Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As soon as I read the synopsis for this book, I knew that I needed it in my hands as soon as possible.
Back in 2018, I read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley with my senior english class and really enjoyed the classic. After discovering Kiersten White's retelling one day in Barnes & Noble, I became curious what her story would entail. My first thought was that it would be a simple retelling of the story I already knew but my prediction was only somewhat correct.
Unlike the classic, this book follows Elizabeth Frankenstein who is Victor's only friend and partner. Instead of learning about Victor, we are given insight on the complexities of Elizabeth's mind and how her life's sole purpose became being his loyal companion. Behind her naturally beautiful appearance is a cunning mind that is more in control than a girl should be in her position.
The story begins with Elizabeth missing Victors company while he is away at school. Despite Victor's father telling her that she cannot leave the house to go see him, she leaves with her friend Justine while he is away on a business trip. Elizabeth discovers after arriving to the town that Victor has abandoned his studies and that only a select few have heard from him in the past year. She begins to worry about her beloved Victor and that he might be in trouble and believes it is her responsibility to save him. She eventually finds him, unconscious, at his hidden residence and discovers that his new study could ruin their entire reputation. Elizabeth does what she deems necessary to rescue him and his reputation, but doesn't realize that they are now in more danger than they ever were before.
It took me a very long time to like Elizabeth's character; for me, something about her was just off. It was about the middle of the book when I came around to liking her. I changed my mindset that she is not the character she was in the classic and that expecting her to be will only ruin my experience of reading this completely different novel. I'm thankful that I did this because I enjoyed the story so much more after doing so and it made the ending that much more EPIC.
The fact that this was not a simple retelling of Frankenstein is what made this story. It is a modernized version with many changed aspects which creates an interesting, intriguing and horrific story. Kiersten White created a great retelling of a great classic.
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