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aksmith92's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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 Setup: Our Hideous Progeny is a unique blend of gothic fiction, feminist themes, and mad science, creating a darkly atmospheric reimagining. The novel delves into the exploration of ambition, obsession, and the consequences of scientific pursuit. The protagonist, Mary, is the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein. Along with her husband, Henry, Mary discovers remnants of her great-uncle's forbidden research. Desperate to establish themselves in the scientific world and escape financial strain, they continue Victor's controversial work of creating life from dead matter.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
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
heather_harrison's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.75
✔️ Frankenstein retelling but make it Frankenstein’s great niece, and her paleontologist husband.
✔️ Gorgeous gothic vibe
✔️ Even more feminist than Shelley with a spotlight on misogyny
✔️ Queer slow burn romance
✔️ Gorgeous gothic vibe
✔️ Even more feminist than Shelley with a spotlight on misogyny
✔️ Queer slow burn romance
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
lisavandonselaar's review
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Blood, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
emsies's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Frankenstein meets Jurassic Park, but make it gay(er).
It's totally the Loch Ness monster.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Chronic illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Grief, and Gaslighting
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, and Sexual harassment
jenniferropell's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child death, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Animal death, Infertility, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
eleanora's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Gore, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Addiction, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
n0elle's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I have mixed feelings about this one. For one, I absolutely love classic retellings, especially if they’re sapphic and this one was a very interesting take on the original story of Frankenstein.
Now, while I do know the author tried hard to make it appear historically correct, I found it absolutely exhausting to read hundreds of pages of men dictating the protagonist’s life, telling her what she can and can’t do, how she should behave, what (little) she’s worth.
I’m all for women in STEM, driven by ambition and scientific ideas that lead through breakthroughs. BUT if her ideas and success are always overshadowed by a man or even taken by a man, while she just sits idly by.. that’s infuriating, historically correct but still infuriating. And while the main character did get mad about these things, she always stayed quiet. In the rare moments she didn’t, she was belittled and reprimanded so much, I felt the shame of being a woman bleed through the pages.
Maybe the writing was just too good and too real and it made me feel so many emotions, some of which I could have gone without.
Now, while I do know the author tried hard to make it appear historically correct, I found it absolutely exhausting to read hundreds of pages of men dictating the protagonist’s life, telling her what she can and can’t do, how she should behave, what (little) she’s worth.
I’m all for women in STEM, driven by ambition and scientific ideas that lead through breakthroughs. BUT if her ideas and success are always overshadowed by a man or even taken by a man, while she just sits idly by.. that’s infuriating, historically correct but still infuriating. And while the main character did get mad about these things, she always stayed quiet. In the rare moments she didn’t, she was belittled and reprimanded so much, I felt the shame of being a woman bleed through the pages.
Maybe the writing was just too good and too real and it made me feel so many emotions, some of which I could have gone without.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
C.E. McGill’s richly detailed and utterly compelling debut was a deliciously gothic and feminist exploration of ambition, obsession, betrayal and love that I couldn’t get enough of!
It’s set in 1851, at the height of the Victorian era’s fascination with all things dinosaur and follows Elizabeth (the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein) who (having spent the better part of her life being looked down on for being a woman interested in science and palaeontology) yearns to find scientific acclaim beyond the footnotes of other people’s research. But without any powerful connections or wealth, neither Mary or her husband stand a chance of ever succeeding.
Armed only with letters containing snippets of her great uncles’ past —of creating life from death (which ultimately led to his own), Mary decides to use what little of his research remains to take the scientific community by storm. And, with her husband Henry, attempt to bring life to a creature never before seen by human eyes.
But on the precipice of success, Mary begins to question the ethics and morality surrounding their creation and the love that she has developed for the creature.
I loved every second of this! It’s such an electrifyingly creative and wholly original take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and I genuinely couldn’t put it down.
The writing is lush and beautifully atmospheric, and as intricately woven as the stitches that adorn the eponymous ‘creature’ which definitely showcases the gothic/horror genre to perfection!
I was in absolute awe of just how immersive the descriptions were and loved that it really delves into the inequalities of the Victorian era and the classist, sexist and racist attitudes which were prevalent and still very much relevant today.
I adored Mary, who’s character takes inspiration from not one but three impressive women of the 19th C: Mary Shelley, Mary Anning (the self-taught palaeontologist who found the first Ichthyosaur fossil) and Mary Somerville (one of the first women admitted into the Royal Astronomical Society), and really enjoyed discovering just how much of their stories connected to our refreshingly bold and sharp-tongued protagonist—especially Mary Anning, who seemed to have to the most in common with our plesiosaur-obsessed MC.
With what we see of Mary’s childhood and isolated upbringing with her grandmother (a woman who seemed to despise Mary simply for existing) I couldn’t help but be endeared to her (and root for her to succeed.)
I was less enamoured of her husband (or any of the male characters aside from Mr. Jamsetjee who was such a sweetheart) though the realism and accuracy to the contemporary attitudes of the day were spot on and really highlighted how remarkably strong Mary (and others like her) had to be to persevere in such a harsh, discriminatory environments.
The pace was quite slow to begin however, I felt it definitely helped to build up that tense, anticipatory feeling that gothic fiction is known for—and by the half way point things really kicked into gear and ‘things’ got super interesting.
If you love dark, gothic-esque historical fiction, queer horror or Silvia Moreno-Garcia then you absolutely must check this out, it’s fantastic!
Also, a massive thank you to Izzie Ghaffari-Parker and Doubleday books for the wonderful proof.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation