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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
Argh I find it really hard to rate this. I have given it 3 stars but it’s more like 3.5. Frankenstein is my favourite classic so I had really high hopes. I wish I had read the physical book rather than the audiobook. I just did not get on with the narrator. I found it really hard to get through. I think my dislike of the way she read created a disconnect between me and the story and I found I didn’t really care what happened to Elizabeth way or the other. The book is well written though which makes me think I might reread a physical copy at a later date and give it another chance.
It had its moments of disturbing, but a horror book? I don't think so. It was sadly boring for most of the book. The best part was the last 75 or so pages when things really started happening.
Kiersten White's The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frakenstein is a YA Horror retelling of the classic horror story, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley.
I'll admit, I've never read Frankenstein in its entirety due to my distaste for the epistolary style novel when I was younger, but since I've read Dracula, I'd like to give Frankenstein another go now that I have a new appreciation for journal entries and letters in writing. The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is not written in the same format as it's classic counterpart, so if you hate journal entries, don't worry. You also don't need to know anything about the original story in order to follow this one.
Everything is told from Elizabeth Lavenza's perspective— a young woman who was adopted into the Frankenstein family at a young age, and who is Victor Frankenstein's love interest from the original. The great thing about a retelling is you get to experience everything through the eyes of a new character and see the story in a whole new light. Kiersten White does this well with Elizabeth, who wants nothing more than to be reunited with her beloved Victor, whom she hasn't heard from in months. Through flashbacks, we get to see glimpses into Elizabeth's relationship with Victor, and how she became such an important part of the family.
In Elizabeth's eyes, Victor can do no wrong, but as the story progresses and the dark secrets from the past come out to play, you start to see that Victor may not be the genius Elizabeth thinks he is. His genius has turned to madness, and Elizabeth must deal with the consequences of both of their actions. As we know from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Victor has created a monster from human parts, but who is the monster in this story, and who is the man? That is what the reader and Elizabeth must find out for themselves.
This book stunned me with it's well-written prose and round/twisted characters. Elizabeth is such a strong character, and so flawed! Oh my gosh, she's such a morally grey character, and I love, love, love her! Her character is a breath of fresh air. She's intelligent, manipulative, she knows she's attractive and uses her looks to her advantage, and she's not afraid to do what's necessary for the people she loves.
"...I had ceased feeling guilty long ago. Words and stories were tools to elicit the desired reactions in other, and I was an expert craftswoman" (p. 11).
Then there's Victor Frankenstein, whose actions in this novel lead me to believe he is a psychopath. He doesn't feel any remorse or guilt over what he's done; he doesn't care about anyone in his family; he only cares about one person— Elizabeth. She's the only one who "understands" him, and his feelings for her can only be described as obsessive.
"Someday death will claim you. And I will not allow it." His eyes narrowed, and his voice trembled with fury and determination. "You are mine Elizabeth Lavenza, and nothing will take you away from me. Not even death" (p. 92).
Boy needs to CHILL.
There's a reason why this book is called The Dark Descent: Kiersten White takes Elizabeth on a dark path and never relents through the whole story. If you don't like dark stories, then this novel isn't for you. I'd still suggest you read it, though, because it's THAT good.
I devoured this book in two days.
TWO DAYS!
I finished this book a month ago, and it's taken me this long to write a review because this book is so shockingly good, I needed time to recuperate after the last chapter. I then went back and reread the first five chapters to make sure I wasn't crazy.
I'm not. This book is fantastic. Read it, and let me know about your thoughts in the comments.
Also, check out other reviews at my blog here
I'll admit, I've never read Frankenstein in its entirety due to my distaste for the epistolary style novel when I was younger, but since I've read Dracula, I'd like to give Frankenstein another go now that I have a new appreciation for journal entries and letters in writing. The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is not written in the same format as it's classic counterpart, so if you hate journal entries, don't worry. You also don't need to know anything about the original story in order to follow this one.
Everything is told from Elizabeth Lavenza's perspective— a young woman who was adopted into the Frankenstein family at a young age, and who is Victor Frankenstein's love interest from the original. The great thing about a retelling is you get to experience everything through the eyes of a new character and see the story in a whole new light. Kiersten White does this well with Elizabeth, who wants nothing more than to be reunited with her beloved Victor, whom she hasn't heard from in months. Through flashbacks, we get to see glimpses into Elizabeth's relationship with Victor, and how she became such an important part of the family.
In Elizabeth's eyes, Victor can do no wrong, but as the story progresses and the dark secrets from the past come out to play, you start to see that Victor may not be the genius Elizabeth thinks he is. His genius has turned to madness, and Elizabeth must deal with the consequences of both of their actions. As we know from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Victor has created a monster from human parts, but who is the monster in this story, and who is the man? That is what the reader and Elizabeth must find out for themselves.
This book stunned me with it's well-written prose and round/twisted characters. Elizabeth is such a strong character, and so flawed! Oh my gosh, she's such a morally grey character, and I love, love, love her! Her character is a breath of fresh air. She's intelligent, manipulative, she knows she's attractive and uses her looks to her advantage, and she's not afraid to do what's necessary for the people she loves.
"...I had ceased feeling guilty long ago. Words and stories were tools to elicit the desired reactions in other, and I was an expert craftswoman" (p. 11).
Then there's Victor Frankenstein, whose actions in this novel lead me to believe he is a psychopath. He doesn't feel any remorse or guilt over what he's done; he doesn't care about anyone in his family; he only cares about one person— Elizabeth. She's the only one who "understands" him, and his feelings for her can only be described as obsessive.
"Someday death will claim you. And I will not allow it." His eyes narrowed, and his voice trembled with fury and determination. "You are mine Elizabeth Lavenza, and nothing will take you away from me. Not even death" (p. 92).
Boy needs to CHILL.
There's a reason why this book is called The Dark Descent: Kiersten White takes Elizabeth on a dark path and never relents through the whole story. If you don't like dark stories, then this novel isn't for you. I'd still suggest you read it, though, because it's THAT good.
I devoured this book in two days.
TWO DAYS!
I finished this book a month ago, and it's taken me this long to write a review because this book is so shockingly good, I needed time to recuperate after the last chapter. I then went back and reread the first five chapters to make sure I wasn't crazy.
I'm not. This book is fantastic. Read it, and let me know about your thoughts in the comments.
Also, check out other reviews at my blog here
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Me sorprendió muchísimo, ame el personaje de Elizabeth 🖤💜💚
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Death
I may be a bit biased because I literally don't think I've ever encountered an actual Frankenstein retelling that I didn't like, but this was soooo gooooood. Also I am absolutely loving this new trend of retelling classic works by focusing on the women that were barely a footnote in the originals. I don't want to give too much away but I'll just say that this a delightfully dark story focusing on women helping other women but without losing the overall tone and feel of the original. Also the chapter titles are just a m a z i n g [I'm a slut for compelling chapter titles.] I would probably recommend this to people who liked [b:Cadaver & Queen|35140600|Cadaver & Queen (Cadaver & Queen, #1)|Alisa Kwitney|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1505933745s/35140600.jpg|53279062], although be aware that the relationship between Victor and Elizabeth is VERY different in this one.