Monsters
ISBN13
9781783448029
Review published
23/04/2019
By Reviewer
Eileen
Star Rating
By Author / Illustrator
Sharon Dogar
Age range(s)
11+
Review
Don't be fooled by the title, the Monster in this story isn't the one brought to life by Dr Frankenstein in the classic Gothic story but the characters involved in its creation. For this is the outstanding and completely compelling story of Mary Godwin, author of the original tale, whose own life is every bit as tragic and dramatic as that of the legendary monster she creates. Dogar cleverly weaves a tangled web of intrigue, emotions and relationships which inextricably pulls in the reader while at the same time showing brilliantly how real life informed art. The lives of these literary celebrities unfold like the reality TV show of its time, scandalising those in London society who look on in outraged judgement, gossiping shamelessly, and completely addicted to seeing what Mary and those in her close circle do next. We, as readers, share their fascination with these characters as their drama unfolds on the page: 16-year-old Mary, headstrong and idealistic, passionate and vocal about defying social convention and following her dreams; her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, staunch feminist and muse for for our heroine even after her own early death; her father, the stubborn and pompous social reformer, William Godwin; her half-sister, Claire, competing for romantic attention from Percy Bysshe Shelley as they elope to pursue their vision of free love; Shelley himself, the charming (married) Romantic hero poet, idealistic and reckless, but often thinking only of himself; the infamous Lord Byron, fashionable and flamboyant, womanising villain. There are abandoned wives, passionate affairs, infant death and suicide as our cast of characters travel from London to Paris and through Switzerland in pursuit of their ideals. Theirs is a story of love, passion and heartbreak, abject poverty and prejudice, idealism and radicalism, atheism, feminism and freedom. he way in which Dogar brings the past to life and reimagines Mary Shelley's life is outstanding. Rigorous historical research and exceptionally skilled writing captures the flavour of the era while creating a page-turning story, highly readable to a modern audience. Despite the initially intimidating length, short diary-style entries keep the pages turning at speed. Dogar treats her very human characters fairly, portraying Mary Shelley as an inspiring feminist heroine, fighting for her rights, passionately articulating beliefs which are just as relevant today. Indeed the condemnation and shaming she faces is only too similar to that which many women still experience. Dogar deftly avoids any hint of melodrama or stereotyping. As readers, we find ourselves attracted, despite ourselves, to the dark side of the very characters we long to despise. This is the book English teachers have long dreamed of - perfect to use with GCSE/A level classes to increase engagement and understanding of the set text or to stretch more able readers and tempt them into trying the Frankenstein story for themselves. Fans of historical fiction will love it too. It is a masterpiece and deserves to hoover up awards. A number of contemporary YA writers have put a new spin on the Frankenstein myth to create their own outstanding fictions: Paula Rawsthorne examines medical ethics, identity and the nature of love in the thought-provoking novel Shell while Chris Priestley creates a creepy gothic journey of friendship and betrayal in Mister Creecher. Other classic fictions are given a modern spin in Becoming Jo by Sophie McKenzie (a reimagining of Little Women) and A Song for Ella Grey by David Almond (a retelling of the myth of Orpheus). Chasing the Stars by Malorie Blackman sets the Othello story in deep space while And the Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness tells the story of Moby Dick from the perspective of the whale. Dogar's previous work, Annexed, takes the reader into the world of Anne Frank through Peter's diary. 464 pages / Ages 14+ / Reviewed by Eileen Armstrong, school librarian
