Eva was a little too bright to fit well into the small town in which she was raised. She was regarded as an odd little duck and frequently discounted and even maligned until the day Baron Frankenstein arrived. The Baron is a man of science with big plans to modernize the town. He takes an interest in Eva, opens his library to her, tutors her, but his interest in Eva is not purely academic. Eva is soon swept off her feet by the Baron’s passion.

One day she meets Adam, the Baron’s cousin. He is simpleminded, horribly scarred, and possessed of hauntingly familiar eyes. She comes to realize that Adam may not be simpleminded as she first thought, and may just lack an education. She sets about teaching Adam on a dare from the Baron. During her time in the castle, she grows to love Adam and witnesses the Baron’s cruelty, both in his treatment of his cousin, and in his plans for the town.

My Frankenstein is a well written and well executed blend of romance and horror. I think if Mary Shelley were alive, she’d be smiling about this take on her creation. She would appreciate the care that was taken to extract the best parts of her story and stitch them into something completely new with a life of its own. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to lovers of romance and horror, or to those simply looking for a good read. Michael Lee is an author to keep an eye on. Expect great things. ( )