Several months ago I was reading a copy of This Monstrous Thing by Lee Mackenzi, an unusual steampunk kind of story that was set in the Frankenstein universe.  Like most books I read, it left an impression somewhere in the back of my brain.  Then shortly after I read that book I heard about another book called Teen Frankenstein, and I thought ... wait a minute ...

I did some exploring in our catalog, and it turned out that there were more Frankenstein-inspired books in our young adult collection than I expected!  Here are some novels and graphic novels you can try if you’re looking for something to read on a dark and stormy night.

 

Teen Frankenstein by Chandler Baker

In the small town of Hollow Pines, Texas, Tor Frankenstein feels like her mind is going to waste.  But when she has a car accident one night and kills a teenage boy, she realizes that she can put her brain to good use by bringing him back to life.

 

Gris Grimly’s Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus by Gris Grimly

“Assembled from the original text by Mary Shelley,” this book tells the famous story of a doctor who created life from death, and suffered terrible consequences for his reckless actions.  Grimly’s illustrations add another chilling layer to this classic story.

 

Hideous Love: The Story of the Girl Who Wrote Frankenstein by Stephanie Hemphill

This novel in verse tells the story of Mary Shelley, a girl whose real life was in many ways stranger than fiction.  She channeled the chaos of her life into her writing, and her own experiences with life and death helped to inspire her most famous creation.

 

This Monstrous Thing by Lee Mackenzi

Alasdair is a skilled mechanic, so after his brother is killed he decides to use his talents to bring him back to life.  But will making replacement parts out of clockwork be enough to make Oliver a man again?

 

This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein by Kenneth Oppel

Victor and Konrad Frankenstein are twin brothers who have a strong emotional bond.  But when Konrad’s life is threatened by a mysterious illness, Victor must decide how much he should risk to try to save his brother.  This prequel to the classic Frankenstein story will make readers think about how and why Victor Frankenstein started out as a reckless teenager and then grew up to become a dangerous man.

 

Mister Creecher by Chris Priestley

A young pickpocket named Billy is so desperate to survive that when he finds a dead man lying in the street, he decides to go through the man’s pockets.  But to Billy’s surprise, the man isn’t dead after all, and this is the beginning of Billy’s relationship with Mr. Creecher.  Billy soon joins Mr. Creecher on his mission to track down Doctor Victor Frankenstein, a man who promised to get him a wife … but failed to keep that promise.

 

Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron

Boy is the son of The Bride and The Monster, and he’s been living a sheltered life.  He has human friends, but only online.  He’s never met a human in real life, and he wants to see what will happen when he does.  So he runs away from home, and begins an amazing road trip that will take him across the country and completely expand his world.

 

Dr. Frankenstein’s Daughters by Suzanne Weyn

Giselle and Ingrid are 17-year-old twins who have just inherited their father’s castle.  Each girl has her own plans for the future of their new home, but they might not be able to escape its past.