Hey there bookworms!

Is this week crazy or is it just me? I’m currently dealing with some car repairs and school work is relatively busy as well. I got my kitty Ajax’s teeth cleaned yesterday and though he was really disoriented from the anesthesia at first, he’s back to his normal self.

Anyways, back to the post at hand! I read another book.

This time I read M is for Monster by Talia Dutton.

This is the last graphic novel I can read for my class’s final project (the limit was set to 5), and I wanted to read something I wouldn’t normally pick. Thus, I chose a retelling of a classic. I loved Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, so I was interested to see if this graphic novel spun a new tale in a fun way.

Blurb

A scientist attempts to bring her younger sister back to life with unexpected results in this Frankenstein-inspired graphic novel about ghosts, identity, and family

When Doctor Frances Ai’s younger sister Maura died in a tragic accident six months ago, Frances swore she would bring her back to life. However, the creature that rises from the slab is clearly not Maura. This girl, who chooses the name “M,” doesn’t remember anything about Maura’s life and just wants to be her own person. However, Frances expects M to pursue the same path that Maura had been on—applying to college to become a scientist—and continue the plans she and Maura shared. Hoping to trigger Maura’s memories, Frances surrounds M with the trappings of Maura’s past, but M wants nothing to do with Frances’ attempts to change her into something she’s not.

In order to face the future, both Frances and M need to learn to listen and let go of Maura once and for all. Talia Dutton’s debut graphic novel, M Is for Monster, takes a hard look at what it means to live up to other people’s expectations—as well as our own.

M Is for Monster is one of the titles on our Surely list which is dedicated to showcasing gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual creators and stories.

GoodReads

Amazon

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The Review

Doctor Frances lost her sister Maura in a tragic accident, but thanks to her hard work and dedication, her experiment has successfully brought her body back to life. But something’s different about her. Frances’ creation, who calls herself M, doesn’t know what to do. She is not the sister Frances thinks she is, and to make matters even more confusing, the spirit of Maura talks to her in mirrors, wanting to continue her scientific experiments. As M wrestles with the lie she is living, she must make a choice. Accept her false identity, or claim her truth to find a place in the world.

I don’t read many retellings, but this was fun!

This story is mainly told in M’s point of view. Her journey explores being newly born in a body without the rightful owner’s consciousness. Luckily she can count on the spirit of Maura to give her information, but my heart really went out to M. She has no knowledge of the world, and Frances bears down on her relentlessly to recover and get back to a new normal. As a new being, M didn’t have much depth understandably, but the inner battle she undergoes with her identity made this an intriguing read.

I liked Maura and Popo’s personalities the most as far as side characters go, and as much as I liked Frances I wanted her to have a bit more softness to her throughout, though I do understand where her character was coming from.

For the most part, the art was great and beautiful and the panels easy to follow. A lot of this novel delves into M’s mind, and the artist’s take on that was unique and great to look at. However, there were some instances where the differing eye color of M wasn’t executed masterfully and it made her eyes look askew.

For fans of the original novel by Mary Shelley, I wouldn’t expect much horror. It’s been dialed down to a great extent so that a greater audience can enjoy this retelling, but in its place is an abundance of fantasy and scifi elements that I think most can still connect to. This graphic novel also tackled some important themes of grief, loss, and identity that really shone through.

All in all, not a bad retelling at all. If you enjoy a new spin on an old story, definitely give this a chance!

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this book review. I hope you enjoyed it!

Have you read this book? Are there other similar books you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

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