Reviews

Interesting themes, but the plot and character motives don't deviate much from Frankenstein -- certain actions seem to be driven only, indeed, by a need to mirror the original narrative. Feels too constrained to its status as a retelling, even sometimes directly quoting the original novel when it doesn't make much sense or fit with the narrative voice, and unfortunately that seems to keep it from delving as deep into the ideas present as it could have.

Content Warnings

thecottoncandyunicorn's review against another edition

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4.5

I’ve never read Frankenstein, but I absolutely loved this book.

If there’s one thing I love, it’s a repetitive prologue/epilogue that suddenly makes sense.

youshouldreadthisif's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Am I glad I read it? Soooo glad but also kinda really mad that I waited so long to read it because THIS. WAS. EXCELLENT. It regrettably languished on my TBR for quite a while, and I probably - definitely - would have picked it up sooner than I did if I had know that, in addition to being a super-queer Frankenstein retelling, it’s also about cyclical violence and power dynamics in parent-child relationships! Who would’ve guessed that incredibly specific combo would hit so hard with me?! (Me, I would’ve guessed cause that is 100% my jam.)

What makes this book so special, I think, is the lens through which Tsai interprets the original story. To me, it is largely about the violence done to us by our parents, including that which we see our parents commit upon each other, and how we internalize and then pass that trauma on to our own children. Z, like the author, is nonbinary and biracial. Tsai draws really fascinating lines from toxic white masculinity, through power imbalances in the relationship between Z’s rich white father and poor Indonesian mother and between Z and her father; to cisheternormative standards for bodies, beauty, and gender; and the treatment of queer bodies under those standards. Z internalizes her father’s views and so is unable to see the child produced by her experiment, who differs from her expected ideal of perfection like she does from her father’s, as anything other than an unwieldy creature. I loved thinking about how Tsai explores this theme of cyclical violence and deviation from the cishet bodily ideal in various ways throughout the book.

Also of particular note is Tsai’s treatment of Z’s creation, who we eventually learn is named Ash. Late in the book, we get several chapters from Ash’s POV, in which we hear how dia came to name and gender diaself. Dia’s chapters are a deeply affecting and humane contribution to the novel, highlighting the personhood of a character usually only referred to as “the creature,” including by Z for most of the story.

Lastly, I’m so, so impressed at how Tsai managed to this book so compelling and emotional, given that we mostly know what’s going to happen and that the characters reflect on the goings-on as they tell the story.