Everyone in Mary's family is a writer her mother is hell bent on Mary being one as well. Then Mary discovers that other talents run in her family, like supernatural healing abilities. Mary is introduced to the world of monsters in a trial by fire way and has to choose to accept her gift, or run full speed in the opposite direction.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. The art was on point, the story engaging, and the characters compelling. While this is a YA graphic novel, there's no reason an adult wouldn't enjoy it. I'm looking forward to reading more about Mary's adventures.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc.

I have to start by saying that the artwork by Yishan Li is wonderful. Its fun, quirky, gothic and gives a spooky vibe to the novel which makes the reading experience more amazing!
This is a paranormal graphic novel which is based on the famous author Mary Shelly's(author of Frankenstein) five times great-granddaughter who is named after her! All the women in the family are famous authors with bestselling books under their belt. We get to see if the protagonist will follow the family footsteps or choose her own path with a magical twist!
We follow Mary who is trying to live under the pressure of such a massive legacy as well as handling the difficult relationship she has with her mother. Mary's character as a moody teenager is very well developed and her interactions are very well written and her character growth is well written.
The most amazing part of the book is the variety of monsters that visit Mary. They are just adorable and extremely hilarious. They bring life to the novel with their witty and dry humour.
Although the premise of the book was great it lacked in the romance department as the romance felt too rushed and I also did not like the guy as he seems to be bit stalkerish which creeped me out. The world building was not developed much but that can be rectified if a squeal is there.
I am intrigued enough that I will pick up the next book if it comes along, and I would also definitely recommend this book for a short, funny read!
I would like to thank NetGalley and Six Foot Press for giving me access to an e-ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Pros

I enjoyed the breaking out the 4th wall at the begin of the story with the family portrait, I’d love to see more of that

I main liked Mary, I liked her kindness, wittiness and style

I like that each family descendant writer seems to write in a different genre

I loved the art in this!

My favourite character was Shirley Jackson/Bun Bun, she was so fun and visually brilliant!

In fact, this was an all-round fun book, I enjoy it’s witty and sarcastic humour :)

★

Cons

I only had two problems, at the start, Mary seemed too sorry for herself to the point where it was starting to get a little annoying but she got a lot better once things got crazy.

Also, she seemed strangely unfazed by all the craziness happening around her, I didn’t want her to be scream and running away all the time but I think she could do with being more shocked.

★

Overall I enjoyed this, I'd love to read more! I think the writing and the art worked together brilliantly

My favourite quote was “Don’t worry things we get a lot weirder.” with the dead/now sort of alive frog :)

3/5


Brea Grant and Yishan Li’s "Mary" is a paranormal graphic novel based on a fictive descendant of the English novelist Mary Shelley. Coming from a long line of writers, Mary Shelley (the great-great-great-great-great granddaughter of the Mary Shelley) tries to find her place in a world where her destiny seems to be chosen for her.

Although the premise is strong and intriguing, the story suffered from the lack of world-building which, to be fair, tends to be a problem with graphic novels as a whole. Mary’s character was interesting but felt a bit too flimsy, and some of her choices felt contradictory to her character arc. The same goes with Adam, who I think had such potential to be an interesting character, but unfortunately fell flat. In contrast, however, I found Mary’s family members to be well rounded and well established.

Despite flaws in character development, "Mary" is a book that is worth a read. Written in a light and self-conscious narrative style, the story doesn’t take itself too seriously. The art style also is one of the most appealing I’ve ever encountered in a graphic novel. I'm interested to see if the story will get a sequel.

The art is absolutely stunning and our gothy main character is everything. The story developed a little too quickly for me but I genuinely adored everything else about it. It felt rather unique and I think young readers will truly love this.
I loved the idea that Mary Shelley had these powerful descendants. The author added a beautiful touch of feminism to the story which felt very true to Mary Shelley. Also, this is a perfect read to gear up for Halloween!

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book in return for an honest review.

This fictional graphic novel is about the lots-of-greats granddaughter of Mary Shelley. I didn't expect this book to be as interesting and as fun, as it was! I enjoyed the art, all of the characters were interesting (there was a harpy, a sort of possessed stuffed teddy and lots more) and the story was interesting. The concept is something I would have never thought of and because of this, every page I read was more and more entertaining.

All the Shelleys in the book are all different which was nice as I expected them all to be the same as they are all writers

Rating
4⭐

Would I read it again:
Yes

Would I recommend it:
Yes

Mary isn't interested in becoming a famous writer like the rest of her family or like her namesake. She soon discovers that all is not what is seems in her family, accidentally discovering hidden powers that allow her to heal monsters. Adam, a monster she meets one night allows her to reach her own potential and discover that she has a talent to heal.

I don't usually like to read books about writers or authors, however this graphic novel is one I recommend, the plot line about Mary's family being successful writers and her discovering powers turning it into a supernatural graphic novel made it interesting.

Overall this is a fun and easy read, the illustrations are done beautifully. If in need for a pick me up after a reading slump this is the book to pick up.

The name Mary Shelley is a recognizable one. I haven’t read Frankenstein yet, but I have seen some of the many iteration’s of the titular character in other media. So I was drawn to this graphic novel, which imagines what the descendants of Shelley would be like with a notably paranormal edge. Mary was a fun read. There was a lot I liked about the story, and overall it was good.

I liked the art style. The characters had a very unique look to them, and the setting was done quite beautifully. Though if you have read a lot of young adult novels, especially on the paranormal side, you will recognize a lot of the tropes used here. They were used effectively, and the end result was an enjoyable story perfect for October.

One of the highlights was the character, Mary, who didn’t seem to quite fit in with the rest of her family—who were all writers, whether it be for cookbooks, memoirs, or fiction. In many ways, her issues of feeling pressured by her family to follow in their footsteps—and feeling unsure of what she really wanted to do—felt very real. I can also say the same about the rest of her family. They meant well, but they could come across as overbearing. Still I liked how those themes—namely family and coming-of-age—were handled. I do have to note that Mary’s powers were extremely easy for her to master. There didn’t seem to be much effort at all, just some hesitation on her part.

That being said, I really enjoyed Mary. If there’s ever a sequel for it, I will likely read it.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Six Foot Press) via Netgalley for this review, thank you!

Thank you to NetGalley, Brea Grant, Yishan Li, and Six Foot Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

My specialty is the British Romantic period and one of my favorite works if Frankenstein. Of course, when I saw the subtitle of this book, I had some creepy, quirky expectations.

Mary is the great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein. Each member of the family has found some kind of specialty in writing, except for Mary. She just doesn't have the writing quirk. One day in science class, during frog dissections of course, Mary notices a spark. Just static, right? When a guy made mostly of dead body parts seeks Mary out, Mary learns she can heal monsters. Dead boy, Adam, seeks monsters out who are in need of help and begins to send them Mary's way. Her life just gets more and more bizarre as different monsters seek her help.

I thought the art was fun and the story was quite enjoyable. The graphic novel has a complete feel to it that makes it the perfect stand-alone, but with the possibility of more adventures for Mary as she learns about her newfound powers.

Thank you to the publishers for the proof.

I thought this was a fun spin, however I wish there was more of a buildup. Everything just kind of happened and fit into place. That being said I’d like to read the second instalment.

Mary, the great x4 granddaughter of Mary Shelley is trying to figure out how she will ever live up to the legacy of her namesake. From a family filled with talented writer women, Mary is a high school student struggling with expectations, and finding herself. This book shows her first steps on the journey to where she belongs in a world where it turns out monsters do exist. It was nice introduction to a new series. As a reader you end up feeling as confused by events as Mary does. Everyone else in the story seems to know what is going on, and isn't truly inclined to give Mary(or the reader) all the information she needs. A little more backstory or details for the reader would be helpful to understanding this new world, but this isn't a big enough issue to make the graphic novel unenjoyable. It does leave me with enough questions and intrigue that I would pick up the next volume when it comes out. The art was absolutely lovely, and what initially drew me to this work. It matches the feel of the story well, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the monsters in future stories look like.

I was drawn to this book because I thought it had an awesome cover. Plus I do love graphic novels especially since they are such quick reads. Then I saw it was a read now option on Netgalley so I thought I would give this graphic novel a shot.

I do have to say I overall thought it was a decent story. Mary is the great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Mary Shelley. All the woman that have come before her are known for being incredible writers. However, Mary hasn't found her passion to be a writer and is constantly bothered by her Mother to follow in her footsteps. However one day Mary discovers she can heal monsters and they won't stop bothering her to help them.

I do have to say the story kinda moved a bit fast for me. One minute Mary is complaining how she doesn't want to be a writer and then bam all of a sudden she has powers. I do kinda of wish there was just more of a buildup to the story. Yes you find out these powers run in the family but I just would have wanted more from it. Especially since this seems like it will be a series so I feel could have taken time to develop things more.

I did really enjoy the artwork! It was a bit blurry on my phone but I am okay with that since this was an e-arc. I would love to pick this up in the future to look at the art in person. Mary is very gothic and has major goth vibes which I just loved. This graphic novel gives off major mysterious and a bit darker vibes which I did enjoy.

Overall I did enjoy this. I would end up picking up the next graphic novel in the series. I do hope things slow down a little bit so I can get to know Mary better and learn more about her family. I also really want to read something by Mary Shelley because I still haven't read anything by her. I am happy to see this comes out in October. I feel it gives off so a lot of fall/October vies. So the timing is perfect!

*Thank you so much to Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

I really enjoyed this graphic novel! The art was really pretty and the concept was very interesting. The plot wasn't very strong but I enjoyed it nevertheless! My favorite part of monster fantasies is always learning about the different monsters so my favorite part was definitely the Monster Compendium of the Modern Monster in the back.
I hope we get a sequel because I'd love to learn more about certain monsters and characters!

I really enjoyed this. This is definitely a perfect read for the fall season.
I can't wait for the next volume.

I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this graphic novel take on the descendants of Mary Shelley. Her granddaughter, named after her, is struggling with her self identity and what/who she wants to be in the future. Something that I can really relate to. I loved the story line, the characters and the dark moody feel to the entire novel.

Classic horror fans, fans of The Umbrella Academy, A Series of Unfortunate Events and Sabrina may well enjoy this new series. I certainly am looking for more adventures with Mary!

3.5 stars

Mary Shelley is the ascendant of *the* Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein. Her family are all successful authors, but Mary is the black sheep of her family. That’s at least what she thinks, until she discover that she has hidden abilities and that a world full of monsters exist.

It felt a bit rushed and there were a couple of scenes where it quickly jumped from one point to another, like it expected me to already know what was going on, and it kinda threw me out of the magic of the story.

The writing style is a cliché sort of style. It adds to the vibes of the book, giving it that My Babysitter’s a Vampire vibe, which i don’t know why the book reminds me of that show, but i grew up watching it and i really adore it.

The dialogue is the same as the writing style. Kinda cliché which might make the characters come off as annoying, but i think it just adds to the charm of the book and the humor.

The drawing style is super cute and I love all of the character designs.

If I get the chance I will definitely read the series when it continues. In the next volumes I would love to see some more worldbuilding and get a deeper understanding of the characters and their actions, since they so far have appeared a bit flat. I would also love some background for the monster world and the monsters and their powers. I also have a lot of questions about Shirley Jackson and when they were alive. What unfinished business do they have? I hope I'll get my questions answered later on in the series. The same with Rhonda and her powers. I hope we will dive deeper into how her powers work in the next volumes, and the background of her powers.

I am worried about the romance. I hope it won't take up too much of the story, but so far it's very cute though it is a bit rushed.
It’s a quick and easy read, I finished it in about an hour, so if you're looking for a book to get you in the Halloween mood without giving you nightmares then this is perfect. Especially because the book comes out October 6th - just in time for spooky season.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an e-book version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited when I read the synopsis of this, as I love stories that have a twist including famous authors or their descendants. I really enjoyed following Mary, a descendant of Mary Shelley, who is expected to follow the long line of writers in her family. She finds out pretty quickly that her normal teenage life of struggling in school and having family issues is not what it seems. Her adventures from there are comical and portray a struggle for her between doing what she's expected to do and what she wants to do - as well as actually figuring out what she wants to do.

I also really enjoyed the art style, it seemed to perfectly capture the different characters and the different members and ancestors of Mary's family. All in all it was a fun story and take on a famous figure's descendant.

This graphic novel was made for people like me. I love the spooky, the macabre, and of course, I love Mary Shelley. I thought the art and coloring in this was perfect for this story and I'm excited to get my hands on a physical copy for that reason. One of the parts I really liked about this graphic novel was how the author incorporated the historic family members with the magic and the art, it was really well done. I can't wait to read more from this series!

I liked this book not what I usually read but I like the artwork. Read this in one sitting interesting story.kept getting lost along the way but I don’t usually read this format but I am looking at reading more like this and try something out of my comfort zone love Mary as a character .

This is a fun graphic novel perfect for fans of the iZombie comic series.
The story follows Mary, a distant granddaughter of Mary Shelley, who discovers she has the power to heal monsters.
There's a great little club of characters, and I enjoyed seeing Mary go from grappling with the stress of school and living up to her family's legacy to trying to get her head around being a healer for the monster community!
The story felt like it had lots more to give, and I'd certainly buy a sequel.