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!