My Dear Henry: A Jekyll & Hyde Remix (Remixed Classics, 6)
We often think of self-acceptance as the key to happiness, but the Feiwel & Friends’ Remixed Classic series demonstrates again and again that self-acceptance is not merely the key to happiness, it is essential to survival. The sixth book in this series, My Dear Henry: A Jekyll & Hyde Remix, captures the critical nature of self-acceptance in the face of systematic oppression. Author Kalynn Bayron’s reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde tells the story of two young, Black medical students, Gabriel Utterson and Henry Jekyll. These brilliant, energetic pupils at the London School of Medicine form an inseparable bond as they navigate the hostility of their white classmates and professors.
Undaunted by the brutal realities of Victorian England, the pair excels, each striving to make their unyielding fathers proud. However, the teens’ professors perceive their happiness and success as a threat. They are expelled, separated, and forced into dangerous circumstances by the fathers they worked so hard to please.
This remix has all the jump scares and grotesque settings of the original. It is a fast-paced race to find a killer. But while evil may lurk on the foggy London streets, the most malevolent forces in the book are those of rejection and conformity. As Gabriel searches for the truth, he reveals the devastating impacts racism and homophobia have on families. Gabriel and Henry can only find safety and happiness when they choose acceptance. Highly recommended for ages 13 and up.
