My Imaginary Mary
Written by: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows
HarperCollins
2022
Another brilliant addition to the Mary’s series, My Imaginary Mary, brings Mary Shelley nee Wollstonecraft to life and adds a little fae and fantasy to her and Ada Lovelace’s life.
I cannot begin to tell you how excellent My Imaginary Mary was. As a massive fan of not only these authors but also the brilliant Mary Shelley herself, I find this novel impeccably written, charming, and fun. This novel will simply make you smile as you read it.
Brilliant Fun
What I loved most about My Imaginary Mary was the characterization. Mary Shelley is the mother of science fiction. She gave birth to Frankenstein, which may now be regarded as gothic lit and horror, but it was considered science fiction when it was first published. It’s about a mad scientist who wants to defy death, so it makes sense.
But I digress; as a huge fan, I needed this book on my shelf. Luckily, it was a Read with Cyn’s Workshop book club pick, so I could discuss everything I loved.
Which makes writing this review all that much easier.
The Janies, as the three authors call themselves, put a lot of love and imagination into this novel. Rewriting history is what they do best, and adding a fantastical element makes it all the more brilliant.
As usual, this novel is split into three distinct POVs. They are Mary, who discovers her mother was a fae, and so is she, in turn, able to use her brilliant imagination to make things come to life. Next is Ada Lovelace, a brilliant girl with a brilliant scientific mind who, in reality, never had the chance to meet Mary Shelley as they were born at different times. And the third is PAN, aka Practical Automation Number One, an automaton built by Ada and brought to life by Mary.
Mary names him Peter and turns him into a real boy to keep him safe from an evil mad scientist.
The literary references alone in the book are enough to make the reader smile because, let me tell you, they made me smile.
But back to my original point, the characters have so much life. Their personalities leap off the pages, and their one-liners are bangers. But they are not the only characters to shine.
Part of why the series is so good is that in each novel, the side characters shine, which is no different here. The side characters, such as Mary’s Fae – not fairy – godmother, Mary’s sisters, and the evil scientist, have outstanding personalities. These are fun characters; they have life to them and help create a well-rounded historical fantasy. There’s no better way to put it. These three authors collaborate well, ensuring their writing styles combine to tell a brilliant story.
As for the authors, they also put their voices into the novel, referencing current pop culture and breaking the fourth wall in clever ways to address the reader and the plot. Again, it was absolutely brilliant.
Final Thoughts
I absolutely loved My Imaginary Mary. It had a great voice, fantastic storytelling, and so many fun literary references, and it was just absolutely amazing. Hands down, it’s a must-read.
Fun, Fae-tastic, and Fabulous | My Imaginary Mary Review
Another brilliant addition to the Mary’s series, My Imaginary Mary, brings Mary Shelley nee Wollstonecraft to life and adds a little fae and fantasy to her and Ada Lovelace’s life.
Cynthia Ayala
Cynthia Ayala-Bujnicki majored in Writing and Publishing from Emerson College. Editor-in-chief of Cyn's Workshop, she loves to read and write while tending to her pepper plants. She currently lives in South Florida with her husband, two kids Dante and Selene and two furbabies Mr. J the Kitten who Thinks He's Batman (yes, that is his full name) and Nyx.
