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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Tuma, Refe

Frances and the Monster

352 pp. | HarperCollins/Harper | August, 2022 | Trade ISBN 978-0-06-308578-7 $17.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-0-06-308578-7 $11.99
(2) 4-6 Ever since a car accident seven years earlier, Frances has not left the old mansion where she lives with her scientist parents, Victor and Mary. While attending a conference, they leave Frances in the care of a robot; she outfoxes the robot and plunges into the secrets of her grandfather's infamous laboratory. There she awakens a long-dormant creature who rampages through town. Frances pursues the creature, joined by new friend Luca and the head (only the head) of the robot. A furious constable follows them, convinced that the children are responsible for the monster's swath of destruction. The plot dashes through near-misses and various dangers, with a cinematic sense of pacing and pratfalls. The return of Frances's parents brings several dire conclusions and a revelation about her past (ample clues may lead readers to it much earlier). The ending teases new monsters, both creature and human. This "remix" repurposes Frankenstein's plot points and characters into a madcap adventure, nicely balancing whimsy and peril. Character arcs and the scope of the plot are incompletely realized, but there is room for a sequel to capitalize on this book's promise. The lessons (the nature of monstrosity, knowing yourself) may land with a wobble, but Frances is both a terror and a delight. The author clearly had a rollicking good time, and readers will, too.
Reviewer: Anne St. John | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

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