Title: If Looks Could Kill
Author: Julie Berry
Genre: YA, historical fantasy, Greek mythology, thriller
Publication date: September 16th 2025
Published by: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: eARC for review from publishers via Netgalley
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Synopsis: From Printz Honor–winning and New York Times bestselling author Julie Berry, a true-crime-nail-biter-turned-mythic-odyssey pitting Jack the Ripper against Medusa. A defiant love song to sisterhood, a survivors’ battle cry, and a romantic literary tour de force laced with humor.
It’s autumn 1888, and Jack the Ripper is on the run. As London police close in, he flees England for New York City seeking new victims. But a primal force of female vengeance has had enough. With serpents for hair and a fearsome gaze, an awakened Medusa is hunting for one thing: Jack.
And other dangers lurk in Manhattan’s Bowery. Salvation Army volunteers Tabitha and Pearl discover that a girl they once helped has been forced to work in a local brothel. Tabitha’s an upstate city girl with a wry humor and a thirst for adventure, while farmgirl Pearl takes everything with stone-cold seriousness. Their brittle partnership is tested as they team up with an aspiring girl reporter and a handsome Irish bartender to mount a rescue effort, only to find their fates entwine with Medusa’s and Jack’s.
The moment I discovered this book, I knew I needed to read it because what do you mean this is basically Medusa vs. Jack the Ripper?! Yeah, I needed this in my brain asap. Lol. And I really enjoyed it!
I don't read a lot of historical books because that genre never really appealed to me, but in recent years I've really started to get out of my comfort zone and have found some great books! One thing that I have been a huge fan of for a long time, though, is mythology. I love it! And that's one thing I loved about this book. I really loved how the author took the myth of Medusa and made it her own. The lore in this book was fantastic! The way the Medusas are made, how their powers work—it was just so interesting and so well done! And no, this is not THE Medusa, it's girls who get Medusa's powers. I liked it.
As for the Ripper side of things, I enjoyed that too. I could really tell that the author did her research on the case, and I liked her interpretation of why the Ripper did the things he did. Speaking of, another thing I liked about this book was that it was multiple POV, so we got to bounce around from POV to POV, including the Ripper's.
As for the meeting between the Ripper and the Medusa, it actually happened a lot sooner than I anticipated—it was great! The ending, when it comes to the Ripper, I feel like was realistic. Was it the happiest of ever afters? Mmm, no. But it fit with not only the story the author was trying to tell, but also with the little details that are known of the Ripper.
Another thing I enjoyed was the relationship between Tabitha and her roommate Pearl and how slowly, over the course of the book, their relationship shifted from enemies to friends. Especially towards the end of the book, where everything that could go wrong did, and yet the girls had each other's backs.
This was a solid book all around. I loved the mix of mythology and true crime—it was so well done! And I really appreciated the author's note at the end of the book, where she talks about her interpretation of things and how terrible the sensationalization of cases can be. I feel like the author did a good job of telling a story inspired by the real events, while remaining respectful to the victims.
I really enjoyed this one.
As for the Ripper side of things, I enjoyed that too. I could really tell that the author did her research on the case, and I liked her interpretation of why the Ripper did the things he did. Speaking of, another thing I liked about this book was that it was multiple POV, so we got to bounce around from POV to POV, including the Ripper's.
As for the meeting between the Ripper and the Medusa, it actually happened a lot sooner than I anticipated—it was great! The ending, when it comes to the Ripper, I feel like was realistic. Was it the happiest of ever afters? Mmm, no. But it fit with not only the story the author was trying to tell, but also with the little details that are known of the Ripper.
Another thing I enjoyed was the relationship between Tabitha and her roommate Pearl and how slowly, over the course of the book, their relationship shifted from enemies to friends. Especially towards the end of the book, where everything that could go wrong did, and yet the girls had each other's backs.
This was a solid book all around. I loved the mix of mythology and true crime—it was so well done! And I really appreciated the author's note at the end of the book, where she talks about her interpretation of things and how terrible the sensationalization of cases can be. I feel like the author did a good job of telling a story inspired by the real events, while remaining respectful to the victims.
I really enjoyed this one.
After reading your review I genuinely wanted to read this despite disliking both historical novels and mythology 😂😂 I was always fascinated by the Ripper case and seeing that this book also has female friendships at its core is definitely a plus.
ReplyDeleteThat is so funny 😆 but hey, give it a shot! You may like it! I have been reading books outside my comfort zone for the last couple of years, and I have found some great books! If I hadn't done that I would have never read Mistborn, my beloved 🥹🤣
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