There exists a Venn diagram with Frankenstein in one circle, Jurassic Park in the other and Our Hideous Progeny sitting snugly in the overlap. I adore an angry woman novel and this is very much that. Prehistoric beasts aside, this is a novel about the modern beast - that is to say, misogyny. A woman scientist? In the Victorian era? Without children? Mary's very being is an affront to the society she was born into and she pushes back against it with reckless abandon, loudly, furiously. I loved reading her. McGill's language is fit for the era, beautiful and Gothic. She has clearly handled Mary Shelley's source material with care and detail and has produced, in my opinion, an excellent addition to the Frankenstein mythology. 10/10 spooky time read.

I loved this book so much! It's written so beautifully, imitating the language used in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, which was the inspiration for this story. It's clearly well researched, from the science involved to how life was like in the 1850s, when it was set. It's dark academia but make it science - set in a time when new discoveries were being made in science and women rarely had a voice, Mary, our protagonist, is trying to navigate the world as both a woman and a scientist, whilst also grappling with her sexuality. Her rage seeps through the page, but also her compassion for others and passion for her subject, making her an interesting character with a lifelike personality.

(4.5 rounded up to 5.0.) I loved this updated homage to Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein'. It was beautifully written and clearly evokes the frustrations of intelligent women in Victorian life. As a woman and with a lack of formal education, our main character, Mary, is overlooked and underrepresented. She has a knowledge and passion in science and paleontology, like her spineless but ambitious husband, Henry. When she finds papers and letters from her great-uncle, Victor Frankenstein, hidden in her late father's belongings, they spark ideas to attempt to create a 'Creature' of her own. This would gain the couple a reputation in the scientific community. I was rooting for Mary throughout the book and was annoyed, but unsurprised, at the way she - and women in general - were treated, even by their own husbands! Mary was a rebel of the highest order and I went through every single emotion with her. I loved her relationships with Maisie, her sister-in-law, and especially with the Creature. I loved the quotes from the original 'Frankenstein' at the beginning of each chapter. I felt this book was sympathetic to 'Frankenstein' in terms of pacing, level of detail, the moral dilemmas of the main character, and the atmosphere. You don't need to have read the original to understand this work, just know the basics. (I love the book so I would encourage you to read it anyway!) Will there be a sequel to 'Our Hideous Progeny'? I hope so and I would jump at the chance to read it. This is a thoroughly enjoyable read. I chose this ARC from a selection on NetGalley. I voluntarily, and honestly, read and reviewed this work. All opinions are my own. My thanks to the publisher, NetGalley, and the author.

Filled with fury and ambition, Mary turns to her great-grandfather Victor Frankenstein's research in order to claim her space in the 1850s scientific community. Not only is the novel beautifully written and well-researched, but I'm in absolute awe of its viceral nature. It is a true homage to the birth of science fiction.

As someone who has only read the original Frankenstein once, I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this continuation of the original novel’s mythology; the characters are engaging, and the plot really races along once the decision is made to try to emulate the original experiment. A really good debut novel, perfect for a wee winter’s chill!