Tag Archives: scholastic

Dr. Frankenstein’s Daughters by Suzanne Weyn

by

Dr. Frenkenstein's Daughters

A new generation is creating a monster….

When Doctor Victor Frankenstein died, he left behind a legacy of horror…as well as two unacknowledged, beautiful twin daughters. Now these girls are seventeen, and they’ve come to Frankenstein’s castle to claim it as their inheritance.

Giselle and Ingrid are twins, but they couldn’t be more different. Giselle is a glamorous social climber who plans on turning Frankenstein’s castle into a center of high society. Ingrid, meanwhile, is quiet and studious, drawn to the mysterious notebooks her father left behind…and the experiments he went mad trying to perfect.

As Giselle prepares for lavish parties and Ingrid finds herself falling for the sullen, wounded naval officer next door, a sinister force begins to take hold in the castle. Nobody’s safe as Frankenstein’s legacy leads to a twisted, macabre journey of romance and horror.–Description from Amazon.com

 

  • Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Scholastic Press (January 1, 2013)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0545425336
  • ISBN-13: 978-0545425339

You can find this book here: http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Frankensteins-Daughters-Suzanne-Weyn/dp/0545425336/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1359663348&sr=8-2

My Review of Dr. Frankenstein’s Daughters

When the Identical twin daughters of the infamous Victor Frankenstein inherit the family castle, they never expect for life to change as drastically as it does. With horror, suspense and romance all in the same story, this is one to read for a real adventure.

Somehow I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did. I was not only surprised by the accuracy of the references the author made to the original work, but also delighted with her ability to tell a compelling story based on said work.

The twin girls that are the main protagonists are as different as night and day. One of them is concerned with fashion and her appearance and how society views her, while the other is intelligent, simple and rather introspective. These differences made this an interesting book. Rather than only seeing things through the eyes of one character, the reader gets the opportunity to view the story through both of the main character’s points of view.

This book had enough suspense to keep me reading, wondering what would happen next. For a young adult book, I thought the love story was actually pretty complex and the characters had a lot of depth. The author, Suzanne Weyn, used descriptive language that provided me with vibrant imagery.

The dialogue was very well written and believable, sounding appropriate for the historical period of the setting.

I would certainly recommend this book to others. I think early teens and younger adults would easily become lost in this intelligently written and entertaining novel.

This review is based on a digital ARC from the publisher.

 

Lincoln’s Grave Robbers by Steve Sheinkin

by

Lincoln's grave robbers

A true crime thriller — the first book for teens to tell the nearly unknown tale of the brazen attempt to steal Abraham Lincoln’s body!

The action begins in October of 1875, as Secret Service agents raid the Fulton, Illinois, workshop of master counterfeiter Ben Boyd. Soon after Boyd is hauled off to prison, members of his counterfeiting ring gather in the back room of a smoky Chicago saloon to discuss how to spring their ringleader. Their plan: grab Lincoln’s body from its Springfield tomb, stash it in the sand dunes near Lake Michigan, and demand, as a ransom, the release of Ben Boyd –and $200,000 in cash. From here, the action alternates between the conspirators, the Secret Service agents on their trail, and the undercover agent moving back and forth between the two groups. Along the way readers get glimpses into the inner workings of counterfeiting, grave robbing, detective work, and the early days of the Secret Service. The plot moves toward a wild climax as robbers and lawmen converge at Lincoln’s tomb on election night: November 7, 1876.–Description from Amazon.com

 

  • Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  • Hardcover: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Scholastic Press (January 1, 2013)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0545405726
  • ISBN-13: 978-0545405720

You can find this book available for purchase by going here:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545405726/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

My Review of Lincoln’s Grave Robbers:

Lincoln’s Grave Robbers by Steve Sheinkin was not only an educational read, but an entertaining one at that. I realize that this book was market for kids ten and over, but I felt it might be a little bit advanced for most at age ten. Some of the vocabulary is a bit advanced and there are a few morbid, although historical, descriptions.

Otherwise, this was excellent. I even learned quite a few things I hadn’t known before, such as the original purpose of the CIA, and the problem with fake money being distributed in the late 1800′s.

The setup and background history for how the plot to steal Lincoln’s body does take up a large portion of the book, but I found that made it easier to understand why someone would want to become a grave robber. Rather than just pointing out who did it and what they hoped to accomplish, the author gives a real history of the criminals and what kind of people they were.

I liked that the information was presented in a relaxed format that was fun to read. This book didn’t feel so much like a text book as it did a conversation with an intelligent person.

I think older children would benefit from reading this book, and even adults who like American history or are interested in Lincoln.

This review is based on an ARC copy from the publisher.