The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll & Mademoiselle Odile

Gr 9 Up—This prequel to the Stevenson classic centering on the duality of human nature imports the titular characters of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde, along with Poole, the butler, to a besieged Paris during the Franco-Prussian War. The narrator, 16-year-old Odile, and her younger brother, Grél, seek refuge in the city after the brutal murder of their parents in the countryside. The teens are descended from Cagots, a people abhorred for their link to medicinal powers and witchery. They are reduced to peddling rats to starving Parisians while living in the dank, cold catacombs until a chance meeting with Jekyll and Poole. Grél's illness leads the teens to Jekyll's door where the doctor offers Odile full use of his laboratory so she can concoct a remedy for the boy, all the while spying on her research. Unlike the female characters in Stevenson's classic, Odile is a strong protagonist and a survivor. It takes some time, and plenty of foreshadowing, but she eventually uncovers the macabre source of the mysterious transforming salts. While the classic is often billed as a novella, this prequel is about three times its length, and perhaps just a tad too rambling. The fascinating historical backdrop, including food shortages and "The Bloody Week" of civil unrest, appears accurate and is well integrated with the plot. Teens studying Stevenson's work or students of history or the French language may find this novel of particular interest.—Patricia N. McClune, Conestoga Valley High School, Lancaster, PA