This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein
0 comments Posted by Shelly at Monday, November 21, 2011
In This Dark Endeavor: the Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, by Kenneth Oppel, Victor is 16 and his twin brother, Konrad, has fallen ill and may die. Desperate to save his brother, Victor contacts a shady alchemist named Dr. Polidori, who sends Victor, his cousin Elizabeth, and his friend Henry on a creepy search for the ingredients to create the Elixir of Life. Victor is convinced that if all the doctors his wealthy father calls to Konrad's bedside fail, then he will be able to save his brother with this magic potion. The three teens' adventures make exciting -- nay, breathless -- reading, and the whole story sits just this side of horror. I enjoy reading tales like this one that re-imagine the worlds of classic literature, and Oppel has done an excellent job of imagining Frankenstein's youth and setting the stage for Mary Shelley's classic story. The love triangle here to adds to the tension and provides rich, meaningful character development. I really enjoyed this spine-tingling, darkly romantic story. 
Ivy and the Meanstalk, by Dawn Lairamore, is the sequel to Ivy's Ever After, which I loved. This time, Ardendale is threatened by Largessa, a female giant who has not been able to sleep ever since Jack (of beanstalk fame) stole her magic harp. Since this happened hundreds of years ago, she is in a very nasty mood and tells Ivy she will start throwing large boulders to rain down on Ardendale if the harp is not returned.
Ivy consults Drusilla, her fairy godmother, and discovers that the harp is probably in Jackopia, so Ivy and Elridge fly to Jackopia to retrieve it. Of course, the present king of Jackopia flatly refuses to give up the harp, not caring that his stubborness will result in the total destruction of an entire kingdom and all its people. This is a fairy tale, so it should end with a happily ever after ending, but you'll have to read the book to find out!
