Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters

Dr. Frankenstein’s Daughters is a historical horror YA novel by Suzanne Weyn.

In 1815 twin sisters Ingrid and Giselle are notified of their father Victor Frankenstein’s death. They have never known him, as he disappeared shortly after their birth and mother’s death, but he has left them a large inheritance and a castle on a remote isle.

Though close, the seventeen-year-old twins are very different. Giselle has thoughts of glamorous parties to bring life to the dark, sprawling castle, whereas Ingrid’s more intellectually interested mind becomes fascinated with the journals penned by their father and his fascinating experiments.

In fact, upon meeting a cantankerous, lonely, wounded naval officer next door, Ingrid begins to wonder if she could perfect some of her father’s brilliant ideas to help her neighbor… whom she is becoming more and more fond of.

Rumors of Victor Frankenstein’s madness, of his obsession with an idea that a thing was hunting him to his dying day, haunts the sisters as they try to make a happy life with their new monetary independence. Yet a silent and sinister force seems to inhabit the area as the daughters of Frankenstein make a home of the castle…

I’ll admit that I was initially worried when I went to read Dr. Frankenstein’s Daughters. Why? Because I’m never quite sure what I’ll get from Suzanne Weyn. I felt that Distant Waves: A Novel of the Titanic was quite good, but really did not care for Invisible World: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials much at all.

Happily, Dr. Frankenstein’s Daughters may be my favorite of hers yet!

I’ve never read Frankenstein, but of course I have a good, general idea of the story.

Dr. Frankenstein’s Daughters is a creepy, twisted, atmospheric tale that takes a spin on the classic in what, to me, feels like a naturally gothic horror way. It has that eerie, ominous vibe that makes the early 1800s time period less witty and fun (which is what I usually like and enjoy – hello Jane Austen!) but instead very, very hair-raising.

Here we get romance, suspense, murder and mayhem! There’s definitely a strong macabre, perverse story here that is ghoulishly engaging and entertaining to read, while also being truly startling! Without giving anything away, I’ll say that I was shocked by an unforeseen revelation that, to me, brought Dr. Frankenstein’s Daughters to a higher level!

I have to say – this was unexpectedly awesome!!!