Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Note to self: quit trying to listen to audiobooks at the gym. You get too distracted and the book suffers. This was the second one I've tried and I ended up feeling like I was shortchanging them both. This one has a nifty premise, plenty of adventure and a Gothic atmosphere, but I lost the emotional oomph of the story by being distracted.
Also, this was on Playaway and I find it hard to tell how far along in the story I am - it turns out that I really rely on that knowledge to judge pacing. With audio CDs or on my ipod, it's much easier to gauge my progress.
Also, this was on Playaway and I find it hard to tell how far along in the story I am - it turns out that I really rely on that knowledge to judge pacing. With audio CDs or on my ipod, it's much easier to gauge my progress.
I was pretty on board, until Victor got all douchebaggy about the girl. Not every book needs a love angle. And not all love angles should subscribe to the idea that the more a guy acts like a possessive jerkwad who has no regard whatsoever for the girl's own agency or desire, the sexier he is. I mean, I know that Twilight has taught us otherwise, but still. Turn away from that lesson, please.
Also! The "wrong guy" that the girl is in love with is Victor's brother. Twin brother. Really? I've seen enough daytime talk shows to know that it's not out of the question, but really? I just, I cannot go there. The more I think about it, the more it irritates me. In fact, I think it's only as I'm writing this review that I realize how much I am not on board with this book. While I was reading it, I didn't hate it. I was underwhelmed, maybe a little disappointed. I found the characters pretty flat, the adventure pretty boring and the overall book pretty mediocre. But I didn't throw it across the room in disgust upon completion.
Now, however, I am realizing that I maybe kinda hated it. Huh.
But not as much as the other books I've given one star ratings to, so it scrapes by with a two. The fact that it made me want to dig around and find my copy of Frankenstein should count for something.
(Are my feelings colored by the semi-obsession I had with Frankenstein-the-book/Mary Shelley/The-possibly-mythical-story-of-how-Mary-Shelley-wrote-Frankenstein when I was in high school? Maybe. Probably.)
Also! The "wrong guy" that the girl is in love with is Victor's brother. Twin brother. Really? I've seen enough daytime talk shows to know that it's not out of the question, but really? I just, I cannot go there. The more I think about it, the more it irritates me. In fact, I think it's only as I'm writing this review that I realize how much I am not on board with this book. While I was reading it, I didn't hate it. I was underwhelmed, maybe a little disappointed. I found the characters pretty flat, the adventure pretty boring and the overall book pretty mediocre. But I didn't throw it across the room in disgust upon completion.
Now, however, I am realizing that I maybe kinda hated it. Huh.
But not as much as the other books I've given one star ratings to, so it scrapes by with a two. The fact that it made me want to dig around and find my copy of Frankenstein should count for something.
(Are my feelings colored by the semi-obsession I had with Frankenstein-the-book/Mary Shelley/The-possibly-mythical-story-of-how-Mary-Shelley-wrote-Frankenstein when I was in high school? Maybe. Probably.)
A wonderfully dark gothic twist on the beginnings of Victor Frankenstein One thing about Oppel he never writes down to his readers. He understands that his teen readers can handle the darker aspects of life. The characters are richly created and stay true to Mary Shelley's creations. I love the fact that one of the main characters was Polidori and he lived on Wollstonecraft drive. If you know of the history of the writing of Frankenstein you will get why this is fabulous. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this fascinating tale even though I very much disliked Victor (which is the point as well) Immediately downloaded the second book as soon as I finished this tale as I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. Highly recommend this for anyone 13 plus.
A forbidden secret library. Adventure. A love triangle. Suspense.
The quest to find the ingredients to the elixir of life...
What an amazing prequel to Mary Shelley's classic, Frankenstein -
Victor is your typical 15 year old teen boy, everything seems to be fun and games until something serious and life-changing happens and Victor must decide if doing the wrong thing is actually the right thing to do.
He enlists his twin brother, Konrad, their 'distant' cousin, Elizabeth, and family friend, Henry, on an adventure never to be forgotten.
Yes, there is a bit of a love triangle going on, but it is done so perfectly that you will not lose the pace of the story, nor be distracted by it either.
There were a few 'gasp-out-loud' moments where I had to will the images out of my head - but I am squeamish, lol, and those who are not, will love every single detail of their journey.
This is a definite 'buzz-worthy' must read!
The quest to find the ingredients to the elixir of life...
What an amazing prequel to Mary Shelley's classic, Frankenstein -
Victor is your typical 15 year old teen boy, everything seems to be fun and games until something serious and life-changing happens and Victor must decide if doing the wrong thing is actually the right thing to do.
He enlists his twin brother, Konrad, their 'distant' cousin, Elizabeth, and family friend, Henry, on an adventure never to be forgotten.
Yes, there is a bit of a love triangle going on, but it is done so perfectly that you will not lose the pace of the story, nor be distracted by it either.
There were a few 'gasp-out-loud' moments where I had to will the images out of my head - but I am squeamish, lol, and those who are not, will love every single detail of their journey.
This is a definite 'buzz-worthy' must read!
A spooky, sad, suspenseful, exciting story with a clever premise! 15 year old Victor Frankenstein is moody, impulsive, brave, inquisitive, quick to anger, and devoted to, yet also jealous of, his twin brother Konrad. The brothers are inseparable, whether they're exuberantly acting in homegrown plays for their family or exploring the hidden Dark Library they discover in the spooky castle where they've grown up alongside their beautiful "distant cousin" Elizabeth. When Konrad mysteriously falls deathly ill, their bonds become strained, as Victor wishes to seek out the help of an old alchemist to create The Elixir of Life and cure his brother. But this will involve much danger, hardship and sacrifice on his part--does he love his brother enough to go through with it? And when they realize that they are both in love with Elizabeth, but she has chosen one brother over the other--it will cause even more of a rift between them. I just loved this book for the spooky Gothic atmosphere and the fascinating look at the psyche of a classic character from literature, seeing how the seeds were there in his personality that, with the wrong circumstances and choices, led him down the evil path we know he's bound to tread. (shiver!) Warning: not for the faint of heart, at least one scene anyway. Not as horrific as I'm sure other true horror books are, just shiver-inducing. And a terrific audio narrator, one of the best I've ever heard. Also, although it has a definite ending, you can tell there will be more adventures to come.
Interesting YA but almost felt too young for me. Could have been the simplistic prose, or that I read Kenneth Opal's first novels in grade school, so that just harkens back to that memory. Still, I finished in a few days and it held my interest enough to finish it, which I can't say for a couple other books I've tried lately. Might try the second book in the series but not running to the library to get it either.
What Wicked is to the Wizard of Oz, This Dark Endeavor is to Frankenstein. No, there aren't any show-stopping musical numbers involving dismembered body parts and 4-chord rifts (although that would be awesome), instead This Dark Endeavor takes readers to the pivotal moment in teenage Victor's life that set him on his path of mastering death and defying nature. This book is not to be missed by Frankenstein fans (or even non-Frankstein fans). It can stand on its own and it can help provide insight into the man Victor became. Kenneth Oppel is a masterful storyteller and fans will be happy to know a sequel is in the works. I loved the little details that alluded to the original work, and yet, Oppel creates a complete world on his own in this incredible work. Just read it before the anticipated movie comes out.. or while your teacher/co-worker/friend assigns you Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
Twin brothers Victor and Konrad Frankenstein, along with their beautiful distant cousin Elizabeth, have unlocked a secret library within Frankenstein Chateau – The Biblioteka Obscura, or Dark Library, with secret books of alchemy and ancient remedies.
Thus begins the obsession of a young Dr. Frankenstein.
Their father forbids them to ever return to this secret place, but one day after Konrad falls seriously ill from a mysterious illness, Victor is certain that the power to heal his brother lies in that dark library. A brash and arrogant Victor returns to the Biblioteka Obscura, and there he finds the Elixir of Life. With the help of Elizabeth, and his classmate Henry, they seek the help of an outcast alchemist, who says he will help them, but sends them on a dangerous quest to find rare and gruesome ingredients.
Thus begins the obsession of a young Dr. Frankenstein.
Their father forbids them to ever return to this secret place, but one day after Konrad falls seriously ill from a mysterious illness, Victor is certain that the power to heal his brother lies in that dark library. A brash and arrogant Victor returns to the Biblioteka Obscura, and there he finds the Elixir of Life. With the help of Elizabeth, and his classmate Henry, they seek the help of an outcast alchemist, who says he will help them, but sends them on a dangerous quest to find rare and gruesome ingredients.
I listened to this in the car on my daily commute, and I could not get enough of it. I had to laugh at myself for how many times I whispered, "Nooooo!" in disappointment or "What?" in horror at a plot twist. I was so sucked into this one, and I'm not usually a huge fantasy/paranormal fan. Yes, parts of the story are unbelievable, but almost all of them are explainable in the context of the setting and time period, I think. And yes, there are a few anachronisms (the coelacanth annoyed me), but the complex plot and believable, sympathetic characters made it all worthwhile. I also loved the intersection of Medieval medicine and modern medicine, and the conflict between religion and medicine. I can't wait to read more about Victor's adventures in the second installment!
(I hope the movie version ends up being worthwhile! There were so many cinematic moments that made me think, "I hope this gets turned into a movie!")
(I hope the movie version ends up being worthwhile! There were so many cinematic moments that made me think, "I hope this gets turned into a movie!")
"His Dark Endeavours" is Kenneth Oppel's (first book) beautiful, thrilling and incredibly engaging imagining of Victor Frankenstein as a young man. Seriously, it's an absolute pip! Think I would've enjoyed it immensely even if I'd never read Mary Shelley's classic but it'd be great if this series led YA readers to "Frankenstein".