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allibug26's review against another edition
3.0
This book had some Sabrina: The Teenage Witch vibes, which I enjoyed a lot. I like the angsty, bold main character. The art was neat in this novel. The main issue is that there are some plot holes and moments where something happens, such as a question being asked, and it’s skipped over like it never happened. The story was short and I am hoping for more, because the premise is so interesting and I enjoy the diverse, quirky characters!
thereadernthebeast's review against another edition
3.0
Let me start this review by saying that the art is freaking beautiful. The character design, the style... everything, top-notch - an incredible graphic novel filled with horror, comedy, and fantastic events.
I love Mary Shelley so a twisted modern retelling is perfect for me! The book itself intrigued me from the first page, with the portrait of Mary emerging from a painting and entering a spooky forest; I turned the pages so fast ... This was a highly recommended read, with all the diverse characters, varied monster references, humor, and fun in every way. And now I just want to know how can I get more of this!
I love Mary Shelley so a twisted modern retelling is perfect for me! The book itself intrigued me from the first page, with the portrait of Mary emerging from a painting and entering a spooky forest; I turned the pages so fast ... This was a highly recommended read, with all the diverse characters, varied monster references, humor, and fun in every way. And now I just want to know how can I get more of this!
witchyfingers's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ponch22's review against another edition
3.0
Wanted to read this after hearing about it on [a:Brea Grant|20691103|Brea Grant|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1599904315p2/20691103.jpg]'s podcast Reading Glasses (which she cohosts with [a:Mallory O'Meara|16042254|Mallory O'Meara|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1540864522p2/16042254.jpg]). I got my local library to order the graphic novel so hopefully others can enjoy it too!
It's a cute story about [b:Mary|54842385|Mary The Adventures of Mary Shelley's Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Granddaughter|Brea Grant|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1596802301l/54842385._SX50_.jpg|85564231], the Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Granddaughter of [a:Mary Shelley|11139|Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1588859766p2/11139.jpg] & how she's trying to escape her family's (fictionalized) legacy of every generation producing famous female authors. Unfortunately for her, instead of writing about monsters, she finds out she can heal them.
The story introduces 200-year-old love interests (for 16-year-old Mary... ew!), harpies, Loch Ness monsters, witches, and more, and yet I don't see any indication that this is the first of a series of novels. As a standalone story, it's a very quick read, but it seems to want to be a series in all the setup... For instance, there's a "Monster Compendium" at the back of the book that gives more details for many of the monsters introduced in the book—which feels like such a waste if we won't ever hear from any of them again...
Maybe there's a chance for it to expand if it sells really well? But unfortunately, I can't rate this all that high given the incomplete feeling it gave me in the end. However, [a:Yishan Li|689317|Yishan Li|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1461208377p2/689317.jpg]'s artwork is fantastic. If (when?) issue #2 comes out, I hope Grant & Li can work together again!
It's a cute story about [b:Mary|54842385|Mary The Adventures of Mary Shelley's Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Granddaughter|Brea Grant|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1596802301l/54842385._SX50_.jpg|85564231], the Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Granddaughter of [a:Mary Shelley|11139|Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1588859766p2/11139.jpg] & how she's trying to escape her family's (fictionalized) legacy of every generation producing famous female authors. Unfortunately for her, instead of writing about monsters, she finds out she can heal them.
The story introduces 200-year-old love interests (for 16-year-old Mary... ew!), harpies, Loch Ness monsters, witches, and more, and yet I don't see any indication that this is the first of a series of novels. As a standalone story, it's a very quick read, but it seems to want to be a series in all the setup... For instance, there's a "Monster Compendium" at the back of the book that gives more details for many of the monsters introduced in the book—which feels like such a waste if we won't ever hear from any of them again...
Maybe there's a chance for it to expand if it sells really well? But unfortunately, I can't rate this all that high given the incomplete feeling it gave me in the end. However, [a:Yishan Li|689317|Yishan Li|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1461208377p2/689317.jpg]'s artwork is fantastic. If (when?) issue #2 comes out, I hope Grant & Li can work together again!
nyrabloodreaver's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
tracytho's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
evermoreliterary's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a fun graphic novel! I loved the friendship featured and the budding potential romance is adorable! The side characters both human and monster alike had so much personality and charm! I think Ghost Bun Bun was my favorite of all but I enjoyed the harpy too!
arthurian's review against another edition
3.0
This graphic novel had a lot to promise but I feel like in most aspects it failed to deliver them.
I had no problems with the style or quality of the illustrations, they were very pretty and suited the "teenage angst" vibe.
But the procession of events in the story don't make a lot of sense and while it is humorous for that reason, I don't think that was particularly intended for every single event. I think it would have worked better as the story of a girl who can heal monsters without the Mary Shelley bit.
I had no problems with the style or quality of the illustrations, they were very pretty and suited the "teenage angst" vibe.
But the procession of events in the story don't make a lot of sense and while it is humorous for that reason, I don't think that was particularly intended for every single event. I think it would have worked better as the story of a girl who can heal monsters without the Mary Shelley bit.
verbosevespertine's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
dame_samara's review against another edition
3.0
The Beginning is always today...
This is the book that I needed in High School and even early college. The pressure to know exactly where you are heading and what you are going to do for the rest of your life is tremendous at this stage and it Is also the time where we have the most pressure around what those around us expect us to be.
While I think this book definitely addresses the pressure from outside forces to pick the path that is right based on their expectations. Instead of showing someone choosing their own path and succeeding they show (world-altering) repercussions for choosing a path different than what is expected.
But overall this book is a cute read, with a happy ending, with heartwarming characters.
This is the book that I needed in High School and even early college. The pressure to know exactly where you are heading and what you are going to do for the rest of your life is tremendous at this stage and it Is also the time where we have the most pressure around what those around us expect us to be.
While I think this book definitely addresses the pressure from outside forces to pick the path that is right based on their expectations. Instead of showing someone choosing their own path and succeeding they show (world-altering) repercussions for choosing a path different than what is expected.
But overall this book is a cute read, with a happy ending, with heartwarming characters.