Thus, Oliver is both an anomaly and a dangerous creature.

As the summary already mentions, Oliver is killed and brought back to life by Alasdair - a feat that has never been accomplished before. Consequently, having mechanical parts results in the loss of one's humanity. What they do is forbidden, as society views altering anything that's made in God's Image as an insult to the Almighty Creator. I have read a few stories that are based off of Frankenstein, but This Monstrous Thing takes the cake and is by far the best one that I have come across, especially due to the countless new elements and emotions that I haven't found in any other Frankenstein retelling!Īt the center of Lee's novel are Oliver and Alasdair, two brothers and Shadow Boys who have done nothing but constantly move due to their family's hidden profession of fitting disabled individuals with mechanical parts. Lee chose to take Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as a basis for a riveting new tale that was true to its source material, yet distinctive and superb in its own right. This Monstrous Thing is one of these tales. From Brom's The Child Thief (a re-imagining of Peter Pan) to Jim McDoniel's An Unattractive Vampire (a reboot of the vampire genre that brings back the frightening vampires of old), I absolutely love it when authors take a well-established idea or story and alter it so that it becomes something unique, original, and utterly fantastic. This novel was a different take on a retelling of a classic, using the original work as a stepping stone to expand on the world that Shelley created.I have a slight obsession with reading recreations of older tales. Making Mary Shelley a character in her own retelling was completely different and refreshing to read. The plot was action-packed and full of characters that were not only fun to read but were relatable and memorable they each had their own quirks as well as features. It worked really well because she made the story very captivating she flipped the original, making it her own sort of story. Basing her novel off Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Lee takes the original story and gives it a bit of a twist, which was definitely a very interesting concept for a novel.

When his so-called friend Mary writes a book based on the two this awakens curiosity and hate among the humans. This Monstrous Thing by: Mackenzi Lee: Living in the shadows are men who are built with mechanical parts taken care of by a group called the Shadow Boys Alasdair is among them after losing his brother Oliver and mechanically bringing him back to life. Hello everyone! Happy Wednesday! Today I’m going to be reviewing Mackenzi Lee’s novel This Monstrous Thing.

This monstrous thing