The Frankenstein Adventures by Bil Richardson

The Synopsis:

This is the story of Frankenstein told from the vantage point of Igor, the bumbling, brave boy who will risk everything to save his master’s flawed creation. Hilarious and heartwarming – this is a book that will make you stand up and cheer one minute and fall down laughing the next. Igor’s heart is in the right place even though parts of his body aren’t. He is a loveable, lopsided fellow who has more courage and strength than any of the adults who look down on him. When things go wrong with his boss’s “experiment,” Igor sees it as his duty to save the day – even though most days he is the one who needs saving. Our hilarious hero has to overcome enormous odds on his mission to rescue the most important achievement in human history – the creation of life. Follow Igor on his amazing adventure to prove that he is more than just a not-so-pretty face.
This book is being released in conjunction with the 200th anniversary of the original Frankenstein’s first publication.

I received this book from the author for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.

Review:

The horror story of a lifetime, Frankenstein has brought chills to readers for centuries and has influenced numerous other spooky stories. So in honor of the original story’s 200th anniversary, why not bring that story to life for the kids (pun intended)?!

You can read my review of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley here.

Assuming that parents are already vividly aware of the story of Frankenstein and are okay with their kiddos reading this type of content (violence, spooks, etc), then I would say that The Frankenstein Adventures accomplished its goal to recreate the story in a new, and funny, way for a Middle Grade audience.

I had picked up this book expecting a very diluted version of Frankenstein, and while there are many details left out (as well as added), this story was not as watered-down as I had expected. Some of the action actually gets very intense (for this age group) and there are in fact brutal deaths that are semi-detailed, just as with the original. It is void of any cursing, though small words such as “heck” and “dang-it” are used throughout the story, but there is no sexual content whatsoever.

I also liked that this story was not near as depressing as the original. Kids will be able to grasp the intended emotions from Frankenstein’s monster without the dark heaviness that comes with the entirety of the original classic. There are puns to cause giggles, wacky names, and silly characters that really lighten the book, and a much happier ending 😉

Overall, The Frankenstein Adventures is a perfect book to hand your kiddo if you’re wanting to introduce Shelley’s classic story, but they’re not quite ready for the full version. I give it 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it especially to home-schoolers!