What do you think?
Rate this book
Mary Shelley: The Strange True Tale of Frankenstein's Creator – A Riveting Young Adult Biography of the Passionate Teenage Runaway Behind a Literary Masterpiece
On the 200th anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein, comes a riveting biography of its author, Mary Shelley, whose life reads like a dark gothic novel, filled with scandal, death, drama, and one of the strangest love stories in literary history.
The story of Frankenstein ’s creator is a strange, romantic, and tragic one, as deeply compelling as the novel itself. Mary ran away to Lake Geneva with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley when she was just sixteen. It was there, during a cold and wet summer, that she first imagined her story about a mad scientist who brought a corpse back to life. Success soon followed for Mary, but also great tragedy and misfortune.
Catherine Reef brings this passionate woman, brilliant writer, and forgotten feminist into crisp focus, detailing a life that was remarkable both before and after the publication of her iconic masterpiece. Includes index.
The story of Frankenstein ’s creator is a strange, romantic, and tragic one, as deeply compelling as the novel itself. Mary ran away to Lake Geneva with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley when she was just sixteen. It was there, during a cold and wet summer, that she first imagined her story about a mad scientist who brought a corpse back to life. Success soon followed for Mary, but also great tragedy and misfortune.
Catherine Reef brings this passionate woman, brilliant writer, and forgotten feminist into crisp focus, detailing a life that was remarkable both before and after the publication of her iconic masterpiece. Includes index.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published September 18, 2018
About the author
Catherine Reef
63 books45 followersCatherine Reef is the author of more than 35 nonfiction books for young people. Her books for Clarion include the highly acclaimed JOHN STEINBECK and SIGMUND FREUD, which was the recipient of the 2002 Sydney Taylor Award, presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries. She lives in College Park, Maryland.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
September 7, 2018
First sentence: Mary Shelley had been dead a year when her son unlocked her portable desk and found the remains of human heart. The heart, he knew, had been his father's. It had rested in the desk for thirty years, unseen and untouched, since the day in 1822 when Mary Shelley tenderly wrapped it in pages of poetry and put it away. Dust and bits of dried-up muscle were all that was left.
Premise/plot: Catherine Reef's newest biography for young adults is Mary Shelley: The Strange True Tale of Frankenstein's Creator. Frankenstein is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year.
Words to describe this one: dramatic, emotional, compelling, fascinating, heartbreaking, thought-provoking.
Mary Shelley's life was just as tragic as it was unconventional. Her parents were near-celebrities among the intellectually elite. Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was an unconventional woman--an early feminist--who believed in living--experiencing--her life on her own terms despite the frowns of society. She believed in following her heart even if it meant breaking all the rules, even if it led to pain and heartbreak. She brought an illegitimate daughter with her into her marriage with William Godwin (Fanny). Godwin was a like-minded free thinker. At least when he was young with no teenage daughters of his own to raise! It would almost be easier to list everything he was against then to list everything he was for. Anti-tradition, anti-religion, anti-marriage, anti-government, etc. Both Godwin and Wollstonecraft were philosophically-minded writers whose works were published and somewhat applauded and celebrated--at least in certain circles. Mary Godwin's mother died when she was just days old. Godwin who at one time believed he'd never, ever marry now found himself marrying a second time. The woman (Mary Jane Clairmont) he married brought two children (Charles and Jane) from a previous relationship. It was a BLENDED family certainly: Fanny, Charles, Jane, Mary--and then "baby" William.
Her father as I mentioned was well-known in certain circles and their house--their bookshop--had plenty of well-known or soon-to-be well-known authors.
When Mary was a teenager--perhaps fifteen--she met a young would-be poet named Percy Bysshe Shelley. He was married--married with children. But neither one cared about conventions or morality. It was LOVE. The choice she made at sixteen to follow her heart's passion would change her life for better or worse forever and ever. Perhaps even more startling to modern readers is Mary's decision to bring her step-sister, Jane, with her. The two of them would run away with Percy Bysshe Shelley to Europe. It wasn't just a departure from England but from convention. (They'd return to England...but never quite to convention.)
Their lives were packed with DRAMA, DRAMA, AND MORE DRAMA. Mary found herself at the center of it all--an eyewitness to an era. The Romantic poets didn't just approach poetry in a "new," "fresh," "innovative," "genius," way. It was a lifestyle; the poems were a result of how they saw the world around them, what they thought, how they thought. It was thrilling AND disturbing. They wouldn't want it any other way. But would Mary? The book does NOT address that. Perhaps we'll never know the many emotional layers of her heart and mind. (How she felt about her husband, her sister, their many friends that brought chaos and fun into their lives.)
My thoughts: Mary Shelley's life was like a wreck--car, train, ship, take your pick--a devastating crash-boom-bang in many ways. But it makes for a fascinating read. I appreciated that the book was more than just a traditional biography. It also focused on her works. It focuses on Frankenstein, of course, but it also focuses on her other works. She didn't just write one book. She kept writing throughout her life. The book includes how her work(s) were critically received (then and now). It also focused on relationships. To read of Mary Shelley is to read of the Romantic poets. For better or worse.
Premise/plot: Catherine Reef's newest biography for young adults is Mary Shelley: The Strange True Tale of Frankenstein's Creator. Frankenstein is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year.
Words to describe this one: dramatic, emotional, compelling, fascinating, heartbreaking, thought-provoking.
Mary Shelley's life was just as tragic as it was unconventional. Her parents were near-celebrities among the intellectually elite. Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was an unconventional woman--an early feminist--who believed in living--experiencing--her life on her own terms despite the frowns of society. She believed in following her heart even if it meant breaking all the rules, even if it led to pain and heartbreak. She brought an illegitimate daughter with her into her marriage with William Godwin (Fanny). Godwin was a like-minded free thinker. At least when he was young with no teenage daughters of his own to raise! It would almost be easier to list everything he was against then to list everything he was for. Anti-tradition, anti-religion, anti-marriage, anti-government, etc. Both Godwin and Wollstonecraft were philosophically-minded writers whose works were published and somewhat applauded and celebrated--at least in certain circles. Mary Godwin's mother died when she was just days old. Godwin who at one time believed he'd never, ever marry now found himself marrying a second time. The woman (Mary Jane Clairmont) he married brought two children (Charles and Jane) from a previous relationship. It was a BLENDED family certainly: Fanny, Charles, Jane, Mary--and then "baby" William.
Her father as I mentioned was well-known in certain circles and their house--their bookshop--had plenty of well-known or soon-to-be well-known authors.
When Mary was a teenager--perhaps fifteen--she met a young would-be poet named Percy Bysshe Shelley. He was married--married with children. But neither one cared about conventions or morality. It was LOVE. The choice she made at sixteen to follow her heart's passion would change her life for better or worse forever and ever. Perhaps even more startling to modern readers is Mary's decision to bring her step-sister, Jane, with her. The two of them would run away with Percy Bysshe Shelley to Europe. It wasn't just a departure from England but from convention. (They'd return to England...but never quite to convention.)
Their lives were packed with DRAMA, DRAMA, AND MORE DRAMA. Mary found herself at the center of it all--an eyewitness to an era. The Romantic poets didn't just approach poetry in a "new," "fresh," "innovative," "genius," way. It was a lifestyle; the poems were a result of how they saw the world around them, what they thought, how they thought. It was thrilling AND disturbing. They wouldn't want it any other way. But would Mary? The book does NOT address that. Perhaps we'll never know the many emotional layers of her heart and mind. (How she felt about her husband, her sister, their many friends that brought chaos and fun into their lives.)
My thoughts: Mary Shelley's life was like a wreck--car, train, ship, take your pick--a devastating crash-boom-bang in many ways. But it makes for a fascinating read. I appreciated that the book was more than just a traditional biography. It also focused on her works. It focuses on Frankenstein, of course, but it also focuses on her other works. She didn't just write one book. She kept writing throughout her life. The book includes how her work(s) were critically received (then and now). It also focused on relationships. To read of Mary Shelley is to read of the Romantic poets. For better or worse.
October 31, 2020
The life of Mary Shelley was full of romance and tragedy. At just sixteen she ran away with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and they lived together, unwed, as Shelley couldn’t afford to divorce his wife (and mother of his two children). During a cold and wet summer on the shores of Lake Geneva, the couple stayed with poet Lord Byron and shared ghost stories to pass the time. It was there late one night that Mary imagined Dr. Frankenstein and his monster for the first time.
While she gained some success for her novel, tragedy followed her as she lost many of her loved ones. This YA biography is a fantastic look at a young woman ahead of her time: a brilliant and unconventional woman who promoted feminism and wasn’t afraid to live life on her own terms.
While there isn’t anything new to learn within these pages, this biography does a wonderful job of giving the important details about her life and career and is compelling enough that I finished it in two sittings. It includes an excellent list of sources for readers interested in further reading.
For readers interested in learning about Mary Shelley, I highly recommend this book as well as Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein by Lita Judge.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
While she gained some success for her novel, tragedy followed her as she lost many of her loved ones. This YA biography is a fantastic look at a young woman ahead of her time: a brilliant and unconventional woman who promoted feminism and wasn’t afraid to live life on her own terms.
While there isn’t anything new to learn within these pages, this biography does a wonderful job of giving the important details about her life and career and is compelling enough that I finished it in two sittings. It includes an excellent list of sources for readers interested in further reading.
For readers interested in learning about Mary Shelley, I highly recommend this book as well as Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein by Lita Judge.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
July 20, 2020
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This is no way impacted my review.
Actual Rating: 3.75 stars
I don't read non-fiction/biography-type work often, but this ARC was recommended to me by the publisher at their YALLWest booth back in May and it sounded interesting enough for me to pick up a copy. Let me just say, I am so thankful I took the opportunity to read and review this.
Mary Shelley is known for being the woman behind Frankenstein, and that's the only way I've known her. I've never read Frankenstein myself (though now I certainly plan to change that), but as an avid feminist and reader, I've always known of Shelley's impact on science-fiction.
So I knew when this was mentioned to me that I would be interested in learning more about her life and let's just say her life was certainly a heavy experience.
Firstly, in terms of this as a book, it reads easy. It doesn't read blatantly like a 'memoir' and the wording is easy to follow. That being said, it is also very obviously historical. For most of my time reading it, I really couldn't figure out if I felt that that the progression was natural or too historical - it kind of went back and forth between the two.
Now this may just be me personally because this is not my usual reading, but that was probably my biggest difficulty while reading it. Outside of it, because of this style, there were also a lot of name drops and date drops and that can be hard to follow. Obviously that does make sense for a biography, but for a reader more on the outside like me, it does take some getting used to and can be confusing to follow.
All that being said, it was easy information to take in and Mary Shelley's life is so interesting.
Thinking about her impact on science-fiction and literature today, it's so unbelievable to consider how difficult her life was and the amount of shit she dealt with. I don't want to get too into the details because you can easily find them, particularly by reading this biography, but I definitely have a newfound respect and admiration for Shelley and am so glad I got the chance to learn more about her.
All in all, even if biographies aren't your cup of tea (or if they are), I'd recommend checking this one out.
Actual Rating: 3.75 stars
I don't read non-fiction/biography-type work often, but this ARC was recommended to me by the publisher at their YALLWest booth back in May and it sounded interesting enough for me to pick up a copy. Let me just say, I am so thankful I took the opportunity to read and review this.
Mary Shelley is known for being the woman behind Frankenstein, and that's the only way I've known her. I've never read Frankenstein myself (though now I certainly plan to change that), but as an avid feminist and reader, I've always known of Shelley's impact on science-fiction.
So I knew when this was mentioned to me that I would be interested in learning more about her life and let's just say her life was certainly a heavy experience.
Firstly, in terms of this as a book, it reads easy. It doesn't read blatantly like a 'memoir' and the wording is easy to follow. That being said, it is also very obviously historical. For most of my time reading it, I really couldn't figure out if I felt that that the progression was natural or too historical - it kind of went back and forth between the two.
Now this may just be me personally because this is not my usual reading, but that was probably my biggest difficulty while reading it. Outside of it, because of this style, there were also a lot of name drops and date drops and that can be hard to follow. Obviously that does make sense for a biography, but for a reader more on the outside like me, it does take some getting used to and can be confusing to follow.
All that being said, it was easy information to take in and Mary Shelley's life is so interesting.
Thinking about her impact on science-fiction and literature today, it's so unbelievable to consider how difficult her life was and the amount of shit she dealt with. I don't want to get too into the details because you can easily find them, particularly by reading this biography, but I definitely have a newfound respect and admiration for Shelley and am so glad I got the chance to learn more about her.
All in all, even if biographies aren't your cup of tea (or if they are), I'd recommend checking this one out.
March 1, 2023
I saw this book awhile back on Instagram and I got the book from my local library I knew nothing about Mary Shelley at all besides she wrote Frankenstein. As I read the book, I learned a lot about Mary Shelley she didn't have an easy life but somehow, she kept going. Mary Shelley lost three of her five children and lost her husband who was the love of her life. Mary and Shelley's love story is amazing she still loved Shelley even after he died. She never remarried after her husband's death. Catherine Reef did an amazing job writing about the life of Mary Shelley and all of the ups and downs that she faced throughout her life.
June 13, 2018
On the 200th anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein, comes a riveting biography of its author, Mary Shelley, whose life reads like a dark gothic novel, filled with scandal, death, drama, and one of the strangest love stories in literary history.
The story of Frankenstein’s creator is a strange, romantic, and tragic one, as deeply compelling as the novel itself. Mary ran away to Lake Geneva with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley when she was just sixteen. It was there, during a cold and wet summer, that she first imagined her story about a mad scientist who brought a corpse back to life. Success soon followed for Mary, but also great tragedy and misfortune.
Catherine Reef brings this passionate woman, brilliant writer, and forgotten feminist into crisp focus, detailing a life that was remarkable both before and after the publication of her iconic masterpiece. Includes index.
Out September, 2018
MY THOUGHTS:
I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This is a biography of an extraordinary woman who accomplished something during a time that such a feat was seldom heard of. The motivation behind her work is clearly dictated by her past, previous relationships and issues of mental illness. However, the end result of her work will go on to become great classics of both intuition and imagination combined.
I read this book in one sitting and was pleasantly surprised to see that the author left out many of Mary's darker rumored experiences and stayed to the facts. There are many drier versions of Mary's biography out there, but this one was both entertaining, informative and smooth in its deliverance. Loved the book!
October 30, 2018
Good background on Mary Shelley’s life and work. Don’t miss the extensive resources for more inquiry in the back matter.
April 19, 2019
A relatively short but densely packed bio on Mary Shelley. Who by the age of 25 had been married & widowed, borne four children of which only one survived, and had written a novel. She carried more sorrow from deaths within her family and intimate social circle within the same time period or shortly thereafter & she herself died at the age of 53. She is mainly remembered as the wife of Percy Shelley & author of the now classic Frankenstein. However, she wrote six other novels as well as essays, short stories, & biographies. The author describes her writing:
Readers discovered a writer with imagination, one whose talent was versatile. She produced a gothic novel, historical fiction, and a futuristic novel as well as stories set in her own time. In her novels she peered into the dark corners of the human mind and heart. She explored emotions taken to their extreme: grief, in Mathilda, for example, and guilt in Falkner. She bravely took chances...
She also used her fiction to comment on social issues, such as the education of women in Lodore.
The weirdest tidbit gleaned from this bio that I did not know before, was that Mary kept the heart of Percy stored away in her desk, it was discovered by her son after Mary's death.
Readers discovered a writer with imagination, one whose talent was versatile. She produced a gothic novel, historical fiction, and a futuristic novel as well as stories set in her own time. In her novels she peered into the dark corners of the human mind and heart. She explored emotions taken to their extreme: grief, in Mathilda, for example, and guilt in Falkner. She bravely took chances...
She also used her fiction to comment on social issues, such as the education of women in Lodore.
The weirdest tidbit gleaned from this bio that I did not know before, was that Mary kept the heart of Percy stored away in her desk, it was discovered by her son after Mary's death.
November 23, 2023
I just wanted to learn more about Mary Shelley and her life and I definitely learned a good bit. The book was really easy to read and I love the pictures and cover. I'd say Mary Shelley has become a special interest of mine because I feel a connection with that woman.
Both her and I are lonely writers that dealt with social isolation. Our writing has Gothic elements and intense emotion woven into it, along with our characters representing important people in our lives. We intensely attach ourselves our special someone. We have similar taste's in men. Our relationships with certain family members are similar. It's crazy how much I've related to this lady and I oddly see her as a role model.
I can't wait to read more of her work! I've asked for a bit of her lesser known books for Christmas and I'm really excited to read them!
Both her and I are lonely writers that dealt with social isolation. Our writing has Gothic elements and intense emotion woven into it, along with our characters representing important people in our lives. We intensely attach ourselves our special someone. We have similar taste's in men. Our relationships with certain family members are similar. It's crazy how much I've related to this lady and I oddly see her as a role model.
I can't wait to read more of her work! I've asked for a bit of her lesser known books for Christmas and I'm really excited to read them!
May 18, 2023
The moral of the story: don't get involved with poets
July 8, 2022
Yes, it may be a little “light” as far as a bio goes - but it was a fascinating read if one is learning about Mary. Including some lovely illustrations and pictures, I thought it was great.
January 2, 2026
The writing was good, I felt like I was reading an actual story rather than just being told facts about Mary Shelley's life.
October 25, 2025
A fascinating woman, I learned a lot.
June 13, 2026
This book shows the quiet and romantic Mary Shelley as a strong powerhouse. While her life was largely tragic she maintained a steady sort of contentment.
June 16, 2026
Read this book because I love Frankenstein, but with this book I ended up loving Mary Shelley. It’s engaging, emotional, and it made me admire her strength, resilience, and determination more than her writing!
October 8, 2018
Review Originally Posted on Taylor Fenner's Bookish World
Before Josh & I...
Before F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald...
There was Mary Wollstonecraft and Percy Bysshe Shelley...
the most dysfunctional couple of their time. (In my opinion).
Let me start by saying that I don't usually read non-fiction books, especially not biographies, but I won a copy of this book from the publisher and it looked really good and was fairly short and I was in a book rut anyway so I dove in... and I couldn't put it down!
I was in awe of Mary Shelley's life. I mean, you know the author, you know her most famous work, but I did not know what she had done to be so universally disliked by her peers. From her parent's backgrounds to her childhood spent hanging out by her mother's grave to running away with a married man, Percy Bysshe Shelley when she was only 16 and the tumultuous life they would live together - I was fascinated! I couldn't get enough.
I mean their lifestyle, their traveling, their money woes, and Mary's health issues, it was like reading Z by Therese Anne Fowler only 100 years earlier in Europe. These are the type of historical women I look up to, the kind that resonate with me the most.
Catherine Reef did a wonderful job bringing Mary to life on the page and I recommend this book to everyone familiar with Mary Shelley's life and those that aren't.
Before Josh & I...
Before F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald...
There was Mary Wollstonecraft and Percy Bysshe Shelley...
the most dysfunctional couple of their time. (In my opinion).
Let me start by saying that I don't usually read non-fiction books, especially not biographies, but I won a copy of this book from the publisher and it looked really good and was fairly short and I was in a book rut anyway so I dove in... and I couldn't put it down!
I was in awe of Mary Shelley's life. I mean, you know the author, you know her most famous work, but I did not know what she had done to be so universally disliked by her peers. From her parent's backgrounds to her childhood spent hanging out by her mother's grave to running away with a married man, Percy Bysshe Shelley when she was only 16 and the tumultuous life they would live together - I was fascinated! I couldn't get enough.
I mean their lifestyle, their traveling, their money woes, and Mary's health issues, it was like reading Z by Therese Anne Fowler only 100 years earlier in Europe. These are the type of historical women I look up to, the kind that resonate with me the most.
Catherine Reef did a wonderful job bringing Mary to life on the page and I recommend this book to everyone familiar with Mary Shelley's life and those that aren't.
December 29, 2018
This was...fascinating but ultimately so very boring. There was some great, intriguing, and wholly engrossing things that were discussed in this story, but I believe the way it was presented struggled to captivate me as a whole. The whole story was basically like this: "Mary did this. And then she did this. And then this happened so she did that." I wanted a little more from the story. I wanted a bit more depth into who she was as a person and definitely more about her stories. I still can't name you much of her stories because we only got about two paragraphs about the story and then moved on. The pictures were good, and the overall setup was nice. I just wanted more. But dear gosh, Shelley had an interesting life. 2 crowns and a Cinderella rating!
August 19, 2019
While I found it interesting to learn more about Mary Shelley's private life, the tragedies she endured, and her unconventional lifestyle from beginning to end, as well as see a side to her husband I always labeled as a sexist pig, overall this was a middle of the road book for me.
I think I went into it expecting more of a fictional work than a nonfiction one. Sometimes, the book felt like I was reading a Wikipedia entry. While I appreciated the simplistic writing style for a teenaged audience, I felt like the author could have done better than that. Despite this, I would recommend this book if you are a hardcore Mary Shelley/Frankenstein fan.
I think I went into it expecting more of a fictional work than a nonfiction one. Sometimes, the book felt like I was reading a Wikipedia entry. While I appreciated the simplistic writing style for a teenaged audience, I felt like the author could have done better than that. Despite this, I would recommend this book if you are a hardcore Mary Shelley/Frankenstein fan.
December 26, 2018
Very interesting story. This book can easily be read in a day. I would have finished it one, had napping and other obligations not been there. I've read Frankenstein but knew nothing else about Mary Shelly. Not an exactly an exciting book to read, but keeps the attention well enough. Mary Shelley's life story is worth the dryness of the book.
Read
September 14, 2018DNF
Mary Shelley is obviously a fascinating woman but the writing style made this a struggle to read.
It basically races through a series of facts - taking strange detours to what, essentially, become biographies of other people.
I had high hopes for this one but alas, it wasn't for me.
Mary Shelley is obviously a fascinating woman but the writing style made this a struggle to read.
It basically races through a series of facts - taking strange detours to what, essentially, become biographies of other people.
I had high hopes for this one but alas, it wasn't for me.
January 9, 2023
Very informative and detailed biography about Mary Shelley and her life struggles.
February 8, 2019
Such a remarkable life recounted by Catherine Reef with clarity, compassion, helpful context, period illustrations and in a writing style that kept me wanting to turn the page.
Mary Shelley was just shy of 19 years old when she wrote a masterpiece of fiction that continues to haunt us centuries later. Your heart will break when you read of her yearning to know a mother who died after giving her birth and of Mary's other tragic losses. But her will of steel to survive and care for those she loved and for the unfortunate people who crossed her path is a terrific story in itself.
This is a book aimed at young adults and for me served as the perfect primer for a more exhaustive biography.
My 5-star rating is not excessive because I cannot think of one single thing I would change in this book.
Mary Shelley was just shy of 19 years old when she wrote a masterpiece of fiction that continues to haunt us centuries later. Your heart will break when you read of her yearning to know a mother who died after giving her birth and of Mary's other tragic losses. But her will of steel to survive and care for those she loved and for the unfortunate people who crossed her path is a terrific story in itself.
This is a book aimed at young adults and for me served as the perfect primer for a more exhaustive biography.
My 5-star rating is not excessive because I cannot think of one single thing I would change in this book.
October 17, 2018
What a beautiful tribute to Mary Shelley that Reef has captured. As I spoke when I shared this with a group of librarian's today, it can be used not only has a biography for Shelley but also historical reference for the time period. Reef includes so much background information around everything from illness to inventions, transportation and finances that there's literally two stories in one- historical and biographical.
And yes, how could one woman survive the loss of three babies, only to see one live a full life? She survived illness and the sea death of her husband (who had been married to another), disowned, disenfranchised and more.
A portrait of the woman who created Frankenstein.
And yes, how could one woman survive the loss of three babies, only to see one live a full life? She survived illness and the sea death of her husband (who had been married to another), disowned, disenfranchised and more.
A portrait of the woman who created Frankenstein.
June 30, 2019
What a tragic life Mary Shelley lived. I found myself fascinated by her world travels and horrified by Percy Shelley's dateline-level creepiness when it came to their relationship. This book made me want to read more of Mary Shelley's work, and gives a nice look into her mental state when she wrote Frankenstein.
February 26, 2021
It’s so important to look into the reasons why authors during those times wrote what they did. Mary was apart of the Enlightenment movement whereas her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley was in the Romantic movement. I loved learning about their literary challenges and their tendency to befriend other poets.
February 15, 2019
3.5: Efficient, smooth, informative writing, but falls somewhat shy of engaging.
January 8, 2020
A very well written account of the strange, fascinating, and sometimes really sad life of such a historical icon and famous author.
January 9, 2025
A fascinating and fast read
Well researched and informative. I had no idea Mary's life was surrounded by so much death. Enjoyed it very much!
Well researched and informative. I had no idea Mary's life was surrounded by so much death. Enjoyed it very much!
December 29, 2024
This was a great book. I learned so much about Mary Shelley. Her life was so full of tragedy and heartbreak.
February 25, 2025
Livro bom viu, é muito interessante ver o relato de Frankstein, ele vai ficando cada vez mais miserável a ponto de perder tudo pela criatura que ele criou.
October 17, 2018
A special thank you goes out to Clarion books for sending me an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Literally take my rating with a grain of salt. This book was good and I enjoyed it a lot but I didn't realize that it was middle grade and I don't think I was the target audience for this particular book.
That being said, I did enjoy this book. It had pictures, which I always am a fan of. It would be awesome to have seen them in color (the ones that are in color; I know some pictures will be in black and white) and hopefully the published version will have them. The pictures added a nice element and really brought Mary Shelley's world to life.
Like I mentioned above, this book is middle grade but I would consider it upper middle grade. Someone in seventh or eighth grade would enjoy this and be able to understand it. Actually, I’m sure people of all ages would enjoy this if they loved Frankenstein.
Overall, this was delightful, despite it being written for a younger person. People of all ages would enjoy the pictures and the thrilling tale of Mary Shelley
Literally take my rating with a grain of salt. This book was good and I enjoyed it a lot but I didn't realize that it was middle grade and I don't think I was the target audience for this particular book.
That being said, I did enjoy this book. It had pictures, which I always am a fan of. It would be awesome to have seen them in color (the ones that are in color; I know some pictures will be in black and white) and hopefully the published version will have them. The pictures added a nice element and really brought Mary Shelley's world to life.
Like I mentioned above, this book is middle grade but I would consider it upper middle grade. Someone in seventh or eighth grade would enjoy this and be able to understand it. Actually, I’m sure people of all ages would enjoy this if they loved Frankenstein.
Overall, this was delightful, despite it being written for a younger person. People of all ages would enjoy the pictures and the thrilling tale of Mary Shelley
Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews