I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White Published by Delacorte Press on September 25, 2018
Pages: 304
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Elizabeth Lavenza hasn't had a proper meal in weeks. Her thin arms are covered with bruises from her "caregiver," and she is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything--except a friend.
Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable--and it works. She is taken in by the Frankenstein family and rewarded with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable.
But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth's survival depends on managing Victor's dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness.
Hey everyone! I’m beyond excited to be on the blog tour for The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White!! This book was SO good!! I hope you enjoy my review!
I hated reading in school (because it took away from my own personal reading time), but Frankenstein was one of the few books I was forced to read and actually loved. And as you guys know, I LOVE retellings – especially creepy/dark/twisted ones. So for me, this book was wickedly delightful, creeptastic and intriguing!
Elizabeth is a manipulative bullshitter, a charmer. She’s blunt and to the point. She’s mean, by her own admission. But I love it. She’s flawed and that’s okay. She does what she has to to survive. She has no use for anyone or anything that doesn’t help her or advance her in some way, but considering the time period she lived in, and the things women endured – what we saw her endure – I get it.
Victor is… a complete psychopath/sociopath. I mean, that’s obvious to anyone who has read Frankenstein. But seen from Elizabeth’s perspective, it’s even more obvious.
I adored Justine and her friendship with Elizabeth. She was the one person Elizabeth truly loved, and remained friends with for reasons other than selfish ones. I completely related to her, hardcore, for various reasons. Her fate broke my heart.
Another character I absolutely adored was Mary. I had a weird theory I was desperate to prove, but alas, we received no confirmation on this one. I still loved her. She was strong and fierce in the face of personal turmoil.
I loved the ending. It left things a bit open-ended. I don’t see there being a sequel, but it allows your mind to wander and come up with your own wild theories, re: what happened next.
As always, Kiersten’s writing was phenomenal. She’s one of my favorite writers – has been for years, and always will be. I’ll read anything she writes, and am especially excited for her upcoming novel, Slayer (I mean, I’m a HUGE Buffy fan, so this should come as no surprise!!).
This book felt different from some of Kiersten’s others, but in a good way. It had more of a gothic fiction/classic feel to it and I liked the pace and how things played out. I do wish the atmosphere had been a touch darker and creepier, and I wish there had been a bit more thriller/edge-of your-seat-type intrigue, but I still really enjoyed it.
The only thing that frustrated me was that I couldn’t remember enough of Frankenstein. And that’s NOT a point against this book, that’s just me remembering bits and pieces and flashes, and wishing I could remember more. I had some theories and it was hard to develop them when I couldn’t remember certain things (for example: why did I blank on who Henry Clerval was?!? I read Frankenstein like 3 times. The name rings a bell but ???). But again, that’s NOT a negative or a point against this book. I just wish I could have remembered, because I think it would have made certain things more intriguing.
Overall, I really really loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who is already a fan of Kiersten White, as well as to anyone that loves horror, classics, retellings and especially – obviously – Frankenstein.
About the Author:
KIERSTEN WHITE is the New York Times bestselling author of The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, the And I Darken series, comprised of And I Darken, Now I Rise, and Bright We Burn; the Paranormalcy series; Slayer, and many more novels. She lives with her family near the ocean in San Diego, which, in spite of its perfection, spurs her to dream of faraway places and even further-away times.Website | Twitter Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads
And now for the giveaway! Three lucky winners will receive a finished copy of THE DARK DESCENT OF ELIZABETH FRANKENSTEIN! US Only. To enter, fill out the rafflecopter below!
Blog Tour Schedule: Week One:
10/15/2018 – Under the Book Cover – Review
10/16/2018 – Simply Daniel Radcliffe – Review
10/17/2018 – Novel Novice – Review
10/18/2018 – My Fangirl Chronicles – Review
10/19/2018 – Pandora’s Books – ReviewWeek Two:
10/22/2018 – Jessica Writes – Review
10/23/2018 – Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews – Review
10/24/2018 – Here’s to Happy Endings – Review
10/25/2018 – Savings in Seconds – Review
10/26/2018 – Vicky Who Reads – ReviewWeek Three:
10/29/2018 – Smada’s Book Smack – Review
10/30/2018 – YA Books Central – Interview
10/31/2018 – For the Lover of Books – Review
11/1/2018 – Malanie Loves Fiction – Review
11/2/2018 – Oh Hey! Books. – ReviewWeek Four:
11/5/2018 – The Hermit Librarian – Review
11/6/2018 – Tales of the Ravenous Reader – Interview
11/7/2018 – BookHounds YA – Review
11/8/2018 – Eli to the nth – Review
11/9/2018 – Portrait of a Book – Review