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im211's review against another edition
3.0
Emotional. Nod to the original Frankenstein.
Felt like it could've been more story wise.
Historical-modernism
LGBTQ
Retelling with a twist.
Felt like it could've been more story wise.
Historical-modernism
LGBTQ
Retelling with a twist.
pantsreads's review against another edition
4.0
chamomiledaydreams's review against another edition
4.0
I love Mackenzi Lee's Montague Siblings trilogy, so when I saw this novel at the library, her name alone caught my attention. Then, I started to read the story's description and only got as far as "In 1818 Geneva" when I grabbed the book and thought, "It's a 'Frankenstein' retelling. Perfect."
"Frankenstein" is very near and dear to my heart, and I've had bad experiences with retellings in the past. But I was immediately enamored with Lee's twist on it and her decision to incorporate a steampunk aesthetic in her anachronistic historical fantasy.
I was also endeared to "This Monstrous Thing" because certain details reminded me of another story I love, "Les Misérables." The back of the book explains the source material for various elements in this story, but even without it, I would have made the connection between the police officers Javert and Jiroux. I am a big fan of that sort of villain, and I love how this book positions the law as something fallible that deserves to be broken at times.
My biggest complaint isn't even that dramatic. I was slightly distracted while reading this novel, because of how often the characters Mary and Oliver were referenced in the same line. They're both great names on their own, but together, my mind would short-circuit and think, "Mary Oliver? Like the poet?" and there would be a moment of disconnect where I would fall out of the novel's world and have to take a minute to recollect myself before jumping back in.
Even so, I enjoyed the characters Mary and Oliver immensely, especially how the former was meant to represent Mary Shelley herself. The references to the original novel were satisfying and felt true to the text, while Lee's new content, setting, and characters won my heart and kept me invested in the plot. I will forever be grateful that romance wasn't the central issue in this book. The friendship between Aladsair and Clémence is everything to me.
"Frankenstein" is very near and dear to my heart, and I've had bad experiences with retellings in the past. But I was immediately enamored with Lee's twist on it and her decision to incorporate a steampunk aesthetic in her anachronistic historical fantasy.
I was also endeared to "This Monstrous Thing" because certain details reminded me of another story I love, "Les Misérables." The back of the book explains the source material for various elements in this story, but even without it, I would have made the connection between the police officers Javert and Jiroux. I am a big fan of that sort of villain, and I love how this book positions the law as something fallible that deserves to be broken at times.
My biggest complaint isn't even that dramatic. I was slightly distracted while reading this novel, because of how often the characters Mary and Oliver were referenced in the same line. They're both great names on their own, but together, my mind would short-circuit and think, "Mary Oliver? Like the poet?" and there would be a moment of disconnect where I would fall out of the novel's world and have to take a minute to recollect myself before jumping back in.
Even so, I enjoyed the characters Mary and Oliver immensely, especially how the former was meant to represent Mary Shelley herself. The references to the original novel were satisfying and felt true to the text, while Lee's new content, setting, and characters won my heart and kept me invested in the plot. I will forever be grateful that romance wasn't the central issue in this book. The friendship between Aladsair and Clémence is everything to me.
justwanna2read's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
rachelwrites007's review against another edition
4.0
I really, really liked this one. A fun historical fiction blending real people and fiction. Also lots and lots of Frankenstein references.
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
“We're all monsters. We're all careless and cruel in the end.”
After finishing Frankenstein 18 months ago, I figured I was done with the story for a little while. I was proud that I had read another classic that I should have read years ago, but I was not interested in more monsters any time soon.
That was fine, until I was introduced to this YA novel. Shelley’s book is already speculative fiction, so what would it be like to read a retelling of her tale? It turns out that this story was a lot of fun. Since I know the Frankenstein story, I could see where Lee made changes and how that changed the story. It is fascinating that Lee invented a world where clockwork humans were a possibility. I had a great time.
If you haven’t read Frankenstein, this book may not be as much fun to read. However, I am guessing that This Monstrous Thing could be a good intro to Shelley’s novel. One way or another if you like science fiction you should look into this book.
As always, one book that I am reading will influence the other ones in my pile. I was reading Hunger by Roxane Gay while I was reading this one. I felt like so many people were cruel to Gay and that is part of why the quote above caught my interest. However, I can’t believe that that is true. I really do pray that I can keep from being careless and cruel as much as possible. The world depends on the kindness of strangers.
After finishing Frankenstein 18 months ago, I figured I was done with the story for a little while. I was proud that I had read another classic that I should have read years ago, but I was not interested in more monsters any time soon.
That was fine, until I was introduced to this YA novel. Shelley’s book is already speculative fiction, so what would it be like to read a retelling of her tale? It turns out that this story was a lot of fun. Since I know the Frankenstein story, I could see where Lee made changes and how that changed the story. It is fascinating that Lee invented a world where clockwork humans were a possibility. I had a great time.
If you haven’t read Frankenstein, this book may not be as much fun to read. However, I am guessing that This Monstrous Thing could be a good intro to Shelley’s novel. One way or another if you like science fiction you should look into this book.
As always, one book that I am reading will influence the other ones in my pile. I was reading Hunger by Roxane Gay while I was reading this one. I felt like so many people were cruel to Gay and that is part of why the quote above caught my interest. However, I can’t believe that that is true. I really do pray that I can keep from being careless and cruel as much as possible. The world depends on the kindness of strangers.
harpweaving's review against another edition
3.0
This book has a great premise and the world depicted in it is fascinating. Ultimately, though, I felt like the telling of it was flawed. The best parts of Frankenstein are told from the monster’s perspective, and we never get that here. Instead, I felt like Alasdair was a pretty unexciting and unsympathetic protagonist. Oliver might might have been a better narrator, or better yet, Clemence, who was the best part of this book; I would have loved it if the book had been all about her. Also, I really disliked Mary Shelley’s characterization in this story.