Frankenstein is one of my all-time favourite horror novels. I have re-read it so many times through the years, and every time I take away something a little bit different. This latest reread had me thinking in a new direction: what it has in common with my novel The Well of Souls.

If you’ve read The Well of Souls, you might be wondering what I’m talking about. Surely, if it has anything to do with a classic horror, it must be Dracula, right? Vampires and all. But it occurred to me when I was in Geneva, the birthplace of Frankenstein, that there were many deeper similarities between Frankenstein’s monster, and The Well of Souls main character Lola Monteux.

One of the major themes of Frankenstein is humanity or lack thereof, shown through the monster as he seeks for his own humanity, and signs of it in others. Created but left without a guiding force, the monster lumbers into the world, seeking kindness. He is deeply intelligent and has sensitive emotions, but constantly spurned by a world who can only see his exterior differences, he shuns humanity and becomes that which people expect him to be—though I’d argue the real monster all along was Dr. Frankenstein.

Lola, on the other hand, was raised by the monster who created her, though she struggled with unexplained feelings of humanity other vampires don’t. While the reason behind her humanity is eventually revealed, it doesn’t change the fact that a 16 year old vampire craved humanity and sought humans her age to explore this. If Lola had been as ugly as Frankenstein’s butchered monster, I wonder whether she would have been given the grace to explore her humanity as she was?

Another abiding theme in The Well of Souls is feminism, as found in the ultra strong Lola, able to take on physical and emotional challenges in order to save her newfound friends. Frankenstein doesn’t have the same level of strong female characters, but that’s due to the time it was written. The author, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, was an original feminist, refusing to cater to the expectations of society that didn’t view women as equals. Instead, she flouted convention again and again and wrote Frankenstein, the first science fiction novel, and inspiring a brand new genre of literature.

The Well of Souls has a kickass main heroine, though she is morally grey as they come, and delves into the concepts of humanity. I would like to think that Mary Shelley would approve.

The Well of Souls is on sale now, from now until the end of the month! Take advantage and check out the YA paranormal fantasy!

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