Sighs.   About a page after the quote of the girl thinking she looked retarded.   Possibly.   This has a lot of horrible shit in it.   A lot of horrible teenagers thinking horrible things.   

And it's, again, disappointing.   Because Shelley is the Frankenstein monster character, and she's absolutely lovely.   Sweet, charming, and the cliché definition of a gentle giant.   But because of her disfigurement and inability to speak, she has distinctions and weaknesses that make her unique - even as she's inspired by another character - and just a joy to read.   She's, if anything, more intelligent and articulate than her predecessor.   

Honestly, I could read a whole book about Shelley, particularly one from her point of view.   The fact that she's a prude compared to the other characters, and gentle, and yet evokes an emotional response from me is proof that this author is capable of coaxing that out of me without resorting to being crude, nasty, and disgusting.   And while I normally like it, I think it's the juxtaposition that's driving me bonkers here.   He's so much more capable, so much more eloquent, so much... more when he's not diving into that shock factor.   

Please, please, just let me get to more of the Shelley parts.   Please?