Book Review: OUR HIDEOUS PROGENY

Our Hideous Progeny

by C.E. McGill

I've said it before, and I'll say again: I love queer retellings of classics. Our Hideous Progeny, which follows the great-niece of Dr. Frankenstein, is no different. Mary knows her uncle disappeared mysteriously in the artic (as uncles sometimes do), but she doesn't know why. Science must run in the blood, because Mary, too, is intrigued by the inner workings of bodies. Unfortunately, Mary and her geologist husband, Henry, have neither the wealth nor connections to make it in the high-stakes world of the London scientific community of the 1850s. When Henry's gambling problem leads them further into debt and at odds with new enemies, the couple has no choice but to stay with Henry's reclusive sister, Maisie, in the rural Scottish highlands.

With her marriage on the rocks and their future with the scientific community in question, Mary immerses herself in a new experiment. One she found in the hidden pages of her uncle's long-lost journal...

There is a lot to love about Our Hideous Progeny. Mary's anger towards the unfair treatment of women, both at the hands of her husband and by the world at large, sears through the pages and is a great counterpart to the current cultural phenom of Barbie. Maisie is a kind, fantastic character with endless patience for Mary and Henry. The development of Mary and Maisie's relationship is a lovely slow-burn. However, what stuck out most to me was McGill's (possible) depiction of asexuality. Though asexuality isn't a word oft used in the nineteenth century, Maisie fits the description-- a refreshing element for historical fiction.

BOOK or AUDIO? I listened! A great reader. A few parts felt a little slow, but still overall engaging. I flew through this one and didn't even try to skip ahead.

Gay Characters: unconfirmed bisexual and asexual Trauma on a scale from Schitt's Creek (low stakes) to A Little Life (trauma porn): 6

My recommendation: 9/10

Available from Sundog Books, an indie bookstore in Florida.