Scan barcode
megbert21's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Medical content, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Sexual violence
aksmith92's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The novel not only delves into the technical aspects of their scientific endeavor but also raises thought-provoking moral and ethical questions. Mary's character is driven by a complex mix of ambition and defiance, challenging her time's patriarchal and imperialistic limitations. Her relationships—both with Henry and other characters like Maise, Henry's sister who becomes her confidante and ally—reflect themes of power, gender, and betrayal. The strong character development in the novel will make you feel connected and invested in the characters.
What I Liked: This was a great ride. I loved the prose, the plot, and, of course, Mary, who C.E. McGill depicted as a flawed and unique character who was also someone you wanted to root for. There were pieces of actual scientific historical context in this novel, but it wasn't like you needed to know it in depth to get it, but it was a lovely touch. Mary was brilliant, and I had such a great time reading about her researching things, figuring out the scientific community, and her beautiful relationship with Maise. I also completely loved her throwing wine in the face of someone ANNOYING [read to find out]. Overall, this was a fantastic book. Exploring Mary's relationship with the Creature was also done phenomenally well.
What Could Have Been Better: This book was slightly slow at the end of the day. I put "medium" for the pace because I think it evened out by the end; however, the beginning, even up to the first half, was a tell, not show, building the scientific piece of the story. I didn't mind it, but you might. Additionally, as much as I enjoyed Mary, she made some more questionable decisions near the middle/two-thirds of the way through. I get what she was doing, but as a reader, you just knew it was a bad idea.
However, I loved it! It was a great take on a popular book (that I still haven't read), and I think the feminist and non-heterosexual elements were a nice touch.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism, Medical content, Death of parent, and Classism
raichoreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Vomit, Death of parent, and Colonisation
persephonefoxx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“We shall steal fire from the heavens, and I shall not repent, even for one minute- for what sort of God would condemn us to such a cold world without it? We are merely taking what should have been ours from the beginning.”
This was truly spectacular. As a huge lover of gothic literature, this really ticked so many boxes for me. An atmospheric tale of beauty, horror, and the intersection of the two that are so commonplace within the genre.
This book is an ode to Frankenstein and scientists of the time, this was a stunning tale of science, womanhood, and the pursuit of discovery. All tied up in one woman’s love of dinosaurs. I loved this, deep in my bones.
Graphic: Animal death, Misogyny, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Miscarriage, and Racism
Minor: Racism, Death of parent, and Colonisation
meagan_young's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
mafaichney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Miscarriage, and Misogyny
hiddenfallacies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
From its real-world details (that had me pausing in my reading to look up the historical context) to its richly expressed environments, I found myself lost in this story quite easily. The narrative often made me feel as if I was experiencing the world alongside Mary, sharing her sorrows and triumphs and everything in-between. Perhaps that was one of my favorite things about this novel - all of the characters felt real.
The only thing preventing this from being a five-star read is that I felt the story ended right as it was truly beginning for Mary! I would love to see the follow-up the author joked about in their note at the end.
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Vomit, and Colonisation
jen0788's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A very interesting, modern twist on a classic tale
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, and Sexism
jodean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Drug use, Racism, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Colonisation
nat008's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.25
This novel deals with ambition, grief, and the morality of creating life. It was very interesting to read about Mary's love and passion for science and see her struggle to fit in in the 1850s, a world dominated by the male perspective. I loved her relationship with Henry's sister Maisie. It seemed to grow naturally as they found comfort in each other.
The pace was a bit slower, and the biggest portion of the book was working on their experiment, but I didn't mind it.
Would recommend.
Moderate: Miscarriage