When Mackenzi Lee started her research on Mary
Shelly's Frankenstein, she did not know where her path would take her, but was
soon enthralled by the life of Mary; she was a woman ahead of her time:
mischievous, daring, mouthy and intelligent. In her debut novel, This Monstrous Thing, Lee has created a
moving tale of love lost, recreation of life and the souls that are left
behind. The Industrial Era was becoming a reality in Geneva in the 1800s--the
time and setting of our steampunk story created a writers haven for character
development, plot and the overall theme of humanity. I am impressed with Lee's
ability to maintain all these literary elements throughout her story despite
her manipulation of times and events in our history.
The Finch Family owns a toy store as a front to
their true ability and job as Shadowboys--those who could make limbs, lungs and
body parts to function with the human flesh. They are shunned for helping the
war veterans maintain a human life when they are more machine than man. Moving
from place to place to keep their ability a secret, Oliver and Alasdair Finch, have
learned to combat societal norms.
Watching his brother fall to his death caused
Alasdair Finch soul wrenching grief. He knew he could not live in a world
without him so he used his knowledge of gears, machinery and the human anatomy
to reconstruct his brother thus creating our reimaging of Frankenstein. When
brought to live Oliver is not the same. Alasdair has to flee Geneva leaving his
newly formed brother behind. The angst caused by this decision has to be mended
causing Alasdair to come back to Geneva. Upon his arrival he is met by friends
of the past who have left animosity in their wake.
The depth to the characters in Alasdair's life were
stunning. I felt raw emotion upon meeting Mary Shelly--as his first innocent
kiss, to the adulteress and then to the manipulating deserter she becomes. Clémence, a passionate young woman who lead
a contrary life for this time period, was a character who I was cheering loudly
for as she fought for the equality of all people regardless of their mechanical
parts. Oliver was the monster. He was self-centered jerk who I originally found
foul, but one I could empathize with to a degree as he was no longer the good
looking young man he was at death.
A wonderful retelling
of a classic. I recommend this for the 9th-12th grade library. It offers action
and mystery without difficult language. A wonderful prequel to the reluctant
reader who has to read Frankenstein for an assignment.
You can see the full review at Books and WhatNot
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