Frankenstein

Who it's for

The novel lets readers hold both sides of an abandonment: Victor's horror, shame and secrecy, and the creature's eloquent account of being shut out.

Feelings it meets

• Rejection
• Moral Injury
• Resentment
• Adoption
• Shame
• Loneliness

What it is

Mary Shelley's novel is framed by the letters of Arctic explorer Robert Walton, who rescues a dying Victor Frankenstein and records his story. Victor, a young scientist, becomes obsessed with creating life and, at the University of Ingolstadt, animates a being built from human remains. He then flees from it in horror.

Where to find it

Public domain in the US; free on Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks. In print, from libraries, and as an audiobook.

Before you start

Heads up: A child's murder; stated plan of suicide.

Age: Ages 14+

My person was hideous and my stature gigantic. What did this mean? Who was I? What was I? Whence did I come? What was my destination?Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, Chapter 15