What worked:
Frances hasn’t left the manor in seven years, as her inventor parents are overly protective since she lost an ear in a car accident. The author uses this fact as the cause of Frances’s boredom and frustration in not being allowed in the outside world. She’s just smart enough to think she knows more than her parents, and her impulsiveness leads to many bad decisions. Her parents have well-stocked laboratories in the basement, so the kindling is present for Frances to create real problems. Finding a specimen from her great-grandfather’s failed experiment provides the catalyst for a disaster. It’s evident that Frances will discover a surprise about her past since the author mentions several times that she can’t remember much about the accident.
Hobbes, a robot tutor, and Fritz, an intelligent chimpanzee, make for fascinating and entertaining characters. Hobbes spends most of the book as a disembodied head thanks to another poor choice by Frances. It humorously makes obvious observations and comments that thoroughly annoy Frances, but it also provides timely and important advice. Fritz is able to communicate with Frances using sign language, and he follows her orders independently. They have a close bond after their years together, and he comes to her rescue when needed. Unfortunately, his intelligence serum may wear off in two days.
The adventurous plot is easy to follow, as the conflict is centered on capturing a runaway monster. Complications arise since Frances doesn’t remember life outside the manor, and she manages to transform a policeman into her personal tormentor. It’s unclear what’s motivating the monster since it stays out of sight and Frances can’t see a pattern to its path of destruction. It’s harder to search for it with the officer constantly popping up wherever she goes. The story’s resolution leaves the door open for a sequel, although there aren’t any indications that one is in the works. It not, the final pages only create more questions and problems to be solved.
What didn’t work as well:
When will young characters learn they don’t know everything and that making more bad choices doesn’t cancel out the ones they’ve already made? The answer is never, but Frances seems overly headstrong and out of control in creating the monster. However, that’s her personality, and it’s what identifies her character. She eventually starts to understand the monster and develops empathy for it, so the end of the book takes an exciting turn.
The Final Verdict:
Hunting down a monster. The connection between Frances and the monster is what drives the plot, as she feels responsible for its destruction and terror. She’s forced to learn about friendship during her quest, and the emotional climax brings everything together. Overall, middle-grade readers should love the book, and I highly recommend you give it a shot.

A fast-paced Frankenstein retelling with hints of Les Mis throughout the second half. This book will be great for STEM-inclined kids; I can imagine plenty of readers coming up with imaginative play games after reading it, designing machines, robots, etc. The setting is unique and evokes the steampunk aesthetic despite being set in the 1930s. It was great to see Frances and her friend, Luca, push back against the gender norms of the time.

The twist ending caught me by surprise, and will delight young readers with its inventiveness. The epilogue also sets up the possibility for a sequel.

This is a vivid Frankenstein retelling with a story as fantastical and enticing as the cover. A courageous MC, Frances, has the reader rooting for her from the start. The lyrical writing drew me in immediately, and the world building has me anxious to see what Refe Tuma produces for MG audiences next.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy.

It has been seven long years since eleven-year-old Frances has been allowed outside the confines of the manor she calls home. Because her parents are two renowned scientists, they are often asked to speak and present all over Europe–but Frances is never allowed to join them. So, when Frances' father mentions a surprise in store for her, Frances plans for a great adventure, only to find she is being left home once again. Frances is not one to wallow, however, and she decides to utilize the many resources available to her in her parents' absence. One particularly noteworthy decision places Frances on a journey she will never forget, during which she discovers truths about herself that will forever alter her own future.

This memorable middle grade adventure is a loving homage to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. From character names to much of the plot itself, the Victorian horror and science present in Shelley's novel make their way into this story that is geared toward a younger audience. Science, adventure, friendship, and humanity find their way into the narrative, building a complex world that is peppered with both humor and a bit of danger. Together, these varied elements create a vivid whole that is both compelling and emotionally rich, serving as a multifaceted escape through the eyes of characters placed nearly a century in the past.

Frances and her companions are surrounded by science and technology that is well ahead of their time frame of the late 1930s. And though war is mentioned within the context of interactions within the story, it is not a primary focus of this narrative. Instead, the story focuses more on Frances and her friend Luca, who are learning to both survive and thrive when their own parents are not as present as others might be. Additionally, Frances is often referred to as a boy, and she spends much of the story discerning how she truly identifies within the scope of the rigid gender expectations of the time in which she lives. Seasoned readers who are familiar with Mary Shelley's work will appreciate the parallels that have been incorporated into Frances' story, and newer readers will likewise enjoy this accessible introduction to a hallmark of English literature. Frances and the Monster is a thought-provoking and entertaining addition to libraries for middle grade readers.