This book was the perfect homage to Frankenstein, and I have a feeling that Mary Shelley would have been quite proud to have inspired such a book.

The story follows the great niece of Frankenstein himself, though she does not know such for a long time. Neither does she know of his creation, not until herself and her (waster) husband have need of such information. Mary has a hard life until she marries, and even then things are not perfect. She discovers about her uncles experiments and she decides to attempt them on a smaller scale. But as in the original story, things do not go to plan.

The most horrific part of this story is really how women were treated back at the turn of the century. Expected to be of good breeding, to be a perfect wife, and not to have an opinion that was not first shared by their husbands. I had such empathy for Mary for most of the book, though there were times when I wanted to give her a slap. As well as half the men in the book, with a few notable exceptions.

It was a beautifully written piece, that never lets the original source material down.

Our Hideous Progeny is a novel that picks up after Frankenstein, as Victor's great-niece tries to recreate his work using Victorian palaeontology. Mary was raised by her grandmother, never allowed the Frankenstein name after the death of her father, but with the knowledge that her great-uncle disappeared in the Arctic a long time ago. She's escaped that now and fights to make a living with her husband in the palaeontological world in London, but they lack money and influence. When Mary uncovers the letters sent back to her family about Victor and his creation, she realises that following in his footsteps may bring her and her husband the discovery they need.

The book doesn't so much as retell Frankenstein as provide a sequel that explores similar themes, particularly around ambition, pride, and obsession, and draws out some of the complexities of motherhood that can be read from Mary Shelley's book. It is deeply situated within Victorian London's scientific life, especially the first parts of the novel, and I appreciated how well it followed on from Shelley's own interest in the science of the time around when she was writing Frankenstein, updating the stuff around electricity to also consider fossils and changing ideas about life and death. The philosophical ideas within the book also take up some of the elements of Frankenstein, particularly in Mary's relationship to her own Creature, and this was one of my favourite elements of the book.

The narrative itself is pretty predictable, following an adventure story with a clear villain and some commentary on the lives and freedoms (or lack thereof) of women in the period, and I did expect more twists and turns at the end (in particular, I thought that Mary's discoveries might end up being used for something more desperate and potentially monstrous), but the conclusion of the novel does seem to leave scope for a sequel, which may be the intention. It perhaps had a bit more historical adventure and a bit less of the ideas (scientific/philosophical/queer/etc) than I would've liked as someone who is more of a fan of Frankenstein than historical fiction, but I think that makes it suited to people who enjoy historical novels that explore some ideas of feminism and queerness without necessarily having to have read Frankenstein.

I appreciated that, in the author's note, McGill says they didn't enjoy Frankenstein when they first read it as a teenager, but later grew to like it more, as I had a similar experience and feel like it is a book that is sadly pushed upon teenagers who really need more of the scientific and literary history of the time to actually understand why Frankenstein feels slower and more contemplative than what they've heard. This book is quite different, with a slow pace at times due to the amount of historical detail, but more of an adventure focus, and something you could read alongside Frankenstein to think about how "retellings" might leave an original work as is and run with its ideas in another way. It also might just convince some people to give Frankenstein another go.

This is a lively reception of Frankenstein that takes inspiration from both Mary Shelley's life as well as her novel. McGill replays well-recognised themes of intellectual pride and over-reaching, as well as a more personal strand around female ambition in the face of patriarchy. The queer subtext to Frankenstein is made explicit, not just in Mary's relationship with Maisie, but in the wider sense of questioning maternity specifically and foregrounding a more generalised heterodoxy.

Nevertheless, I found this quite slow to get going and was never surprised by the narrative - it goes where we'd expect a modern, feminist-y re-writing of Frankenstein to go. I also felt the prose was more simple than I'd have liked - so more of a fun adventure-style romp than anything more thoughtful, but entertaining.

This novel is a retelling of Frankenstein that I really enjoyed reading, especially about the character of Mary, who is well portrayed. I would recommend the book and thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the novel.

This book is an absolute joy to read. A retelling of Frankenstein, so cleverly done. I will buy this for friends on its publication, just to make sure they read it. A triumph.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

"That was the moment I fell in love with the past, I think. I placed my hand upon the warm grass, thinking of the bones of creatures far below, of spread wings turned to stone."

If you enjoyed reading Frankenstein please read this book! It's been awhile since I've read such a exquisitely crafted story!

Frankenstein revisited, indeed. With all that it entails: monsters (literal and proverbial), drama, science, Scottish scenery and weather aaaaand, well, it has dinosaurs. I know, I know!
It is a very neat revisit and departure at the same time from the original Mary Shelley's Frankenstein story. It is also a strong tribute to empowered women and an encouraging read for those who aspire to be such. The author’s research of women in science at the time and palaeontology is refreshing and adds truly interesting details to the story.
The novel has strong and some even wilful characters, excellent pacing and the back story - it is a pleasure to read.
P.S. This book somewhat reminded me of Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier.

4+
I REALLY liked this book, and because of that, I'm struggling to write an even half way decent review.
Especially one with no spoilers.
It takes the story of Frankenstein, and just builds on it.
In an excellent way.
It has a strong central female character that you can really get behind, and understand every emotion she's going through.
It has the crystal palace dinosaurs, which I love.
Pacing, story, characters.
All pretty spot on.

This was such and interesting and original take on the Frankenstein franchise and I really enjoyed it, The story is told through the eyes of Mary Frankenstein who is the great niece of Victor that we all know and despise from Frankenstein.
The story showcases how Mary wants to be involved with science and more specifically paeleontology but with it still being a mans world she is not exactly welcomed with open arms - until she finds about her great uncles monster and decides to try and carry on where he left off to become a name and fcae in the manly world of science.
I loved it honestly and the author did such a good job of carrying on where Shelley left off. A great read taht I would recommend to everyone.

"The difference between a proper young lady and a beastly little thing was that ladies were never angry; they took their moods and wove them into lace, stuffed them into pillows. They learned to hold their tongue. But I have always been a beastly little thing at heart, it seems,"

This is an eARC that I was able to read in exchange for my honest thoughts and review, with thanks to Random House Transworld Publishing and NetGalley.

I. Loved. This.

Our Hideous Progeny follows Mary; a young woman with many surnames. Firstly Brown, secondly Sutherland, and thirdly (and most importantly), Frankenstein. The niece of Victor Frankenstein, she happens across a bundle of letters and notes left amongst the belongings of her late father; letters that speak of what happened to Victor, and what miraculously terrifying thing he was able to do, so many years before.

This book is filled with science - which may sound boring, at first mention, but proves itself to be anything but. Long words and terms may sometimes go over my head, but the passion and intelligence of Mary, a woman who yearns for far more than she is able to have as a woman in Victorian society, is infectious. Since she was a child, she found herself fascinated with geology, paleontology and fossils. Professors and scholars and scientific societies are abound in this tale, with the discovery and vast interest in dinosaurs at the centre of it all.

Beautifully written, the author has managed to do the impossible - taking a classic, well-read and well-loved story of generations, and adding to it in the best way. This is a standalone, and you don't have to have read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in order to understand it (aside from knowing the basics of the original story, which most do); though I'd recommend it, of course.

There are villains in this story, but no heroes; heroines instead take their place, in the form of Mary, and her poorly, gentle sister-in-law Maisie. This book takes a look at the society and politics of the time; of the disparities between class, gender and race, and refuses to make apologies for the way things once were; instead giving us characters who question and rebel at the time, though who understand the limits of such action.

The tender relationship between Mary and Maisie is a joy to behold; the two of them growing because of each other, and able to shed the dead weight in their lives. Where Mary is obsessed with bringing her uncle's work to life, Maisie is the foil who sees through the glitter and the gold, into the almost barbaric truth of it. But, in the end, both of them see the beauty in creating a life; in giving something a life that it might not have had, even for a small amount of time.

Beautiful, thoughtful, and a truly enjoyable read!

C. E. McGill’s debut novel’s a wonderfully creative spin-off from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Inventive, feminist, queer, deliciously subversive, and tinged with a hint of gothic, it’s set in England in the 1850s. The story’s narrated by Mary Frankenstein, great-niece of the infamous Victor Frankenstein. Mary is a would-be palaeontologist, but the fact that she’s a woman coupled with a lack of formal education means her work’s been overshadowed by her talented but feckless husband Henry. Then Mary finds evidence of her long-lost great-uncle’s research and the history of his strange creation, and wonders if she might just make her name by recreating his experiment.

McGill’s narrative features an intricate reworking of Shelley’s themes around science and ethics, reproduction, mortality, motherhood and loss. But McGill builds on these for a moving, intelligent exploration of prejudice, gender and queer identity. I thought this was incredibly compelling, accessible but well-researched, with echoes of Sarah Waters, Sarah Moss and The Essex Serpent - although I’m lukewarm about Moss and not so keen on Perry either but loved this. Fluid, thoughtful, and exceptionally entertaining.