Mary: The Adventures of Mary Shelley's Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Granddaughter - by Brea Grant (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A 2021 YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens pick.

When angsty teenager Mary Shelley is not interested in carrying on her family's celebrated legacy of being a great writer, but she soon discovers that she has the not-so-celebrated and super-secret Shelley power to heal monsters, just like her famous ancestor, and those monsters are not going to let her ignore her true calling anytime soon.

Everyone expects sixteen-year-old Mary to be a great writer. After all, her mother, her aunt, and her grandmother are all successful writers (as they constantly remind her)--not to mention her famous namesake, the OG Mary Shelley, horror author extraordinaire. But Mary is pretty sure she's not cut out for that life. She can't even stay awake in class! Then one dark and rainy night, she's confronted with a whole new destiny. Mary has the ability to heal monsters... and they're not going to leave her alone until she does.

With the help of a mysterious (and mysteriously cute) stranger, a Harpy, a possessed stuffed bunny, and her BFF Rhonda, Mary must uncover her family's darkest secret if she's going to save the monster world... and herself.

Review Quotes

Praise for Yishan Li
"The visual humor in [Paradox Girl] is spectacular... In the deft hands of Yishan Li, this book is a visual wonder." - Image Comics

"The example of Mary Shelley writing Frankenstein at the age of 19 has long put pressure on those writers who do not conjure up one of the horror genre's most iconic tales while still a teenager. But how much more pressure would it put on a present-day descendant of the novelist? That is the question raised by Mary: The Adventures of Mary Shelley's Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandaughter, a new graphic novel from writer, director, and actress Brea Grant." - Entertainment Weekly

"I love Mary, and I love this story. I can easily say I enjoyed every bit of this and eagerly look forward to more....Legacies, monsters, humor, romance, teen angst--this is a well-balanced story, and one that will appeal to those of us who love the spookier, goth-ier things." - Sequential Tart

"Writer/director/producer/actress Brea Grant gives voice to Mary Shelley, the young lady who seems to feel no connection to the world her great x 5 grandmother created, or the extraordinariness it has brought upon the name for the generations preceding her. But Mary sees herself as very plain. In the graphic novel, Grant creates an exciting journey for Mary through her storytelling, with wonderfully moody illustrations by manga artist Yishan Li." - The Fandom

"Mixing the supernatural with the trials and tribulations of a typical teen (familial expectations, crushes, friendship tension, passing Biology...), this graphic novel is both fun and relatable, ideal for drawing in reluctant readers and voracious horror fans alike." - DreadCentral

"We are introduced into a world of angst vs rebellion, a place in time where preordained future collides with an opportunity to do truly remarkable things. The main character Mary leaps off the page as someone you begin to root for as she becomes an empowered character now chasing her own path. By the end you will find yourself firmly on team Mary and be entered into a dynamic world you would have never expected to encounter on page one...The art is Dark and realistic and fits the story as the perfect outfit for it to wear and invites you into the world of the Shelleys. With a fantastic story that will leave you wanting more, this comic book is a shining example of how great stories that do not fit a narrative of what you expect comics to be, capes and tights, can expand your ability to appreciate the power of stories that can be told within the pages of comics." - Geek Insider

"It's not easy being the great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Mary Shelley. And it's really not easy being a teenager when monsters start begging for your help. But that's the story of Mary, a new graphic novel from actor/writer Brea Grant." - The Hashtag Show

"If you're a fan of Mary Shelley and are looking for a quick, atmospheric graphic novel, make sure to give this one a read." - SlothReads