Author: Chandler Baker
Release Date: January 12, 2016
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 336
Source: ARC provided by Raincoast Books
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Overall: 3.5 STARS
SUMMARY
It was a dark and stormy night when Tor Frankenstein accidentally hits someone with her car. And kills him. But, all is not lost—Tor, being the scientific genius she is, brings him back to life...
Thus begins a twisty, turn-y take on a familiar tale, set in the town of Hollow Pines, Texas, where high school is truly horrifying.
MY THOUGHTS
Victoria "Tor" Frankenstein didn't mean to hit someone with her car—and kill them—when she was driving home one stormy night. It might be too late to take the stranger to the hospital, but maybe his death can finally give Tor the breakthrough she needs in her research on reanimation. Ignoring her small pang of guilt, Tor drags the broken body back to her car and shocks the teen boy back to life in her cellar, her makeshift laboratory where she experiments on dead animals.
With the help of her best friend and co-conspirator Owen, Tor must now keep a careful eye on her creation, newly named Adam. Because while she may have successfully reanimated him, the experiment is far from over. How will he respond in social settings? Is he capable of emotions? And will people accept him? Navigating the hellish halls of Hollow Pines High has never been harder...
The first half of Teen Frankenstein was entertaining with its morbid humour as Adam tried to engage in conversations and then failed to "normally" respond. He was so sweet, kind of like a child learning everything for the first time, really. And he completely adored Tor as his creator, never fully understanding the wrongness of what she'd done to him.
But I think the book lost some of that humour the more Tor became obsessed with her experiment, trying so hard to control all the variables even as her creation gained more independence. It's soon apparent Tor is more than just an eccentric, ambitious scientist—she's an utter sociopath. Other than Owen, Tor is completely anti-social unless she must deign to speak with her teachers or classmates at school. It's kind of exhausting to be in her mind after awhile because she just looks down on everyone, believing her genius mind sets her apart from everyone. (I mean, it was funny in the beginning, but then it became sort of stereotypical and lost its freshness, you know?)
And poor Owen! He tries so hard to be Tor's moral compass and steer her on the right path, but it's a lost cause; Tor will never change. She feels zero empathy for anyone other than herself. Owen can only sigh and strongly protest to Tor's plans before inevitably giving in. He's a loyal sidekick who receives little recognition for his hard work, and Tor only seems to notice him when she needs his help for something.
If you want a book that's uniquely offbeat and sure to stand out on your bookshelf with its dark humour, then I'd totally recommend Chandler Baker's Teen Frankenstein. It's a really fun YA horror novel that is sure to bring on the laughs as much as frighten you with gory details of bloody body parts. The modern horror setting of high school is a perfect idea, really. Honestly, the premise of Teen Frankenstein would make such a great teen movie!
