Title: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth FrakensteinPublication Date: September 25, 2018
Edition: Hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook; 304 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Buy: Amazon - Barnes &
Noble - iBooks - The Book Depository; Audible
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- Review
Week 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- Review
Week 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.- Review
Week Four:
11/5/2018- The Hermit Librarian- Review
11/6/2018- Tales of the Ravenous Reader- Interview
11/7/2018- BookHounds YA- Review
The Summary
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.
Review
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White re-imagines the original tale with a dark feminist spin., exploring the themes seen in the original, but bringing a twist all her own. Kiersten breathes fresh life into the classic Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, just in time for the original's 200th birthday.
Kiersten takes the spotlight off of the mad scientist, and focuses on the women from the original, Elizabeth Frankenstein in particular. Elizabeth, an orphan, is rescued by the Frankenstein family to act as a companion and caregiver to their young son, Victor. Through manipulation, Elizabeth makes sure to secure her place in the family. But that is threatened when Victor travels to study and falls out of contact with his family, and with Elizabeth. Determined to keep her place, Elizabeth tracks him down, and what she finds would horrify anyone.
The characterization within this book is phenomenal. Elizabeth is complex, both caring and deceiving; a true manipulator, but one by necessity. She doesn't try to change Victor for the better, as that would cause problems for herself. Instead, she helps him conceal and control some of his more dark tendencies. The way that Kiersten sets this up during Elizabeth's development within the story, makes the reader understand her perspective, even sympathizing with her and the predicament she is in. Elizabeth is strong, bold, and, above all else, a survive -- traits that aren't always seen as favorable in women; just another nod to the feminist power within.
It's hard to talk to much of the plot, as there are many twists and turns, but for a reader who has read the classic Frankenstein, Kiersten does an excellent job of dropping bits and pieces of the original plot within this book without making it simply a re-hashing of Shelley's work. So, while it is not necessary to have read the classic, readers will gain another layer of understanding if they have.
Overall, this is a perfect autumn read, with it's feminist Gothic atmosphere and chilling revelations. Do yourself a favor, read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley first and then dive right into The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein. You'll love both books even more because of it.
Final Rating
About the Author
Kiersten White is the New York Times bestselling author of The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, the And I Darken series, 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. Visit her at www.kierstenwhite.com.
Giveaway
3 Winners will receive a finished copy of The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, US Only.
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