The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein By Kiersten White [Review]

RELEASE DATE: September 25th, 2018 
AUTHORS: Kiersten White
GENRE:   Young-Adult, Historical, Retelllings, Horror.
PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press
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.

“You are mine, Elizabeth Lavenza, and nothing will take you from me. Not even death.” 

I’ve read Kiersten White’s And I Darken, but sadly I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would and when I heard of this book, I was very intrigued. Even though the cover didn’t appeal me, I decided to give it a shot and once again I was left disappointed because I expected more from it. My major issue with this book was that it was damn too predictable and I haven’t even read the classic Frankenstein. The story failed to thrill me and the pacing seemed a bit slow for my taste. It might not be a great issue for some readers though. The main character was okay-ish but nothing outstanding. I liked the setting and also the creepy atmosphere the author has created. All in all, It makes a decent retelling of Frankenstein but not memorable enough for me. 

The story follows Elizabeth Lavenza who was abused by her caretaker when she was a young girl. Luckily, She was soon taken in  by a wealthy Frankenstein family to be as a companion for their troubled son Victor Frankenstein, and since then they’re inseparable. They grew up together and never left each other’s side. Victor has a great mind for science but he also has a dangerous temper that can only be calmed by Elizabeth. For her future survival, Elizabeth wants to make her position permanent in the Frankenstein family which can only be possible by sticking close to Victor’s side even though how depraved it may seem. After Victor leaves for college, Elizabeth is disappointed because she couldn’t go with him but they do send each others letters, and when it all gets stopped suddenly her place in the household becomes threatened so Elizabeth sets on a journey to London to search for victor but what she finds there shocks her to the core.

I’ve mixed feelings about the female protagonist Elizabeth. She was manipulative and pretty cunning when it comes to survival and she would do anything to be with Victor. I can understand where she’s coming from but still she isn’t my favorite. She seemed very naive sometimes and I didn’t liked some of her actions. I really liked Justine Mortez, governess in Frankenstein’s household and also Elizabeth’s best friend. She was a very sweet and caring girl who likes taking care of Victor’s younger brothers. I enjoyed the friendship between her and Elizabeth. I felt bad for what happened to her in the second half. It’s a spoiler so I’m not going to reveal it. There’s another interesting character named Mary who’s quite Sassy and witty. I wish she was the main character in this book. As for Victor Frankenstein, he was a mad/evil genius and very much insane. He’s pretty complex character. The relationship between him and Elizabeth is far from romantic. I don’t know how Elizabeth developed affections for him, the other guy was far better than him.

The plot was interesting filled with mystery, horror, and suspense but it was quite predictable. If you don’t mind predictable reads then you might enjoy this book a lot more than I did. The major twist of the story was pretty easy to guess from the start so It’s kinda disappointing. However, this book has a nice concept which might appeal to many readers. The first half was slow and picks up speed in the second half. The ending could’ve been better executed. It felt kinda rushed.  There’s no romance in this book. The only aspects I liked about this book was the dark creepy setting and the writing. The whole book was written in Elizabeth’s first person POV. I really loved the world building. The author has done a great job in building a historical setting with gothic atmosphere which was dark, creepy, and chilling. 

Overall, it was an okay-ish read for me but i’m pretty certain that it might be a hit for some readers. So definitely give it a shot if you want to read it. 

Recommend it?
Yes

I recommend this book to the readers who’re looking for a creepy YA historical novel with flawed characters.

MY RATING:

[3/5 Stars]

So, What do you think of this book? Have you read it yet? Do you Plan to read it?
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