Genre: YA Contemporary
Published: October 1, 2013 by Balzer + Bray
Length: 320 Pages
Source: Balzer + Bray (ARC)
“An all-consuming love affair.
A family torn apart by scandal.
A young author on the brink of greatness.
Hideous Love is the fascinating story of Gothic novelist Mary Shelley, who as a teen girl fled her restrictive home only to find herself in the shadow of a brilliant but moody boyfriend, famed poet Percy Shelley. It is the story of the mastermind behind one of the most iconic figures in all of literature: a monster constructed out of dead bodies and brought to life by the tragic Dr. Frankenstein.
Mary wrote Frankenstein at the age of nineteen, but inspiration for the monster came from her life-the atmospheric European settings she visited, the dramas swirling around her, and the stimulating philosophical discussions with the greatest minds of the period, like her close friend, Lord Byron.
This luminous verse novel from award-winning author Stephanie Hemphill reveals how Mary Shelley became one of the most celebrated authors in history.”
Not gonna lie, when I found out this book was written in verse, it kind of turned me off because it’s out of my comfort zone. I decided to pick it up from my shelf anyways and WOW. It is such a beautifully written book! The words just flowed smoothly and it was like I was with Mary Shelley the whole time. It was interesting to learn more about her and what she went through.
Mary Shelley is hard to not like. She’s very confident, loving, and determined. No matter how many times her father shunned her, she still looked up to him and hoped that one day, she and her father will reunite. I also like how she’s so devoted to her husband even though there are nasty rumors spreading about him cheating on her. I also love how she’s determined to finish her book, Frankenstein. It was so interesting to read how she thought of the idea and what made her write it!
I really wish I read this sooner, preferably when I was still a senior in high school because that’s when we dissected the works of Lord Byron and all the other authors mentioned in this book. Since it is written in verse, it was a very fast read (took me less than a day to finish it). One thing though, this book focuses more on scandal and drama than Mary’s works. Overall I recommend this to anyone. If you’re looking for a light read, or a book to read after finishing up a classic, then this is for you.
