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My Friend Frankenstein
Not yet published
Expected 4 May 27The plucky mystery of Enola Holmes meets the gothic, goofy charm of Wednesday in My Friend Frankenstein, a fun and original middle-grade graphic novel inspired by Mary Shelley's classic work for readers ages 8-12.
Elizabeth isn't thrilled to be moving into the Frankenstein mansion, where her mother has just been hired as a governess. And she's not about to become friends with Victor, the family's young son, whose obsession with science borders on creepy and weird! Her passion lies in journalism and her pursuit of truth for the school newspaper.
But everything changes the day the famous inventor Henry Clerval arrives to announce a science the winner will be admitted to Ingolstadt, the most prestigious academy in the country! For Victor, it’s the perfect opportunity. And he's ready to do anything to win — even conduct a strange experiment in the utmost secrecy . . .
Intrigued and a little unnerved, Elizabeth senses a golden opportunity. But in investigating Victor, she will uncover a truth far more disturbing than anything she could have imagined!
Featuring science on a truly epic scale, questions of right and wrong, and friendship amidst disagreements and quarrels, My Friend Frankenstein is a take on Mary Shelley's work with humor and wit like you've never read before.
Elizabeth isn't thrilled to be moving into the Frankenstein mansion, where her mother has just been hired as a governess. And she's not about to become friends with Victor, the family's young son, whose obsession with science borders on creepy and weird! Her passion lies in journalism and her pursuit of truth for the school newspaper.
But everything changes the day the famous inventor Henry Clerval arrives to announce a science the winner will be admitted to Ingolstadt, the most prestigious academy in the country! For Victor, it’s the perfect opportunity. And he's ready to do anything to win — even conduct a strange experiment in the utmost secrecy . . .
Intrigued and a little unnerved, Elizabeth senses a golden opportunity. But in investigating Victor, she will uncover a truth far more disturbing than anything she could have imagined!
Featuring science on a truly epic scale, questions of right and wrong, and friendship amidst disagreements and quarrels, My Friend Frankenstein is a take on Mary Shelley's work with humor and wit like you've never read before.
- GenresMiddle Grade
144 pages, Paperback
Expected publication May 4, 2027
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 26, 2026
Very very cute and absolutely perfect for any kids that are starting to be interested in Frankenstein! The artwork was very sweet and the graphic novel had the perfect balance of creepy cute!
This is loosely based on Frankenstein with younger characters. It is very fun and I loved seeing Elizabeth’s friendship with Percy.
I absolutely recommend this if you love unique graphic novels and are looking for some cute and creepy to read!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This is loosely based on Frankenstein with younger characters. It is very fun and I loved seeing Elizabeth’s friendship with Percy.
I absolutely recommend this if you love unique graphic novels and are looking for some cute and creepy to read!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review of an advanced copy given by NetGalley
This is such a cute story. It is a great version of Frankenstein for kids. I loved the artwork in the graphic novel and kept reading to see what happened next with Elizabeth and her friend Frankenstein.
This is such a cute story. It is a great version of Frankenstein for kids. I loved the artwork in the graphic novel and kept reading to see what happened next with Elizabeth and her friend Frankenstein.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Making Elizabeth not only the protagonist but also a bit of a tween Lois Lane is also such an inspired idea! Our creature shows up about a third into the book, and things really get crazy by the time we hit the two-thirds mark with our plot. I won't spoil it, save to say I appreciate the references to the old black-and-white Frankenstein Universal Monsters films. I also appreciate the name Elizabeth gives the creature, Percy as a shorthand for person so he will never forget this basic fact about his being.
The art style reminds me of Hark a Vagrant, especially when it comes to fun character expressions! Ernest and William being the names of Elizabeth's dogs had me grinning at the cute reference, and overall I was DELIGHTED at how this doesn't shy away from how children can be macabre (Victor's school mate asking if his mother actually had her head fall off? And Victor deciding to roll with it and pretend he has the head in his school bag? I'd say I was in stitches, but that idiom feels a bit on the nose with Frankenstein). Appropriate also to see the heart we uncover within Victor, who can be blunt and selfish but is clearly dealing with a deep sorrow, grieving a mother he reveals was suicidal.
In a way, I'm reminded of My Gemini, a one-volume manga written by Yuu Morikawa. Like that, this takes a classic work of Western literature and puts it in a school setting and overall has a lot more innocence to its events and a happier ending, without shying away from the darker effects of grief as it does so. I definitely think fans of one will enjoy the other!
The art style reminds me of Hark a Vagrant, especially when it comes to fun character expressions! Ernest and William being the names of Elizabeth's dogs had me grinning at the cute reference, and overall I was DELIGHTED at how this doesn't shy away from how children can be macabre (Victor's school mate asking if his mother actually had her head fall off? And Victor deciding to roll with it and pretend he has the head in his school bag? I'd say I was in stitches, but that idiom feels a bit on the nose with Frankenstein). Appropriate also to see the heart we uncover within Victor, who can be blunt and selfish but is clearly dealing with a deep sorrow, grieving a mother he reveals was suicidal.
In a way, I'm reminded of My Gemini, a one-volume manga written by Yuu Morikawa. Like that, this takes a classic work of Western literature and puts it in a school setting and overall has a lot more innocence to its events and a happier ending, without shying away from the darker effects of grief as it does so. I definitely think fans of one will enjoy the other!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My Friend Frankenstein is an original graphic novel that imagines Victor Frankenstein as a kid who—of course—is desperately trying to get into an exclusive school for young scientists. Apparently getting into an elite school for unusually talented children is THE graphic novel trope of the year for those of a certain age.
I loved the art in this one. It’s totally Seymour Chwast with a kiss of Peter Max—bold, quirky, colorful and just strange enough for the material. The story is fun too, imagining how young Victor first caught the bioelectricity bug and began experimenting with bringing things to life. With the help of Elizabeth, his housekeeper’s daughter and classmate, Victor creates Percy, only to become frightened by his rather hideous appearance and abandon the whole project. Though honestly, given the Chwastian treatment, Percy is pretty darn cute.
Fortunately Elizabeth sees what Victor doesn’t and befriends Percy, which takes the story someplace considerably sweeter than Mary Shelley ever did. It’s a clever way to play around with the Frankenstein mythology while still telling its own story about friendship, ambition and judging something—or someone—by appearances. Well done, great-looking and fun. I liked this one a lot.
I loved the art in this one. It’s totally Seymour Chwast with a kiss of Peter Max—bold, quirky, colorful and just strange enough for the material. The story is fun too, imagining how young Victor first caught the bioelectricity bug and began experimenting with bringing things to life. With the help of Elizabeth, his housekeeper’s daughter and classmate, Victor creates Percy, only to become frightened by his rather hideous appearance and abandon the whole project. Though honestly, given the Chwastian treatment, Percy is pretty darn cute.
Fortunately Elizabeth sees what Victor doesn’t and befriends Percy, which takes the story someplace considerably sweeter than Mary Shelley ever did. It’s a clever way to play around with the Frankenstein mythology while still telling its own story about friendship, ambition and judging something—or someone—by appearances. Well done, great-looking and fun. I liked this one a lot.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
5/5 stars -- it is a truth universally acknowledged that victor frankenstein is a little b*tch boy in every iteration of the frankenstein story<3 I LOVED THIS with my whole entire heart. first of all, let me tell you about MY SON (the creature aka percy, obviously)- who is depicted with such endearment, such care. like if you cry every time you think about frankenstein's monster fr !!!!! i love him more than anyone, that's my boy fr<3<3<3 i'm an elizabeth stan because her heart is so big and she's not afraid to put in the WORK unlike victor. the art was so darling and the colors were beautiful. it was funny and clever (the frankenstein references were done very amusingly), but also touching. everything i want out of a frankenstein retelling, truly.
Plot: 5/5
Character: 5/5
Pacing: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Enjoyment: 5/5
Art: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Character: 5/5
Pacing: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Enjoyment: 5/5
Art: 5/5
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review of an arc given by Netgalley
As a lover of Frankenstein this cute graphic novel touched my heart. In this story we follow Victor Frankenstein and his friend Elizabeth. After Victor creates his creature and the creature runs away, Elizabeth an amateur journalist sees the perfect story in the wake of Victor's mess so she heads out to find the creature to get answers and what she finds is a scared creature who could use a friend. Overall a great story on accepting others differences as well as taking ownership of ones faults.
As a lover of Frankenstein this cute graphic novel touched my heart. In this story we follow Victor Frankenstein and his friend Elizabeth. After Victor creates his creature and the creature runs away, Elizabeth an amateur journalist sees the perfect story in the wake of Victor's mess so she heads out to find the creature to get answers and what she finds is a scared creature who could use a friend. Overall a great story on accepting others differences as well as taking ownership of ones faults.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My Friend Frankenstein
Vincent Kings , Helene Lespagnard (Illustrator)
This comic book as a new interpretation of the original Mary Shelly book. Like the original it shows a haunting look at science, death, and afterlife. The Frankenstein in the book is a three eyed monster, and had immature emotions. The horrific occupancies are more accidental then intentional. The book shows young children the lore of the original book.
Vincent Kings , Helene Lespagnard (Illustrator)
This comic book as a new interpretation of the original Mary Shelly book. Like the original it shows a haunting look at science, death, and afterlife. The Frankenstein in the book is a three eyed monster, and had immature emotions. The horrific occupancies are more accidental then intentional. The book shows young children the lore of the original book.
October 18, 2026
This was a really good and unexpected story about a kind being named Percy, I think it had much less to do with Frankenstein. The art in the book is fun and I loved the color palette used. Even as an adult reading it, I found myself wanting to know what happened next and were surprised on how a few things went. A great read or gift for a young reader or someone that enjoys cozy stories with great art.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First, I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for access to this ARC.
My Friend Frankenstein is a cute reimagining of the story of Frankenstein from Elizabeth's perspective where Victor is held accountable for his crimes.
I loved seeing Elizabeth have autonomy in this version and I loved the underlying humor and advocacy that went on.
Overall, I would highly recommend to students!
My Friend Frankenstein is a cute reimagining of the story of Frankenstein from Elizabeth's perspective where Victor is held accountable for his crimes.
I loved seeing Elizabeth have autonomy in this version and I loved the underlying humor and advocacy that went on.
Overall, I would highly recommend to students!
October 16, 2026
I am blown away by this graphic novel. The art style is absolutely gorgeous and the book talks about death in such a refreshingly blunt and honest way. This is a beautiful portrayal of grief and loss while also being funny and sweet. 5⭐️
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read My Friend Frankenstein.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read My Friend Frankenstein.
October 20, 2026
ARC provided by NetGalley
5/5⭐️
I absolutely loved My Friend Frankenstein! This adaptation brought a lite and cozy atmosphere to a very gruesome and horrific classic. The illustrations were superb, and I would really love to see this duo take on other adaptations of horror classics.
5/5⭐️
I absolutely loved My Friend Frankenstein! This adaptation brought a lite and cozy atmosphere to a very gruesome and horrific classic. The illustrations were superb, and I would really love to see this duo take on other adaptations of horror classics.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Great read!!! A very unique and cute take on Frankenstein monster. Love the artstyle and the color palette. I love that in the end they make lots more of frankenstein and they live peacefully in the forest. Love this book so much!!!
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Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book in advance~
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Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book in advance~
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews