A teenage twist on a Gothic classic, Teen Frankenstein by Chandler Baker is filled with dark humor and a clever re-imagining of Mary Shelley’s well-known novel.
High school meets classic horror in this groundbreaking new series.
It was a dark and stormy night when Tor Frankenstein accidentally hit someone with her car. And killed him. But all is not lost–Tor, being the scientific genius she is, brings him back to life…
Thus begins a twisty, turn-y take on a familiar tale, set in the town of Hollow Pines, Texas, where high school is truly horrifying.
Baker does a masterful job of translating Shelley’s story for the 21st century, in many ways making it more about the horror, and less a social commentary (which Frankenstein very much was when it was first written, which — to my taste — makes it rather a dull read). Even as you think, there’s no way a modern teen could go the same lengths as the original Doctor Frankenstein, Baker proves you wrong.
Her main character, Tor Frankenstein, is obsessed with her experiments and her determination to make her significant mark on the scientific community. Her resolve is unshakable, even in the face of truly horrific consequences. And while there are times her humanity shines through, Baker does a masterful job of showing that anyone with this much obsession over bringing dead bodies back to life is something of a sociopath. Because while she has likable moments, Tor is — for the most part — a very unlikable character. And yet somehow, Baker makes her an enjoyable narrator. This is a hard thing to do, and I am duly impressed with her ability to create a really horrific character and still make me want to continue on her journey with her.
And perhaps that is due, in some part at least, to my desire to see how this re-imagined Frankenstein story would play out. After all, I knew it couldn’t unfold quite in the same way as Shelley’s original — but I was curious to see how she’d make it work, and bring everything full circle. The end result was a satisfying conclusion (even if a certain plot point was a wee bit predictable), and the confirmation that Tor is, indeed, still obsessed with her science.
Teen Frankenstein is a wickedly fun read, filled with light horror and a deserving tribute to the source material. It is in stores now. Enter for your chance to a win a copy HERE!
Novel Novice 
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