Mary is tired of her restrictive home life. She isn't very fond of her stepmother, and her father doesn't do much to help. When dashing and exciting Percy Shelley comes along, Mary can't help but fall for him, even though he is married. Their love is the catalyst for several following scandals, but for Mary, she cannot stop loving this man and plans to get through it as much as possible.

HIDEOUS LOVE by Stephanie Hemphill gives an extremely interesting look at famous author Mary Shelley's life in this unique young adult novel. Hemphill shows her story the clever and unique way of free verse, and though I was not sold on that idea at first, I ended up loving it. The verse makes the story go by very quickly, and I probably ended up reading this in under a couple of hours, making it an excellent quick and deep read.

The character of Mary is often a character tortured. She loves Percy, but she wonders if he will ever leave her as he did his wife, and it doesn't help that him and her sister get closer. Though centuries apart, Mary becomes a relatable character in this worry of loss of love and jealousy. As the novel progresses, children come into the mix and the family expands in a way that older readers can enjoy and also find relatable. You can certainly enjoy it if you haven't read the Shelleys' works, but for readers who have also read FRANKENSTIEN, the insight Hemphill gives on the background Mary had while writing is wonderful and intriguing.

parts, while over quickly, do get a bit boring, but given that this is a reflection on a real person's life, it is Though I did enjoy reading this, I did not love it. Certain very normal for a person not to have action going on all the time. Reading this is definitely an experience I won't forget, and I will be looking out for more from this author.