The sixteen year-old Mary Godwin has felt guilty ever since she found out about her birthmother, who died soon after Mary was born. Mary blames herself for killing her mother. Mary lives with Fanny, her mother’s daughter from a previous marriage, a father, and a stepmother, who also had a daughter from her previous marriage, Jane.

Mary and Jane are inseparable, maybe because they are at the same age while Fanny is 4 years older. Mary and Jane always play together and share everything. Mary’s dream is to marry a handsome poet with money. Jane says that she’d rather have a man with quality.

One day a poet comes to the father’s bookstore. Mary falls in love with him instantly. However, the poet, Percy Shelley, is already married, and what’s more, he was dishonored by his father due to Percy’s atheism and marriage to first wife, Harriet, who was also16 years old.

Despite Mary’s father’s and stepmother’s opposition, Mary runs away with Percy and Jane. Yes, with Jane. I can already predict more troubles. While Percy is still married to Harriet, the odd group of three travels Europe. One day on a ship on the river Rhine, Mary meets Herr Keffner, and she is fascinated by his story about a mad scientist.

During the journey Mary becomes uncomfortable with Percy’ rude behavior and comments, and she is doubtful of his past. Jane starts flirting with Percy. I knew this was coming! I just cannot stand all three of them. None of them has any purpose and goal but keeps traveling without a final destination. A lack of money forces them to move back to London. Percy finds out that Harriet had just given birth to a boy. Percy tries to use his son to get money from his father. Mary gets pregnant too, but has a miscarriage.

The strange behaviors of the three people continue. Jane suddenly says “I no longer wish to be called Jane”, and she asks everyone to call her “Clare”. There are more births and deaths before Mary comes to her senses. She struggles between love and hate for Percy.

Although I don’t like many of Mary’s decisions, I cannot blame her for behaving like that. She had a hard childhood, and she believed that marriage was the only way for a woman to get freedom (of course, the opposite is true).

Readers will understand why Mary Shelley created Frankenstein. I think the author did an excellent job researching Mary Shelley’s life. “Angelmonster” is easy to read and digest, however, I would not recommend this book to any pre-teen child. There are affairs and infidelities.

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