Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sci-fi fun as a perfectionist's potion makes her a monster.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
JACLYN HYDE puts a teen twist on the familiar tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Eighth-grader Jaclyn tries to be perfect at everything: school projects, friendships, extracurricular activities. When she discovers a recipe-for-perfection potion in an abandoned laboratory, she thinks all her stress about staying perfect will be gone. But once she downs the disgusting juice, she becomes Jackie, a ruthless monster who will do anything -- lie, cheat, sabotage -- to come out on top. When real Jaclyn sees what her alter ego has done, she has to decide if she wants to risk lowering her guard and admitting her imperfections in order to save her friends and community.
Is It Any Good?
This lively sci-fi tale is full of messages to help kids feeling the pressure of school, sports, and other activities navigate the relentless push to be the best. Jaclyn Hyde has a strong message about personal expectations and pride, reminding readers that they can always try to be better students, friends, and people, but that perfection isn't the goal. Perfection isn't attainable, even with potion and magic and the very best Mount Vesuvius model ever built thrown into the mix. Jackie's cutthroat sabotage is a fun read for every exhausted kid who has dreamed of taking the shortcut to the top, and a funny mirror to Jaclyn's focused perfection.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the huge amount of pressure Jaclyn Hyde puts on herself in Jaclyn Hyde. When have you felt pressure to succeed or be perfect? How have you dealt with that?
Jaclyn is very good at a lot of things, and things that were fun (school, sports, art, etc.) have become stressful activities. Have you ever felt that something got less fun the better you got at it? What happened?
What other sci-fi books have you read?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HarperCollins Publishers
- Publication date : May 7, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 240
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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