I really enjoyed this book. Very similar vibes to Dowry of Blood as we are following the women involved in some of our creepiest classics. Love a story with strong female characters and this one gives you three. The atmosphere is sad and chilling and kept me eager to listen. the narrator did such a lovely job with this novel.

Unnatural Creatures by Kris Waldherr
Narrator, Barrie Kreinik
I did not love this book and I did not hate it either. However, it did take me almost a week to finish it because after two or three hours, I would get bored and have to switch to something I enjoyed more even though the narrator was excellent. None of the characters were likable and although most of them were either murdered or died for some other reason, I just didn’t care. It simply didn’t work for me. I’m giving it three stars for the narrator and for the fact that I guess I did care enough to finish it.

I really enjoyed looking at this story in the views of the women, following the steps of three strong women. Caroline Frankenstein, is the mother, and as many mothers do, she will do anything to protect the integrity of her family. She is the reason her son. Victor, pursues the idea of eternal life, taking on the persona of a god.

Elizabeth Lavenza is a four year old beggar when Caroline takes her into the Frankenstein home, and as she grows, Elizabeth feels she should marry Victor as a way to thank Caroline and the family for the safe life she received. Elizabeth can't keep her vow to marry Victor and that is when the monster that Victor has created begins the path to destruction.

Justine Moreau is a servant to the Frankenstein's and the woman the monster feels should be his mate. The monster hates what he is and wants a big pay back against the family.

It was a sad and chilling tale, of how ambition rules one's life and can ultimately drive them into the crazy zone. The author creates a spine tingling atmosphere while presently the women as holding their own with strength and courage.

Thank you to Kris Waldherr, Muse Publications, Narrated by Barrie Kreinik, and NetGalley for the ability to listen to this story, which published in September of 2022.

The original Frankenstein by Mary Shelley had to be one of the biggest let downs of my life. I loathed all of the characters and found certain plot points to be very weak, in particular, the maid being framed for the murder of the young Frankenstein sibling was absurd.

This retelling actually brought life to the characters, I really enjoyed the take on Elizabeth's character and her secret desires, it made more sense why she waited a ridiculous amount of time for Victor to come back to marry her.

Justine's character was so well written, the reasoning for her arrest and confession was far more believable in this narrative.

As ever, Victor's character was insufferable. He is honestly the worst.

Lately I’ve been enjoying reading retellings of well-known classics, especially if they highlight the perspectives of different characters or do a gender flip. In Unnatural Creatures: A Novel of the Frankenstein Women, Kris Waldherr gives voice to the women affected by Victor Frankenstein and his monstrous creation. I read Frankenstein in college over a decade ago, and while I remembered the major events, I found it helpful to watch a quick recap video of it before reading this new retelling.

I love that Unnatural Creatures puts the spotlight on the women in Frankenstein’s world. It’s divided into four parts, each focusing on one of the three women before including the monster in the final part. First there is Caroline, Victor Frankenstein’s mother. Then there is his fiancée, Elizabeth. Finally, the family’s maid Justine gets a voice before the climatic final act.

Kris Waldherr does a great job of capturing the language and tone of Frankenstein. It feels like it could have been written at the same time as Mary Shelley’s original book. Unnatural Creatures is also a perfect balance of expanding on the well-known story and of making it wholly original and new, even changing major events towards the end.

The story is as wild as the original, and it makes for an engrossing and thought-provoking read.

Whether you’ve read Frankenstein or only know the story from popular culture, Unnatural Creatures is a fascinating read. It works as a rich counterpart and stands on its own in equal measure, and I enjoyed getting this new perspective on the famous tale.

4.5 rounded up
Great characters and retelling focusing on the Frankenstein women. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

Boy was this a great, spooky listen! It follows all of the women in Victor Frankenstein’s life and it was richly detailed for a reimagining. It really followed some interesting paths and I honestly loved the end a lot.

I knew I was going to enjoy listening to it because I LOVED the narrator! Barrie Krenek read Slewfoot which was one of my fav reads last year in part because of her unique voice.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers! This did not affect my review in any way.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audiobook. The narration is steady and pleasing.

Wow. I thought I was signing up for horror and what I got was a bleak image of what it was and is to be female in this world. The Frankenstein women suffer at every turn trying to please the men around them and please society. Much like Mary Shelley told us, the true monster is man.

This well told account of the women of Victor Frankenstein’s life is anything but lighthearted but it will stick with you. It drags a bit here and there but overall is worth reading. 3.5 stars but will settle for 3 for goodreads.

Splendid telling of the women who revolved around Victor Frankenstein. Three women all make up part of Victor's world- His mother, Caroline, His love Elizabeth, and his friend, Justine. Caroline is taken too soon and sets off his descent into madness. Elizabeth tries and fails to bring him back from the brink. Justine, who bears the burden for Victor's choices.

The writing is immersive and the characters are all wonderfully written.

As I’ve mentioned before in my reviews, I love a good adaption of the great works of fiction from our literary past. “Unnatural Creatures” by Kris Waldherr is inspired by and closely follows the action of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” Instead of coming from the point of view of Victor or the creature, it is told from the three women involved in his life: mother Caroline, adopted “cousin” and betrothed Elizabeth, and the maid Justine.

The story is told in three parts, each one focused on one of the women, but also shifting on occasion. Each woman is haunted by the creature at some point, often blamed as a trick of the eye in the dark, a misidentified shadow, or a dream. If you’ve read “Frankenstein,” you’re going to know much of what goes on; we just get it here in a different perspective...until the end. The author takes some exciting liberties there, and it’s worth getting to the finish line to find out what they are.

This book was very well written and entertaining, even with having a solid background in the source material. I enjoyed the changes and perspective the author made.

The voice artist, Barrie Kreinik, also did a nice job with the narration and voices, though I did have one question as a result of the performance: Why do English voice actors, when voicing characters that are supposed to be speaking another language, like French or German, give lower-class characters, who would also be speaking French or German, a Cockney-like accent? I know there are “low class” accents in all languages, but do we need to default to that stereotype? It’s just a musing listening to this story prompted.

I enjoyed this book and will seek out others by this author. I received the audiobook from NetGalley.

Unnatural Creatures tells the stories of the women around Dr Frankenstein, and how each was affected by him and his creations.

There was lots going on in this tale, but I struggled to get into it, picking it up and putting it back down repeatedly over a couple of weeks before finally being determined to finish it. I’m relieved to report I succeeded.

Some might love it-especially fans of the original Frankenstein- but I fear this book wasn’t for me.

*I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story was beautiful. Beautifully haunting. Beautifully heartbreaking. Beautifully full of love and hurt, life and death. Kris Waldherr’s story was slow to uncurl but will stay with a reader for a long time.

Unnatural Creatures tells the story of the Frankenstein family through all of its heartbreak and maybe a family curse. It is told mostly from the perspective of a non traditional family member (ex. a ward, a servant) but it captures the family and takes the reader along with them to a he very end.

I would suggest to this book to a monster fan, however it is not a gory horror book but a love story and that must be kept in mind when setting out to reading it.

I was slightly confused when the novel began but quickly caught on. Although the Frankenstein men are an integral part of the storyline, the novel revolves around the Frankenstein women. I enjoyed getting to know the women and felt a part of their story.

I definitely have to listen again to get what I missed, but the writing and reading were amazing. I am not sure if I fully fell in love with Elizabeth, she wasn't my favorite character, but I am a Justine fan. I followed her journey and felt the closest to her. She is introduced as a hunchback and others seem to feel sorry for her, she ends up having one of the strongest "backbones", (pun not intended), of all of the characters.

I don't know how there could be a sequel, but would love to read more of her story.

I was given the opportunity to listen to the audiobook by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Centering around the stories of the women in Victor Frankenstein's life, Unnatural Creatures breathes new life into the original gothic tale. It is beautifully written and atmospheric, and I can imagine many people turning to this in the fall as it seems to be a perfect spooky season read. I love retellings that focus on women's perspectives, and Unnatural Creatures is full of strong, resilient women that I loved reading about!

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

I just reviewed Unnatural Creatures by Kris Waldherr. #UnnaturalCreatures #NetGalley

Fans of Mary Shelley will LOVE this brilliant audiobook based on the women of the Frankenstein family.

The narrator was EXCELLENT and she made the book for me which was out of my usual genre so may not have enjoyed the book as much without this narration. She did different voices for different characters and she read the words with real feeling, as if was acting the part for stage or small screen. Very, very good that I would definitely listen to more audiobooks narrated by Barrie Krynak.

Didn’t think I would take to a book about the Frankenstein women but I really enjoyed it and the narrator helped with that so should take some of the credit. Very well done!

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Review!
*Thank you to Netgalley for access to this ALC in return for an honest review*
I read this book directly after finishing Frankenstein for the first time, so this had some big shoes to fill right from the gate. First I will say the transition between the two texts was nearly seamless, they truly did feel like connected stories in ways that went beyond the superficial. I specifically enjoyed how close this book stuck to the canon while still taking its’ own turn on the story. The story of the Frankenstein women as the story of Frankenstein unfolds around them. There is a lot thematically going on here, not all of it felt clear, but some of it was a great starting off point for an interesting discussion about the original text. All of the characters felt defined and there was no perspective that I was disappointed to enter. I will say that I wish the book had stayed true to the original canon through the entire story instead of dropping it in the final act for what seemed like no real reason. I thought it was just such an interesting possibility to have a story of all of these women behind the curtain without the main story needing to be changed. I would say that the ending was the weakest point in the story, which is a disappointment. I will also admit to not enjoying the implications of the abortion storyline, and I feel like that whole thing could have been scrapped with little to no real difference to the book. Still, I am glad I read it overall.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this Audiobook! First - the narrator is amazing. I feel like I am listening to someone that knew the Frankenstein's personally tell me about the women in Victor Frankenstein's life! This gripping historical fiction novel, set in the late 18th century, tells the tale of the women that surround Victor Frankenstein from birth through adulthood. His mother, Caroline Frankenstein is very protective and loving. Elizabeth Lavenza was rescued as a child by Caroline and is promised to Victor in marriage and the servant Justine who seems to have been fated to be a part of this story that you will NOT see coming. This story is a blend love, horror, turmoil and often stunted emotions. I would high recommend this book!

This book tells the stories of three women, who's lives were intermingled with Victor Frankenstein's both before and after he created his monster. The book follows a chronological timeline where we get the stories of the mother, the bride, and the servant.

This book is beautifully written in the classic gothic style. I listened to the audiobook and Barrie Kreinik does an excellent job portraying the feeling associated with the genre. You definitely get the same feeling as you do from reading Frankenstein, for better or worse. The drawback for me is that it at times gets a little tedious, but that comes with the territory.

It's not an easy task to flesh out women who's already been established, but I think Waldherr does a good job bringing these women to life. It tells the story of people who have been ignored and cast as background characters, but the book is still centered around Victor Frankenstein in how they are connected to him. My biggest problem with them is that they still feel a little like caricatures of the time at points, and how similar the tone is for all three women (which could be a problem with the narration instead of the writing).

Overall I think the book is worth the read or listen if you enjoy gothic books or are a fan of retellings of classics.

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio version of this title in exchange for my review.

This was a very interesting take on the classic story of Frankenstein by Shelley, from different points of view, and from the women in the family. The author layers in different points of view as well as historical details for the time, which leads to an interesting historical fiction story. Not the overall shocking, chilling story of Frankenstein some might be expecting, but an interesting, valuable historical fiction account.

Narration for the audiobook was well done, easy and enjoyable to listen to.

4 stars for 'really liked' this historical fiction book.

***4.5 stars***

I'm really enjoying this trend of reimagining male centric stories from the perspective of the women in the story. And this was no different. I really enjoyed this reimagining of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" that focused on three women and their relationships with each other and with Victor Frankenstein. You don't need to have read "Frankenstein" to grasp this story but if you have you will get another layer of perspective. I found this to be a very satisfying and very sorrowful story. It's definitely an eerie, gothic and atmospheric book. There's plenty of darkness, tension and a foreboding sense of danger throughout. This is helped by the fact that the book takes place during revolution ridded 18th century Europe. I found myself gripped from the start and didn't want to put it down once I started reading.

Overall, I really loved this book. It was horrifying, sad and darkly beautiful. This is a new favorite and would be a perfect addition to anyone's Halloween TBR. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Thank you to Netgalley and Muse Publication LLC for providing me with an audio-arc of this book.