IF LOOKS COULD KILL by Julie Berry

~Review by Amanda Smith

1888, East End, London
A young Medusa attempts to slay the monster who brutal butchered four women in Whitechapel, but instead becomes the fifth victim of the infamous Jack the Ripper. With the London police biting at his heels, Jack flees London for New York City. However, no-one encounters a Medusa and walks away unscathed; unbeknownst to him, Jack becomes someone whose touch transforms women into Medusas.

1888, The Bowery, Lower East Side, Manhattan
While Tabitha Woodward enlists in the Salvation Army mostly in search of adventure and to vex her aunt, her beautiful roommate, Pearl is passionate about the mission, yet often misses the point, offering War Crys and sermons when soup and soap are needed.  Their already strained relationship gets tested when they discover that a girl they had met before ended up in the clutches of a local madame. As they embark on a mission to rescue this girl from a brothel, a rude traveler bumps into Pearl; this brief encounter sets in motion a dangerous transformation that leads both girls to their true calling.

Julie Berry’s If looks Could Kill (Simon & Schuster BFYR, 2025) melds historical fiction and mythology in a fast-paced read about the strength found in shared sisterhood. It presents the truth that, even though we differ, we can still respect and support one another. This YA novel further spotlights injustice due to gender inequality and challenges the notion that women exist purely for men’s convenience and entertainment. Berry balances toxic characters with inspiring positive role models and plays with the double meaning of the word “petrify” to add an unusual angle to the Medusa myth. Furthermore, Berry’s signature humor in dialogue and diction, as well as a sweet romance between Tabitha and a swoony Irish bartender, adds lightness and hope. The novel also contains fascinating back-matter about the victims of the notorious murderer and historical content about the setting for those curious to learn more.  Young adult readers will love this fierce, heart-pounding page turner.

On Writing:                
Point of View:
Julie Berry, the queen of multiple point of view novels, has done it again! Just like in Lovely War, If Looks Could Kill is seamlessly told from multiple perspectives. Tabitha’s story unfolds in the first person, which includes the reader in her evolving understanding of events; however, Jack’s and Pearl’s stories are told in close third person. In Jack’s case the objective narrative allows for added tone to his increasing deranged thinking, while it emphasizes Pearl’s loss of self. Writers could use this novel as a mentor text for evaluating their own stories’ point of view, asking themselves why they chose the specific POV and whether it contributes to the overall narrative.

Research Deep, Focus Narrow:
One only has to browse the bibliographies in Julie Berry novels to know that her historical research stretches deep and wide. She writes from an expansive, internalized knowledge of the era, which lends to rich details in setting, clothing, music, customs, diction, and more. However, she narrows the main focus to a very specific, possibly lesser-known aspect or person in history. This narrow focus places names and events, that might have been in a side bar of a history textbook, front and center, offering fresh perspectives and topics. For example, Lovely War is a WW1 novel, but Berry focuses in particular on the YMCA volunteers, PTSD in soldiers, and the members of the 15th NY National Guard Army Jazz Band, who later become part of the “Harlem Hellfighters.” Similarly, in If Looks Could Kill, rather than placing the main focus on Jack the Ripper, she tilts the lens towards his victims and then widens it to explore the exploitation of women in general, as well as the early work of the Salvation Army in New York City. If you write historical fiction, consider events or characters adjacent to the main event. You might find a much more interesting and novel story on the fringes of history.

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To learn more about Julie Berry visit her website here.