Folding Paper & Spilling Ink

When I started this one I really wasn't certain how closely White was going to follow Shelley's original narrative, and that created some odd tension for me. It has been a while since I did a read of the original Frankenstein and I found myself comparing and contrasting, and also distrusting my memory somewhat. I was actually quite pleased, as the book wore on, when it became clear White wasn't afraid to stray from the path, so to speak.

A lot of this book is terrible people being terrible. Elizabeth is a pretty awful person from page one. While in many books the revelation would be a slow reveal of how she is a wretched person, instead the focus falls on *why* she's so terrible. It made for a compelling character study and a decent amount of tension. I was never sure just how far she would go, how dark, nor how White would ultimately deal with her. Without giving anything away I will say I found the ending very satisfying and somewhat surprising.

White has put together a really interesting, and uniquely feminine, take on an old familiar tale. Creepy, unsettling, and dark, as a good gothic story should be. She also wrote one of the best descriptions of the Monster that I have read in recent times. The grotesquery was well imagined. If you want to read a new spin on this classic tale, and you're not afraid to read about some truly damaged people, pick this one up.