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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book is absolutely gorgeous! It puts a cool spin on the classic Mary Shelley novel and really nails the gothic vibes throughout.
I totally fell in love with the main character, and you can tell how much research went into this. The author shines a light on how women were treated in science during this period and details how their husbands often took credit for their work. Plus, it tackles how society looked at anyone who wasn’t straight, white, and male. The paleontology parts are accurate too, which just made me enjoy it even more.
It’s definitely a slow burn, like most gothic tales, so if you go in knowing that, you’ll appreciate the buildup. The writing is gorgeous, and the queer elements in the story are a delightful touch.
I truly can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next!
I totally fell in love with the main character, and you can tell how much research went into this. The author shines a light on how women were treated in science during this period and details how their husbands often took credit for their work. Plus, it tackles how society looked at anyone who wasn’t straight, white, and male. The paleontology parts are accurate too, which just made me enjoy it even more.
It’s definitely a slow burn, like most gothic tales, so if you go in knowing that, you’ll appreciate the buildup. The writing is gorgeous, and the queer elements in the story are a delightful touch.
I truly can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Gaslighting
medium-paced
As a longtime Frankenstein fan, I liked the spin that McGill put on the classic story. I wish there had been a bit more development of the main relationship, and some plot lines felt a little rushed, but overall, I enjoyed it.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
"Pride, what a tricky word that was. It was pride that had turned the angels into demons, pride that had damned Babel, pride that had tempted Eve; it was the sin of believing oneself capable of great things, worthy of better. It was the worst sin a woman could commit."
"Whenever a woman without children love an animal or a cause or anything else-- anything else besides that which she ought to love the most in the world, that which she ought to spend all her days trying and longing for -- it was thought to be a substitute for what she did not have."
"My eyes - my treacherous, cowardly eyes -- brimmed with tears. I swiped them away, willing myself to push it all down, as I had always done. I would not break. I would not crumble. I would not cry."
"It was from this that Mary Elizabeth Frankenstein was born. So if you like her, if she strikes a chord, this one goes out to you: the angry women, the threatening women, the solitary and the abhorred; women with cold hearts and sharp tongues who play with fire and fall in love with monsters, women who love women, women who didn't know they were women at first but know better now, women who thought they were women but know better now. We shall be monsters, you and I."
"Whenever a woman without children love an animal or a cause or anything else-- anything else besides that which she ought to love the most in the world, that which she ought to spend all her days trying and longing for -- it was thought to be a substitute for what she did not have."
"My eyes - my treacherous, cowardly eyes -- brimmed with tears. I swiped them away, willing myself to push it all down, as I had always done. I would not break. I would not crumble. I would not cry."
"It was from this that Mary Elizabeth Frankenstein was born. So if you like her, if she strikes a chord, this one goes out to you: the angry women, the threatening women, the solitary and the abhorred; women with cold hearts and sharp tongues who play with fire and fall in love with monsters, women who love women, women who didn't know they were women at first but know better now, women who thought they were women but know better now. We shall be monsters, you and I."
Beautifully written — if not a little slow in the first half and a little long. A warning: if you’re sensitive to animal suffering, it’s not all dinosaurs being experimented on. Nothing gratuitous and easy to skim/skip and still follow the story. / 3.5 stars
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character