Narrated by Becca Ballenger
*Will try to keep main part spoiler free…may add spoiler section after ads
*Yes, I know this breaks my 3-day cycle of posts…figured Halloween deserved its own post.
Summary:
Victor Frankenstein’s attempt to correct his mistakes take a dangerous turn. The monster wants a mate and demands Victor fulfill a promise to create a bride for him. Justine begins as the nanny for Victor’s two younger brothers, but life—and death—have other plans for her.
Additional Comments:
- Story 4/5: A strong horror tale/ companion piece to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I confess to not knowing the story well enough to be offended by things that would contradict the original tale. Like Wicked or Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies, this story takes a classic and reworks pieces into a new and engaging minisaga.
- Characters 4.5/5: Justine/Persephone takes on several roles throughout the book. The story unfolds from her perspective, and even when things get crazy, one can sympathize with her. Victor’s not very likable, but I don’t think he was ever meant to be.
- Performance 5/5: Becca Ballenger finds nice balance for Justine’s innocence, Persephone’s journey, Victor’s many blunders, and the monster’s rage.
- The ending is satisfying even if it fits somewhat “neatly.”
- One must have pretty solid suspension of disbelief to buy into Frankenstein’s shaky science. Same holds true here. Put a body out in a lightning storm and—boom—reanimation. Sometimes, Persephone eats and claims to be tired or hungry and other times it’s mentioned that she’s impervious to such human weaknesses.
- I especially enjoyed the parts where Persephone learned about Victor’s family and got to know them. Side characters were unique and compelling in their own right.
Conclusion:
If you’re in the mood for something both excellent and creepy, check this out. Perfect for the Halloween creepy season.
Associate links to follow…
Available Audiobooks: I have free codes for almost everything.
New Release: The Shadow Council Series 1: Money Makes it Deadlier – An FBI agent gets caught up in a robbery gone wrong.
Shadow Council Book 2: Revenge Makes it Sweeter – A midnight summons calls FBI Special Agent Megan Luchek into a fight for a young girl’s life.
Shadow Council Book 3: Christmas Makes it Chaos – The FBI agent gets a strange ally in the quest to prevent chaos from rocking a lot of people’s holiday season.
Shadow Council Book 4: Treachery Makes it Tense – The agent and the assassin have to team up if they want to survive.
Shadow Council is also available as a ~13 hr bundle.
The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.
If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.
Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.
Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.
Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…
Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.
*Spoiler Section
– Not the book for you if you’re looking for a happy ending.
– The end is satisfying, though I’d have preferred the far less realistic happily-ever-after one that was about 2 chs before the end.
– I guess its true horror in that Persephone became that which she feared most, a monster who turned her creator into a creation, so she’d have a moldable companion.
