Read for: Middle Grade March & Recently Added
Synopsis: "The city of Bryre suffers under the magic of an evil wizard. Because of his curse, girls sicken and disappear without a trace, and Bryre’s inhabitants live in fear. No one is allowed outside after dark.
Yet night is the only time that Kymera can enter this dangerous city, for she must not be seen by humans. Her father says they would not understand her wings, the bolts in her neck, or her spiky tail—they would kill her. They would not understand that she was created for a purpose: to rescue the girls of Bryre.
Despite her caution, a boy named Ren sees Kym and begins to leave a perfect red rose for her every evening. As they become friends, Kym learns that Ren knows about the missing girls, the wizard, and the evil magic that haunts Bryre.
And what he knows will change Kym’s life."
My Review: I have been eyeing this book for a while, I was very intrigued by the idea of this Frankenstein type creation in a fantasy setting; I was thrilled when I was able to grab both this book and second book in the series. Unfortunately, this one fell a little short for me. The book is narrated by the creation, Kym, and starts off when she starts life, she is a bit confused and relies on her father for a lot of information. The supposed twist in the story, what the whole mystery is based on, can be spotted a mile off, I was left trudging through the pages knowing what was going to happen and just wishing Kym would figure it out and get on with it. There were a few interesting characters but they lacked development and active roles in the story. I was rather happy with the ending as Connolly took it to the level that so many others hold back from and it was really appreciated. But all in all it wasn't really worth the many hours of reading, I have since also donated the second book as I don't see myself ever wanting to pick it up.
My Rating: I have so been looking forward to this book and was so disappointed. I can understand making things easier for middle grade readers but even young readers would have been able to spot the twist. I do have to say I appreciate the ending but not enough to wipe the slate clean. I give it a rating of One Paw and a Stump Wag.
Well, dang. Cause that is the most awesome cover ever! I love it! I try to avoid retelling or twists to the story of Frankenstein. It’s just too painful to watch others butcher my beloved book! Have you read any retelling that get it right?
ReplyDeleteI love the cover of this one and the idea is great but it just wasn't well executed. I do have to say the ending was awesome! A book I read last year or two years ago called Frankenstein's Monster was fantastic, it picks up after the end of Frankenstein and seems to have a similar tone to it as the original.
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