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Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters
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.
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.
250 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
30 people are currently reading
1355 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Weyn
206 books647 followersSuzanne Weyn grew up in Williston Park, Long Island, New York. She has three sisters and a brother. As a girl, she was very interested in theatre and in reading. Louisa May Alcott was her favorite author, but she also read every Sherlock Holmes story. Suzanne lived pretty close to the ocean and going to Jones Beach was one of her favorite activities. Even today, if she goes too long without seeing the ocean, she starts feeling restless.
Suzanne now lives in upper New York State with her husband, two teen daughters and Abby the cat. Her house is at the edge of the woods and is nearly 200 years old. She graduated from State University of New York at Binghamton and received her master's degree from Pace University. She teaches part-time at City College in New York.
Suzanne's other books for Simon Pulse include South Beach Sizzle, a romantic comedy written with Diana Gonzalez. Her novels for the Simon Pulse line "Once Upon a Time" are The Night Dance: A Retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Water Song: A Retelling of the Frog Prince, and The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of Rumplestiltskin. She very much enjoys rethinking these classic tales from an original point of view, always looking for the real psychological underpinning of the story. Suzanne is currently doing revisions on her fourth book in the line, which will be coming in 2009.
Suzanne's other recent novels are include The Bar Code Tattoo (2004) and its sequel, The Bar Code Rebellion (2006). The Bar Code Tattoo was selected by the American Library Assoc. (ALA) as a 2005 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and was a 2007 Nevada Library nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction. It is currently translated into German and was nominated for the 2007 Jugenliteraturpreis for Young People's Literature.
Suzanne now lives in upper New York State with her husband, two teen daughters and Abby the cat. Her house is at the edge of the woods and is nearly 200 years old. She graduated from State University of New York at Binghamton and received her master's degree from Pace University. She teaches part-time at City College in New York.
Suzanne's other books for Simon Pulse include South Beach Sizzle, a romantic comedy written with Diana Gonzalez. Her novels for the Simon Pulse line "Once Upon a Time" are The Night Dance: A Retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Water Song: A Retelling of the Frog Prince, and The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of Rumplestiltskin. She very much enjoys rethinking these classic tales from an original point of view, always looking for the real psychological underpinning of the story. Suzanne is currently doing revisions on her fourth book in the line, which will be coming in 2009.
Suzanne's other recent novels are include The Bar Code Tattoo (2004) and its sequel, The Bar Code Rebellion (2006). The Bar Code Tattoo was selected by the American Library Assoc. (ALA) as a 2005 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and was a 2007 Nevada Library nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction. It is currently translated into German and was nominated for the 2007 Jugenliteraturpreis for Young People's Literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
September 17, 2023
Imagine being orphaned at birth, knowing nothing of your mother or father, only to find out 17 years later, that your father was on the run and considered a lunatic. Despite this, the mysterious man owned a castle and had managed to amass a huge amount of money, which he left for the daughters he never knew. Oh, and he happens to be Dr. Frankenstein.
Okay, that part is really a bigger deal to the reader than to the main characters. No one knew what Dr. Frankenstein had accomplished. The name did not bring to mind a flat-headed, greenish/gray man that walked like a robot with his arms outstretched. None of the characters in the book compulsively shout out “It’s aliiiive!” at the mention of Frankenstein’s name.
The discovery of their father’s name, along with the receipt of a gargantuan inheritance, begins the story of twin girls, Giselle and Ingrid. Although identical, Giselle is considered “the beauty” as she is quite fond of her looks and spends a great deal of time primping. She wants to entertain the world. Ingrid is absorbed with the practice of medicine. The book is set in the early 1800s; women were forbidden to obtain an education. Ingrid had to do her studies behind closed doors or dressed as a man.
The girls quickly relocate to the castle. As Giselle spends day and night cleaning and decorating the castle, Ingrid obsesses over her new treasure, her father’s journals. Giselle is planning a huge party to fill the castle. Ingrid couldn’t care less about the party, aside from coaxing Giselle to invite prominent doctors and researchers so that she could discuss her new theories about limb regeneration. As life goes on, Ingrid becomes quite taken with an injured man in a small cottage near the castle, Giselle continues working feverishly, and the town becomes nervous as men begin to go missing.
The initial premise of the book is intriguing enough for anyone to grab it off of a bookshelf. Once in hand, the story quietly snares the reader and draws him in. On one hand, the readers see a bit of romance begin to bloom. It is sweet, but clearly complicated. Will love prevail or will the fear of heartache keep it dormant? Worse, will a slow, painful and untimely death rip them apart?
On the other hand, the reader begins to sense mystery and danger slowly surrounding Giselle, like a fog creeping in. Men are disappearing. Some are later found, as mangled corpses. Who is doing this? The reader (having the advantage of knowing about Dr. Frankenstein’s creation) may believe that the monster is exacting revenge on the unsuspecting and totally unaware girls. But that seems a bit too pat, so surely, it is someone else, right?
I won’t tell, but I promise that if you read the book, the answers to these questions will surprise you.
This review was written for Buried Under Books Blog.
Okay, that part is really a bigger deal to the reader than to the main characters. No one knew what Dr. Frankenstein had accomplished. The name did not bring to mind a flat-headed, greenish/gray man that walked like a robot with his arms outstretched. None of the characters in the book compulsively shout out “It’s aliiiive!” at the mention of Frankenstein’s name.
The discovery of their father’s name, along with the receipt of a gargantuan inheritance, begins the story of twin girls, Giselle and Ingrid. Although identical, Giselle is considered “the beauty” as she is quite fond of her looks and spends a great deal of time primping. She wants to entertain the world. Ingrid is absorbed with the practice of medicine. The book is set in the early 1800s; women were forbidden to obtain an education. Ingrid had to do her studies behind closed doors or dressed as a man.
The girls quickly relocate to the castle. As Giselle spends day and night cleaning and decorating the castle, Ingrid obsesses over her new treasure, her father’s journals. Giselle is planning a huge party to fill the castle. Ingrid couldn’t care less about the party, aside from coaxing Giselle to invite prominent doctors and researchers so that she could discuss her new theories about limb regeneration. As life goes on, Ingrid becomes quite taken with an injured man in a small cottage near the castle, Giselle continues working feverishly, and the town becomes nervous as men begin to go missing.
The initial premise of the book is intriguing enough for anyone to grab it off of a bookshelf. Once in hand, the story quietly snares the reader and draws him in. On one hand, the readers see a bit of romance begin to bloom. It is sweet, but clearly complicated. Will love prevail or will the fear of heartache keep it dormant? Worse, will a slow, painful and untimely death rip them apart?
On the other hand, the reader begins to sense mystery and danger slowly surrounding Giselle, like a fog creeping in. Men are disappearing. Some are later found, as mangled corpses. Who is doing this? The reader (having the advantage of knowing about Dr. Frankenstein’s creation) may believe that the monster is exacting revenge on the unsuspecting and totally unaware girls. But that seems a bit too pat, so surely, it is someone else, right?
I won’t tell, but I promise that if you read the book, the answers to these questions will surprise you.
This review was written for Buried Under Books Blog.
March 3, 2013
Seen at Scott Reads It!
I knew I had to read Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters once I saw it. It was being marketed as a sequel to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and I just loved the idea! The problem with Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters is that it is poorily executed and it doesn't live up to it's potential.
It's extremely hard to like a book where you dislike all of the characters. Giselle is extremely superficial and too concerned with the way people view her.Does Giselle enjoy being abused? She is hurt by her ex-boyfriend once, and she goes back to him once again. When Giselle is slapped by her ex, it barely bother her at all and she doesn't tell anyone. Ingrid claims to be an "intellect" yet she acts rather foolish. How can you claim to be an intellect yet you don't know that Napoleon has taken over a decent amount of the world? Ingrid was way too concerned with trying to feel smart that she disregards her morals. Why does Ingrid help grave robbers? Giselle and Ingrid didn't act their age and they acted like little kids. Both Giselle and Ingrid seemed to lack any common sense or morals.
Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters is a novel with no purpose at all. This book is supposed to be a mystery yet there is really no mystery or intrigue in this book. Suzanne Weyn focuses more on Dr. Frankenstein's daughters and their problems instead of the mystery. You would think that if so many people affiliated with the daughters were dying, there would at least be some significance. All of the deaths don't really have any significance to the story and are pretty trivial. I would have rather read about the daughters trying to solve the mystery of who the murderer was or at least do something about it.
There are so many different little plot lines in this book but by the end nothing seems to be resolved. What is the point of having so many plot lines if you don't even bother to nicely resolve everything? When I finished Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters, I was thinking "That's it?" because there were some many questions left unanswered. There has to be a sequel to be coming out because this book didn't have a proper conclusion.
You would think a novel about Dr. Frankenstein's kids would involve Frankenstein's monster. Wrong! Frankenstein's monster is barely mentioned throughout the novel and only appears for a short span of time. Weyn also makes one of the most noobish mistakes regarding Frankenstein's monster. She calls the monster Frankenstein, you would think someone writing a novel about Dr. Frankenstein would know better. In Mary Shelly's novel Dr. Frankenstein creates a monster but never bothers to name it. That's why the monster is called Dr. Frankenstein's monster and not Frankenstein. I didn't expect Weyn to make such an amateur mistake.
The only thing that I semi-enjoyed was the diary format of the book. Suzanne Weyn wrote this book in the style of Giselle and Ingrid's journals. At first I thought it was a clever device but it soon became very irritating and repetitive. Do people who write journals constantly write dear diary? Every single time I saw "From the diary of Baroness Giselle Frankenstein" I wanted to cringe. The journal entries really didn't add anything insightful to this book at all. There was so many ways Weyn could have cleverly used the journal style to her advantage but Weyn doesn't take advantage of this opportunity.
I really didn't enjoy reading Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters at all. It's hard to like a book when you don't even like any of the characters. Giselle and Ingrid acted way too shallow and their attitudes were extremely irritating. Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters is a perfect example of wasted potential, there were so many ways this book could have been fantastic but Weyn doesn't bother to do anything unique. If there is a sequel coming out, I would not even consider reading it! Thank you to Scholastic for providing me with a review copy via mail.
I knew I had to read Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters once I saw it. It was being marketed as a sequel to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and I just loved the idea! The problem with Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters is that it is poorily executed and it doesn't live up to it's potential.
It's extremely hard to like a book where you dislike all of the characters. Giselle is extremely superficial and too concerned with the way people view her.Does Giselle enjoy being abused? She is hurt by her ex-boyfriend once, and she goes back to him once again. When Giselle is slapped by her ex, it barely bother her at all and she doesn't tell anyone. Ingrid claims to be an "intellect" yet she acts rather foolish. How can you claim to be an intellect yet you don't know that Napoleon has taken over a decent amount of the world? Ingrid was way too concerned with trying to feel smart that she disregards her morals. Why does Ingrid help grave robbers? Giselle and Ingrid didn't act their age and they acted like little kids. Both Giselle and Ingrid seemed to lack any common sense or morals.
Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters is a novel with no purpose at all. This book is supposed to be a mystery yet there is really no mystery or intrigue in this book. Suzanne Weyn focuses more on Dr. Frankenstein's daughters and their problems instead of the mystery. You would think that if so many people affiliated with the daughters were dying, there would at least be some significance. All of the deaths don't really have any significance to the story and are pretty trivial. I would have rather read about the daughters trying to solve the mystery of who the murderer was or at least do something about it.
There are so many different little plot lines in this book but by the end nothing seems to be resolved. What is the point of having so many plot lines if you don't even bother to nicely resolve everything? When I finished Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters, I was thinking "That's it?" because there were some many questions left unanswered. There has to be a sequel to be coming out because this book didn't have a proper conclusion.
You would think a novel about Dr. Frankenstein's kids would involve Frankenstein's monster. Wrong! Frankenstein's monster is barely mentioned throughout the novel and only appears for a short span of time. Weyn also makes one of the most noobish mistakes regarding Frankenstein's monster. She calls the monster Frankenstein, you would think someone writing a novel about Dr. Frankenstein would know better. In Mary Shelly's novel Dr. Frankenstein creates a monster but never bothers to name it. That's why the monster is called Dr. Frankenstein's monster and not Frankenstein. I didn't expect Weyn to make such an amateur mistake.
The only thing that I semi-enjoyed was the diary format of the book. Suzanne Weyn wrote this book in the style of Giselle and Ingrid's journals. At first I thought it was a clever device but it soon became very irritating and repetitive. Do people who write journals constantly write dear diary? Every single time I saw "From the diary of Baroness Giselle Frankenstein" I wanted to cringe. The journal entries really didn't add anything insightful to this book at all. There was so many ways Weyn could have cleverly used the journal style to her advantage but Weyn doesn't take advantage of this opportunity.
I really didn't enjoy reading Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters at all. It's hard to like a book when you don't even like any of the characters. Giselle and Ingrid acted way too shallow and their attitudes were extremely irritating. Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters is a perfect example of wasted potential, there were so many ways this book could have been fantastic but Weyn doesn't bother to do anything unique. If there is a sequel coming out, I would not even consider reading it! Thank you to Scholastic for providing me with a review copy via mail.
January 22, 2013
2.5 stars — spoilers
This wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. There were some aspects that I enjoyed such as 1. The book being written in diary format 2. Two sisters (Giselle and Ingrid) taking turns narrating 3. How short it was 4. The slight eerie and gothic vibe 5. The mystery of Frankenstein and Giselle/Ingrid's father and 6. The setting on the quiet island.
I thought the contrast between Giselle and Ingrid was very cliched but it kind of worked for the story. Giselle was the beautiful, outgoing, shallow, party girl and Ingrid was the less beautiful, less sociable, serious scientist. Giselle's POV was more engaging than Ingrid's though - I thought Ingrid's interest in science was quite boring, her desire to be a scientist just made me roll my eyes, and she was also kind of a Mary Sue. Giselle had more attitude and her arc made for more exciting reading.
There were parts that were somewhat predictable, especially the romance and 'mystery' of who was killing the men. I would have preferred there being more subtlety as to who was the murderer… as it kind of took the edge of the story.
Walter and Ingrid had an okay romance but it felt one sided for the most part. Ingrid seemed very obsessed and very much in love whereas Walter seemed mostly indifferent - I think the romance would have worked better if they had been more interactions between them and if Walter had been more forthcoming in his feelings.
One of the worst aspects about the book was the amount of times Giselle was almost raped/attacked, it happened at least four times with four different guys in a space of a few weeks. It was ridiculous, any guy she came in contact with wanted to hurt her… it just wasn't realistic.
Overall, this was a mildly entertaining read. It would have been more enjoyable though if the romance and the murder plot had been executed in a less simplistic and rushed way.
This wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. There were some aspects that I enjoyed such as 1. The book being written in diary format 2. Two sisters (Giselle and Ingrid) taking turns narrating 3. How short it was 4. The slight eerie and gothic vibe 5. The mystery of Frankenstein and Giselle/Ingrid's father and 6. The setting on the quiet island.
I thought the contrast between Giselle and Ingrid was very cliched but it kind of worked for the story. Giselle was the beautiful, outgoing, shallow, party girl and Ingrid was the less beautiful, less sociable, serious scientist. Giselle's POV was more engaging than Ingrid's though - I thought Ingrid's interest in science was quite boring, her desire to be a scientist just made me roll my eyes, and she was also kind of a Mary Sue. Giselle had more attitude and her arc made for more exciting reading.
There were parts that were somewhat predictable, especially the romance and 'mystery' of who was killing the men. I would have preferred there being more subtlety as to who was the murderer… as it kind of took the edge of the story.
Walter and Ingrid had an okay romance but it felt one sided for the most part. Ingrid seemed very obsessed and very much in love whereas Walter seemed mostly indifferent - I think the romance would have worked better if they had been more interactions between them and if Walter had been more forthcoming in his feelings.
One of the worst aspects about the book was the amount of times Giselle was almost raped/attacked, it happened at least four times with four different guys in a space of a few weeks. It was ridiculous, any guy she came in contact with wanted to hurt her… it just wasn't realistic.
Overall, this was a mildly entertaining read. It would have been more enjoyable though if the romance and the murder plot had been executed in a less simplistic and rushed way.
January 7, 2014
The best thing I can say about this book is that it reads quickly. If it had spent any time in between chapters reflecting on the book, I probably would have left it unfinished. But, I breezed through it, frequently scratching my head in puzzlement, as I turned to the next page.
So many weird glitches. From little anachronisms like the phrase "homemade bread," as if that was not the norm of the day. Oh and Castle Frankenstein is on the Orkney Islands. I guess that is from the MacFrankenstaihn side. I know in the original novel, he goes to Scotland. But transporting the family castle there was beyond ridiculous.
But the worst part, the absolutely unacceptable part, is the explanation at the end of the novel. Hysteria! I take issue with the sexism explicit in the final chapters of this poorly written book.
So many weird glitches. From little anachronisms like the phrase "homemade bread," as if that was not the norm of the day. Oh and Castle Frankenstein is on the Orkney Islands. I guess that is from the MacFrankenstaihn side. I know in the original novel, he goes to Scotland. But transporting the family castle there was beyond ridiculous.
But the worst part, the absolutely unacceptable part, is the explanation at the end of the novel. Hysteria! I take issue with the sexism explicit in the final chapters of this poorly written book.
November 9, 2017
I'm amazed! I'm intrigued!
The story largely takes place in Scotland, home of the Frankenstein castle where his daughters, Ingrid and Giselle, have moved to. Once there, they discover more than they bargained for -- and start to find out a few too many things about their late father that they never knew. Ingrid Frankenstein even starts developing experiments of her own after much study of her father's work.
To complement the style of the original "Frankenstein" novel, this story unfolds between the diaries and letters that both daughters write. I loved this element, and really connected well with the two types of personalities that the author developed for the twins.
Earlier this year, I had read the classic, "Frankenstein"; I found large portions of the story to be dry. I'm so glad to have happened across this so-called sequel, which made the story come alive for me again. In fact, I enjoyed this YA book much better than the original classic. (Of course, the classic covers a lot of ground when it comes to scientific reasoning, good vs. evil, who is the true monster, etc., etc.) But if you're looking for a story to just enjoy (and not have to think so hard about about the morals that the author is trying to get across), yep, "Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters" cover the bases. Even with a bit of romance in the story too. The story certainly contains everything I wanted. The historical setting feels authentic, like historical fiction should.
I hope the author will consider writing more books similar to this one. She's good at it.
The story largely takes place in Scotland, home of the Frankenstein castle where his daughters, Ingrid and Giselle, have moved to. Once there, they discover more than they bargained for -- and start to find out a few too many things about their late father that they never knew. Ingrid Frankenstein even starts developing experiments of her own after much study of her father's work.
To complement the style of the original "Frankenstein" novel, this story unfolds between the diaries and letters that both daughters write. I loved this element, and really connected well with the two types of personalities that the author developed for the twins.
Earlier this year, I had read the classic, "Frankenstein"; I found large portions of the story to be dry. I'm so glad to have happened across this so-called sequel, which made the story come alive for me again. In fact, I enjoyed this YA book much better than the original classic. (Of course, the classic covers a lot of ground when it comes to scientific reasoning, good vs. evil, who is the true monster, etc., etc.) But if you're looking for a story to just enjoy (and not have to think so hard about about the morals that the author is trying to get across), yep, "Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters" cover the bases. Even with a bit of romance in the story too. The story certainly contains everything I wanted. The historical setting feels authentic, like historical fiction should.
I hope the author will consider writing more books similar to this one. She's good at it.
July 29, 2021
I enjoyed this book for the majority of the read but it really could have used a good 50-100 pages to work itself out a little better. Ingrid’s half was decent, though the ending a little anticlimactic, but Giselle’s storyline wasn’t handled subtly and the final 30 pages just felt extremely rushed.
January 30, 2013
This story follows the identical twin daughters of Dr. Victor Von Frankenstein, the man who created a creature from spare body parts. (Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley) As teens, they discover their birthright, inherit a castle owned by the late scientist they never knew. Deep under the castle, the girls find his laboratory.
The story is cleverly written in the form of journal entries made by each twin, using the manner of writing for the 19th century, giving the story even more depth!
Giselle is the more socially adept of the two girls, the one who primps, worries about appearances and is the more fragile twin. She is also the twin with night terrors of an unknown origin.
Ingrid is equally as beautiful as her sister, but chooses to rely more on her intelligence. She is down-to-earth, and completely enthralled by the sciences and medicine. Her father's journals fascinate her.
As characters enter and exit the story, the reader sees there is more going on than meets the eye!
There is some age-appropriate romance which doesn't overtake the plot, although it is because of Ingrid's love for Walter, a war veteran, that we see her possibly repeating her father's mistakes in the laboratory.
This is fast read, full of detail and imagination without getting too deep or creepy! This is NOT Mary Shelley's book redone! It is an original take on the 'what ifs,' written for a younger audience!
This review copy was provided by NetGalley and Scholastic Press in exchange for an honest review!
The story is cleverly written in the form of journal entries made by each twin, using the manner of writing for the 19th century, giving the story even more depth!
Giselle is the more socially adept of the two girls, the one who primps, worries about appearances and is the more fragile twin. She is also the twin with night terrors of an unknown origin.
Ingrid is equally as beautiful as her sister, but chooses to rely more on her intelligence. She is down-to-earth, and completely enthralled by the sciences and medicine. Her father's journals fascinate her.
As characters enter and exit the story, the reader sees there is more going on than meets the eye!
There is some age-appropriate romance which doesn't overtake the plot, although it is because of Ingrid's love for Walter, a war veteran, that we see her possibly repeating her father's mistakes in the laboratory.
This is fast read, full of detail and imagination without getting too deep or creepy! This is NOT Mary Shelley's book redone! It is an original take on the 'what ifs,' written for a younger audience!
This review copy was provided by NetGalley and Scholastic Press in exchange for an honest review!
dnf
December 3, 2015DNF 24%
I rarely rarely give up on a book and actually DNF it, but it was unavoidable with this one. I'm sad to say that it was boring and really not worth the time it would take to read it. I really wish it wasn't so because it sounded so good but it was so sleep inducing I just couldn't do it. Not even that the writing was not especially great either. Glad this was a library book.
Life is to short to read bad books.
I rarely rarely give up on a book and actually DNF it, but it was unavoidable with this one. I'm sad to say that it was boring and really not worth the time it would take to read it. I really wish it wasn't so because it sounded so good but it was so sleep inducing I just couldn't do it. Not even that the writing was not especially great either. Glad this was a library book.
Life is to short to read bad books.
October 8, 2018
This is definitely the kind of book you find in a middle school library. It introduces the idea of Frankenstein without all the guts and glory. It was certainly a good idea for a book, just written for the hearts of teenage girls.
September 7, 2025
While this *felt* like more of a middle grade read, it really isn’t. The two main characters turn seventeen during the book, and since this is the early 1800s they are considering marriage. They receive an inheritance from their late father whom they never met, Victor Frankenstein, and choose to leave all they’ve known to move to his castle on one of the Orkney islands.
Their uncle, while present in the beginning, is not always at the castle with them, so they have a lot of freedom for women their age during that time, since they are now wealthy in their own right.
It was weird seeing so many men in the story treat them with contempt, but then later on I started to wonder . . . If you read this, you’ll know what I mean!
Missing persons and murder surround them while Giselle plans a party and Ingrid goes down the rabbit hole of her father’s experiments in hopes of curing her neighbor, Walter.
Although it seems like a lot is happening, the pacing still feels slow. Even though the book alternates between the girls’ journal entries, it still reads like a novel. I definitely wasn’t expecting the ending.
Their uncle, while present in the beginning, is not always at the castle with them, so they have a lot of freedom for women their age during that time, since they are now wealthy in their own right.
It was weird seeing so many men in the story treat them with contempt, but then later on I started to wonder . . . If you read this, you’ll know what I mean!
Missing persons and murder surround them while Giselle plans a party and Ingrid goes down the rabbit hole of her father’s experiments in hopes of curing her neighbor, Walter.
Although it seems like a lot is happening, the pacing still feels slow. Even though the book alternates between the girls’ journal entries, it still reads like a novel. I definitely wasn’t expecting the ending.
February 9, 2013
*A copy was provided by Scholastic for review purposes*
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book like this one…and that is totally not a good thing. I haven’t ever read a book where I couldn’t figure out why on earth it was even written, but I have now. This book was POINTLESS! There was absolutely no reason to write this book, because hello! Books actually have a story line that goes somewhere. This one, however, didn’t. I really, really loved the idea and how it connected with the original Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (which I HAVE read *pats self on back*). I also liked the writing style and how it was consistent with how people would have talked back then. But after that, this book went downhill – fast. First off, there was insta-love. INSTA-LOVE, INSTA-LOVE, INSTA-LOVE GALORE! Ugghhhh, it drove me nuts. At first I didn’t really mind that the two characters in question (not gonna say who) liked each other, but when they professed their undying love for each other after only a bit, I was like “Hell no!” And then, after that, there are a lot of pointless events like Ingrid and Giselle going to London, and then Giselle wanting to plan a party, and then there’s talk about the dad, and then the Creation, and then there are murders. What really annoyed me was that I feel like Weyn wimped out on this story, was just like “Okay, I’m trying to finish this as fast as I can, so I’m just going to half-ass the ending”. And I hate to say that because I appreciate authors and all they work they put into their books, but that’s really how I feel. She completely drops the whole Creation part of the story, and then takes the easy way out choosing who the murderer is! Those of you who have read this book know what I’m talking about and who the murderer is, and I really hope you agree with me.
Also, just wondering, but is there going to be a sequel to this book? Because there are SO MANY loose ends and plot holes in this book and the ending. Nothing was resolved, and it was all a pile of bologna, so is there going to be a follow-up?
This is usually the part in my review when I discuss the characters, but I’m not going to waste my time, because they have about as much personality as a block of wood. So, instead, I’m going to talk a bit about the horrible staging and all the “lucky” things that happened in this book.
Here we go! CAUTION: Spoilers!!!!!!
Okay, so this is at the end of the book when Giselle is remembering all the things that had to do with someone (the Creation????) trying to kidnap her and Ingrid.
~Page 243, uncorrected ARC edition
~Page 243, uncorrected ARC edition
~page 244, uncorrected ARC edition
~Page 244, uncorrected ARC edition
#5: “The last time I saw him he was sitting up on a bed in a hospital or somewhere like it. I’m not sure what it was. Ingrid was there and he was attacking her this time. I saved us both that day.”
~Page 244, uncorrected ARC edition
*Deep breath*. Okay. I’m just going to go through by number.
#1: No offense to women, but if there is a monsterish, super-strong something attacking you, I don’t think you’ll be able to fight him off, even if a rock is so conveniently right beside you. And would that nearby river be, by any chance, THE THAMES!?
#2 & 3: Wow, so lucky that Giselle was so bold and smart and strangled him…even though he’s still stronger. And how freaking lucky that POISON was just lying around, and Giselle was able to sneak into a kitchen, even though her “date” was probably escorting her.
#4: Oh, yes Giselle, I too carry around a letter opener wherever I go. I didn’t know anyone else did that! It’s really convenient! *rolls eyes*.
And finally, #5: How freaking lucky that Giselle is a freaking superwoman - and isn’t she humble too everyone? – and was SOMEHOW able to save herself and her twin. Everyone bow down to Giselle!
To everyone who reads my reviews, I really don’t enjoy writing these negative reviews, and I totally don’t enjoy ripping an author’s hard work, but some books I just hate, and unfortunately this was one of them. I also apologize for my swearing – I get worked up. But please keep in mind that not everyone is the same, so even if I didn’t like this book, that doesn’t mean you won’t!
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book like this one…and that is totally not a good thing. I haven’t ever read a book where I couldn’t figure out why on earth it was even written, but I have now. This book was POINTLESS! There was absolutely no reason to write this book, because hello! Books actually have a story line that goes somewhere. This one, however, didn’t. I really, really loved the idea and how it connected with the original Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (which I HAVE read *pats self on back*). I also liked the writing style and how it was consistent with how people would have talked back then. But after that, this book went downhill – fast. First off, there was insta-love. INSTA-LOVE, INSTA-LOVE, INSTA-LOVE GALORE! Ugghhhh, it drove me nuts. At first I didn’t really mind that the two characters in question (not gonna say who) liked each other, but when they professed their undying love for each other after only a bit, I was like “Hell no!” And then, after that, there are a lot of pointless events like Ingrid and Giselle going to London, and then Giselle wanting to plan a party, and then there’s talk about the dad, and then the Creation, and then there are murders. What really annoyed me was that I feel like Weyn wimped out on this story, was just like “Okay, I’m trying to finish this as fast as I can, so I’m just going to half-ass the ending”. And I hate to say that because I appreciate authors and all they work they put into their books, but that’s really how I feel. She completely drops the whole Creation part of the story, and then takes the easy way out choosing who the murderer is! Those of you who have read this book know what I’m talking about and who the murderer is, and I really hope you agree with me.
Also, just wondering, but is there going to be a sequel to this book? Because there are SO MANY loose ends and plot holes in this book and the ending. Nothing was resolved, and it was all a pile of bologna, so is there going to be a follow-up?
This is usually the part in my review when I discuss the characters, but I’m not going to waste my time, because they have about as much personality as a block of wood. So, instead, I’m going to talk a bit about the horrible staging and all the “lucky” things that happened in this book.
Here we go! CAUTION: Spoilers!!!!!!
Okay, so this is at the end of the book when Giselle is remembering all the things that had to do with someone (the Creation????) trying to kidnap her and Ingrid.
#1: “The next time I saw him I was in a park in Edinburgh. He grabbed me and knocked me down. Lucky for me there was a rock nearby. I pounded him in the head until he stopped struggling, and then I rolled him in a nearby river.”
~Page 243, uncorrected ARC edition
#2: “His piercing, hate-filled eyes gave him away. He whispered evil things to me, and I knew as soon as he had the chance he would try to kill me. When he sailed into a hidden bay where no one could see him strike, I knew it would be a fight to the death. He capsized the boat and would soon kill me if I hadn’t acted boldly and wrapped the sailing line around his neck.”
~Page 243, uncorrected ARC edition
#3: “He asked me to join him in a pub but I knew what he really wanted – a chance to get me alone to murder me. Luckily I spied rat poison in the kitchen and was able to slip inside to grab some. While he tried to woo me with sweet words I slipped it into his ale, thereby making my escape.”
~page 244, uncorrected ARC edition
#4: “He made his way to Gairsay where he tried again as I walked home, only this time he was in a wagon and got out to kidnap me. Fortunately I possessed a letter opener, which I used to fight him off.”
~Page 244, uncorrected ARC edition
#5: “The last time I saw him he was sitting up on a bed in a hospital or somewhere like it. I’m not sure what it was. Ingrid was there and he was attacking her this time. I saved us both that day.”
~Page 244, uncorrected ARC edition
*Deep breath*. Okay. I’m just going to go through by number.
#1: No offense to women, but if there is a monsterish, super-strong something attacking you, I don’t think you’ll be able to fight him off, even if a rock is so conveniently right beside you. And would that nearby river be, by any chance, THE THAMES!?
#2 & 3: Wow, so lucky that Giselle was so bold and smart and strangled him…even though he’s still stronger. And how freaking lucky that POISON was just lying around, and Giselle was able to sneak into a kitchen, even though her “date” was probably escorting her.
#4: Oh, yes Giselle, I too carry around a letter opener wherever I go. I didn’t know anyone else did that! It’s really convenient! *rolls eyes*.
And finally, #5: How freaking lucky that Giselle is a freaking superwoman - and isn’t she humble too everyone? – and was SOMEHOW able to save herself and her twin. Everyone bow down to Giselle!
To everyone who reads my reviews, I really don’t enjoy writing these negative reviews, and I totally don’t enjoy ripping an author’s hard work, but some books I just hate, and unfortunately this was one of them. I also apologize for my swearing – I get worked up. But please keep in mind that not everyone is the same, so even if I didn’t like this book, that doesn’t mean you won’t!
May 15, 2013
Cover Blurb: Yes or No? Despite the character impersonators, I actually do really like the cover. It's got the Gothic feel, with Giselle holding the candle, and Castle Frankenstein in the background with a full moon.
Characters: Giselle and Ingrid are practically opposites when it comes to their personalities. Ingrid is obsessed with science and discovering how things work; she could not care less about fancy dresses or what society expects. Giselle, meanwhile, is a social butterfly and hopes to bring Castle Frankenstein back into society as a place of balls and lavish dinners. The two are identical in looks, and yet everyone considers Giselle the pretty one and Ingrid the plain one. Even with their opposing personalities, Giselle and Ingrid are very close to one another, and it was this sisterly bond that I really loved about them. I enjoyed Ingrid's inquisitive mind, and I appreciated Giselle's love for pretty things, but it was their close relationship that really stood out to me as a shared best quality between them. I also really liked the more minor characters: Investigator Cairo, Ingrid's best friend Arthur, and Walter Hammersmith. Because this is a really short book, we don't get to know these characters as well as I would have liked, but even in the short time that they are in the story, they made an impression on me.
The Romance: I didn't wholly understand Ingrid's immediate attraction to Walter. He seemed like a nice enough guy, and I liked him, but in terms of a romantic interest, I would have definitely picked Arthur over moody Mr. Hammersmith. And yes, there is a bit of a love triangle with Walter, Ingrid, and Arthur, but only just. Arthur, poor lad, takes Ingrid's rejection of his affections very well, which only made me love him all the more. Giselle, surprisingly, doesn't have that many romantic escapades; just one, and I almost wanted to smack her. It was so obvious that Johann was just after her fortune! Everyone else could see it - why couldn't she?
Plot: Dr. Frankenstein has died, leaving his family's castle to his two twin daughters. Giselle and Ingrid never knew their father; he abandoned them to protect them from his creation, though the girls don't know this. Eager to restore her family's good name, which Dr. Frankenstein has more or less left in tatters, Giselle sets about bringing Castle Frankenstein back to its former glory, while Ingrid explores her father's journals and befriends the reclusive Henry Hammersmith. But Castle Frankenstein has always been regarded with suspicion and fear by the villagers, and when a rash of mysterious murders spring up shortly after the girls' arrival, it only makes things worse, and causes Giselle's waking nightmares to return. Castle Frankenstein had many secrets, and it looks as if not all of them have disappeared with Ingrid and Giselle's father's death. Spin-offs from classics aren't usually very good - especially when they involve so-and-so's daughter. So when I picked up Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters, I wasn't anticipating anything special. The storyline would probably be mediocre. Imagine my surprise, then, when I discovered a terrific Gothic mystery that had me turning the pages as quickly as I could, just to see what would happen next. I was utterly riveted, so excited to explore this "what would happen if Dr. Frankenstein had daughters" tale.
Believability: The social protocol and science of the era was all quite correct. The Author, in fact, mentions that she made it a point to only use scientific theories and terms that would have been in use in this time period, and it really did a lot to make the story feel so much more authentic and period appropriate.
Writing Style: The narration is first person, and each chapter switches between Giselle and Ingrid. Because the two sisters are so different, their separate narrations have very distinct styles, making it quite easy to follow who is narrating when. It's also written like journal entries, but still has a very definite novel quality to it, and not the journal-feel of, say, a Dear America book. The liberties the Author took with Mary Shelley's original story were very slight indeed, and she stayed very true to Frankenstein, which I very much appreciated. Frankenstein isn't my favorite story - not even close, - but I don't like it when Authors take a classic story and twist it to their wishes. The resulting tale can hardly be called a retelling.
Content: None.
Conclusion: The final twist is, I'll admit, very easy to deduce on one's own, but that does not lessen the fact that it is a good twist, and rather than feeling let down at it being so easy, I was left feeling incredibly smug because I ended up being right. I also loved that the Author had Mary Shelley come to Castle Frankenstein and witness Ingrid's experiments and Dr. Frankenstein's lab. Now we know how she came up with her story! ;-) Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters was a very surprising and quick read. It could have been longer - it definitely would have been nice if the Author had taken the time to develop Ingrid and Walter's relationship, explored some of the characters a bit more, and built up even more suspense. But as it is, it's still enjoyable and a must-read for any Gothic novel or Frankenstein fan.
Recommended Audience: Girl-read (and guys who just love Frankenstein), thirteen-and-up due to interest level, great for Gothic novel fans, classic retelling fans, and Frankenstein purists.
Characters: Giselle and Ingrid are practically opposites when it comes to their personalities. Ingrid is obsessed with science and discovering how things work; she could not care less about fancy dresses or what society expects. Giselle, meanwhile, is a social butterfly and hopes to bring Castle Frankenstein back into society as a place of balls and lavish dinners. The two are identical in looks, and yet everyone considers Giselle the pretty one and Ingrid the plain one. Even with their opposing personalities, Giselle and Ingrid are very close to one another, and it was this sisterly bond that I really loved about them. I enjoyed Ingrid's inquisitive mind, and I appreciated Giselle's love for pretty things, but it was their close relationship that really stood out to me as a shared best quality between them. I also really liked the more minor characters: Investigator Cairo, Ingrid's best friend Arthur, and Walter Hammersmith. Because this is a really short book, we don't get to know these characters as well as I would have liked, but even in the short time that they are in the story, they made an impression on me.
The Romance: I didn't wholly understand Ingrid's immediate attraction to Walter. He seemed like a nice enough guy, and I liked him, but in terms of a romantic interest, I would have definitely picked Arthur over moody Mr. Hammersmith. And yes, there is a bit of a love triangle with Walter, Ingrid, and Arthur, but only just. Arthur, poor lad, takes Ingrid's rejection of his affections very well, which only made me love him all the more. Giselle, surprisingly, doesn't have that many romantic escapades; just one, and I almost wanted to smack her. It was so obvious that Johann was just after her fortune! Everyone else could see it - why couldn't she?
Plot: Dr. Frankenstein has died, leaving his family's castle to his two twin daughters. Giselle and Ingrid never knew their father; he abandoned them to protect them from his creation, though the girls don't know this. Eager to restore her family's good name, which Dr. Frankenstein has more or less left in tatters, Giselle sets about bringing Castle Frankenstein back to its former glory, while Ingrid explores her father's journals and befriends the reclusive Henry Hammersmith. But Castle Frankenstein has always been regarded with suspicion and fear by the villagers, and when a rash of mysterious murders spring up shortly after the girls' arrival, it only makes things worse, and causes Giselle's waking nightmares to return. Castle Frankenstein had many secrets, and it looks as if not all of them have disappeared with Ingrid and Giselle's father's death. Spin-offs from classics aren't usually very good - especially when they involve so-and-so's daughter. So when I picked up Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters, I wasn't anticipating anything special. The storyline would probably be mediocre. Imagine my surprise, then, when I discovered a terrific Gothic mystery that had me turning the pages as quickly as I could, just to see what would happen next. I was utterly riveted, so excited to explore this "what would happen if Dr. Frankenstein had daughters" tale.
Believability: The social protocol and science of the era was all quite correct. The Author, in fact, mentions that she made it a point to only use scientific theories and terms that would have been in use in this time period, and it really did a lot to make the story feel so much more authentic and period appropriate.
Writing Style: The narration is first person, and each chapter switches between Giselle and Ingrid. Because the two sisters are so different, their separate narrations have very distinct styles, making it quite easy to follow who is narrating when. It's also written like journal entries, but still has a very definite novel quality to it, and not the journal-feel of, say, a Dear America book. The liberties the Author took with Mary Shelley's original story were very slight indeed, and she stayed very true to Frankenstein, which I very much appreciated. Frankenstein isn't my favorite story - not even close, - but I don't like it when Authors take a classic story and twist it to their wishes. The resulting tale can hardly be called a retelling.
Content: None.
Conclusion: The final twist is, I'll admit, very easy to deduce on one's own, but that does not lessen the fact that it is a good twist, and rather than feeling let down at it being so easy, I was left feeling incredibly smug because I ended up being right. I also loved that the Author had Mary Shelley come to Castle Frankenstein and witness Ingrid's experiments and Dr. Frankenstein's lab. Now we know how she came up with her story! ;-) Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters was a very surprising and quick read. It could have been longer - it definitely would have been nice if the Author had taken the time to develop Ingrid and Walter's relationship, explored some of the characters a bit more, and built up even more suspense. But as it is, it's still enjoyable and a must-read for any Gothic novel or Frankenstein fan.
Recommended Audience: Girl-read (and guys who just love Frankenstein), thirteen-and-up due to interest level, great for Gothic novel fans, classic retelling fans, and Frankenstein purists.
August 3, 2017
What I Liked:
The book tried its best to stay true to the classic that it inspired it. There was a similar Gothic feeling to the story that I felt while reading Frankenstein. It was still there in the practicality with which one of the twins decides to hack a dead body and use the pieces from it. She wanted to replace the nerve-dead parts that were slowly killing her boyfriend with those pieces. The calm demeanor that she showed was reminiscent of her father's i.e. Dr. Frankenstein.
The premise that this story is set upon is completely possible. There was a huge span of time when Victor was absent from home. He was spending his hours trying to reanimate the dead but why couldn't he also have fallen in love and married during that time? Nevertheless, from what I have read of him, the girl would probably have to don an apron and prance around in his lab, if she was to make that happen.
I loved how the crazy twin's craziness started to come across in the story. As I read the part where she went loco just because her sister wouldn't attend a party, I started to think, why is she acting like an insane person? Who drags their sister to a party while she is kicking and screaming? That's crazy! Turns out, it was lol
The author researched the scientific experts of that time and included them in the story. Their efforts paid off! And, I came across a name, Sushruta. An Indian surgeon who, "was repairing facial injuries incurred in battles in 600 B.C." Consider me hooked! Here's what a Google search yielded:
"Though he practiced during the 5th century B.C., many of his contributions to medicine and surgery preceded similar discoveries in the Western world. Sushruta devotes a complete volume of his experiences to ophthalmologic diseases. In the Uttar Tantrum, Sushruta enumerates a sophisticated classification of eye diseases complete with signs, symptoms, prognosis, and medical/surgical interventions. In particular, Sushruta describes what may have been the first extracapsular cataract surgery using a sharply pointed instrument with a handle fashioned into a trough."
Sounds like Sushruta was really something!
Words that Stayed With Me:
I loved how self-deprecating she sounded, disregarding beauty as a worthy talent!
What I didn't Like:
I could not differentiate between the twins. They might have been separate people but I had to take the author's word for it. They seemed alike. This brings me to my next issue, which is an issue that many YAs face. The female lead has to be beautiful and yet not know how beautiful she is. In this case, there were two leads. How would a book follow this trope in such a case, you ask? Easily. One of the twins was beautiful while the other was interested in science. Any guesses which one was prettier? Yeah, it wouldn't have bugged me since I have gotten used to this in YA books. But the twins were IDENTICAL!! Identical, I tell you!
How the author treated the monster from the classic. If you are going to base a book on a legend like that, you need to treat them with respect. You can't just use them in a scene and not tell what happened to the monster! It attacks the girls one night, trying to nab them, and then runs away scared when their grandfather brings out his shotgun? Does it seem like the intelligent and shrewd creature from the classic? Say, it does run away but why does it not come back? In the original, he was determined, if nothing else.
One of Victor's diaries mention him saying, "It's Alive", when the monster woke up. The character from the book never uttered those words but the character in the movie did. A noticeable mistake that the author should not have made when they put so much effort into research.
Now for the pretties:
Giselle's Plaid Skirt with Black Velvet Top Ensemble
Ingrid's Sapphire Gown
The book is quite different from many YA novels out there. It does not contain any love triangles and the female leads know how to get things done without boys! Give it a try, if you like such stories.
Also reviewed at:
BL
BS
WP
LI
ME
FB
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2018
I loved reading this book it was a very interesting read.
It tells the story of how to twin sisters learn that their the heirs to Frankenstein's Castle and go there to learn more. They meet their uncle who tells them about their father. They also find out more from diaries they find.
I thought this was all very cool to read.
It tells the story of how to twin sisters learn that their the heirs to Frankenstein's Castle and go there to learn more. They meet their uncle who tells them about their father. They also find out more from diaries they find.
I thought this was all very cool to read.
October 18, 2024
3.5 stars rounded down
March 21, 2013
1.5
I picked up Dr Frankenstein’s Daughter’s because it had the nice retelling vibe I am so keen on. Plus it was Suzanne Weyn and I usually enjoy her novels I mean The Night Dance is one of my very favorite 12 Dancing Princess retellings, and Crimson Thread was a decent Rumpelstiltskin retelling.
But oh dear Goddess this was such a DISAPOINTMENT! Basically it is the story of Giselle and Ingrid (whose names I forgot constantly) who are the unknown twin daughters of Baron Frankenstein. He kept them a secret so that the monster wouldn’t find them.
A few years after his corpse is found the girls discover they have an Uncle and he brings them good news! They are now super rich and own Castle Frankenstein. He accompanies them on their trip to the castle and begins to help them restore it and take their place in society.
Giselle wants to be Baroness Frankenstein and wants to attend balls and parties and have lavishness all around her and eventually attain a good marriage. Ingrid is serious and studious, she falls in love with a wounded young naval officer while dressing like a boy to attend medical school and absorbing herself in journals she found that belonged to their departed father.
Soon after moving into the castle Giselle begins to sleep walk again like she did when they were young and people are found murdered on the island they live on, including two ass holes who accost Giselle and try to basically rape her. (Implied of course)
Soon Ingrid, with Walter’s (the naval officer) consent begins to use a dead body and her father’s research to restore his amputated leg and hand and cure the nerve disease he is succumbing to. All of this goes on during a HUGE party Giselle is throwing. So ha ha ha ha everyone finds of what Ingrid has been up to but, low and behold it has worked! So she is praised.
However Giselle is then arrested for all the murders because she has been killing people after old repressed memories of the MONSTER trying to kidnap them as girls resurfaces during periods of intense stress. Yeah didn’t make much sense to me either.
So Giselle winds up living with nuns being too insane to stand trial, they do hypnosis to reveal her hidden memories of committing the murders. Even though Giselle does not actually remember and now will spend the rest of her life with nuns and Ingrid occasionally visiting her. While Ingrid lives at Frankenstein Caste with Walter, they do not get married because even though he is getting better he feels it is “selfish” of him to love her….douche bag
I am not sure what to write first. How about the fact that this was written in epistolary format and fails miserably since it is simply both the girls’ diaries we have to go from. Unlike great books like Dracula which managed to draw out the characters and the story line….this book, like I said, failed.
Dr Frankenstein’s Daughters was written in such a way I didn’t care about the characters and couldn’t figure out what the plot actually was until the last twenty pages. Now in a normal novel this would be a plus, predictable books are horrible…However I didn’t know what the hell this book was about because there was NO PLOT, well that’s harsh… How about there were tiny bits of plot amidst a whole bunch of nothing and then TONS of plot crammed into the last twenty pages, making the book seem choppy, rushed and carelessly put together.
I was basically bored throughout this novel…. It was too predictable in some points in regards to the daily tidbits of the girl’s daily life and the few romantic encounters that they had. This book also had one of the worse cases of insta love I have seen in a long time. Example:
1) Girl meets moody boy
2) Boy tries to get girl to leave him alone
3) Girl and boy spend time together (briefly)
4) Girl spends time trying to find boy and pinning
5) Girl and boy spend time together (again, for like two sentences)
6) Girl spends time wondering why boy won’t see her, you know cause she Lurvs him
7) Boy rescues girl
8) Girl thinks boy wants on girl’s hotter sister
9) Girl begs boy to see her
10) Boy professes undying, yet selfish love and girl abases herself, cause you know…she still Lurvs him.
Barf.
Yeah so I can’t think of anything good to say about this aside from the fact it was a fast and easy read. The language was good and it wasn’t hard to understand, the descriptions were nice to…This book was….simple. If you are a HUGE Frankenstein fan then I would steer clear of this novel, but if you don’t mind wasting the money or your library/friend has a copy and you like retelling type things then give it a go…Maybe you will like it more than me.
I picked up Dr Frankenstein’s Daughter’s because it had the nice retelling vibe I am so keen on. Plus it was Suzanne Weyn and I usually enjoy her novels I mean The Night Dance is one of my very favorite 12 Dancing Princess retellings, and Crimson Thread was a decent Rumpelstiltskin retelling.
But oh dear Goddess this was such a DISAPOINTMENT! Basically it is the story of Giselle and Ingrid (whose names I forgot constantly) who are the unknown twin daughters of Baron Frankenstein. He kept them a secret so that the monster wouldn’t find them.
A few years after his corpse is found the girls discover they have an Uncle and he brings them good news! They are now super rich and own Castle Frankenstein. He accompanies them on their trip to the castle and begins to help them restore it and take their place in society.
Giselle wants to be Baroness Frankenstein and wants to attend balls and parties and have lavishness all around her and eventually attain a good marriage. Ingrid is serious and studious, she falls in love with a wounded young naval officer while dressing like a boy to attend medical school and absorbing herself in journals she found that belonged to their departed father.
Soon after moving into the castle Giselle begins to sleep walk again like she did when they were young and people are found murdered on the island they live on, including two ass holes who accost Giselle and try to basically rape her. (Implied of course)
Soon Ingrid, with Walter’s (the naval officer) consent begins to use a dead body and her father’s research to restore his amputated leg and hand and cure the nerve disease he is succumbing to. All of this goes on during a HUGE party Giselle is throwing. So ha ha ha ha everyone finds of what Ingrid has been up to but, low and behold it has worked! So she is praised.
However Giselle is then arrested for all the murders because she has been killing people after old repressed memories of the MONSTER trying to kidnap them as girls resurfaces during periods of intense stress. Yeah didn’t make much sense to me either.
So Giselle winds up living with nuns being too insane to stand trial, they do hypnosis to reveal her hidden memories of committing the murders. Even though Giselle does not actually remember and now will spend the rest of her life with nuns and Ingrid occasionally visiting her. While Ingrid lives at Frankenstein Caste with Walter, they do not get married because even though he is getting better he feels it is “selfish” of him to love her….
I am not sure what to write first. How about the fact that this was written in epistolary format and fails miserably since it is simply both the girls’ diaries we have to go from. Unlike great books like Dracula which managed to draw out the characters and the story line….this book, like I said, failed.
Dr Frankenstein’s Daughters was written in such a way I didn’t care about the characters and couldn’t figure out what the plot actually was until the last twenty pages. Now in a normal novel this would be a plus, predictable books are horrible…However I didn’t know what the hell this book was about because there was NO PLOT, well that’s harsh… How about there were tiny bits of plot amidst a whole bunch of nothing and then TONS of plot crammed into the last twenty pages, making the book seem choppy, rushed and carelessly put together.
I was basically bored throughout this novel…. It was too predictable in some points in regards to the daily tidbits of the girl’s daily life and the few romantic encounters that they had. This book also had one of the worse cases of insta love I have seen in a long time. Example:
1) Girl meets moody boy
2) Boy tries to get girl to leave him alone
3) Girl and boy spend time together (briefly)
4) Girl spends time trying to find boy and pinning
5) Girl and boy spend time together (again, for like two sentences)
6) Girl spends time wondering why boy won’t see her, you know cause she Lurvs him
7) Boy rescues girl
8) Girl thinks boy wants on girl’s hotter sister
9) Girl begs boy to see her
10) Boy professes undying, yet selfish love and girl abases herself, cause you know…she still Lurvs him.
Barf.
Yeah so I can’t think of anything good to say about this aside from the fact it was a fast and easy read. The language was good and it wasn’t hard to understand, the descriptions were nice to…This book was….simple. If you are a HUGE Frankenstein fan then I would steer clear of this novel, but if you don’t mind wasting the money or your library/friend has a copy and you like retelling type things then give it a go…Maybe you will like it more than me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2013
Also posted here: http://ireviewyalit.blogspot.ca/2013/...
Great idea, mediocre execution.
Introduction
Before Victor Frankenstein died, he had twin daughters. Ingrid is her father’s daughter, possessing a scientific mind. Giselle is frail with her cough, but is beautiful. They inherit Castle Frankenstein on a lonely little island and relocate with their new wealth. Ingrid becomes fascinated with her late father’s scientific research, and Giselle is a budding socialite looking for love. The peaceful life on the island is interrupted with several murders. Who is the murderer?
The premise of this book hooked me because I love Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. I cannot count how many times I have read it. The idea that he had two daughters who may take up his work is brilliant. I had hoped for a gothic tale involving castles, monsters, insanity, love, and science.
Pacing
Unfortunately, that is where the brilliance ends. The beginning of the book is terribly slow. To fix this, there needs to be a hook at the very beginning. Perhaps start with an incident that is described later. Of course, no one is paying me to edit this, but there are many ways to easily fix the pacing. The beginning is boring and made me wonder if I really wanted to give my time to it.
Murder Mystery
The murder mystery was disappointing. Without giving away who is behind them, it is terribly obvious. Perhaps the author shouldn’t have made that person act like a nutcase all the time. Or balance that person’s insanity with people of equal or insanity, or perhaps even worse. And when it is revealed who did it...party’s over. That’s it. Well? What happened to them? What about all the people left behind? How do they feel about it? This short book could have been made longer with some exposition.
Audience
In my opinion, it should be re-written for an older age group. You know, for teens who have read Frankenstein in high school. On my copy it says for ages 12 and up. A 12-year-old’s reading taste and a 16-year-old’s will differ immensely. If it is for young adults, write it for that age group. A 12-year-old is not a YA.
Writing
My biggest gripe is the writing. Nothing about the prose stands out. That’s probably because it was written for 12-year-olds, though I have read books for that audience that is written with artistry. There is nothing about this that makes it stand out in the sea of books already written. Pick an age group and deliver the best writing possible.
Praise
The cover, the premise, and I thought it was cute to mention Percy and Mary Shelly.
Final Verdict
Great idea, mediocre execution. Because of the mediocre writing, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for a teen book club pick. If a teen likes Frankenstein, I would recommend it on the basis of the premise alone.
Great idea, mediocre execution.
Introduction
Before Victor Frankenstein died, he had twin daughters. Ingrid is her father’s daughter, possessing a scientific mind. Giselle is frail with her cough, but is beautiful. They inherit Castle Frankenstein on a lonely little island and relocate with their new wealth. Ingrid becomes fascinated with her late father’s scientific research, and Giselle is a budding socialite looking for love. The peaceful life on the island is interrupted with several murders. Who is the murderer?
The premise of this book hooked me because I love Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. I cannot count how many times I have read it. The idea that he had two daughters who may take up his work is brilliant. I had hoped for a gothic tale involving castles, monsters, insanity, love, and science.
Pacing
Unfortunately, that is where the brilliance ends. The beginning of the book is terribly slow. To fix this, there needs to be a hook at the very beginning. Perhaps start with an incident that is described later. Of course, no one is paying me to edit this, but there are many ways to easily fix the pacing. The beginning is boring and made me wonder if I really wanted to give my time to it.
Murder Mystery
The murder mystery was disappointing. Without giving away who is behind them, it is terribly obvious. Perhaps the author shouldn’t have made that person act like a nutcase all the time. Or balance that person’s insanity with people of equal or insanity, or perhaps even worse. And when it is revealed who did it...party’s over. That’s it. Well? What happened to them? What about all the people left behind? How do they feel about it? This short book could have been made longer with some exposition.
Audience
In my opinion, it should be re-written for an older age group. You know, for teens who have read Frankenstein in high school. On my copy it says for ages 12 and up. A 12-year-old’s reading taste and a 16-year-old’s will differ immensely. If it is for young adults, write it for that age group. A 12-year-old is not a YA.
Writing
My biggest gripe is the writing. Nothing about the prose stands out. That’s probably because it was written for 12-year-olds, though I have read books for that audience that is written with artistry. There is nothing about this that makes it stand out in the sea of books already written. Pick an age group and deliver the best writing possible.
Praise
The cover, the premise, and I thought it was cute to mention Percy and Mary Shelly.
Final Verdict
Great idea, mediocre execution. Because of the mediocre writing, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for a teen book club pick. If a teen likes Frankenstein, I would recommend it on the basis of the premise alone.
February 10, 2013
This book is ridiculously fun. Obviously it would help if you read the original Frankenstein, but I read that freshman year in college and not since, so I can't say that I remember it all that well. I do think that this book would still make sense even if you didn't read it because, after all, it's not like Frankenstein hasn't seeped its way into pop culture.
(If you don't read the original book, you should know that Frankenstein is the doctor who created the monster; the monster doesn't have a name.)
Anyway. So the general idea behind this one is that Victor Frankenstein got married and had twin daughters. The birth killed his wife and he pretty much immediately abandoned the babies in order to keep them safe from the creature, who had already begun murdering everyone Victor loved. Except for the first marriage and babies, everything else you know from the original novel is still true.
Fast forward 17 years. The daughters, Ingrid and Giselle, have just learned who their father is and that they've inherited a castle, a ton of money and a title (they are baronesses; Giselle immediately demands to be referred to as Baroness Frankenstein). Giselle is the fun one and Ingrid is the smart one, obsessed with science. And when she finds her father's journals detailing what he did and how...oh, it is ON.
I really enjoyed this book although I feel like the pacing was a little off. (Ingrid falls in love in almost literally two seconds, for example, and the act III revelations and complications happen in only a few pages.) I also think that there are some things that strain credulity. (Your dad is Victor Frankenstein. Would you really not have ANY negative feelings about that? NONE AT ALL?)
Even so, if you're looking for something really fun and you don't plan to overthink it, pick this up.
(If you don't read the original book, you should know that Frankenstein is the doctor who created the monster; the monster doesn't have a name.)
Anyway. So the general idea behind this one is that Victor Frankenstein got married and had twin daughters. The birth killed his wife and he pretty much immediately abandoned the babies in order to keep them safe from the creature, who had already begun murdering everyone Victor loved. Except for the first marriage and babies, everything else you know from the original novel is still true.
Fast forward 17 years. The daughters, Ingrid and Giselle, have just learned who their father is and that they've inherited a castle, a ton of money and a title (they are baronesses; Giselle immediately demands to be referred to as Baroness Frankenstein). Giselle is the fun one and Ingrid is the smart one, obsessed with science. And when she finds her father's journals detailing what he did and how...oh, it is ON.
I really enjoyed this book although I feel like the pacing was a little off. (Ingrid falls in love in almost literally two seconds, for example, and the act III revelations and complications happen in only a few pages.) I also think that there are some things that strain credulity. (Your dad is Victor Frankenstein. Would you really not have ANY negative feelings about that? NONE AT ALL?)
Even so, if you're looking for something really fun and you don't plan to overthink it, pick this up.
September 12, 2014
When I read the blurb of this book, I thought the general concept of the book was pretty interesting but, unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.
The world building was poor, to the point where I can't even define the genre of the book. I guess it was supposed to be horror but I don't even see the horror in it, except for the mentions to Dr Victor Frankenstein, the beast he created and a bunch of people that were killed by said beast.
There's also a bit of historic fiction, giving that the story takes place in the XIX century and a bit of romance.
The romance is absolutely ridiculous. I don't even consider that romance. More of an infatuation than anything.
The characters aren't well built either.
Ingrid is too naive for my liking, despite her substantial intellect and Giselle is vain, foolish and a snob.
I felt like rolling my eyes out everytime I read "From the diary of Baroness Giselle Frankenstein". Like people care that she is a baroness, for pity's sake!
Also, the fact that the book is presented as a series of diary entries didn't work for me.
Each chapter, that corresponded to a diary entry, was much too short and all those changes between the point of view of Ingrid and the point of view of Giselle were just boring.
What a disappointment!
The world building was poor, to the point where I can't even define the genre of the book. I guess it was supposed to be horror but I don't even see the horror in it, except for the mentions to Dr Victor Frankenstein, the beast he created and a bunch of people that were killed by said beast.
There's also a bit of historic fiction, giving that the story takes place in the XIX century and a bit of romance.
The romance is absolutely ridiculous. I don't even consider that romance. More of an infatuation than anything.
The characters aren't well built either.
Ingrid is too naive for my liking, despite her substantial intellect and Giselle is vain, foolish and a snob.
I felt like rolling my eyes out everytime I read "From the diary of Baroness Giselle Frankenstein". Like people care that she is a baroness, for pity's sake!
Also, the fact that the book is presented as a series of diary entries didn't work for me.
Each chapter, that corresponded to a diary entry, was much too short and all those changes between the point of view of Ingrid and the point of view of Giselle were just boring.
What a disappointment!
September 20, 2016
The book "Dr.Frankenstein's Daughters"by Suzanne Weyn is about two young teenagers who's dad had passed away and now lives with their uncle Baron Frankenstein in a castle which had belong to their father. One day when they had moved in they started noticing their fathers writings they would notice that he was very calm and generous but people would say that he was a "MAD MAN". Them two as twins learn and discover the true life of the castle and their father! I love this book because it is about mystery horror,realistic fiction,and more and it goes back and fourth from Ingrid, and Gissele,the twins,1st person view.I think you should read this book because of the reasons,it is far more interesting than I even imagined!
September 26, 2015
This was a hard one to rate and finish. While I wanted to really enjoy it and get into it I just couldn't. The cover was what initially drew me in but unfortunately it didn't work for me.
My inner English nerd enjoyed the inclusion of Lord Byron, Percy Shelley and Mary Shelley near the end.
My inner English nerd enjoyed the inclusion of Lord Byron, Percy Shelley and Mary Shelley near the end.
September 30, 2017
I liked the psychological element in this and the ending was quite unexpected... Otherwise, meh.
April 1, 2019
I was conflicted about giving this book a three-star rating. First off, I did like reading it. I felt it was interesting, the characters were good and the plot did keep me wanting to read more. I also liked that the author did do her research in regards to what was happening in the exploratory medical field during this time period. I also liked that she kept clear lines between what was appropriate for women to be able to do in this time period and kept it true to history.
However, the bad points superseded my enjoyment of the novel. The first thing that bothered me was that the author seemed to gloss over the fact that dead bodies rot, bloat and putrefy over time. In one part of the book, one of the twin girls comes across a dead body that has been deceased for several days, maybe over a week, yet the body was recognizable and still viable to use in her experiments of reanimating dead tissue. Not only that, but the head of the Frankenstein's monster's bride that had been thrown into the ocean years ago still is perfectly preserved. The author explained that this was because the head must have been put in a bag to prevent predation from fish. Yeah, that explanation doesn't tread water. Years, people. Years. That head should have been just a skull. The author may have done her research on the time period's famous scientists and their written works as well as theories, but she did no research into dead bodies.
Another bad point, I felt that the ending didn't live up to the climax build-up. I expected Frankenstein's monster to return, maybe force the girls to build him another bride or something like that. I also expected one of the supporting characters to be the monster in disguise (a little make-up and some perfume, he'd totally fit in). But no, it ended up with a hysterical twin who kills people and forgets about it. I had recently read a few books that ended this same way, and it is disappointing every time.
To sum this up, I think that Suzanne Wayn is a good writer and probably wrote some good books or will write some good books, but I don't think that this is one of them.
However, the bad points superseded my enjoyment of the novel. The first thing that bothered me was that the author seemed to gloss over the fact that dead bodies rot, bloat and putrefy over time. In one part of the book, one of the twin girls comes across a dead body that has been deceased for several days, maybe over a week, yet the body was recognizable and still viable to use in her experiments of reanimating dead tissue. Not only that, but the head of the Frankenstein's monster's bride that had been thrown into the ocean years ago still is perfectly preserved. The author explained that this was because the head must have been put in a bag to prevent predation from fish. Yeah, that explanation doesn't tread water. Years, people. Years. That head should have been just a skull. The author may have done her research on the time period's famous scientists and their written works as well as theories, but she did no research into dead bodies.
Another bad point, I felt that the ending didn't live up to the climax build-up. I expected Frankenstein's monster to return, maybe force the girls to build him another bride or something like that. I also expected one of the supporting characters to be the monster in disguise (a little make-up and some perfume, he'd totally fit in). But no, it ended up with a hysterical twin who kills people and forgets about it. I had recently read a few books that ended this same way, and it is disappointing every time.
To sum this up, I think that Suzanne Wayn is a good writer and probably wrote some good books or will write some good books, but I don't think that this is one of them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2018
Seventeen year old twins Ingrid and Giselle find out that they are the daughters of Dr. Victor Frankenstein, and they've inherited his castle on a Scottish island. They waste no time in moving in.
Giselle is beautiful and popular and is eager to become the new Baroness Frankenstein, throw lavish parties, and entertain the high society of Europe. Ingrid cares more about scientific study than parties. She eagerly begins reading their father's journals.
A former army officer named Walter Hammersmith also lives on the island. He's suffering from a crippling nerve disease (later in the book, it's revealed that it's MS). Ingrid falls in love with him, and vows to use her father's knowledge to cure him and bring him back to full health. His presence with the disease is a distraction to the story line (in my opinion).
There have been several strange disappearances of local men on the island, and we start to wonder, is Frankenstein's original monster still lurking there? The disappearances eventually build a decent amount of suspense. There is only mild suggested gore (a scene of Ingrid dressing like a man so she can sneak into a medical school's anatomy lecture), and one scene of mild attempted sexual assault (Giselle's ex-boyfriend). However, neither scene is overly detailed, so the book is appropriate for PG-13 readers.
I felt the ending was rushed and brought to a close much too quickly. The author should have drawn out the suspense a bit more, and explained the final climax in more detail. As it is, I found it unfulfilled and a little bit confusing. Personally, I did not like the ending. I thought the author was going to write another book in the series which I would have liked.
The settings are spooky. The story is in diary form as the two girls alternate telling the story.
Giselle is beautiful and popular and is eager to become the new Baroness Frankenstein, throw lavish parties, and entertain the high society of Europe. Ingrid cares more about scientific study than parties. She eagerly begins reading their father's journals.
A former army officer named Walter Hammersmith also lives on the island. He's suffering from a crippling nerve disease (later in the book, it's revealed that it's MS). Ingrid falls in love with him, and vows to use her father's knowledge to cure him and bring him back to full health. His presence with the disease is a distraction to the story line (in my opinion).
There have been several strange disappearances of local men on the island, and we start to wonder, is Frankenstein's original monster still lurking there? The disappearances eventually build a decent amount of suspense. There is only mild suggested gore (a scene of Ingrid dressing like a man so she can sneak into a medical school's anatomy lecture), and one scene of mild attempted sexual assault (Giselle's ex-boyfriend). However, neither scene is overly detailed, so the book is appropriate for PG-13 readers.
I felt the ending was rushed and brought to a close much too quickly. The author should have drawn out the suspense a bit more, and explained the final climax in more detail. As it is, I found it unfulfilled and a little bit confusing. Personally, I did not like the ending. I thought the author was going to write another book in the series which I would have liked.
The settings are spooky. The story is in diary form as the two girls alternate telling the story.
June 29, 2017
This book was a quick read that I found myself picking up whenever I had the time to read. The chapters were generally short so it was easy to pick up with only short periods of time for reading, and doing so got me through it fairly quickly. I loved the idea of it and I have read many of Suzanne Weyn's books in the past and have thoroughly enjoyed all of them.
I didn't anticipate the journal entry format, but I found it interesting in the way it was done. It was also nice how different the sisters were, and that the book continuously switched between their two perspectives. One problem that I have with this format, however, was the way that direct quotes were used even though the sisters were writing about things that had happened in the past and therefore would probably not remember full conversations word for word. That's just me being nitpicky though, and maybe other people just have way better memories than me.
I loved the twist at the end because it really was a twist. I did not at any point suspect it to end that way. However, I'm not happy with the way that the book actually ended. It felt abrupt, and like all of the loose ends weren't tied up. It felt like it just cut off without answering all of the questions it had just created, and I even had to double check to make sure there wasn't another book to follow this one.
All in all, it was a quick enjoyable read that wasn't at all hard to get through. However, there were some holes in the plot and mistakes in the writing.
I didn't anticipate the journal entry format, but I found it interesting in the way it was done. It was also nice how different the sisters were, and that the book continuously switched between their two perspectives. One problem that I have with this format, however, was the way that direct quotes were used even though the sisters were writing about things that had happened in the past and therefore would probably not remember full conversations word for word. That's just me being nitpicky though, and maybe other people just have way better memories than me.
I loved the twist at the end because it really was a twist. I did not at any point suspect it to end that way. However, I'm not happy with the way that the book actually ended. It felt abrupt, and like all of the loose ends weren't tied up. It felt like it just cut off without answering all of the questions it had just created, and I even had to double check to make sure there wasn't another book to follow this one.
All in all, it was a quick enjoyable read that wasn't at all hard to get through. However, there were some holes in the plot and mistakes in the writing.
July 25, 2018
Great book!
This was amazing read from start to finish.
Solid characters and an interesting storytelling style (told via diary entries) makes this a quick read.
Great for upper level or high school readers. Some of the vocabulary runs to the archaic but this fits into the time period in which the story is set.
Nothing too gory and while there is some violence it is not graphic.
My only true complaint is that the book is too short!
As I was reading it and quickly reaching the last few chapters I was wondering how it would all be tied together. Let me tell you the 5 chapters are nail biting and TENSE!
The ending had me saying "what? what?! how could...?" but in a GOOD way!
Will definitely be recommending this to my higher reading level students.
This was amazing read from start to finish.
Solid characters and an interesting storytelling style (told via diary entries) makes this a quick read.
Great for upper level or high school readers. Some of the vocabulary runs to the archaic but this fits into the time period in which the story is set.
Nothing too gory and while there is some violence it is not graphic.
My only true complaint is that the book is too short!
As I was reading it and quickly reaching the last few chapters I was wondering how it would all be tied together. Let me tell you the 5 chapters are nail biting and TENSE!
The ending had me saying "what? what?! how could...?" but in a GOOD way!
Will definitely be recommending this to my higher reading level students.
December 19, 2019
The book is so very weird and puts a new modern twist on the Frankenstein stories. We all were told he didn't have children, and his wife died. Well, in this story he does have children and like the originals his wife did die. She died during child birth. And he did have a monster he created and to protect his daughters (twins) he sent them away to his brother. They grew up with there uncle and aunt, thinking that was there mom and dad. Until, the aunt and uncle told them who there father was and they were told he had died and they inherited the castle. They son find out all the secrets Frankenstein was hiding about the monster and more. One studied his books while the other fell in love with the neighbor and then began doing experiments on him. It all ends with everyone calling the twins crazy and saying they ere the same as their father.
July 28, 2020
Initially this novel grabbed my attention because I really enjoyed Frankenstein.
I was curious how the author would adapt and extend the original novel's premise. The character development catches the reader's attention and engages their curiosity quickly. Who are Isabella and Giselle? Are they anything like their father? Will he reappear?
All these questions and more came to mind as I was reading. However the further along in the novel I got, the worse the plot development became. Personally it felt like the author had a great idea but didn't know where to go with afterwards or even truly how to end it.
I was curious how the author would adapt and extend the original novel's premise. The character development catches the reader's attention and engages their curiosity quickly. Who are Isabella and Giselle? Are they anything like their father? Will he reappear?
All these questions and more came to mind as I was reading. However the further along in the novel I got, the worse the plot development became. Personally it felt like the author had a great idea but didn't know where to go with afterwards or even truly how to end it.
May 29, 2017
I have never seen or read anything about Frankenstein before I had read this book, all I knew was the basics about a monster, scientist and the monster attacking people. I felt that this book was laking however. It seemed that at the beginning it had potential but as I got further and the page numbers started going by and not really getting anywhere, and then once I did reach the ending it left me hanging on since it really wasn't much of an ending.
September 11, 2023
This was such a great read! Twin girls, coming of age and learning that their father was Dr. Frankenstein himself. Just when you think you know what evil is creeping closer, the ending springs into a surprise! Some of it seemed a little too improbable. Like the woman's head that survived years of floating in the sea? Overall, I was kept on the edge of my seat. I plan to ask my kids if any of them want to give it a go as well.
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