Frankenstein – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Frankenstein

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book1818

78%

WISE Score

4.6

Amazon

The original 'don't play God' story that’s way more about a lonely giant needing a hug than a green guy with bolts in his neck.

Frankenstein

book

1818

78%

WISE Score

4.6

Amazon

The original 'don't play God' story that’s way more about a lonely giant needing a hug than a green guy with bolts in his neck.

4.6

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, it's a masterpiece, but let’s be real: your 10-year-old isn't going to pick this up for fun. It’s a slow burn with a lot of 19th-century vocabulary that requires some mental muscle.

That said, if you have a teen who likes 'dark academia' or wants to talk about the ethics of ChatGPT, this is the blueprint. It’s not a horror movie; it’s a heartbreaking look at what happens when we create things we aren't ready to care for. Skip the abridged versions—the real weight is in the Creature’s own words.

Age Fit

Best for 14 and up. While a precocious 12-year-old could technically read the words, the heavy existential dread and dense prose are squarely in the high school wheelhouse.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

It's a heavy tragedy about abandonment and revenge. While it's a moral tale, the tone is deeply somber and lacks the 'warmth' usually associated with high wholesome scores.

Imaginative

Shelley basically invented the science fiction genre here. The concept of creating life through 'galvanism' and the creature's self-education is peak imagination.

Safe

As a classic novel, there's no visual gore or 'jump scares.' The violence is described in 19th-century prose, which acts as a natural filter for younger readers. No modern digital safety concerns.

Enriching

It's a masterclass in ethics, parental responsibility, and the 'othering' of individuals. It's more relevant now with AI than it was 200 years ago.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

It’s the GOAT of sci-fi; Mary Shelley wrote this as a teenager on a dare, which is a total flex for your own aspiring writers.
Deeply empathetic—you actually end up feeling more for the 'monster' than the scientist who made him.
The perfect bridge to discuss modern tech ethics like AI, cloning, and social isolation.

⚠

What to Watch For

The language is thick. It's 1818-style wordy, so expect long descriptions of the Swiss Alps and 'thou art' vibes.
It's a total downer. There is no happy ending here; it's a cycle of grief and revenge that might be too much for sensitive kids.

Conversation Starters

"If you could build a person, would you be responsible for everything they did?"
"Is the Creature actually evil, or did Victor make him that way by being a terrible 'dad'?"
"Why do we call the monster 'Frankenstein' when that's actually the scientist's name?"

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