fight his feelings so he doesn't shame his family. For most of the book, Henry is pushing Gabe away, and he goes about it in such a cruel way that it's hard to believe Gabriel would put up with it and still hang onto what they had, when what they had was so rushed and barely on the page.
That's really my only complaint. I feel like this book should have been two or three times the size it is, and I wish it had been adult instead of young adult, because it never gets as violent and gritty as I wanted it to. But for what it was, it was spectacular. Even if you know the story of Jeckyll and Hyde, there are plot twists and "remixed" elements that just really made this a beautiful story, an intriguing mystery, and a romance that really did make my heart flutter, even if I wanted more. This book just also made me feel like I need to go write some fanfiction to fill in the missing gaps, because the time-skips in the beginning leave much to be desired.
The story is told from the perspective of a fellow medical student of Henry Jeckyll's named Gabriel. Being Black, they are not allowed by oppressive white society to become full-fledged doctors, but they are permitted to attend medical school in the hopes of becoming orderlies at hospitals in the future. Even though this is YA, I kept forgetting that they were supposed to be 15 and was picturing them as young men in college. (I almost feel like the author kept forgetting, too. It just doesn't feel like YA except that the relationship never gets physical between the leads beyond two kisses.)
Gabe and Henry face racism and homophobia--and I guess technically a pedophile, since they're teenagers, after all--throughout the entire book, coming from their peers, their employers, their faculty, and their own parents. It was hard to read some of the ordeals they went through, but I feel like the author did a fantastic job setting the scene and maintaining it. SO good. Such rich and vivid detail that you feel like you're watching a movie, or like you're really standing right there on the foggy streets of London a couple centuries ago.
In the beginning of the book when the two boys meet, they have amazing chemistry. Their glances and smiles really had me eager for the romantic aspect of the story. But the story is just so rushed. They meet twice, at the boarding house where they both stay and again when they realize they are classmates, then from there the chapters open with time-skips and the story jumps to them exchanging romantic letters and planning to meet up in a romantic type of way, which never happens because Henry decides he has to fight his feelings so he doesn't shame his family. For most of the book, Henry is pushing Gabe away, and he goes about it in such a cruel way that it's hard to believe Gabriel would put up with it and still hang onto what they had, when what they had was so rushed and barely on the page.
That's really my only complaint. I feel like this book should have been two or three times the size it is, and I wish it had been adult instead of young adult, because it never gets as violent and gritty as I wanted it to. But for what it was, it was spectacular. Even if you know the story of Jeckyll and Hyde, there are plot twists and "remixed" elements that just really made this a beautiful story, an intriguing mystery, and a romance that really did make my heart flutter, even if I wanted more. This book just also made me feel like I need to go write some fanfiction to fill in the missing gaps, because the time-skips in the beginning leave much to be desired.
February 24, 2024
“We hadn’t disappeared simply because polite London society wished us to be invisible. If I wasn’t rendered invisible for loving Henry, I’d be rendered invisible because of the colour of my skin. There is nothing polite about it.”
it’s london, 1885 and gabriel utterson returns to london for the first time since he and his friend henry jekyll were expelled from medical school because of a scandal. despite the whispers of the nature of their relationship, gabriel doesn’t want to leave henry’s side but the other boy has become distant and unlike the boy he remembers from two years ago. desperate and borderline obsessed, gabriel attempts to uncover the truth of henry’s rejections and in doing so meets the mysterious mr. hyde…
—
wholly and truly adored this.
my dear henry is a “remix” of the familiar gothic penny dreadful, ‘the strange case of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde’ but with a beautiful twist. at its heart, the character of mr. utterson and dr. jekyll’s son, henry, are two black queer boys simply trying to find joy and love in each other in a world constantly trying to cast them aside.
this ya adaptation by bayron leans heavily into the proposed theory that stevenson’s source material about repression/human desire had homosexual interpretations and what that would mean in 19th century london for two black teenagers. i also thought it perfectly incorporated the OG’s book themes of evil and indecency lurking in the most ‘respectable’ of places while turning the story on its head a bit.
i felt gabriel’s desperation, his crazed obsession over henry and mr. hyde and why he was drawn to both and neither sometimes.
bayron’s writing style is modernized and less dense than the classic style of prose but it’s still fitting to the time period. she achieves the creepy, gothic vibes perfectly (so much so i wish i’d read this during spooky szn) and the fog was a paid actor because every scene gave me chills.
i am obsessed with this remixed classics collection and can’t wait to read more!
it’s london, 1885 and gabriel utterson returns to london for the first time since he and his friend henry jekyll were expelled from medical school because of a scandal. despite the whispers of the nature of their relationship, gabriel doesn’t want to leave henry’s side but the other boy has become distant and unlike the boy he remembers from two years ago. desperate and borderline obsessed, gabriel attempts to uncover the truth of henry’s rejections and in doing so meets the mysterious mr. hyde…
—
wholly and truly adored this.
my dear henry is a “remix” of the familiar gothic penny dreadful, ‘the strange case of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde’ but with a beautiful twist. at its heart, the character of mr. utterson and dr. jekyll’s son, henry, are two black queer boys simply trying to find joy and love in each other in a world constantly trying to cast them aside.
this ya adaptation by bayron leans heavily into the proposed theory that stevenson’s source material about repression/human desire had homosexual interpretations and what that would mean in 19th century london for two black teenagers. i also thought it perfectly incorporated the OG’s book themes of evil and indecency lurking in the most ‘respectable’ of places while turning the story on its head a bit.
i felt gabriel’s desperation, his crazed obsession over henry and mr. hyde and why he was drawn to both and neither sometimes.
bayron’s writing style is modernized and less dense than the classic style of prose but it’s still fitting to the time period. she achieves the creepy, gothic vibes perfectly (so much so i wish i’d read this during spooky szn) and the fog was a paid actor because every scene gave me chills.
i am obsessed with this remixed classics collection and can’t wait to read more!
February 23, 2023
If you enjoy riffs on classic novels that ask interesting "what if?" questions, you'll be delighted with Kalynn Bayron's My Dear Henry. The novel is a reworking of the Jekyll/Hyde story. It keeps the Victorian London time and setting, but in this version the central characters are Black. In one way or another, they're all fighting to carve out a safe space for themselves in the world, whether through academic accomplishment, wealth, or acquiescence with the racial hierarchy of the time.
Our Dr. Jekyll is an unofficial teacher at a medical school. The school is happy to use him as an instructor, but unwilling to identify him as faculty because he is Black and because he isn't passive in the face of racial bigotry.
Two students at the school—Jekyll's son Henry and his friend Gabriel Utterer—are trying to get medical educations, though they know there is almost no chance that they'll ever be allowed to work as physicians. They're not allowed to live on campus as white students are. They're also expected to accept frequent insults and acts of bullying by faculty as well as other students.
The two boys quickly fall in love. Gabriel's family lives in the countryside, so he doesn't have immediate worries about how his family will react. Henry is in a much different situation, spending his days under his father's observation. Henry's mother just wants Henry to be happy. Henry's father wants him to conform to current social values (including the "value" of homophobia) to increase Henry's chances of succeeding in a racially polarized world.
What Bayron does with this premise keeps readers engaged throughout the novel. We get the creepiness of Stevenson's original, but find it informed with with explorations of the racial hierarchy in Victorian London. The novel never becomes polemical. Its characters are its heart, but the exploration of larger social issues is essential to understanding who those characters are.
Technically, My Dear Henry is a YA title, but it's a compelling read, even if, like me, you're a nuber of decades past the usual YA age. I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus; the opinions are my own.
Our Dr. Jekyll is an unofficial teacher at a medical school. The school is happy to use him as an instructor, but unwilling to identify him as faculty because he is Black and because he isn't passive in the face of racial bigotry.
Two students at the school—Jekyll's son Henry and his friend Gabriel Utterer—are trying to get medical educations, though they know there is almost no chance that they'll ever be allowed to work as physicians. They're not allowed to live on campus as white students are. They're also expected to accept frequent insults and acts of bullying by faculty as well as other students.
The two boys quickly fall in love. Gabriel's family lives in the countryside, so he doesn't have immediate worries about how his family will react. Henry is in a much different situation, spending his days under his father's observation. Henry's mother just wants Henry to be happy. Henry's father wants him to conform to current social values (including the "value" of homophobia) to increase Henry's chances of succeeding in a racially polarized world.
What Bayron does with this premise keeps readers engaged throughout the novel. We get the creepiness of Stevenson's original, but find it informed with with explorations of the racial hierarchy in Victorian London. The novel never becomes polemical. Its characters are its heart, but the exploration of larger social issues is essential to understanding who those characters are.
Technically, My Dear Henry is a YA title, but it's a compelling read, even if, like me, you're a nuber of decades past the usual YA age. I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus; the opinions are my own.
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March 2, 2023Full review on the March 7th episode of All the Books.
February 22, 2023
*I received an audio review copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I love the concept behind this line of remixed classics and remember really liking Jekyll & Hyde, so I was very excited to see what this remix would offer.
In terms of diversifying the classic, Bayron does a good job. Our protagonist, Gabriel, is a queer Black man whose father wants him to be a doctor despite living in a society that will not let him because of his race. While in school, he meets and begins a romance with Henry Jekyll, another Black student.
I like the way Bayron twisted the story to highlight the faults in assimilation as a post-slavery ideology. Henry wants nothing more than to make his father proud of him, and his father refuses to see a path forward in society that isn’t appeasing the actions of the racist white men that have power in English society and views Henry’s queerness as a problem.
That being said, I really struggled through the character development and relationship building in this book. Early in the book we see Gabriel go to school and meet Henry and then basically the next paragraph we see they “care a lot for each other” and are told they’re in a relationship and they’d been exchanging letters through the whole summer break. There were just too many instances of the narrative skipping over moments that would flesh out the character relationships or aspects of the plot. Especially given that the original has those gothic horror elements, I expected and needed more of the slow horror/slow build. I had similar issues with Bayron’s debut Cinderella Is Dead, but I was hoping that it was because it was a debut but it might simply be that her writing style is not for me.
The audiobook is narrated by Clifford Samuel, who did a phenomenal job. To be completely honest, I probably wouldn’t have finished if it hadn’t been for the audiobook.
I love the concept behind this line of remixed classics and remember really liking Jekyll & Hyde, so I was very excited to see what this remix would offer.
In terms of diversifying the classic, Bayron does a good job. Our protagonist, Gabriel, is a queer Black man whose father wants him to be a doctor despite living in a society that will not let him because of his race. While in school, he meets and begins a romance with Henry Jekyll, another Black student.
I like the way Bayron twisted the story to highlight the faults in assimilation as a post-slavery ideology. Henry wants nothing more than to make his father proud of him, and his father refuses to see a path forward in society that isn’t appeasing the actions of the racist white men that have power in English society and views Henry’s queerness as a problem.
That being said, I really struggled through the character development and relationship building in this book. Early in the book we see Gabriel go to school and meet Henry and then basically the next paragraph we see they “care a lot for each other” and are told they’re in a relationship and they’d been exchanging letters through the whole summer break. There were just too many instances of the narrative skipping over moments that would flesh out the character relationships or aspects of the plot. Especially given that the original has those gothic horror elements, I expected and needed more of the slow horror/slow build. I had similar issues with Bayron’s debut Cinderella Is Dead, but I was hoping that it was because it was a debut but it might simply be that her writing style is not for me.
The audiobook is narrated by Clifford Samuel, who did a phenomenal job. To be completely honest, I probably wouldn’t have finished if it hadn’t been for the audiobook.
March 18, 2023
Weak 3 stars. There isn’t anything overly bad about this book but it’s completely unremarkable at the same time.
June 20, 2023
3.75 stars
A great remix of the Jekyll and Hyde classic. Here we have Henry and Gabrielle - lovers - who start out in medical school together. Gabrielle changes to law school while Henry quits school when his Black scientist father is made a scapegoat and fired from his position at the school. Henry and his father continue his fathers project in their own home. Soon Henry is not seen, but Hyde, is living with the Jekyll family and calling himself Henry's best friend, not allowing Gabrielle to see Henry.
This morphs into the regular Jekyll and Hyde story of Henry experimenting on himself - which turns him into Hyde. This was still set in London in 1885, so it gives the feel of the original story. However with Henry and Gabrielle being lovers - which I do not remember from the original edition of Jekyll and Hyde - there is that small twist to the story.
Having not read the original Jekyll and Hyde for many many years this was a nice refresher.
A great remix of the Jekyll and Hyde classic. Here we have Henry and Gabrielle - lovers - who start out in medical school together. Gabrielle changes to law school while Henry quits school when his Black scientist father is made a scapegoat and fired from his position at the school. Henry and his father continue his fathers project in their own home. Soon Henry is not seen, but Hyde, is living with the Jekyll family and calling himself Henry's best friend, not allowing Gabrielle to see Henry.
This morphs into the regular Jekyll and Hyde story of Henry experimenting on himself - which turns him into Hyde. This was still set in London in 1885, so it gives the feel of the original story. However with Henry and Gabrielle being lovers - which I do not remember from the original edition of Jekyll and Hyde - there is that small twist to the story.
Having not read the original Jekyll and Hyde for many many years this was a nice refresher.
January 28, 2024
4.5 rounded up because this absolutely slapped! Second favorite remixed classic methinks
Want to read
February 23, 2021
September 22, 2023
I fucking loved this. What a beautiful reimagining of a gothic horror classic!
RTC.
RTC.
April 11, 2023
I have loved every book I’ve read from the Remixed Classics series, and My Dear Henry is no exception!! It masterfully depicts racism, homophobia, and raging hypocrisy in Victorian England, but never loses its sense of charm, and always leaves you wanting to give Gabriel a huge hug!
January 27, 2023
Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!
I have always been interested in the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story and theme. It always came across as quite brutal to me for many of the reasons the author mentions in the author's note at the end (which, as always, I recommend reading).
This was different, though, like any retelling should be. It is the late 1800s, and Gabriel is among his fellow black classmates struggling to be taken seriously in a medical school. When he meets Henry, he realizes that there is much more to life than trying to belong. Henry's father, Dr. Jekyll works to separate Henry from his love for Gabriel. However, should anyone ever be forced to turn away from their true self?
This was beautiful and emotional. An absolute treasure that I will never be able to forget. Definitely recommend this!
Out March 7, 2023!
Content warnings for homophobia, racism, violence, and sexual assault.
I have always been interested in the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story and theme. It always came across as quite brutal to me for many of the reasons the author mentions in the author's note at the end (which, as always, I recommend reading).
This was different, though, like any retelling should be. It is the late 1800s, and Gabriel is among his fellow black classmates struggling to be taken seriously in a medical school. When he meets Henry, he realizes that there is much more to life than trying to belong. Henry's father, Dr. Jekyll works to separate Henry from his love for Gabriel. However, should anyone ever be forced to turn away from their true self?
This was beautiful and emotional. An absolute treasure that I will never be able to forget. Definitely recommend this!
Out March 7, 2023!
Content warnings for homophobia, racism, violence, and sexual assault.
March 5, 2023
I really enjoyed this book so much. I was pulled in right away by the pleasant writing style, which fits the time period without feeling dense. The whole book was very engaging, but especially the build-up towards the ending and then the actual ending were done exceedingly well.
This was a really touching, heartfelt take on the original story. And it stands so well on its own that I don't think anyone would need any prior knowledge of the original story to appreciate this, which is, I think, necessary for YA retellings, but isn't always accomplished.
This was a really touching, heartfelt take on the original story. And it stands so well on its own that I don't think anyone would need any prior knowledge of the original story to appreciate this, which is, I think, necessary for YA retellings, but isn't always accomplished.
January 14, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.
I never read or heard of Jekyll and Hyde and now I’m intrigued because of this story. I knew something was up when Henry and gas rail caught De. Jekyll in the lab with this other man and they were experimenting on a cadaver. I knew he wanted to do it on someone alive, just not his own son. This did make me think of the movie the nutty professor with Eddie Murphy.
I do think the ending was not flushed put all the way. It kind of ended abruptly. I’m not sure if I’m the finished version it’ll be flushed, but I hope so.
I like Kalynn’s writing style. I’ve read all of her books that she’s written this far and plan to read more.
I never read or heard of Jekyll and Hyde and now I’m intrigued because of this story. I knew something was up when Henry and gas rail caught De. Jekyll in the lab with this other man and they were experimenting on a cadaver. I knew he wanted to do it on someone alive, just not his own son. This did make me think of the movie the nutty professor with Eddie Murphy.
I do think the ending was not flushed put all the way. It kind of ended abruptly. I’m not sure if I’m the finished version it’ll be flushed, but I hope so.
I like Kalynn’s writing style. I’ve read all of her books that she’s written this far and plan to read more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2023
This was ok, but it fell flat for me. The original Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde took me by surprise with how much I enjoyed it, even knowing what the twist would be. Here, I felt little of that same intrigue and gripping pace.
I do appreciate the remixed plot featuring Black queer characters and the direction of the experiments was so smart! But it just never took off. The atmosphere was good, but I couldn't get invested in the characters or how their stories would end.
I do appreciate the remixed plot featuring Black queer characters and the direction of the experiments was so smart! But it just never took off. The atmosphere was good, but I couldn't get invested in the characters or how their stories would end.
January 12, 2023
Probably the best out of this author's body of work. This is a real page-turner: the prose is riveting, the characters are compelling, and the portrayal of being a queer Black man in Victorian England is unflinching. The twist about Dr. Jekyll and what Hyde really was makes this the best retelling of the book.
I adore this series, I hope it never ends!
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!
I adore this series, I hope it never ends!
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!
June 20, 2023
*3.5 stars
June 18, 2023
"But I was still there, as was Henry. We hadn't disappeared simply because polite London society wished us to be invisible. If I wasn't rendered invisible for loving Henry, I'd be rendered invisible because of the color of my skin. There was nothing polite about it."
My Dear Henry is the second book in the Remixed Classics series I've read, with the first being Self-Made Boys, a queer, trans, POC remix of The Great Gatsby that I absolutely loved on first reading. So, going into My Dear Henry, my hopes were very high - and somehow, Kalynn Bayron managed to even exceed my expectations.
My Dear Henry is one of those books that's a five-star read through and through - I can't think of a single negative thing to comment on in this read, except for the fact that I wish it had been even longer. I think My Dear Henry would have had a lot of potential as a longer, adult-geared book rather than a YA, but I also think it's massively important for the Remixed Classics series to be YA: as a teenager, you're often forced to read 'classic' novels for English classes that (for as important as they have been to the literary landscape) outdated, unrelatable, and outright racist and homophobic in many cases. What Remixed Classics does is takes the important bare-bones of these stories, the things that we're supposed to be focused on anyways (the story and the world of a novel), and insert some extremely needed diversity. Quite frankly, I think the reason so many people don't like to read is because high school curriculum classics sucked the joy out of reading for them. Nobody wants to read about racist, homophobic characters written by racist, homophobic authors because they were literary geniuses 'for their time.' Expecting people to look past hatred and bigotry and focus on "more important literary aspects" of books is how hatred and bigotry gets perpetuated and normalized. Plus, if POC and queer readers got to see more of themselves in classic tales the way Remixed Classics has done, they'll have a stronger connection to the characters, and may develop a love of reading they previously didn't have.
Though I know the vague plot of the original Jekyll and Hyde story, I haven't actually read the novel (though, I have seen the 1931 film), so I can't speak to what (if any) major plot points made it into My Dear Henry. Basing my knowledge of the tale off of the 1931 film, though, I wholeheartedly believe that Bayron re-wrote a much more intricate, meaningful, and complex version of Jekyll and Hyde in My Dear Henry. I won't spoil anything (aside from the obvious point of, you know, Jekyll being Hyde), but the reason Henry is drinking the potion that turns him into Hyde is so heartbreaking, and so compelling. Making both Henry and Gabriel Black queer boys in the 1880s is the crux of this entire novel, because it forces them to navigate violence, prejudice, and the realities of racism and homophobia that existed then, and still exist today - all while seamlessly blending that social commentary in with one of the most famous horror stories in the world.
I've never read any of Bayron's other books, but the beauty in her writing style alone has me wanting to dive into her other works. Considering that YA is often written a little more lightly given the target age of the reading audience, My Dear Henry is absolutely gorgeously written, with such imaginative description and period-appropriate dialogue. The pacing was perfect, with no scene running on too long or too short, and the characters were so well fleshed-out. I'm absolutely blown away by how wonderful of a read My Dear Henry was, and no wonder I blew through it in two days. This book was a joy to read from start to finish, and Remixed Classics has yet to let me down.
My Dear Henry is the second book in the Remixed Classics series I've read, with the first being Self-Made Boys, a queer, trans, POC remix of The Great Gatsby that I absolutely loved on first reading. So, going into My Dear Henry, my hopes were very high - and somehow, Kalynn Bayron managed to even exceed my expectations.
My Dear Henry is one of those books that's a five-star read through and through - I can't think of a single negative thing to comment on in this read, except for the fact that I wish it had been even longer. I think My Dear Henry would have had a lot of potential as a longer, adult-geared book rather than a YA, but I also think it's massively important for the Remixed Classics series to be YA: as a teenager, you're often forced to read 'classic' novels for English classes that (for as important as they have been to the literary landscape) outdated, unrelatable, and outright racist and homophobic in many cases. What Remixed Classics does is takes the important bare-bones of these stories, the things that we're supposed to be focused on anyways (the story and the world of a novel), and insert some extremely needed diversity. Quite frankly, I think the reason so many people don't like to read is because high school curriculum classics sucked the joy out of reading for them. Nobody wants to read about racist, homophobic characters written by racist, homophobic authors because they were literary geniuses 'for their time.' Expecting people to look past hatred and bigotry and focus on "more important literary aspects" of books is how hatred and bigotry gets perpetuated and normalized. Plus, if POC and queer readers got to see more of themselves in classic tales the way Remixed Classics has done, they'll have a stronger connection to the characters, and may develop a love of reading they previously didn't have.
Though I know the vague plot of the original Jekyll and Hyde story, I haven't actually read the novel (though, I have seen the 1931 film), so I can't speak to what (if any) major plot points made it into My Dear Henry. Basing my knowledge of the tale off of the 1931 film, though, I wholeheartedly believe that Bayron re-wrote a much more intricate, meaningful, and complex version of Jekyll and Hyde in My Dear Henry. I won't spoil anything (aside from the obvious point of, you know, Jekyll being Hyde), but the reason Henry is drinking the potion that turns him into Hyde is so heartbreaking, and so compelling. Making both Henry and Gabriel Black queer boys in the 1880s is the crux of this entire novel, because it forces them to navigate violence, prejudice, and the realities of racism and homophobia that existed then, and still exist today - all while seamlessly blending that social commentary in with one of the most famous horror stories in the world.
I've never read any of Bayron's other books, but the beauty in her writing style alone has me wanting to dive into her other works. Considering that YA is often written a little more lightly given the target age of the reading audience, My Dear Henry is absolutely gorgeously written, with such imaginative description and period-appropriate dialogue. The pacing was perfect, with no scene running on too long or too short, and the characters were so well fleshed-out. I'm absolutely blown away by how wonderful of a read My Dear Henry was, and no wonder I blew through it in two days. This book was a joy to read from start to finish, and Remixed Classics has yet to let me down.
October 10, 2023
“This story is for everyone who has ever wondered if you are enough, just as you are. The answer is yes.”
TW: abuse, alcohol, blood, body horror, bullying, chronic illness, classism, , death, death of a loved one, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, gore, grief, homophobia, injury/injury detail, medical content, medical trauma, mental illness, murder, outing, panic/attacks disorders, pedophilia, physical abuse, racial slurs, racism, self harm, sexual assault, sexual harassment, slavery, stalking, suicide attempt, terminal illness, toxic relationship, violence.
Kalynn Bayron is a queen and I will read everything she writes. I'm not exaggerating. If this woman releases her grocery list, I will read it.
This story was heartbreaking and beautiful, which wasn't really something I had expected going in. Jekyll and Hyde is a sad story anyway, but the added elements of making the main characters Black and queer in a world that wanted nothing more than to erase them created a complexity and profound sense of sorrow.
I don't want to say much more because I'm worried about spoiling, but please, please read this. It's a perfect read for this time of the year, super atmospheric and haunting.
And if you have a chance, listen to the audiobook. The narrator (Clifford Samuel) did an incredible job.
TW: abuse, alcohol, blood, body horror, bullying, chronic illness, classism, , death, death of a loved one, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, gore, grief, homophobia, injury/injury detail, medical content, medical trauma, mental illness, murder, outing, panic/attacks disorders, pedophilia, physical abuse, racial slurs, racism, self harm, sexual assault, sexual harassment, slavery, stalking, suicide attempt, terminal illness, toxic relationship, violence.
Kalynn Bayron is a queen and I will read everything she writes. I'm not exaggerating. If this woman releases her grocery list, I will read it.
This story was heartbreaking and beautiful, which wasn't really something I had expected going in. Jekyll and Hyde is a sad story anyway, but the added elements of making the main characters Black and queer in a world that wanted nothing more than to erase them created a complexity and profound sense of sorrow.
I don't want to say much more because I'm worried about spoiling, but please, please read this. It's a perfect read for this time of the year, super atmospheric and haunting.
And if you have a chance, listen to the audiobook. The narrator (Clifford Samuel) did an incredible job.
January 19, 2024
3,5 ⭐
I really enjoyed Kalynn Bayron's spin on Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in this book and shining a light on black queer people in London during that time period. The atmosphere is amazing and I enjoy the writing style. But the pacing was very off which sadly resulted into me not fully connecting to the characters and I didn't feel the yearning and relationship. There were a lot of time skips with lots of telling and not showing which took me out of the story
I really enjoyed Kalynn Bayron's spin on Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in this book and shining a light on black queer people in London during that time period. The atmosphere is amazing and I enjoy the writing style. But the pacing was very off which sadly resulted into me not fully connecting to the characters and I didn't feel the yearning and relationship. There were a lot of time skips with lots of telling and not showing which took me out of the story
March 24, 2023
this was so well done. I was captivated from beginning to end and I’m obsessed with how beautifully the queerness was woven into the Jekyll & Hyde tale.
TW for sexual harassment between an adult and a minor though
TW for sexual harassment between an adult and a minor though
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