I received the audio reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Frankenstein meets Edward scissors hands.

A lovely re imagined version of the Mary Shelly classic Frankenstein. Absolutely adorable and well thought out story about a little creature who doesn’t know much about the outer world but has to face it’s many hurdles in order to be happy and free as he follows his heart.

I think is a great introduction to a classic book, with a more modern take on very old societal construct on appearance, moral and values.

Highly recommend

I have read and adored everything Pádraig Kenny has written, his charming characters win me over every single time, and the same is true with his latest novel Stitch.

This is a charming story, with so many wonderful messages of friendship and kindness, of support and acceptance. Loosely inspired by Frankenstein, though not the same plot at all, this is sure to be a winner with children and adults alike.

A beautifully written tale that can’t fail to warm your heart. A wonderful middle grade that I highly recommend.

The audiobook narrator was wonderful and really brought every character to life. A gentle yet also entertaining performance that really adds to an already wonderful story.

Stitch is a wonderful story, heavily inspired by Mary Shelley’s classic Gothic tale of Frankenstein but delivered through a fresh and original lense. Stitch and Henry are two creations crafted by a professor. When the professor's nephew and assistant come to visit, they realise that the professor had long died. The nephew then is proven to have hatched sinister plans for them.

Kenny masterfully centres his tale around the topic of being different, what makes us human, what makes a 'monster,' and judging others based on who they are rather than the way they look. It's a beautiful portrayal of friendship and kindness and I believe has the potential to spark conversations about empathy, discrimination, inclusivity, tolerance and acceptance and respect. The narrator is brilliant and adds so much colour to the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Walker Books for my free audiobook, all opinions are my own.

Stitch lives with Henry and the Professor Hardache, they all live together in a castle deep in the woods.

The Professor went to sleep a long time ago and he told Stitch and Henry not to disturb him, but it’s been along time!!

Then there is a knock at the castle door, who could it be?? Nobody comes to the castle.

On opening the door they meet the Professors Nephew who is also a scientist and his helper Alice.

Then the Nephew explains that the professor has past away.

This is a story of growth and discovery for Stitch as he finds out what he and Henry are and also how people view them.

This we a great story that kept you interested from the start to the final page.

I really enjoyed the audiobook version of Stitch by Pádraig Kenny.

A lovely little listen, that, like Frankenstein which influences it, leaves the question: who really is the monster? …And answers it-because it’s definitely not Stitch: he’s adorable! Innocent, fun-loving and cute, the portrayal of Stitch and Henry from the very beginning means the horror elements, such as the unnatural creation of Stitch and Henry, are played down. Whilst remaining gruesome enough to hook in young fans of the genre.

Hardacre’s nephew’s mean persona and blind ambition contrast hugely with the loveable ‘monsters’’, quickly raising the question of who the villain of the piece really is.

Stitch (who is fortunately incredibly articulate for an ensemble of parts) goes on several journeys literal and otherwise, whilst coming to terms with his monstrous beginnings. His supporting cast are interesting. A special mention for Henry (who definitely got some body parts from BFG and Lenny fom OMaM). He is so vulnerable early on that he had my heart!

The author has managed to cram a lot of story into a relatively short novel whilst building empathetic characters through not wasting a word- which also allowed the story to flow so well. I’ll just add that this flow was kept wonderfully by the voice artist, Will Watt who was a perfect narrator for this tale.

Stitch is a wonderful book and was a pleasure to listen to; it's a wonderful Frankenstein-like retelling and the narrator of the audiobook did so well in bringing the characters to life and expressing the emotions they were feeling throughout the story. Stitch, the main character, and his friend Henry are characterised beautifully and seem more human than some of the real human characters despite them not being human themselves. their friendship, as well as Stitch's friendship with others, was wonderful to experience. I think this book will be able to help children to learn the importance of not judging someone just based off of what they look like, as looks can sometimes be deceiving. Professor Hardacre's character comes off as less humane than Stitch would ever think of being which I think was a great addition to teach readers that looks truly can be deceiving.

Overall, this was a lovely, heartwarming and emotional read/listen and I had a blast experiencing it!

An absolutely wonderful story for young people about the essence of humanity expressed through creatures considered as monstrous, sewn together by their maker, like Frankenstein's monster. The death of the master leaves Stitch and Henry at the mercy of their new owner, who wishes to experiment on them further to make them more human. Ironically , the humans in the book do not possess much humanity and present monstrous ways, whereas Stitch and Henry possess love, depth, humanity and share a beautiful and moving friendship. It is a beautiful story and filled with action and feeling. The audiobook was captivating - well narrated and captured the emotions of the story is well. #stitch #pádraigkenny #netgalley

STITCH is a delightful FRANKENSTEIN-esque retelling about not judging people on their appearance but their deeds.

I loved the references to FRANKENSTEIN, from the making of people to their appearance. Not to mention Stitch (and his friend Alice) helping a blind man and then being chased away when his daughter and husband come and behold them. It's a really fun way of reinvigorating an old tale and giving it the author's own spin while having plenty of homages to the original.
(There was also a reference that very much felt like a OF MICE AND MEN reference, which I appreciated.)

With the main character and his friends (one of whom is a person not made from other people, in the book's parlance!) all not looking "normal" in the eyes of others, the book has a powerful message about not judging others on their appearance. While Stitch, Henry, and Gregory are constructed from parts, and so are less likely to be the sorts of people readers would meet in the everyday, Alice was not made from parts, and so brings an immediacy to the book's message.

I listened to this book, and I loved the accents Will Watt brought to it. There are some nice nods there too to the original FRANKENSTEIN (such as the Scottish accent, as that book takes part for some chapters up in Scotland) - plus it helped differentiate the characters.

This was such a cute and charming story and I had a really good time listening to the audiobook.
I certainly did not expect a children’s book adaption of Frankenstein to be this enjoyable, but I’m glad I’ve been wrong.