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Reviews tagging 'Body horror'
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White
19 reviews
inkwellimps's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.75
I wouldn't recommend it to people who are fans of the original book. As a derivative work, I wasn't expecting to be so far astray from the original--Victor in particular I was very bothered by. To give one example early on in the novel,
I do genuinely believe there's a lot that could be said about Elizabeth, or anyone in her position, as someone taken in as a parentified only daughter (as Victor's parents seem to treat her in the original), but I don't think this book is the book to do it. I was eagerly anticipating how White would handle (spoilers for the original book)
For being billed as “The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein”, the majority of the novel portrays Elizabeth as a victim. The darkness in question is mainly Elizabeth trying to make herself appealing to Victor and ||convincing herself she is responsible for Victor’s murders via not knowing he was committing them||. She is rather hastily comforted by a side character, Mary, that she is not at fault. Shortly before this, Mary straight up tells Elizabeth that she is a victim.
I did try to give this novel a chance as its own isolated narrative after getting over that initial surprise, but beyond what it borrows from Shelley, I found it to be mediocre. There was a small moment I was genuinely invested around the 3/4 mark where it is revealed that
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Child death, Confinement, Body horror, Child abuse, and Death
Minor: Medical content
A few of the "child abuse" instances involve religious abuse.lochnessvhs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, and Child abuse
ahoyitsjoy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Child death, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Misogyny, Murder, Death of parent, Gun violence, Violence, Sexism, and Gore
Minor: Vomit
jomarie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Gore, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Blood, Death, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pregnancy and Murder
murielreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
At this point simplemente denme la lista de compras del súper de Kiersten que yo la leo a encantada
Graphic: Death, Murder, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Minor: Toxic relationship and Grief
apestforwrens's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Sexism
Minor: Excrement
It’s a gothic horror/thriller. This book contains genre typical violence, ethics, and actionswhite_dragon_tea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Murder, Body horror, and Violence
Minor: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Animal death, and Forced institutionalization
booksofautumn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Confinement, Gun violence, Murder, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Violence, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Toxic friendship
louisegraveyard's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Misogyny, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
saeruh's review against another edition
3.5
There was just some things I think this book really lacked. Firstly for being a book trying to tell Elizabeth’s story/life rather than the original story’s main character, Victor, I still found that much of the book revolved around him which makes sense since he’s the villain of this one (and also the original Frankenstein but that’s a whole other point). I really wanted to get to know Elizabeth much more in-depthly. I also did not like the ending, I felt like leaving how Elizabeth survives Victor up to the reader’s imagination was lazy. I also felt like much more of the horror aspects could have been featured in this.
However somethings I did like were how funny Mary was in the few chapters (it was a nice dissolving of tensions) and the family/companionship bond formed between Elizabeth, Mary, and Adam by the story’s end. I did really like Elizabeth and her tenacity, I just wish we maybe saw more of her not thinking of Victor and his family.
Moderate: Abandonment, Animal death, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Medical content, and Forced institutionalization