HELGA

A teenager who was created in a lab tries to find her place in the world while searching for her soul mate.

Eighteen-year-old Helga isn’t like other girls—she’s the result of an experiment by her father, a revered scientist in Amaris City who speaks Mandarin and studied in China, and his 20-something assistant. When she’s finally brought to life, it’s clear that Helga is nothing like the obedient automated machine that her father, enabled by the wealth and innovative ambition of the Institute, originally designed. Despite his disapproval, Helga yearns to learn more about the volcanic island that she calls home, especially the hip area called Downhill. When Helga’s father takes a business trip, she seizes the opportunity to explore. She saturates herself in the people, sights, and sounds of Downhill, and her desire for autonomy and true love grows in urgency. As the clock ticks down to her father’s return, Helga falls for Clyde, a slender, pierced, and charmingly deceptive blue-eyed musician with dreams of stardom, whose ulterior motives could destroy her dreams of freedom. The narrative, told through Helga’s bright-eyed point of view, cleverly pays tribute to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Helga’s inner journey to understanding morality, mortality, and identity is engaging, and her voice captures an entertaining yet heartfelt depiction of sheltered girlhood in rebellion. Helga’s described as appearing Asian.

A delightful update on a familiar classic, pulsing with youthful optimism and punk rock attitude.