This book was wild! What an exciting concept, with a well-created setting and such interesting characters. It has been a very long time since I last read Frankenstein, so my thoughts are a bit removed from the retelling perspective, but I can confirm it does very well as a standalone!

This reads more like an adventure book than a thriller or mystery, where the main plot and pacing surrounds what is essentially the main characters chasing a target while being chased themselves. Sometimes I think chase stories get a bit repetitive after a time, but this one kept it interesting with each new place they go and each new character they meet. Each new encounter unravels more of the story. The characters are all very distinctive and I feel like you get to know each of them well. When a character does something, there's existing precedent for that behavior, which I really like. I would have enjoyed a bit more evidence of character development throughout, as the characters seem fairly static until their final interactions at the end, where they suddenly show they've learned something from it all.

Overall, a really exciting new middle grade book that I'll be recommending to all the kids asking for something dark, spooky, thrilling.

Thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for the eARC!