Sunday, March 3, 2013

Review: Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters by Suzanne Weyn

Title: Dr. Frankenstein Daughters
Author: Suzanne Weyn
Series: Stand Alone
Published By: Scholastic Press (Jan. 1, 2013)
Source: Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Fantasy
My Rating: 3 to 3.5 Stars!!

Book Description: 
A new generation is creating a monster.... Giselle and Ingrid are the twin daughters of Doctor Victor Frankenstein, but they are very different people, and when they inherit his castle in the Orkney Islands, Giselle dreams of holding parties and inviting society -- but Ingrid is fascinated by her father's forbidden experiments.
Purchase Links: Amazon/B&N

My Thoughts and Review:

I immediately loved the rich, dark, gothic feel this had. With each new chapter opening with a journal entry, it was so well done and flowed so nicely. I loved watching the personalities of the sisters change over time as they took in all that was around them and as they discovered more about themselves and their family.

I couldn't help but feel like I had been transported back into another era. A darker time when very little was still known in the medical profession and with each new discovery anything and everything was possible.

I loved the mad ramblings of Dr. Frankenstein and the anguish and despair he had at the loss of his wife and the daughters that he would never get to meet and claim. The torment of the monster he created turning evil and ultimately taunting him and destroying all that he loved. It was a great opening and completely set the feel of the story.

Really it was a great rendition of the classic Mary Shelley tale. A whole new look at what could have been had Victor been a real mad scientist with a life other than the one that only centered about his creation of His Monster.

Ingrid and Giselle were very interesting girls. I too loved the feel of their journal entries. How two twin girls could be so much alike and yet so very different was a very clever idea and made a very interesting storyline. One a beauty like her mother, one a mad scientist like her father.

I really loved watching it all unfold as the sisters discovered who they were and who their family really was. I loved all the literary people, artists, doctors, scientists, and others that were portrayed throughout the story. It was a nice historical aspect to it that the history buff in me really enjoyed.

My only complaint is that more wasn't said about The Monster. What happened to him? Where was he now? What exactly happened to the girls? What was going to happen to them now?

So many things were hinted at and foreshadowed but not everything was revealed. The ending felt a little too abrupt and left me wanting more of the story. I didn't quite get all the answers I was looking and hoping for.

And while I didn't get all the answers, I was still okay with it because maybe that meant there could be a sequel, which I would definitely read and will be hoping for because overall, I loved Weyn's writing style and how I felt like I was transported back in time.




6 comments:

  1. This sounds interesting and I am glad you enjoyed the characters and tale despite some issues.

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  2. I'm glad you enjoyed this. I've seen mixed reviews. It sounds like it might be worth checking out though.

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  3. Great review.
    This is right at the top of my wishlist at the moment. I love the sound of the dark, gothic setting, and that the girls are really interesting.
    Need to get a copy of this soon!

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  4. I don't know what is worse sometimes, a cliffhanger or a book that leaves far too many unanswered questions. I read another Frankenstein retelling earlier in the year and it was good but not great, nothing compares to the original for sure!

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  5. I love a novel that really transports you in time! And the Gothic feel sounds amazing. This sounds like a must read for sure!

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  6. I love Frankenstein and Gothic feeling novels. I like to be transported to other times. Too bad the monster isn't mentioned and that the ending is so open. Maybe there will be a sequel.

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