My Frankenstein - Book Review

My Frankenstein by Michael Lee

What is it about:
In a small village in early 19th Century young Eva is enthralled by the new young baron, Viktor Frankenstein. Viktor promises to transform the traditional little town into a beacon of science and gives the book loving Eva access to his fantastic library. Eva becomes his student and assists him in a secret experiment, though she is kept in the dark about its ultimate aim. Soon after that Viktor introduces Eva to his “cousin” Adam. Adam is horribly disfigured with stitches running across his face. Viktor claims he is mute and simpleminded, but Eva takes pity on him and sets out to teach him to speak.…

What follows is a combination of tragic romance and classic horror as Eva is pulled between Viktor, who grows jealous and takes murderous steps to ensure his secret, and Adam, who possess tremendous strength and rage yet deep inside is innocent and vulnerable.

What did I think of it:
An original take on Frankenstein that didn't work for me sadly enough. The story idea is quite good and intriguing and the setting is dark and gritty. The writing however didn't appeal to me. It's rather wonky and it keeps on the surface: you don't really get to feel the emotions of the characters. The short diary fragments at the start of some chapters were the best in my opinion and I felt disappointed Lee hadn't used this viewpoint for the whole story. As for the story itself: it felt just as wonky as the writing. I got the feeling Lee wasn't sure if he wanted to write a Young Adult or an Adult story and ended up with something that hangs in between these two. Chances of me reading other books by Lee: His ideas and world building are good, so I might give other books a try depending on the story.

Why should you read it:
It's an original retelling of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein



Want to know more about this book?
Bewitching Book Tours is having a My Frankenstein book tour at the moment.