What do you think?
Rate this book
Hyde
What if the darkest impulse you ever had — the one you rejected in an instant — had a body and a life of its own? Find out in this contemporary reimagining of Stevenson's classic tale The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
AJ Pierce is a handsome, popular junior at an elite Los Angeles high school. Good grades. Good friends. Good life. Then the past catches up with him in the form of a father he barely knew.
Henry Jekyll was a brilliant geneticist on the verge of a breakthrough — using viruses to carry new DNA into the human body, hunting for a genetic cure for cancer. But viruses mutate. The genetic pattern mutated with them. What began as a quest to save lives split Dr. Jekyll in two, and ultimately destroyed him. Now, through a twist of fate, AJ has been infected with his father’s creation. And what destroyed Henry Jekyll is starting to happen to his son.
Hyde is born.
Hyde is everything AJ is not. Monstrous. Powerful. Utterly without conscience. Where AJ hesitates, Hyde acts. Where AJ recoils, Hyde revels. Every dark thought a teenage boy suppresses in a millisecond, Hyde unleashes instantly. Nothing is suppressed. He does it. All of it. And he leaves horror in his wake.
How does a powerless high school kid survive when his other half has no limits? How does he save himself before the transitions become permanent, before AJ Pierce disappears forever, and only Hyde remains? Can he, or is it already too late?
HYDE is a modern reimagining of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic, transplanted into the world of privileged Los Angeles teenagers, where appearances are everything, and Hyde is about to destroy all of it and so much more.
Think of it as an R-rated movie. You’ve been warned.
HYDE is the first entry in the RunTime Fiction Series. These are novellas written to be read in a single sitting, roughly the time it takes to watch a movie. That’s no coincidence. These are stories that were first conceived as screenplays, then adapted to the novella format — so they move with the pace, momentum, and visceral punch of film. You get to read the movies that nearly got made.
And HYDE nearly got made, not once, but twice. It was first put into development by Morgan Freeman’s production company, Revelations Entertainment. Later, Rob Hedden — director of Friday the 13 Jason Takes Manhattan — was attached to direct. Now, for the first time, you can experience the story Hollywood almost brought to the screen and may yet.
From Patrick Cirillo, screenwriter of the Bruce Willis hit Tears of the Sun and Homer & Eddie, winner of the Best Picture Award at the San Sebastian Film Festival, comes a thriller that will stay with you long after the last page.
Read HYDE. All that’s missing is the popcorn.
Other novels by Patrick Cirillo Artificial Intelligence Just Got Real… And She’s Lovely and the thriller, The Lie That Kills.
AJ Pierce is a handsome, popular junior at an elite Los Angeles high school. Good grades. Good friends. Good life. Then the past catches up with him in the form of a father he barely knew.
Henry Jekyll was a brilliant geneticist on the verge of a breakthrough — using viruses to carry new DNA into the human body, hunting for a genetic cure for cancer. But viruses mutate. The genetic pattern mutated with them. What began as a quest to save lives split Dr. Jekyll in two, and ultimately destroyed him. Now, through a twist of fate, AJ has been infected with his father’s creation. And what destroyed Henry Jekyll is starting to happen to his son.
Hyde is born.
Hyde is everything AJ is not. Monstrous. Powerful. Utterly without conscience. Where AJ hesitates, Hyde acts. Where AJ recoils, Hyde revels. Every dark thought a teenage boy suppresses in a millisecond, Hyde unleashes instantly. Nothing is suppressed. He does it. All of it. And he leaves horror in his wake.
How does a powerless high school kid survive when his other half has no limits? How does he save himself before the transitions become permanent, before AJ Pierce disappears forever, and only Hyde remains? Can he, or is it already too late?
HYDE is a modern reimagining of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic, transplanted into the world of privileged Los Angeles teenagers, where appearances are everything, and Hyde is about to destroy all of it and so much more.
Think of it as an R-rated movie. You’ve been warned.
HYDE is the first entry in the RunTime Fiction Series. These are novellas written to be read in a single sitting, roughly the time it takes to watch a movie. That’s no coincidence. These are stories that were first conceived as screenplays, then adapted to the novella format — so they move with the pace, momentum, and visceral punch of film. You get to read the movies that nearly got made.
And HYDE nearly got made, not once, but twice. It was first put into development by Morgan Freeman’s production company, Revelations Entertainment. Later, Rob Hedden — director of Friday the 13 Jason Takes Manhattan — was attached to direct. Now, for the first time, you can experience the story Hollywood almost brought to the screen and may yet.
From Patrick Cirillo, screenwriter of the Bruce Willis hit Tears of the Sun and Homer & Eddie, winner of the Best Picture Award at the San Sebastian Film Festival, comes a thriller that will stay with you long after the last page.
Read HYDE. All that’s missing is the popcorn.
Other novels by Patrick Cirillo Artificial Intelligence Just Got Real… And She’s Lovely and the thriller, The Lie That Kills.
162 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 17, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 8, 2026
LECTURA ARC
Disfrute demasiado esta historia una versión nueva y moderna de Jekyll y Hyde .
Tiene muchas partes donde se sentía todo la tensión y el estrés , la manera en que está contada la hace una lectura muy fluida.
Y ese final no pudo ser mejor.
Aquí va la traducción al inglés:
ARC READING
I really enjoyed this story – a new, modern take on Jekyll and Hyde.
There are so many parts where you can feel all the tension and stress.
The way it’s told makes it a really smooth, easy read.
And that ending couldn’t have been better.
Disfrute demasiado esta historia una versión nueva y moderna de Jekyll y Hyde .
Tiene muchas partes donde se sentía todo la tensión y el estrés , la manera en que está contada la hace una lectura muy fluida.
Y ese final no pudo ser mejor.
Aquí va la traducción al inglés:
ARC READING
I really enjoyed this story – a new, modern take on Jekyll and Hyde.
There are so many parts where you can feel all the tension and stress.
The way it’s told makes it a really smooth, easy read.
And that ending couldn’t have been better.
May 2, 2026
As gripping as it is gruesome, Patrick Cirillo's reimagining of Jekyll and Hyde is horrific and heartbreaking. The immersive writing pulls the reader into a vivid, almost cinematic experience that is hard to shake.
August 10, 2026
Horror isn't one of my preferred genres, but having enjoyed Patrick Cirillo's other books, I thought I would give Hyde a try. I'm glad I did.
A few general observations about the book first. I would describe Hyde as a novella. It is one of several Cirillo stories originally written as a screenplay. It's a fairly quick read—just a few hours—with a small cast of characters that are developed just enough to serve the story well. The format suits the narrative, and Cirillo does an excellent job of giving each character enough history and personality for the reader to connect with them while maintaining the story's momentum.
On the surface, Hyde is a retelling of the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, even including a character named Utterson, taken directly from Robert Louis Stevenson's original novel. Cirillo updates the story to an upper-middle-class neighborhood in contemporary Los Angeles, with a high school student, AJ, and his girlfriend serving as the main characters. AJ's estranged father is a genetics researcher who commits suicide in the opening scene. Cirillo's portrayal of this event is stark and absolutely riveting.
The real strength of this book, and one that fits the novella form particularly well, is Cirillo's excellent pacing and his skill at building the action toward a crescendo of violence that is both repulsive and inevitable. It is exactly what a horror story should be—compelling, unsettling, and definitely not bedtime relaxation. I couldn't put it down.
A few general observations about the book first. I would describe Hyde as a novella. It is one of several Cirillo stories originally written as a screenplay. It's a fairly quick read—just a few hours—with a small cast of characters that are developed just enough to serve the story well. The format suits the narrative, and Cirillo does an excellent job of giving each character enough history and personality for the reader to connect with them while maintaining the story's momentum.
On the surface, Hyde is a retelling of the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, even including a character named Utterson, taken directly from Robert Louis Stevenson's original novel. Cirillo updates the story to an upper-middle-class neighborhood in contemporary Los Angeles, with a high school student, AJ, and his girlfriend serving as the main characters. AJ's estranged father is a genetics researcher who commits suicide in the opening scene. Cirillo's portrayal of this event is stark and absolutely riveting.
The real strength of this book, and one that fits the novella form particularly well, is Cirillo's excellent pacing and his skill at building the action toward a crescendo of violence that is both repulsive and inevitable. It is exactly what a horror story should be—compelling, unsettling, and definitely not bedtime relaxation. I couldn't put it down.
June 30, 2026
Dr Henry Jekyll kills himself with a single gunshot to the head while home alone. His estranged son, AJ Pierce, comes home to find a gift for him (no spoilers). In the first of many bad nights for AJ, he gets infected by a blood-borne virus, which turns him into something he never expected to become. Hyde is born and takes on Los Angeles. AJ’s mother, Paula, stepfather Ray and girlfriend, Lauren, all try to help AJ. Can a monster like this ever be saved? Find out in Patrick Cirillo’s Hyde.
Hyde is a modern-day retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde but with more twists and turns and a wonderful shock ending. Patrick Cirillo is a Hollywood screenwriter, and Hyde needs to be made into a movie. Netflix, are you listening? This supernatural thriller will have you turning pages non-stop, so block out two hours of your day and settle in for a thrilling ride. Hyde is book one of the Run Time series, and I’m excited for the next five.
Hyde is a modern-day retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde but with more twists and turns and a wonderful shock ending. Patrick Cirillo is a Hollywood screenwriter, and Hyde needs to be made into a movie. Netflix, are you listening? This supernatural thriller will have you turning pages non-stop, so block out two hours of your day and settle in for a thrilling ride. Hyde is book one of the Run Time series, and I’m excited for the next five.
June 8, 2026
I really enjoyed Hyde by Patrick Cirillo. This modern take on the classic Jekyll and Hyde story felt fresh, intense, and surprisingly emotional. AJ Pierce is a relatable character, and watching him struggle against the terrifying force growing inside him kept me hooked from beginning to end. The story moves quickly, almost like watching a movie, with plenty of suspense and dark twists. Hyde himself is genuinely frightening, making the stakes feel very real. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, horror, and fast paced stories with memorable characters, I highly recommend giving this book a try.
June 22, 2026
Hyde is a retelling of Jekyll and Hyde, and boy is it something straight out of a horror.
Ajs father passed away and this death causes a series of outcomes that you could never predict and it all starts with just one drop of blood. A drop of blood that contains something more than just a disease. It carries Hyde and he is out to kill.
This story is gruesome, not holding back on death. This story is eerie, never allowing you to know just when the monster is going to show up. And the best part of this story is that its not actually finished, leaving you off with the knowledge that the 'disease' is still spreading. Only differently and possibly much more dangerous than it ever was before.
Ajs father passed away and this death causes a series of outcomes that you could never predict and it all starts with just one drop of blood. A drop of blood that contains something more than just a disease. It carries Hyde and he is out to kill.
This story is gruesome, not holding back on death. This story is eerie, never allowing you to know just when the monster is going to show up. And the best part of this story is that its not actually finished, leaving you off with the knowledge that the 'disease' is still spreading. Only differently and possibly much more dangerous than it ever was before.
June 21, 2026
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Hyde by Patrick Cirillo is such an amazing take On Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It’s a short book, only 148 pages, but it was so hard to put down, it was thrilling and exciting, I needed to find out what was happening to AJ. The ending gagged me , I did not see that coming! What an exciting read this was !!
Thank you so much to Booksirens for the Arc!!
Hyde by Patrick Cirillo is such an amazing take On Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It’s a short book, only 148 pages, but it was so hard to put down, it was thrilling and exciting, I needed to find out what was happening to AJ. The ending gagged me , I did not see that coming! What an exciting read this was !!
Thank you so much to Booksirens for the Arc!!
August 17, 2026
What an excellent novella this was. A retelling of sorts of the infamous Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Set in Los Angeles in modern times, the story is exciting and unsettling. So well written. I loved it.
I received a copy of this book via the author and BookSirens and I voluntarily leave my opinion of the tale.
I received a copy of this book via the author and BookSirens and I voluntarily leave my opinion of the tale.
June 9, 2026
A modern day retelling of Jekyll and Hyde not for the squeamish. The development of the good and evil parts of a boy and his decisions makes the story flow.
Definitely a refresher from those just trying to retell the original story.
Definitely a refresher from those just trying to retell the original story.
July 24, 2026
Jekyll and Hyde Revisited!
A modern Jekyll and Hyde story. This book will send chills down your spine and keep you awake all night! If you love quick horror reads this is perfect for you.
A modern Jekyll and Hyde story. This book will send chills down your spine and keep you awake all night! If you love quick horror reads this is perfect for you.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews