Scan barcode
cozykrissyreads's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
3.0
I’m torn on an appropriate star rating for this novel. While the parts set in the past revolving around Frankenstein were appropriate for the narrative they tended to be kind of dull. However the narrative set in the “modern” day which dealt with artificial intelligence, gender, and immortality was borderline brilliant. So I figured a star rating in the middle was appropriate. I certainly recall wishing the narrative would return to the “modern” day every time it ventured into the past. Overall, mediocre then great, mediocre then great, repeat.
al_davies_jones's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
roslink's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Fascinating tribute to Mary Shelley's masterpiece
ari767's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Unrealistic and transphobic portrayal of a trans character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
readswithcocktails's review against another edition
IDK. This book seemed like it should be for me, but something wasn't working. I think part of it is the choice to have a cis man do the narration for a trans man/trans masc non-binary character. Part of it is that Ry felt less like a character and more like a medium for the author to express ideas about gender. He's a POV character, but he feels secondary to the story and very passive. I might try reading this again with my eyes, but I'm not sure.
kdahlo's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic book, a light read with lots of heavy content. The premise is hard to describe but it's a sort of meta-fiction including both some historical fiction (with touches of fantasy) and modern science fiction. I loved it. Gender, transhumanism, AI, the nature of reality, art, consciousness. Some intense content around pregnancy loss, loss of young children and sexual assault.
vctoriaj's review against another edition
2.25
I don't know what to make of this. I didn't see the point. I appreciated the Ry >< Shelley connection. I liked the writing style
lydiagracehawkins's review against another edition
4.0
Jeanette Winterson’s novel takes the story of Mary Shelly’s life up until publishing ‘Frankenstein’ and combines it with a story of a doctor wanting to push the limits of what is considered life with AI. This combination makes for a fascinating read as it finds the relevance older texts have in our current day and incorporate the same themes as the original text as well as exploring other current taboos and topics in our society. I found this book a fun and easy read, after studying Frankenstein at A-Level it was an enjoyable twist on a story I already knew.