Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White

9 reviews

ahoyitsjoy's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• 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

Excellent "women's rights and women's wrongs" book. I loved White's version of Elizabeth. She was such an interesting and sympathetic character, compared to her existence as a stereotype in the original.

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Content Warnings

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

4m0r's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I know this book is brilliant. But somehow I always forget how good it actually is. Elizabeth is the perfect protagonist, you know she's privilege by he looks, but that hasn't gotten her anywhere, it's here brain. How she adapts to survive, the lengths she goes to protect herself and the ones she loves. When everything breaks apart it's like that Elizabeth does no longer exist and we start getting glimpses of what is going to be the new Elizabeth, it's wonderful. K.White really is a genius for being able to write this mesmerizing book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Child death, Death, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Murder, Misogyny, Blood, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Gun violence, Confinement, Classism, Abandonment, and Stalking

Minor: Grief, Stalking, and Kidnapping

apestforwrens's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• 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

If you want “girlboss Frankenstein” this isn’t the book you want. If you want “Rebecca and Frankenstein had a weird kid” this is that book. It’s a really interesting take on the original that pays homage to both the story and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Slow burn for a fascinating character journey

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Content Warnings

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 actions

booksofautumn's review

adventurous dark emotional sad slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

    This was an enjoyable retelling of Frankenstein where Victor is clearly a deranged sociopath who wishes to be an all powerful god. I liked the flashbacks to Elizabeth’s childhood where you could really see how fucked up Victor was from the start. It was also written a very similar style to Shelley’s original writing which I quite liked. 
    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.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Animal death, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Medical content, and Forced institutionalization

andrikkk's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Classism, Deadnaming, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexism, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Gore, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Gun violence

Minor: Drug use

_ladypearce_'s review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Death

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and Body horror

Minor: Grief

carissa230's review

dark sad medium-paced

• 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

3.75

Elizabeth just wants to have a place in the world. As a young girl she was sold to the Frankenstein family from a pauper in the woods. The woman told the Frankensteins that she would inherit money as an adult. Elizabeth is sure this isn’t true so she attaches herself to Victor. Elizabeth is willing to do anything to keep Victor happy. She covers up his dark side and helps him settle when he’s agitated. Problem is that Elizabeth doesn’t realize the level of Victors depravity until it’s almost to late and she’s lost the people she loved.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Grief, and Murder