The Glass Scientists: Volume One (The Glass Scientists #1)
by S.H. Cotugno, Sabrina CotugnoPublished by: Razorbill on October 3, 2023
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Graphic Novel
Pages: 240
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
The gothic worlds of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, and more collide in this graphic novel series about buried secrets, mad science, and misunderstood monsters. For fans of stylish reimaginings like Lore Olympus and gaslamp fantasies like The Night Circus !
London isn’t the safest place for mad scientists these days. After that whole ordeal with Frankenstein, angry mobs have gotten awfully good at hunting down monsters and wiping out anything they don’t understand. In fact, if it weren’t for one extraordinary young man, every out-of-the-box thinker would have been locked up . . . or worse.
That young man is none other than Dr. Henry Jekyll. He believes mad scientists would thrive if they could just fix their public image, which is why he founded the Society for Arcane Sciences, a place where like-minded eccentrics could come together to defy the laws of nature in peace.
But everything changes when a mysterious stranger arrives, bent on taking the Society in a radical new direction. With everyone turning against him, Jekyll’s life starts to spiral out of control, shattering all his carefully laid plans and threatening to expose his darkest secret—one that could destroy everything he has built from the inside out.
Content Tags:
Perfect for readers who want:
- Historical fantasy with steampunk vibes
- An interesting, unique retelling of the story of Jekyll and Hyde
- Mad scientists galore, in all their beautiful, wonky glory
- Stunning illustrations that are not only pretty to look at but transport you to another world
- A whole menagerie of cute (and slightly . . . wrong?) fluffers to love
- A chaotic cast of characters that definitely grow on you
I received a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. Quotes are taken from an unfinished project and may differ from their final versions.
I decided to read this one on a whim, mostly because I am absolutely in love with S.H. Cotugno’s illustration style. As it turns out, I’m a very shallow bookwyrm who’s easy to convince. What can I say? I’ve always had a bit of a fascination with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as well as the duality of the human nature in general, so of course that bit piqued my interest, as well.
The Glass Scientists is an action-packed YA Steampunk Graphic Novel reimagining the Jekyll/Hyde story, filled with chaotic characters, plenty of action, sometimes explosions, adorable creatures, and stunning illustrations.
This book was a ridiculous amount of fun, from the first page to the last. All the characters are larger than life (and necessarily so when we’re talking about a cast full of mad scientists . . . sorry, rogue scientists), but they’re also terribly charming. Even the rougher among them. There’s a lot of action in the book, but there are also slower, introspective moments, as well, and Cotugno strikes a nice balance between the two. I absolutely can’t wait to read more (and this book does end on quite a striking cliffhanger!).
The illustrations in The Glass Scientists are absolutely stunning and gorgeous, making the story not only a pleasure to read but to look at.
S.H. Cotugno’s style may be slightly familiar for you (as it was for me), being that they’ve worked on Gravity Falls (which if you’ve not watched, you definitely should). So I was somewhat familiar with the style going in and already knew it was one I enjoyed. What I wasn’t prepared for were the number of absolutely stunning panels that smacked me in the face page after page.
I have a very low ability to develop mental images (bordering on aphantasia), which is why graphic novels are such a game-changer to me. Cotugno’s art style absolutely brought this version of London to life in a vivid, realistic way that makes it someplace I would love to visit (despite the danger, of course . . . or, okay, partially because of the danger). Needless to say, I will forever be willing to read more of Cotugno’s work simply as her art style is breath-taking and I low-key just kind of want this artwork in my home library because why wouldn’t you?!
While graphic novels aren’t often thought of or considered based on their written narrative (for some reason?), I want to mention that aside from just a lovely artistic endeavor, The Glass Scientists has some absolutely beautiful prose at the same time.
I definitely feel like this should be talked about more. The unique beauty of graphic novels is that they are both an artistic and a written medium, all smooshed together into one glorious creature (much like Frankenstein . . . if one decided to describe Frankenstein as glorious . . . though, now that I think about it, I’m not sure why anyone would be so tempted, but that’s not the point).
Aside from having gorgeous panels, The Glass Scientists also has some prose that just smacks you in the face and makes you re-read it because it’s so lovely. It all comes together to really pull the reader into this world (and, along with it, this adventure) that worked so incredibly well that I was sad when it ended. I can’t wait for subsequent volumes!
The Glass Scientists is a Jekyll & Hyde retelling that’s not quite like any other. It’s a bit fantasy, a bit steampunk, a bit artistic marvel, and entirely heart.
Cotugno’s version is definitely lighter than the original piece, less Gothic horror and more comedic steampunk. That’s not to say there aren’t dark elements, because there certainly are, but it’s handled more as dark comedy than anything else, so a certain sense of humor is definitely recommended going into this.
Cotugno approaches the good/evil dichotomy with a bit more thoughtfulness than Stevenson, where not everything is so black and white. I mean, life is complicated, right? “Good” and “evil” are such flimsy words. I enjoyed the exploration into different personalities, often in ways that subvert expectations. Even Hyde isn’t quite what one might imagine (although, he does sound suspiciously like the voice in my own head . . . except slightly cooler, of course, because he’s Hyde).
Welcome to the Society for Arcane Sciences, home to mad scientists . . . erm, I mean rogue scientists.
No one can fault this group of scientists for being super passionate about what they do. It just so happens that what they do is . . . ummm . . . unique? I actually loved seeing all the different versions that rogue science can take, some of which are expected and some of which were a bit of a surprise. All of which I would 100% dedicate my life to except, like, two that are a bit squicky and no thanks.
While there are a lot of characters in this book (and they are, admittedly, sometimes hard to keep straight at times), they all are such big personalities that they’re impossible not to love to some extent. Sure, they’re not exactly socially adept, but who would expect them to be? I had a ridiculously good time meeting these characters and navigating this world with them.
Despite taking on the dichotomy of good and evil and exploring the human psyche, this is a fast-paced graphic novel filled with unforgettable characters, adorable supernatural fluffers, and plenty of explosions.
I mean, what would a book about mad scientists be without explosions and fire? This seems perfectly reasonable. While it’s not all action and adventure, this book is anything but slow. As one might imagine, life in this version of 1800s London isn’t a walk in the park, despite having adorable mythical creatures. All the characters are facing their own struggles. Some are a little more personal, like Jekyll quite literally arguing with the voice in his head. Others are a little more violent. But hey, that’s what makes this story so thrilling! No matter what kind of story you prefer, there’s a little something for everyone.
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This. Sounds. AMAZING! I’d never heard of it before but I’m always open to reading more graphic novels and you’ve definitely sold me on this one! 😍 Great review!
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