Scan barcode
g_monaghan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
"Pride was the sin of believing oneself capable of great things, worthy of better. It was the worst sin a woman could commit. Had I pride? Of course"
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Violence, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Child death
midnightbookgirl's review against another edition
4.5
Moderate: Animal death, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, and Child death
throwback682's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Misogyny, Child death, Racism, and Death of parent
danielles_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
My main complaint is that it is just SO LONG! A LOT of time is spent on describing the minutiae of the science of the experiment, including the various logistics, like gathering animal test subjects, mixing chemicals, etc. etc. And I just really don't care. It's funny because I often felt like this book really nailed the mid-1800s vibe and tone, including the looooong and meandering plot of popular 19th century classics! It reminded me of how I felt reading The Tenant of Wildfell Hall—like ok, this is pretty good, but it's exhausting. But I have a lot less patience for modern novels full of padding compared to classics.
I did really like Mary, even if she felt like a feminist caricature sometimes. Her feelings of loneliness and insecurity at her "weird" interests really got to me though, which helped strengthen her character. I was so happy when she started becoming close to Maisie, and finally had a friend. Her relationship with the Jamsetjees was great too.
I found myself really surprised by Henry's character arc though. I know it's true that some men in real life transform into a monster after getting married, but it was so jarring to see that in fiction with no transition. Henry seemed to genuinely care about Mary's interests when they were courting, but then he became a complete monster (though I will say he sometimes had good points about the creature). I feel like his character would have been a lot better if he was more nuanced—like if he was
Honestly the best part of this book was
Though I am surprised this is labeled as lgbtqia+ on StoryGraph, and seemingly advertised as such, because it is such a minor part of the narrative. I thought Mary's falling out with Catherine was really sad because they were so cute, but it never really went anywhere. Mary never actually makes a move on any other female character and only had a slight hint of sapphic longing. I kept hoping for
One thing that was majorly lacking in this book is actual reflection and philosophy of the making of the creature. For one, it was really weird to me that Mary finds the papers of her uncle that warned about the dangers of making a creature, and then goes, wow, this is brilliant, I have to do this myself! And Henry doesn't have any qualms about it either. Like what??? It's like someone reading a dystopian sci-fi novel and wanting to recreate the technology that caused or worsened the dystopia, just because they had a personal connection to it. And then there were obvious parallels with the creature and Mary's
I really liked the premise, and some of the characters, but in the end, I felt pretty let down by the slow pace and lack of deep introspection (especially compared to the original Frankenstein). Honestly, I think I would have DNFed this if it weren't the last book I was reading for a readathon. One good thing though is that it kinda makes me want to reread Frankenstein...
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Child death and Miscarriage
ellenigrace's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Murder, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Body horror, Chronic illness, Drug use, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Child death and Death of parent
elys3's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Murder, Child death, Sexism, Blood, Chronic illness, Grief, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Colonisation, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
jenropell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Racism, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Racial slurs, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Infertility, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
amy_church's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Chronic illness, Child death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Gun violence
natahoochie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Murder, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Xenophobia, Medical content, Racism, Child death, Sexism, and Misogyny
Minor: Classism, Chronic illness, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Grief, and Death of parent
burnourhistory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Child death, Grief, Blood, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, and Murder
Minor: Addiction and Drug use