The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein - Kiersten White

Kiersten White rewrote the classic novel "Frankenstein" with the same events and the same characters and called it "The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein". She didn't just rewrite it though. She squashed and stretched and tied the original storyline into knots, adding depth and mystery. Writing from the point of view of Victor Frankenstein's wife gave the novel a fresh, feminine take on the male centred original. As a spin off of a classic, I was impressed by the ways Kiersten White spun the same story into a gripping, modern horror novel for young adults.

Elizabeth Lavenza has been brought up to think that she is worthless. Battered and bruised, she arrives at the house of Victor Frankenstein where she gets nice clothes, good food and a warm bed. Victor has everything Elizabeth never had. A family, a house, an education. All he is missing is a friend. Elizabeth attaches herself to Victor in order to keep her place in the family and their friendship flourishes. Elizabeth is convinced that any day she could be thrown back onto the streets where she belongs, so she does anything Victor asks to keep him happy. She is blinded by her own desperation and when the world darkens around her she is determined to stick with Victor no matter the cost. How long will it take her to realise that the cost is much higher than she had expected?

(This photo features the gifts that came with the Once Upon a Book Coub Box in which I received this novel. For more information visit https://www.onceuponabookclub.com/ )

As a horror novel, "The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein" wasn't actually too horrifying. Instead, it felt more like a fantasy style murder mystery with the main character playing detective and a monster lurking in the shadows. Although the monster felt a little cliche and the character of Elizabeth was quite naive and ignorant, it allowed the plot to thicken and made room for some twists and turns. I enjoyed the female focus of this novel and its contrast to the abundant male characters in the original Frankenstein. Another thing that this novel did quite well was express the emotions of the characters, specifically Elizabeth. In the novel she goes through many conflicting emotions towards Victor including love, protectiveness, repulsion, fear and anger. This shift in emotions is gradual and effectively expressed, adding another interesting layer to the plot. The ending of the novel was satisfying and simple, leaving important messages about true friendship, love and acceptance with the reader.

As I read "The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein", I felt that the further I got through it, the better it became, the twists and turns changing the way the reader sees the story. This was a dark and mysterious tale of a girl drowning in grief, loss and love, just trying to keep her head above the water.

~Inkpot Blogger