School Library Journal Starred Review (Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2018)

Gr 7 Up-Judge details the life of the great Mary Shelley through poetry in this atmospheric and illustrated volume. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a classic masterpiece of horror and science fiction, and Judge treats it as such, hyping up the events that would lead to it's creationfrom her tumultuous relationship with Percy Bysshe Shelley to trials and tribulations of being a disowned woman in the 1800s. Readers will be enthralled by the dark and exacting verse, beautifully accompanied by haunting black-and-white watercolor spreads. In the poem "I Am Seventeen": "Already/I am daughter to a ghost/and mother to bones." This work does not skimp on the details, however sordid they may be. The pain, fervor, and tragic events that drove Shelley's inspiration for Frankenstein will sit with readers well after the volume is finished. It also discusses the issue of women's rights at the time (or lack thereof) in a somberly poignant way that mirrors many of Shelley's own experiences. VERDICT A must-purchase for any middle and high school or public library YA collections, particularly where Gothic horror is in demand. Molly Dettmann, Moore Public Library, OK

ALA Booklist (Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

Originally published in January 1818, Mary Shelley's revolutionary Frankenstein has bewitched readers for centuries. In this ­novel-like, free-verse book d just in time for Frankenstein's two-hundredth anniversary udge (Hoot and Peep, 2017) illuminates the life of the legendary author. Told in nine parts (a nod to the nine months Mary spent drafting Frankenstein), drawn from Mary's own meticulous journals, and kindled by supremely haunting black-and-white watercolor illustrations, Judge's book spotlights the circumstances that inevitably spawn Mary's unforgettable Creature. There was the death of Mary's mother, renowned feminist Mary Wollstonecraft; an adolescence spent in Scotland, severed from her family; and a tumultuous romance with married poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and its consequences, including familial and social exile. Through it all, Mary remains a creative force, enchanted by a zeitgeist of galvanism, radical poetry, and indomitable nature. Complete with extensive back matter, such as a "What Were They Reading?" compilation, this is a stirring, impeccably researched portrait of a remarkable woman and her literary "progeny." Much like Mary, Judge forges a Creature all her own.

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

This novel based on Mary Shelley's life gives readers insight into the complex author of Frankenstein, including details about her life and her creative process, in first-person verse covering lots of chronological ground. There are moments of true poetry, but even more impressive are the numerous monochromatic watercolor illustrations that envelop the verse, imbuing the work with a Gothic atmosphere of gloom, dread, and fate. Bib.