I don’t like giving one star reviews. Especially to ARCs. Especially to books that I was looking forward to reading. As much as I wanted to be generous and give this a 2, I was ranting and raving so much while I was reading this book that I can’t help but give it a 1.

This book takes place in Victorian London in 1888 and it is a tale of gothic horror and a bit of a Frankenstein reimagining. I love the Victorian period, that cover is truly creepy, and when I found out that this was set during the time that Jack the Ripper was active, I was even more excited to read it (despite the fact that almost every fictional story I’ve read about Jack the Ripper has let me down).


The most frustrating thing about this book was definitely the main character Odile who goes by “Dilly” (for the record, both of those names are terrible). Was I supposed to take this girl seriously? Because from the getgo I struggled to do so. For example, the first time she dresses as a boy in order to go out at night with Ben he tells her that she needs a boy’s name and calls her “Augustus.” She becomes offended and tells him she wants a better name than that and when Ben asks her what name she has in mind, she thinks about it and then is like, “Dan.” Dan, really? Pretty basic, but okay, whatever. Then, when they’re going out and about at night she’s looking around and surprised to find that the streets are empty and there’s no one else out. Ben is like, “well you know there’s a killer on the loose right?” and she tells him she didn’t know that. Um, was she living under a rock??? I studied the Victorian period quite a bit in my academic career and the Ripper murders basically threw all of London into an absolute PANIC. How would she never have heard of the murders??

But what took the cake for me was this (I literally burst out laughing, which isn’t really something you should be doing in a horror book):

Ben (hands Dilly a scalpel): “Here is a scalpel. I recall you know how to use one?”
Dilly (super offended): “I’ve been doing surgery on Deirdre’s dolls since I was nine.”
Um, what? Excuse me? Is she Sid from Toy Story?

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Yes, cutting open a doll IS very similar to dissecting a human body, Dilly. *sarcasm*

In the wise words of Buzz Lightyear:

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As the story progressed, I found Dilly to be more and more frustrating.

She:
(a) “accidentally” killed a woman who is believed to be dead (she was sick and died and they buried her body but she was actually not dead. Her pulse was very slow and apparently the family couldn’t detect it, like a House of Usher thing) and Dilly removes her heart. Well, she’s certainly dead now!

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(b) Ran into Jack the Ripper in an alleyway with one of his victims. She sees him kill the woman but somehow scares him off (not sure why he would be scared off by a teenage girl but whatever). The woman was still alive so Dilly snapped her neck. Um, what? I’m pretty sure it is very difficult to do that in general, especially for a 17 year old girl!

(c) Was very gullible and took everything that anyone said to her as the truth – even the people she didn’t trust. Ben told her to kill his father but basically said it was ok because his father was a bad person…and she did it! HUH?? Why would you automatically do something like that just because you were told to???

(d) Somehow didn’t notice her dead and reanimated sister stealing bodies and reassembling them in their home! How could she miss that? Wouldn’t the bodies smell? Not to mention it’s not easy to cart bodies around. Wouldn’t Dilly have seen that?

(e) She talked a lot about how “smart” she was but in reality, she was one of the dumbest characters I’ve read about in a long time. She was taken in by everyone and I don’t know why she would just believe them at face value. Her sister was OBVIOUSLY very different after coming back to life but Dilly never put two and two together that the sister might be killing people?

I can’t with Dilly.

Actually, I didn't like any of the characters, except for Edmund. Poor, long suffering Edmund. Always loyal and always looking after Dilly, who didn’t remotely deserve his love and care. He had major Alfred Pennyworth vibes. I did really like him as a character and he was about the only thing I liked about the book, sadly.

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The end reveal was stupid and predictable. Dilly knew her father had brought someone back to life successfully. Who could it be??? You need a heart from a family member and there were only 4 people in the family: Dilly and Deirdre, the father and the mother (who died not long after giving birth). Hmm, shocker…it was DILLY who had been brought back to life the whole time! There are literally only 4 family members, 3 if you don’t count the dad since obviously he couldn’t bring himself back to life. This reveal should be shocking to no one.

The reviews I’ve seen have mentioned how gripping the first sentence is: “I killed my sister. Twice.” I’ll give you that it is definitely a sentence that will get your attention…EXCEPT for the fact that the FIRST SENTENCE is a MAJOR SPOILER for the book. She literally kills her sister for the second time at the very end of the book, but if you’ve read the first sentence, obviously you know it’s coming. Instead of tension and excitement, it was anticlimactic and boring. She should have realized her sister needed to be destroyed long before she actually did.

This book was beyond frustrating to me. It reminded me a lot of Stalking Jack the Ripper (another book I absolutely hated but a lot of people really enjoyed). Maybe if you love the story of Stalking Jack the Ripper but didn’t enjoy the romance aspects of it (since there is no romance in this book), you might like this one, but I’d hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

A frankstein-esque tale from the perspective of a teenage girl? Absolutely! I love this rise of darker fiction with teen audiences in mind.

Dilly Rothbart spends the day before her 17th birthday burying her father. After her father's sudden death, Dilly and her twin sister Dede are left alone in the world, save the manservant that has faithfully served their family for years. Dilly has dreamed of being a surgeon for years and follow in her father's footsteps. With his passing she is introduced to Ben, a student at the local medical college and the son of her father's greatest critic. Alongside Ben, Dilly falls into the world of medical colleges, grave robbery, and the search for a cure to death itself. Dilly decides to follow in her father's footsteps to become a resurrectionist.

This book was an interesting take on the Frankenstein story. What if the Dr. wasn't really a Dr. but a teenage girl trying as she might to make her way in the world and follow in her father's footsteps, the father that wanted her to have nothing to do with this line of work. The character of Dilly really intrigued me, the writer created a multifaceted character who not only kept her aspirations in mind but also worried over the hopes and dreams of her twin sister.

Dilly Rothbart has always wanted to follow her father’s footsteps and become a surgeon. It’s a path he refused to let her take, but since he died in a terrible accident, she’s determined to pursue her dream. Between entering the world of corpse-stealing and stumbling upon her dad’s journal that reveals the secrets of resurrecting the dead, Dilly’s entire life is about to be turned upside down.

I’m a sucker for retellings of classic literature, so of course I had to read this! In this "Frankenstein" retelling, we follow Dilly as she begins to figure out how she’s going to afford medical school if she manages to get into the few that accept women. With her twin sister, Dee Dee, by her side, she’s determined to make sure she and her sister both make their dreams happen. Unfortunately, things go awry when a fight leads to the untimely death of her sister, but it’s a good thing she has her dad’s notes on resurrection… It’s too bad Dee Dee came back completely different.

I could not get enough of this book. It’s really well written and had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. Each of the characters are interesting, even the supporting characters we don’t learn a whole lot about, and they all felt so real like we were actually meeting these people. The opening of the first chapter had me hooked right away, and there’s a couple of excellent mystery plots weaved throughout the entire book.

If this sounds up your alley, I highly recommend it. It’s a haunting story that takes us on a wild ride as Dilly keeps getting dug deeper and deeper in a huge mess after becoming a true resurrectionist. It’s a book that will make you find yourself still awake and reading at 3am. It makes me really excited to check out what else the author will publish in the future.

very well written horror story with some awesomely well-done writing and darkly interesting comedy, as well as horror. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

The Resurrectionist is the perfect transition book for young readers transitioning into young adults. I loved reading Kathleen S. Allen's spin on a Frankenstein-esque story about a girl so grief stricten by her sister's death so soon after their father's passing that she brings her back to life. Our main character, Dilly, is such a strong female lead, she wants to go against tradition and become a surgeon in a time when it is looked down upon for women to want to do anything other that tradition female roles. The Victorian era just adds to the overall story, from the clothes, the medical knowledge, the atmosphere, its perfect!

beyond excited to see this books hit my inbox- this is one of my most anticipated books of 2025 and i will be sure to post my review on all retailers!! 💞

This was fun!! perfect for the time (October) that this plans on releasing. It was a little spooky and a lot of sass. I really enjoyed this book. Will be purchasing when it releases!

10/10 would not recommend reading this while you are home alone. Phenomenal writing that is perfect for your spooky collection!

Kathleen S. Allen crafts a haunting narrative around a young woman who disguises herself as a man to attend medical school—a premise that immediately draws interest and raises the stakes in a society that punishes such defiance.

The novel is rich in period detail, with gritty depictions of grave-robbing, medical advancements, and class divides. The protagonist is compelling and courageous, navigating both the literal corpses of her work and the figurative dangers of a patriarchal world. As strange occurrences and ghostly visions begin to surface, Allen seamlessly introduces supernatural elements that heighten the tension without overwhelming the historical foundation.

At times, the pacing slows in favor of atmospheric buildup, but readers who enjoy character-driven gothic tales will appreciate the slow burn. The themes of gender, power, and the thin line between science and the spiritual are woven effectively throughout.

The Resurrectionist is a dark and atmospheric gothic horror novel that skillfully combines medical mystery with a chilling exploration of ambition and obsession. Kathleen S. Allen crafts a vivid Victorian setting filled with shadowy laboratories, grave-robbing, and the eerie thrill of forbidden science. Seventeen-year-old Dilly Rothbart’s journey into her late father’s secret experiments unfolds with tension and moral complexity, especially as her rivalry with her twin sister intensifies. The novel evokes classic Frankenstein vibes while offering fresh twists that keep readers guessing. Though the pace occasionally falters under the weight of detail, the rich atmosphere and haunting themes of power and corruption make this a compelling read for fans of dark, historical suspense.

3.5
The Resurrectionist was a page turner that had me hooked from the start. It felt like a mix between Frankenstein and Anatomy a love story. Dilly was a strong female character with goals in life and no man would stand in her way to achieve them.
The book wasn't as dark as it could have been even though it had some dark elements. It was a quick read with lots of twists and turns.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with this eARC.

Frankenstein and feminism? Sign me up. This was such a.. dare I say.. fun book to read. I was curious how it would tie all together and I simply loved the ending.

This wasn’t a literary masterpiece as a YA novel, but definitely a quick morbidly fun book to read. I’d certainly recommend it to anyone.

I have a couple of small complaints but they contain spoilers so I’ll keep those to myself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

The best way to describe this one is as a YA reimagining of Frankenstein as a teenage year old girl, and set in Whitechapel in 1888. Dilly’s father has recently passed away, leaving her and her twin sister orphans. Since they have little support system, they’ll both need to find employment. Even though Dilly’s a woman and it’s “not the done thing,” she dreams of becoming a skilled surgeon like her father. Now that her father’s notes and texts are hers, she’s even more determined. When her attempts to gain admission to the local medical college are met with resistance, not even Dilly is prepared for how far she will go to prove herself.

This book is a phenomenal love letter to Mary Shelley. If you’re a fan of the creepy or of the gothic style, this one will be delightful. It continues to explore many of the same questions that Frankenstein did, but keeping more of a focus on the doctor. Many will find Dilly far more relatable than Victor, most notably in her familial relationships and her grief. She fascinated me. Even when the reader understands fully that the outcome of her decisions will be bad, it’s easy to see why she makes them. The author makes great use of dramatic irony by inserting at the beginning of each chapter Dilly’s future thoughts on the events about to occur.

I had so much fun with this one. No one between these pages can be trusted. The twists just kept coming all the way through to the very last page. They never felt disorienting, however. I was always leaning into them and eager for even more. In addition to reimagining classic literature, it does the same with historical true crime. Any true crime aficionados will recognize the setting of Whitechapel in 1888. That was the backdrop for the infamous Jack the Ripper. I was hunting for clues the whole time, and this book kept me guessing and turning pages. I finished this one in two days.

This was a wonderful retelling of the story of Frankenstein. It is wonderfully gothic with some twists to the story.
This telling takes place from the point of a woman in London who does not want the traditional life. She is hoping to become a surgeon like her father. However she pushes toward finding the secret to resurrection after her father’s death and his research notes are found. An accident with her sister has Dilly using her father’s notes to achieve what many have been working toward. Her discovery is tainted when the son of the man who removed her father from the society of surgeons, Ben, is driven to also make the same discovery.

You had me at feminine rage in a Frankenstein retelling. But then the author hit me with that opening line, “ I killed my sister. Twice.”

A dark and gothic story that was well done and a was a fun quick read. This book is beautifully macabre creating a sense of tension and paradox. Being both captivating, yet unsettling in all the right ways. We have medical science, grave robbing, murder and resurrection! What more could you ask for!

A true lesson in why you should not be messing with raising the dead. How it call all go so terrible wrong. The ending, that ending was completely unexpected.

I really enjoyed this! I can see this story being used in high school as a way to teach gothic elements with a touch of Frankenstein tied in as well. I thought the characters were well written and story flowed easily. I did feel like there’s just a little something off and missing, but I can’t put my finger on it.

It gave me the same vibes as Stalking Jack the Ripper because of the time period and the way a female was looked down on for being interested in being a surgeon or doing anything besides getting married and/or being a nurse.

The ending was perfect and I didn’t see that coming at all! Great for fans of gothic horror, Frankenstein, and just an overall eerie feelings!

This was the Frankenstein retelling I never knew I needed. I’m not a huge Frankenstein fan, but this one, I love.

Have you ever wondered what the story of Frankenstein (Victor that is) would be like if Frankenstein were a woman instead? A woman who is smart, ambitious, knows what she wants, and is willing to do whatever it takes to show the world that she’s right, all while battling the ideologies of a time where women weren’t allowed to be any of those things? Count me in every time.

This story is dark, yet not, which doesn’t make sense but it’s true. I loved watching our fmc slowly descend into a level of madness trying to make her resurrectionist dreams come true.

Thank you very much to Macmillan Children’s Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are genuine and my own.

🧠🫀🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🕯️🪦⚰️🔪🩺💉🦠🩸🧬🌡️🧪

Dark + gothic + feminine rage + Frankenstein retelling + medical theme + grave digging??? What else could a girl ask for??
This was a quick & easy read! I knocked off a star because parts were very similar to Anatomy: A Love Story, and I just wasn’t vibing with the writing at some points. But also…
WHAT THE HECK ??? that ending ??? WILD

Thank you, Macmillan, NetGalley, and Kathleen for the ARC! I loved it and can't wait to it to my collection of books.

You know what? This book had me hooked from the very first page, when Dilly said:

I killed my sister.

Twice.

From there, it was just a wild ride as Dilly explained what happened and how it all led to that moment. I mean, come on! Stealing corpses, pretending to be a boy, killing people, and trying to resurrect the dead? (You'll have to read the book to find out if she actually pulls it off!) What more could I possibly want from a good story?

One thing I loved was how Dilly kept proving the guys she met wrong. She showed them she was just as good, if not better, when it came to medicine. And without giving too much away, she definitely proved it. Not just once, but twice! I'm 100% a Dilly fan. I did feel bad for her, though. She had so much weighing her down (and not just the whole "society being awful" thing). I was rooting for her the entire time. And seriously, the ending?! Like, hello?? What do you mean, her dad did that?!

Overall, I really liked this book. It totally kept my attention, and all the little twists and surprises made it even more exciting. Definitely recommend it!