Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed this prequal to Frankenstein. The audiobook narrator is FANTASTIC. So good that I actually want to seek out other books he has narrated.
Anyway, this would be a great read for guys, reluctant readers, or anyone that likes a little adventure and/or darkness.
This book also made me want to immediately read the classic. As we discussed at mock printz, I think this will encourage teens to do the same!
Anyway, this would be a great read for guys, reluctant readers, or anyone that likes a little adventure and/or darkness.
This book also made me want to immediately read the classic. As we discussed at mock printz, I think this will encourage teens to do the same!
This book had me from the first sentence and I remember thinking after that first chapter that I had just read a perfect piece of writing. This is a wonderful novel, drawing on a dark gothic tradition, but at the same time it is infused with a modern sensibility. It's highly recommended for teenager readers who need a break from dystopia and want to explore a darkly romantic realm populated with strong, meaningful characters.
It's basically fanfiction... possibly written by someone who only read the Wikipedia page for Frankenstein. That said... if you can easily get past the historical inaccuracies (that don't even have a very good reason to exist), and all the other such changes, you'd probably like it.
I really don't know if I want to give this a 2 or a 3... I suppose a 2 will have to do just because I didn't feel that drive to read it.
I really don't know if I want to give this a 2 or a 3... I suppose a 2 will have to do just because I didn't feel that drive to read it.
I read this book because I won a copy of the sequel, Such Wicked Intent, from a Goodreads giveaway.
I'm not a big fan of the writing style, but the story was quite good. Victor is an arrogant young man and had few redeeming qualities. I haven't read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, so I don't have anything to compare this to.
I had hoped Victor's relationship with Krake would end differently and that's all I'll say about that.
I wanted to much more of William. I think his presence would make Victor so much more likable to me.
But now I will read the sequel to see what adventure these friends will get themselves into next.
I'm not a big fan of the writing style, but the story was quite good. Victor is an arrogant young man and had few redeeming qualities. I haven't read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, so I don't have anything to compare this to.
I had hoped Victor's relationship with Krake would end differently and that's all I'll say about that.
I wanted to much more of William. I think his presence would make Victor so much more likable to me.
But now I will read the sequel to see what adventure these friends will get themselves into next.
I love me some dark, Gothic, teen romance/adventure, and this book fits the bill perfectly! (It is also written by one of my favorite authors Kenneth Oppel-how I did not see this when it was first published I don't know).
The story follows a young Victor Frankenstein, set as a prequel to Mary Shelley's classic "Frankenstein". Victor is sixteen, hotheaded, passionate and jealous of his twin brother Konrad. When Konrad falls deathly ill, Victor, his cousin Elizabeth, and best friend Henry embark on a dangerous search for the rare ingredients of the "Elixir of Life" that promises to cure Konrad.
Oppel stays fairly true to the facts presented in Shelley's book-including details about Victor's family and upbringing. No sign of the monster, but it is evident that Victor is heading in that direction.
I can't wait for the next book!
The story follows a young Victor Frankenstein, set as a prequel to Mary Shelley's classic "Frankenstein". Victor is sixteen, hotheaded, passionate and jealous of his twin brother Konrad. When Konrad falls deathly ill, Victor, his cousin Elizabeth, and best friend Henry embark on a dangerous search for the rare ingredients of the "Elixir of Life" that promises to cure Konrad.
Oppel stays fairly true to the facts presented in Shelley's book-including details about Victor's family and upbringing. No sign of the monster, but it is evident that Victor is heading in that direction.
I can't wait for the next book!
This is an amazing prequel to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It tells the story of Victor Frankenstein as a teenager. Victor lives in Chateau Frankenstein with his twin brother Konrad and his distant cousin Elizabeth. They have an idyllic life until Konrad falls ill with a mysterious disease of the blood. This sets Victor on the path of finding a the Elixir of Life. He discovers a passion and talent for alchemy and delves deeper into the Dark Library they discovered in the Chateau.
Victor and Konrad are twins but they couldn't be more different. Victor is the dark to Konrad's light. Where everything comes easy to Konrad Victor struggles. While there is no doubt that Victor loves his brother he is also jealous of him. This jealousy comes out in regards to Elizabeth. Konrad and Elizabeth are in love, but Victor is also in love with Elizabeth. He tries to convince her of his affections at every turn. She is innocent and religious compared to the dark and scientific-minded Victor, but she also has a wild and animal side that comes out on their adventures.
And their adventures are grand in this book. The quest for the Elixir of Life is fraught with danger. They have midnight quests through dangerous forests; they explore deep underground in flooded caves, and the final ingredient almost costs them their lives.
This book pays homage to Mary Shelley's book and does a great job of tying the two books together. It has been a while since I read Frankenstein but I think Shelley would be fine with Oppel's interpretation of Victor's childhood and introduction into alchemy. It is a very real descent into the world of dark magics and alchemy and his motivations are clear. But we also see his passion and ambition that sets him on the path to Frankenstein. Very interesting book and definitely one I would recommend.
Victor and Konrad are twins but they couldn't be more different. Victor is the dark to Konrad's light. Where everything comes easy to Konrad Victor struggles. While there is no doubt that Victor loves his brother he is also jealous of him. This jealousy comes out in regards to Elizabeth. Konrad and Elizabeth are in love, but Victor is also in love with Elizabeth. He tries to convince her of his affections at every turn. She is innocent and religious compared to the dark and scientific-minded Victor, but she also has a wild and animal side that comes out on their adventures.
And their adventures are grand in this book. The quest for the Elixir of Life is fraught with danger. They have midnight quests through dangerous forests; they explore deep underground in flooded caves, and the final ingredient almost costs them their lives.
This book pays homage to Mary Shelley's book and does a great job of tying the two books together. It has been a while since I read Frankenstein but I think Shelley would be fine with Oppel's interpretation of Victor's childhood and introduction into alchemy. It is a very real descent into the world of dark magics and alchemy and his motivations are clear. But we also see his passion and ambition that sets him on the path to Frankenstein. Very interesting book and definitely one I would recommend.
I really enjoyed this book. I have never read anything quite like it. While there were some predictable moments, overall it was fast-paced and surprising. Since I knew the story was about twin boys, I expected a love triangle to take over the story, and it didn't, which impressed me. Overall very well done.
Victor Frankenstein is the younger, darker, more brooding, and more intense of two twins:
"Konrad's a fine fellow, but there's one thing I have that he doesn't. A passion to match your own."
"What nonsense you talk!"
"Is it? Konrad sees your angel, but I see your animal."
Although the quote I really want to use to describe Victor actually comes from another book:
"I thought about mistakes I had made in the past. I thought about when things went wrong. And I realized it was never an issue of intent, but of intensity. I was a good guy, recall."
Victor is a good guy with good intentions, but sometimes his intensity causes him to take his intentions too far. Whether it's the passion he feels for the girl who loves his brother, his desire to learn and achieve, his wish to be more like his charming, easy-going brother, or, most of all, his impatience with feeling helpless in the face of his brother's mysterious illness, he has a way of doing a bit too much until his attempts at doing good become harmful.
Victor and Konrad's father, as a magistrate for the city of Geneva, has outlawed the study and practice of alchemy, despite the fact that the family mansion contains a hidden alchemical library created by an ancestor. Yet, when none of the doctors can do anything about the strange affliction that has suddenly threatened Konrad's life, Victor and a couple of friends find themselves willing to risk his displeasure for the promise of an "Elixir of Life." They track down an outlaw alchemist and embark on a quest to gather the materials they hope will save Konrad's life, a quest that leads to more adventure and danger than they ever expected. The forbidden knowledge will come at a cost, but it will be worth it if they can save Konrad's life.
I waffled between three and four stars for this one. Three because it is not the deepest or most insightful story I've read and I can imagine it being more so; four because of the very effective tension, pacing, and excitement that drew me in as a reader and kept me interested. Ultimately, I settled on four because I could identify with the character's realistically flawed nature--I didn't always like or admire Victor and wanted to yell at him for his stupid mistakes, but I knew he wouldn't because I've done similar things in similar circumstances, been similarly self-centered and pig-headed. I found him believable, and that makes it not just an entertaining adventure story, but an interesting one.
"Konrad's a fine fellow, but there's one thing I have that he doesn't. A passion to match your own."
"What nonsense you talk!"
"Is it? Konrad sees your angel, but I see your animal."
Although the quote I really want to use to describe Victor actually comes from another book:
"I thought about mistakes I had made in the past. I thought about when things went wrong. And I realized it was never an issue of intent, but of intensity. I was a good guy, recall."
Victor is a good guy with good intentions, but sometimes his intensity causes him to take his intentions too far. Whether it's the passion he feels for the girl who loves his brother, his desire to learn and achieve, his wish to be more like his charming, easy-going brother, or, most of all, his impatience with feeling helpless in the face of his brother's mysterious illness, he has a way of doing a bit too much until his attempts at doing good become harmful.
Victor and Konrad's father, as a magistrate for the city of Geneva, has outlawed the study and practice of alchemy, despite the fact that the family mansion contains a hidden alchemical library created by an ancestor. Yet, when none of the doctors can do anything about the strange affliction that has suddenly threatened Konrad's life, Victor and a couple of friends find themselves willing to risk his displeasure for the promise of an "Elixir of Life." They track down an outlaw alchemist and embark on a quest to gather the materials they hope will save Konrad's life, a quest that leads to more adventure and danger than they ever expected. The forbidden knowledge will come at a cost, but it will be worth it if they can save Konrad's life.
I waffled between three and four stars for this one. Three because it is not the deepest or most insightful story I've read and I can imagine it being more so; four because of the very effective tension, pacing, and excitement that drew me in as a reader and kept me interested. Ultimately, I settled on four because I could identify with the character's realistically flawed nature--I didn't always like or admire Victor and wanted to yell at him for his stupid mistakes, but I knew he wouldn't because I've done similar things in similar circumstances, been similarly self-centered and pig-headed. I found him believable, and that makes it not just an entertaining adventure story, but an interesting one.