The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

What I’ve always found intriguing about the original was the lack of female perspective despite it’s 18-year-old author, who inserted so much of her parents, her lover, and their close friend into her works. She definitely wrote what she knew, giving personality traits to characters from her circle of family and friends. Not only was she extremely well-read and traveled, but there was tremendous inspiration in that villa in Geneva, all of which she soaked up to write Frankenstein. Although there has been debate over authorship, I believe the project was wholly her own with edits and inspiration from Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron. For this retelling, Kiersten White did a tremendous job of bulking up the characters of Elizabeth Lavenza and Justine Moritz as well as the addition of Mary Delgado, who provided a little bit of diversity, but would play a very important role - no spoilers! As we can clearly see, Justine may have been Elizabeth’s purist love - a connection that she chose rather than the relationship she had to have with Victor to ensure her safety and livelihood. It is drilled quite emphatically about the power differences between men and women and yes, there was a ton of misogyny here, but it was the 1800s, what do you expect? Elizabeth can be seen as quite manipulative, but for the time, her looks and feminine wiles were her only tools and weapons and she used them quite well. She charged forward with a clear mission to find Victor, the mystery of his Creation, and a clear solution. Even though I knew what was to come, it kept my interest and when it finally diverged from the original, I was glued and didn’t put it down. The ending is what earned that final star! I also enjoyed that it took the majority of the book before the Creation was fully revealed - White did wonders with him and the ending was very satisfying. And by placing the perspective from Elizabeth, we got to see the full extent of madness that had been developing in Victor Frankenstein, who she knew from childhood forward, as well as providing a much more emotional motive. It doesn’t excuse Victor’s behavior and experimentation but he really was doomed from the start. I also really appreciated Elizabeth’s growth and development throughout the story. Even though there were times that she seemed cold, particularly about children and motherhood, Elizabeth was clearly made for independent life of study and travel, something her creator would enjoy later in life post-Shelley. Of course, we with hindsight, can see into Victor’s childhood behavior to know that something was quite not right with him. There were more than a few times I wanted to yell at Elizabeth for how she protected and coddled him - but in her mind, he was her golden ticket, really her only lifeline.They had a very flawed, dark, and codependent relationship with much enabling from Elizabeth before she realized her own flaws and how she contributed to the destruction and chaos around her. I also liked how she finally did Henry right - for much of the book, he is the villain, deemed unfaithful, selfish having abandoned her and Victor. Oh how life would have been different if she had only accepted his proposal! It was a little slower going for me, but that was no fault of the writer. Its been awhile since I’ve read the original, so my brain was busy remembering it, while also making connections between traits and similarities to Mary, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Lord Byron. All in all, I really enjoyed this, would happily re-read this again (and annotate), and plan to pick up more from this author.

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White was absolutely unexpected. I had no idea I was going to love this story as much as I did. I was completely transfixed with the descriptive writing and reading about the mystery of the Frankensteins’. Seriously, there is some dark magic involved because I couldn’t put this book down! In the deepest roots of this book, there is a feminist story about what it takes for a woman to survive in society. What she is willing to do and give up just to have a safe place to live. It is terribly dark and deeply disturbing, but so captivating. Without spoilers, even though this is a retelling of a classic, there is so much story in these pages. We of course are following Elizabeth while she sets out on her journey to find Victor Frankenstein. Victor has stopped contacting her or his father. Elizabeth is concerned for her place in the Frankenstein household these days since she was brought to the Frankensteins’ as a companion for Victor. She has spent her entire life sacrificing everything in order to keep Victor out of trouble, to help him learn how to be social, and make him a successful heir to the Frankenstein estate. She would do anything to maintain her status as a part of the Frankenstein household, otherwise she would have nothing. Elizabeth is smart, resourceful, and extremely likable character. You feel for her and what she’s been through. You are definitely routing for her the whole time. From Elizabeth’s perspective, Victor is a genius, and just misunderstood. As the story unfolds we realize she is an unreliable narrator as she does everything in her power to cover up his madness. What has Victor been up to? Already knowing the course of the story, didn’t take anything away from reading this version. I was riveted. Once Elizabeth starts to find Victor frightening, you know it’s real bad, and yet nothing is as horrid as being a woman in 18th century. So you know she is doing everything in her power as a lowly woman to hold onto her own life’s worth, until she realizes the moral of this story: what life is worth living, if you can’t save the ones who truly matter. The audiobook narration was wonderful, I loved the emotions and the feeling the narrator imbued upon this story. I was riveted and hooked from the first chapter, whereas if I was reading the print, I might have found the pacing slower than desirable. Would you let yourself fall into darkness in order to survive? The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is so dark, yet delightful and such a wonderful story about what women had to do just to survive.

Introspective retelling! Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read and review The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White! The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is a fresh and unique retelling of Mary Shelley’s classic story. I love the female protagonist, Elizabeth. Her background has been lonely and she’s always struggling to secure her place in the world, much like women of the time period the story takes place in. The mystery intrigued me and after Elizabeth’s background was set, the action and mystery picked up the story’s pace. Tragedy seems to strike all too often around the Frankenstein manor where Elizabeth was taken in as a young girl. Her favorite companion has always been Victor Frankenstein and he claims ownership and complete companionship of Elizabeth. The story becomes darker as it progresses, which makes it even more interesting to read. Historical fiction, horror, and a retelling earn 5 stars! Kudos to Kiersten White for her remarkable retelling! * I received a complimentary copy of this book for voluntary review consideration and all opinions and thoughts are my own.

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White | Book Review THE STORY | Elizabeth Lavenza’s childhood is one of hunger and mistreatment. Until the day she meets Victor Frankenstein. From this day forward, Elizabeth is taken into the Frankenstein household and raised as the sole companion of the eldest Frankenstein child, Victor. Victor is a strange boy. His experiments and unusual proclivities leave his parents unsure what to do with him. Elizabeth becomes the only one he’ll listen too. As she grows, she realizes her place in this household is on thin ice, a realization she desperately wants to remedy. This is why she works to make herself indispensable in the home, and eventually, as Victor’s wife… REVIEW | I don’t mind telling you this isn’t my typical read. Still, when the cover art debuted and the release date came just prior to All Hallows Eve, I decided this might be a good, atmospheric autumnal read. Turns out this is true. Though The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is far from a favorite read, it’s entertaining. As is true of any famous literary masterpiece, I have not read Frankenstein. However, this re-imagines the story in honor of the novel's 200th anniversary. Written by a young girl named Mary Shelley, this is, in all likelihood, the iconic “first” supernatural story. Everything that comes in its wake (vampires, zombies, etc.) is likely in some form or another inspired by the imagination of this young girl. If there’s one thing that can be said about this character’s story, it’s that Frankenstein IS an imaginative narrative. Though darker than the normal YA novel in my reading rotation, ‘Elizabeth Frankenstein’ (fortunately) isn’t what I’d call a spooky novel. It has a few moments of tense possibilities, but nothing is ever "too" dark or creepy. This is something I’m particularly grateful for. The dark and depressing genre is not my cup of tea. This is also an interesting story because it’s one that really features no clear-cut hero. For me, as a reader, this is far from an ideal read since I’m the kind of reader who respects and roots for all those who wear the badge of hero. I like the “layers” the characters have even if I cannot always root for them. Even though this book is dark in a gruesome (descriptive) sense, there is darkness in these pages. Multiple deaths later, it seems like the kind of book that makes the reader wonder who will be alive by the final page. Once we reach this plateau, the end deflates a bit before a short epilogue leaves us wondering, “What’s next?” As someone who’s most fond of happy endings, this isn’t my ideal. However, when you understand this genre and nature of the book, the story really cannot end any other way. If you’re a reader who likes a supernatural story that isn’t dark, you’d enjoy The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein. It’s atmospheric and a little bit creepy (because of the theme) without plunging a reader into darkness. Content: there is some disturbing discussions about death (and more than one death), and bringing someone back to life. There may also be a few minor profanities and innuendo.

"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 from me. Not even death." I love retellings that offer a completely different perspective and Elizabeth Frankenstein was the POV I didn't know I needed. "All our rituals as humans seemed to revolve around birth and death—marriage being the exception, though my wedding had been a ritual intimately connected to death, given my choice of partner." Elizabeth is no wilting flower in this story. She manipulates everyone in her life in an effort to secure a future of luxury and power. To her horror she discovers that her carefully plotted influence over Victor Frankenstein has resulted in a horror that she herself no longer holds leverage over. "Perhaps that was why Victor was so desperate to imitate life with his own twisted version. He had never been able to feel things as deeply as he should; he had been raised in a home where everything was pretense and no one spoke the truth. Not even me. I had accused Victor of creating a monster, but I had done the same." It takes big ovaries to take on the beloved Frankenstein classic but Kiersten White has written a flawless gothic retelling of which Mary Shelley herself would be proud. Fantastic dark and creepy read! Highly recommend. Now I'm going to go pick out the next book I want to read from this author.

This was a solid Frankenstein retelling! I really enjoyed the psychological breakdown of Elizabeth’s relationship with Victor. Her character development was so raw and she’s most certainly a flawed character. She is no saint but not a villain. She gives survival mode anti-hero. I liked how the book maintained the dark feel of the original story. I’d say this book isn’t for everyone and is very niche. I can tell it’s meant for the die hard OG Frankenstein by Mary Shelley fans which I now identify as of January 12th, 2026 which is the very day I finished reading Frankenstein and became immediately obsessed with the tragic feel of the story, the character arc of the creature, & the conflicting nature of both Victor and Elizabeth.

We all know the classic Frankenstein, but now we get to see the whole story unfold in the perspective of Elizabeth. Elizabeth was both Victor's childhood best friend and eventually his wife. As a child, Elizabeth was rescued by the Frankenstein family from a terrible and abusive home life. Victor was a socially awkward child who, in his odd nature, had not been acclimated to being socialized. Elizabeth taught him to be more human. This was such an incredible read! Old writing has an artistic flair naturally woven into the the text that most modern writing lacks. While not completely nostalgic of older writing in the original classic, the author takes many opportunities to make this narrative feel reminiscent of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. This was refreshing and well paced with enough originality to keep me interested. I really enjoyed Elizabeth's perspective, as it added so much to what I knew of the original story. Highly recommend!

To my knowledge, most people felt sorry for Dr. Frankenstein's monster. An innocent creature created and disfigured by the monstrous mad scientist, Victor Frankenstein. White takes the classic tale of Frankenstein and creates a parallel story, following not the well-known creation of Victor's monster, but of a character taken in by the affluent Frankenstein family, Elizabeth Lavenza, and her effect on the solemn, misunderstood young Victor Frankenstein. The Frankenstein family takes on Elizabeth as a ward when young Victor shows an interest in her. She in turn is the only person that seems well suited to handling Victor and his solemnity, and volatile moods. This book also hints at the identity of Victor's creation. Well written with a good flow, I read and listened via Audible and Kindle.