First published 2013
Mary Shelley escapes her confining home as a teenager, only to find herself overshadowed by her brilliant yet temperamental boyfriend, the poet Percy Shelley. At nineteen, she faces the challenge of establishing her own identity while surrounded by literary giants like Lord Byron. The philosophical debates and dramatic events swirling around her European travels begin to spark something darker in her imagination. Mary channels the atmospheric settings, personal turmoil, and intellectual stimulation into her writing. She constructs the story of Dr. Frankenstein and his monster built from corpses, drawing inspiration from the very experiences that both liberate and constrain her. This verse novel captures Mary's journey from a rebellious young woman seeking freedom to an author creating one of literature's most iconic creatures, exploring how personal struggle and artistic ambition intertwine.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, biographical-fiction, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Europe
Period: 19th Century
320 pages · Hardcover · Balzer + Bray