Our Hideous Progeny could‘ve been the easiest 5 stars for me, if it was just for the sapphic longing and yearning between Mary and Maisie. This was a Victorian Jurrassic Park + Frankenstein novel with a beautiful writing style and endearing characters (talking about dear Maisie specifically). There‘s something about victorian paleontologists/archeologists/scientists that was right up my alley, though I ended up not caring much about the actual science part of the story and more for ✨the vibes✨. I kept reading and waiting for more of the very few moments between Mary and Maisie. Unfortunately it was many more scenes with Henry, with whom I grew more annoyed with every page. + Chronic Illness Rep 👏 + Cute lil dino monster 🦕 + Well portrayed grief after loss ____ SPOILERS AHEAD ____ - Clark starting to work with them seemed a bit too convenient to further the plot. There would‘ve been a million other ways rather than just either marrying Maisie off or offering him to work together. I mean come on what did they expect to happen? It was very predictable how this would end - I would’ve wished soooo much for a sort of love confession or a kiss or whatnot at the end. I was somewhat disappointed that I didn’t get that after all the maybes and hopefullys between them. But then again the ending was realistic looking at the historical context and how lesbianism basically didn’t officially exist. I‘m glad they got the happy ending they deserved and a loving companionship, though I wouldn‘t mind reading a book just about their romance.

“This one goes out to you: the angry women, the threatening women, the solitary and abhorred. Women with cold hearts and sharp tongues who play with fire and fall in love with monsters. Women who love women, women who didn’t know they were women at first but know better now, those who thought they were women at first but know better now: we shall be monsters, you and I.” Never would I have thought that a book about Frankenstein’s niece and dinosaur fossils would be my cup of tea, but my god, did this win me over!!!! So in love with all the characters and everything about this book

I have a particular soft spot for feminist Frankenstein adaptations and this book is a perfext example why. Following the story of Victor Frankensteins' grand-niece, this book takes you to London's science society in the 1850s, making this book a perfect read for just the right gothic-dark-academia-fall-vibes. This society is based on the real science society of this time, of scientists discussing matters of geology, electricity, biology, and, in this case, most importantly palaeonotology which is the area that the protagonist Mary and her husband Henry are active in. I liked how Mary's frustration with the sexism and patriarchy of her society are depicted because even though she loves science and is at least as versed as her husband, her work is reduced to drawing the illustrations to his works while barely being credited or recognized in any way. Sexism is linked here with classism because as the illegitimate child of her father, her grandmother rather raised her scornfully and her position in society is dependent from her husband. That Mary's also secretely bi/pan doesn't help either but without wanting to spoiler - I loved the queerness very much. The depictation of Mary's and Henry's relation is also very interesting and I relly liked the complexity of it. On the one hand, I could understand why Mary decided to marry him because they share the same obsession and passion for science, on the other hand, Henry infuriated me as much as Mary. He ignores Mary's struggles for recognition, is reckless, self-centered, and very much a product of the patriarchal society they live in even though he collaborates with his wife. Overall, the topic of just how many male scientists were supported by their wives whose research was just erased is central in this book and undeniably frustrating. Of course, England in the 1850s was also a place in which racist theories grew and I liked that C. E. McGill adresses this. Mary's mentor is Indian and experiences racism, and I liked how he points out at one occasion that even though both he and Mary face discrimination, women are also complicit in colonialism and racism. However, the author also chose to reproduce racist language and even though this might be authentic for the historical context and is reflected upon, it might be hurtful for BIPoC. Another topic that arises is the one of ableism with Henry's sister being chronically ill since childhood. Especially Henry is prone to hurtful statements and I liked how this book does not reduce her to her illnesses, but does also not forget it and Henry's ableism (which is also intersected with sexism) is reflected and criticized. Similar to the original "Frankenstein", the real horror in this book is human-made. I like how McGill picks up major discussions from the original such as the questions of what is a monster, of responsability, or of the creation of life and souls. Mary, of course, is far from being as whiny and irresponsable as Victor was and has also read his account, making her more aware of these questions which leads to this book offering another possibility of how to treat such creation. The story nevertheless carries the same dark, gothic atmosphere as the original, only switching the setting to the UK and introducing dinosaurs, and I enjoyed reading it a lot.

Ein wunderbares Buch, das zum philosophieren und lamentieren anregt. Die Themen Verlust, Trauer, Stolz, Selbstbestimmung und Schuld werden hier fein seziert und wie eine Frankensteins Monster wieder zusammengesetzt. Tiefgründig und manchmal wahrlich schaurig wird die Geschichte von Mary Elizabeth Frankenstein und ihren Experimenten erzählt - eine Frau, die stolz und gefährlich in ihrem Ehrgeiz ist, und dennoch in den traurigen Erlebnissen ihrer Vergangenheit zu versinken scheint. Das Frauenbild der Miss Frankenstein ist eins, das Multiplikatäten enthält und diese fein zusammenführt, düstere Themen werden hier genau so angesprochen, wie die Freuden weiblicher Freundschaften. Identität und die Findung dieser spielen hier eine große Rolle - eine Frau ist nur so viel wert wie der Mann, den sie heiratet? Oder nur so viel, wie ihr Vater ihr hinterlassen kann? Die gotische Atmosphäre ist hier nur Hintergrund für Fragen und Themen, die bis heute unglaublich wichtig sind. Ob dieses Buch nun overt queere Themen behandelt oder nicht, sei den Lesenden überlassen, für meinen Teil fand ich die Andeutungen des Queerseins sehr interessant und abwechslungsreich. Insgesamt würde ich dem Buch 4.5 Sterne geben, da es ein paar Handlungsstränge gibt, die ich gerne aufgelöst gesehen hätte. Um aus den Author‘s Notes zu zitieren: „It was from this that Mary Elizabeth Frankenstein was born. So if you like her, if she strikes a chord, this one goes out to you: the angry women, the threatening women, the solitary and the abhorred; women with cold hearts and sharp tongues, who play with fire and fall in love with monsters; women who love women, women who didn’t know they were women at first but know better now, those who thought they were women at first but know better now. We shall be monsters, you and I.“

"Frankenstein" meets "Ammonite"!I loved every page of this book. It truly is a little masterpiece! It's so full of feminism and science and history and love and betrayal. Oh and Mary and Masie, they are my favorites! I wish I had annotated it but guess I'll have to read it a second time now!