Shelly's Book Blog

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.