Jessica Rules The Dark Side Review

Author: Beth Fantaskey
Release Date: January 10, 2012
Pages: 309 (ARC)
Publisher: Harcourt
Most Appropriate For Ages: 12+
Where I Got It: For review through tour site
Other titles in series: Jessica's Guide To Dating on the Dark Side

The highly anticipated sequel to Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. 

It’s one thing to find out you’re a vampire princess. It’s a whole other thing to actually rule. Newly married Jessica Packwood is having a hard enough time feeling regal with her husband, Lucius, at her side. But when evidence in the murder of a powerful elder points to Lucius, sending him into solitary confinement, Jessica is suddenly on her own. Determined to clear her husband’s name, Jessica launches into a full-scale investigation, but hallucinations and nightmares of betrayal keep getting in her way. Jessica knows that with no blood to drink, Lucius’s time is running out. Can she figure out who the real killer is—and whom she can trust—before it’s too late?

3 years after reading Jessica's Guide To Dating on The Dark Side, and I still look back fondly about it. That says something about Fantaskey's debut, so I was excited to read the sequel (and get my Lucius-fix).

As I started to read Jessica Rules the Dark Side, I realized that I'd need to read the story of Lucius and Jessica's wedding before I read on. I also wished there was more recap about the end of book 1--I mean, by the time it'll be published, it will have been about 4 years since Jessica's Guide was released, and it was 3 years since I'd read it.

Sadly, I was rather annoyed by Jessica. Jessica (or Antanasia as she's mainly called in this installment) is pretty annoyingly whiny and naive through a good deal of Jessica Rules, but trust me when I say that it's worth wading through to see her overall transformation.

Even though Jess and Lucius's relationship is--thankfully--rock-solid throughout the book, there's still a new romance brewing between Raneiro and Mindy. I loved learning about Raneiro a lot, and thought Mindy was a surpirsingly bright and fun character, but I didn't love their relationship. It felt strained and unhealthy to me.

I can't say I liked Jessica Rules as much as I remember liking Jessica's Guide. I predicted the villains from the very beginning, didn't like one of the relationships, and thought the pacing was a bit off. BUT this was still a fun read, and I still completely love Lucius A LOT, and those who loved the angst in the first installment will also find plenty of angst here.

Book Report:

Plot: Exciting, but the end was predictable and the pacing was off.

Characters: Jessica can be annoying, BUT Lucius, Raneiro, and Mindy were awesome throughout.

Writing: Light and easy to read.

Ending: I'm going to guess that there's a third book? Maybe?

Kid friendly? There's mentions of sex, and maybe some very mild language.

Should I read it? Fans of Jessica's Guide shouldn't be too disappointed!

Overall:

Jekel Loves Hyde Review

Author: Beth Fantaskey

Release Date: May 3 , 2010

Pages: 288

Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books

Most Appropriate For Ages: 12+
Where I Got It: From Around The World Tours
Challenges it counts for: Read Your Name Challenge (The J in Jessica)

Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents' rules--especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father's office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she's tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be the key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To improve her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen's sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill's accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything--even Tristen's love--just for the thrill of being...bad.
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It's fair to say that with such an intriguing premise and an author who wrote a book as great as Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side that I was expecting greatness from Jekel Loves Hyde. Too much greatness, I guess.

The plot has such promise! Originality, romance, and a twist on a classic. Unfortunately, to me it felt like it dragged on for just a tad too long for such a short book. Luckily it got better. I saw most of the twists coming, but there were one or two that I wouldn't have guessed.

The characters were decent. I didn't fully connect with Jill. I mean, I listen to my parents all of the time (we've got a pretty awesome relationship) and cheating is wrong, but at some points she seemed a little too goody-two-shoes. I really liked Tristen, though. He was kind of dark, very smart, and pretty swoony-worthy too. Jill and Tristen were great together, however, and I was really rooting for them their relationship to work out.

The writing was, as expected, very good. Descriptive, dark, and everything that Beth Fantaskey showed us in JGTDOTDS. (Except for the humor. There's very little, if any, humor in this book.)

The ending literally left me going, "Huh? How did that work?" But once I'd figured it out it satisfied me since it wrapped up the story nicely. Overall, Jekel Loves Hyde didn't fully live up to my expectations. But I did like it and I will definitely be picking up Fantaskey's next book.

Waiting On Wednesday (6)

With only a half an hour to go! Huzzah for procrastination!

(Sorry the cover's blurry.)

Jill Jekel and Tristen Hyde are two high school students who gradually discover that they share a mysterious, possibly dangerous, connection to the old novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. As they race against the clock to figure out the puzzle, they start to fall for each other – which is probably the worst thing that could happen to them… *

*From an interview did here.

I loved Jessica's Guide, so I'm really excited for this one! The cover looks a LOT like Jessica's Guide too...but I still really like it. Besides, did you read the synopsis?

Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side Review

Release Date: February 1, 2009
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Age Group: 12+
Pages: 351

The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction
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Overlook the cheesy title and high-schooly sounding description. I know, I was kinda embarrassed to show people this book with a title like Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side. But, trust me, you won't regret reading this.

It's a well-known fact that a vampire book can be ruined with a weak high-schooly plot. I was worried that Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side would do just that. Instead, Beth Fantaskey delivers with a ridiculously original plot with twists and turns that, if you're like me, will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The romance between Lucius and Jessica was fantastic! And the characters themselves were phenomenal. At first, I wasn't liking Jessica, but as the story progressed she grew stronger, and grew on me. And I am very much in love with Lucius, because there really isn't anything not to love about him with his arrogance, chivalry, and sarcasm. And, besides, a vampire who listens to Hoobastank is amazing, in my mind.

Beth Fantaskey is an excellent storyteller. She keeps the story moving along at a great pace, and wrapped up the book wonderfully. The writing was good, it didn't quite stand out to me, but I did love how she had Lucius's letters to his uncle thrown in there.

Overall, a great vampire, and coming of age read! With laugh-out-loud humor, fantasic characters, a highly original plot, and a romance for the ages, I definitely recommed that you pick this book up. I doubt that there will be a sequel, which greatly saddens me, but that won't stop me from recommending it to everyone!