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Frankenstein: Your Classics. Your Choices.
In these literary classics, you make the choices. Readers explore alternative paths, new character developments, shocking new endings, and surprising plot twists, told in the same voice as Mary Shelley's original.
Beloved Monster Juice author, M.D. Payne, explores the madness inside and provides alternative endings to Mary Shelley's classic tale in our series of choice-driven books that expand on the narratives of literary classics. New options allow readers to explore additional characters and settings. Some lead to new endings, while others send readers back into the original storyline. Fans of literary classics will delight in seeing their favorite stories given new life, and reluctant readers will discover the classics through the engaging format of an interactive story.
Beloved Monster Juice author, M.D. Payne, explores the madness inside and provides alternative endings to Mary Shelley's classic tale in our series of choice-driven books that expand on the narratives of literary classics. New options allow readers to explore additional characters and settings. Some lead to new endings, while others send readers back into the original storyline. Fans of literary classics will delight in seeing their favorite stories given new life, and reluctant readers will discover the classics through the engaging format of an interactive story.
- GenresHorror
192 pages, Paperback
Published August 17, 2021
About the author
M.D. Payne
17 books11 followersM. D. Payne was born in 1978 to an Air Force Family and grew up in 11 different homes in Maine, California, Idaho, Florida, Virginia, Ohio, and Germany. As a child, he was a ravenous reader. While in elementary school, his favorite past-time was creating cut-and-paste scrapbooks of presidential facts that remain in his mother's possession today. His first published work was "Creatures of the Night," a short story which appeared in the Idaho Statesman newspaper when he was in the 9th grade.
M. D. remained a fan of Halloween and horror into adulthood, so he jumped at the chance to write marketing and creative copy for the famed GOOSEBUMPS series in 2007, and was soon pulled into the world of kidlit. He wrote his first books, the gross-out horror series MONSTER JUICE, and then became involved in the NY Times bestselling WHO WAS series, initially tackling spooky titles like "Who Is R. L. Stine?" and "What is the Story of Scooby-Doo?"
Before M. D. was a writer, he was a Jazz DJ, wrote scripts for Jazz at Lincoln Center Radio, and was associate producer on Essentially Ellington recordings and public radio programs such as "Honky Tonks, Hymns, and the Blues" and "W.C. Handy’s Blues." He took that decade of experience and poured it into "Who Was Duke Ellington?"
He's since written "What Is the Story of Captain Kirk?" and the Mary Shelley's Frankenstein edition of YOU ARE THE CLASSICS.
A fan of kids, reading, and especially kids who read, M. D. gives presentations on reading and writing to children and teachers alike at numerous schools around the country, and around the world virtually. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and two children, and works in the NYC metro area as a communications specialist for independent schools.
M. D. remained a fan of Halloween and horror into adulthood, so he jumped at the chance to write marketing and creative copy for the famed GOOSEBUMPS series in 2007, and was soon pulled into the world of kidlit. He wrote his first books, the gross-out horror series MONSTER JUICE, and then became involved in the NY Times bestselling WHO WAS series, initially tackling spooky titles like "Who Is R. L. Stine?" and "What is the Story of Scooby-Doo?"
Before M. D. was a writer, he was a Jazz DJ, wrote scripts for Jazz at Lincoln Center Radio, and was associate producer on Essentially Ellington recordings and public radio programs such as "Honky Tonks, Hymns, and the Blues" and "W.C. Handy’s Blues." He took that decade of experience and poured it into "Who Was Duke Ellington?"
He's since written "What Is the Story of Captain Kirk?" and the Mary Shelley's Frankenstein edition of YOU ARE THE CLASSICS.
A fan of kids, reading, and especially kids who read, M. D. gives presentations on reading and writing to children and teachers alike at numerous schools around the country, and around the world virtually. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and two children, and works in the NYC metro area as a communications specialist for independent schools.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 28, 2022
This was a great Frankenstein kid's book! It had almost everything I wanted! The main thing it was missing was a storyline through the monster's point of view.
You were able to follow the original storyline, which was neat, but it also had many other sad, fun, and tragic branching storylines as well! The choices, even the smallest ones, affected the storyline's trajectory in a big way, so you knew you wouldn't end up in the same place as last time. There were only a couple choices that basically affected nothing, but only a couple. It wasn't too badly written for a children's book.
The book had a wide variety of storylines, ranging from the classic Frankenstein story, making a monster dog, building an army, to raising the monster to be kind and caring. Depending on what you might be looking for in a revisionist Frankenstein story, this book has a good chance to deliver, within the limitations of being solely through Victor's point of view, and being acceptable for children, but that is the nature of choose your own adventure books.
You were able to follow the original storyline, which was neat, but it also had many other sad, fun, and tragic branching storylines as well! The choices, even the smallest ones, affected the storyline's trajectory in a big way, so you knew you wouldn't end up in the same place as last time. There were only a couple choices that basically affected nothing, but only a couple. It wasn't too badly written for a children's book.
The book had a wide variety of storylines, ranging from the classic Frankenstein story, making a monster dog, building an army, to raising the monster to be kind and caring. Depending on what you might be looking for in a revisionist Frankenstein story, this book has a good chance to deliver, within the limitations of being solely through Victor's point of view, and being acceptable for children, but that is the nature of choose your own adventure books.
May 11, 2023
Frankenstein: You are the Classics, by Mary Shelley, and M.D. Payne.
Expectations exceeded reality. I was hoping for an immersive experience much like when I was a kid reading ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ stories.
It is from the POV of Victor and plays on the pop-culture persona of the mad scientist. It takes some weird turns, such as Elizabeth falling in love with the Creature and then out of jealousy Victor makes an Elizabeth II (i.e. female version of the Creature) for himself. Both sets of couples live happily ever after and produce children and grandchildren. Not exactly echoing the ethos of Shelley’s vision, but, oh well. Fun here if you are looking for following various pathways in your storied imagination. ***
Expectations exceeded reality. I was hoping for an immersive experience much like when I was a kid reading ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ stories.
It is from the POV of Victor and plays on the pop-culture persona of the mad scientist. It takes some weird turns, such as Elizabeth falling in love with the Creature and then out of jealousy Victor makes an Elizabeth II (i.e. female version of the Creature) for himself. Both sets of couples live happily ever after and produce children and grandchildren. Not exactly echoing the ethos of Shelley’s vision, but, oh well. Fun here if you are looking for following various pathways in your storied imagination. ***
November 22, 2023
The unnecessary gore at the very beginning of this book was an accurate portrait of what was to come next. I'll be donating my copy.
I wouldn't recommend this one to elementary readers but middle school should be fine.
I wouldn't recommend this one to elementary readers but middle school should be fine.
January 15, 2026
🌾 Frankenstein: Your Classics. Your Choices.
by M.D. Payne & Mary Shelley
M.D. Payne takes readers on a twisty, interactive journey through Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. In this version, you get to decide where the story goes—every few pages, you’re faced with two options that determine your path. Some endings circle back to the original story, while others take you somewhere entirely new.
This was such a fun and refreshing way to revisit a classic. I ended up with four pages of notes trying to track all of the different endings (I counted at least twenty-three!). The endings range from happy-ever-afters to—you guessed it—death, death, and more death. It was an exciting challenge to see how many different fates I could uncover, and I loved that feeling of “controlling” the narrative.
One note: the book is marketed for ages 8–12, but I personally think that might be a little young. Some scenes get fairly gory and intense. As a parent of a seven-year-old, I wouldn’t feel comfortable reading it with him quite yet. If you’re considering this for a younger reader, I’d recommend checking it out yourself first.
💀 Overall, this is a clever and entertaining twist on a timeless story—perfect for readers who love spooky classics and interactive adventures.
by M.D. Payne & Mary Shelley
M.D. Payne takes readers on a twisty, interactive journey through Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. In this version, you get to decide where the story goes—every few pages, you’re faced with two options that determine your path. Some endings circle back to the original story, while others take you somewhere entirely new.
This was such a fun and refreshing way to revisit a classic. I ended up with four pages of notes trying to track all of the different endings (I counted at least twenty-three!). The endings range from happy-ever-afters to—you guessed it—death, death, and more death. It was an exciting challenge to see how many different fates I could uncover, and I loved that feeling of “controlling” the narrative.
One note: the book is marketed for ages 8–12, but I personally think that might be a little young. Some scenes get fairly gory and intense. As a parent of a seven-year-old, I wouldn’t feel comfortable reading it with him quite yet. If you’re considering this for a younger reader, I’d recommend checking it out yourself first.
💀 Overall, this is a clever and entertaining twist on a timeless story—perfect for readers who love spooky classics and interactive adventures.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews