This is (obviously) a Jekyll & Hyde retelling, but this version centers around two queer Black men in the Victorian age. The setting and beginning of this book were promising, and I enjoyed getting to see a different side of Victorian London than I usually read about. The story centers around Gabriel, who’s studying to become a doctor and appease his father, and his relationship with Henry Jekyll, the son of the eccentric Dr. Jekyll, a professor at their school.

Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting through this book, and an even harder time explaining exactly why that is. The premise is interesting, the twists on the classic are good, and the writing is decent and easy to read. It's possible that I was just in a reading slump when I picked this up, but I didn't find the characters as compelling as I'd have liked. I wish there had been more character-building, and that what was included was less overtly stated by the narrator and more felt by the reader. I wanted to feel more of the angst the narrator was telling me about. 

This was a fairly short book, but the first 2/3 felt long to me, and then the ending when things actually start to be revealed was very fast and I'd have liked it to have been expanded on a bit more. If you're looking for a short read that has good representation and a twist on a classic, you might really enjoy this, but it wasn't my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, & the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review of “My Dear Henry: A Jekyll & Hyde Remix”.