julmev 's review for:

Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill

5.0

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective fast-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: No

---

This is an amazingly layered book with so many different social commentaries woven into a gothic historical fiction about scientific and personal discovery. 

The author perfectly relays the experience of being a gender minority in science and engineering, and how easily credit can go to the dominant group in a system specifically made for the success of that group. 

The author discussed race and gender intersectionality well, bringing more nuance and depth to the situation than in other books I have read. Calling out the white female character for her privilege is important, especially when “women in science” books tend to focus on white feminism and gender oppression alone.

I appreciated the commentary on Mary’s marriage with Henry and how she becomes less tolerant of centering him as the novel progresses. It is clear she is not fulfilled with that relationship and he does not have the capacity for empathy and reciprocal partnership. Further, his lack of willingness to develop these skills hurts the people around him and he does not care to see that. 

This is an impressive debut and I will be reading everything they publish in the future.