Following Frankenstein - Catherine Bruton

 

Set in Victorian England, Maggie's father has been absent for much of her life as his desire to hunt down the monster created by Frankenstein has slowly become an obsession that has taken over his life.  As a result, Maggie and her family have lost everything they have, meaning that they now live in rooms at the docks in London.  Now, Maggie's father is pinning everything on one final voyage.  Maggie secretly boards the ship and makes the journey with him.  When they arrive at their destination, they meet a community of Inuit people who inform them that they have met the monster and his child.  At this point, I don't want to say any more as I don't want to spoil the book for you (you'll have to read it for yourself); however, I will say that news of the child shocks everyone and changes the expedition.  Will Maggie's father succeed in his quest; how will Maggie react to the events that unfold?

I read Frankenstein many years ago and often wondered what happened after the end of the book so the thought of a 'sequel' really appealed to me.  As historical fiction, the style of writing complements the time period but I thoroughly like the fact that Maggie is a positive and strong character.  Despite her father having lost everything, she makes the most of things at the beginning of the book, telling groups of children the story of Frankenstein to entertain them.  Her strength comes to the fore with her determination not to be left behind and her subsequent actions in the book.  She is kind, caring and refuses to be squashed.

Journeying from the docks of London, across to the Arctic and then down to America, this is an epic gothic adventure that will keep readers gripped.  I also enjoyed the links to Moby Dick and The Last of the Mohicans, as well as other classics; although children may not be aware of these books, it's a great way to begin to get them interested in a wider range of literature.

With strong messages about resilience, friendship and accepting differences, this will definitely be another hit for Catherine, and I'm looking forward to seeing what she writes next.