Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: August 2011
Pages: 304
Source: Library
For: Fun
Series: Yes, Book 1.
Things I Liked:
[I totally wish I'd read this in 2012, so I could pair it with Frankenstein for my Classic Double Challenge. Alas, I didn't.] Just the concept of seeing Frankenstein as a teen delights me. I really enjoyed the interactions of the characters, including a love triangle that didn't suck. I especially liked seeing Viktor wonder about his motivations and the lengths he'd go to in order to save his brother. I thought it was a pretty good backstory that fit right in with the classic book. There was also quite a few exciting adventures and a touch of the Gothic spookiness from the original tale. A pleasure to read. I liked Elizabeth a lot:
"I just assumed it would be Henry and me climbing the tree."Things I Didn't Like:
"Oh." she nodded humbly. "Yes. I suppose that makes the most sense. I can just wait at the bottom and do needlepoint by the light of the lantern-"
"Elizabeth-," I said, hearing the fire kindling in her voice.
"-or just daydream about the latest Paris fashions." p 105
It definitely doesn't have the spark or the depth of ethical issues that Frankenstein does. I guess that's what happens when you talk about what some crazy guy did before he went really crazy!
Read-alikes:
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
A little like Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy by Michelle Zink for the atmosphere and Gothic feel
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
one or two
mrg-factor: none
a bit of kissing, though
v-factor: ->
some rather intense parts, a little fighting
Overall rating: ****
What do you think of a prequel for a classic book?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
Posts
I'm interested to read this one as Frankenstein is my favorite book of all time. I still need to write a post in defense of Viktor. He wasn't THAT bad!
ReplyDeleteI know! This prequel actually made his choices make more sense. Can't wait to read your post :)
DeletePeople write prequels for classics? That's so cool! I'm totally going to read this now.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I haven't seen that many prequels, but I'm sure Jane Austen's stuff has a bunch.
DeleteI'm curious about this book. I loved the original, but I've been having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of a prequel. That snippet you posted makes me curious though. I like how Elizabeth sounds!
ReplyDeleteIt's sort of the idea that Frankenstein wouldn't have made such a huge leap in science/ethics without some history. Elizabeth is a lot of fun too :)
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