The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

 Title: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein (DDoEF)

Author: Kiersten White

Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: YA dark fantasy/classic retelling

POV: FPPT

Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone

Prose Proficiency: Excellent

Editing: Excellent

Steam and Smut: None. While there are hints of romance between MC's Elizabeth Lavenza and Victor Frankenstein, there is no sexual interaction in this novel.

Originality: A

Review: I discovered this gem in the bargain books at my local Books-A-Million; intrigued by both the cover and the title, I couldn't help but pick it up, and damn, am I ever glad I did. This book is pretty damn close to perfection! Seriously, if you like a little darkness and lots of shadows between your pages, you cannot go wrong with this read.

Orphan-child Elizabeth Lavenza is a victim of hunger, neglect, and abuse. Until fate brings a stranger into her life, a woman looking for a suitable companion for her son. And so Elizabeth is brought to the home of the Frankenstein family, where she meets Victor, a strange and quiet boy with a dark demeanor. 

Victor is unlike anyone Elizabeth has ever met; incredibly intelligent, yet prone to bouts of rage, he often demonstrates a complete lack of empathy that only Elizabeth is able to combat. As the years pass, the bond between the two grows ever stronger, as Elizabeth knows the stability of her place in the Frankenstein family is directly linked to her ability to bring Victor's humanity to the surface and keep his demons at bay. 

When Victor leaves for college--alone--Elizabeth fears her place with the Frankensteins will be lost. That fear increases daily, as nearly two years go by and she hears not a word from him. Knowing how obsessive he can become about his studies and fearing the worst, Elizabeth finally takes it upon herself to hunt Victor down and bring him back home. But her travels and subsequent discoveries end up bringing Elizabeth's worst nightmares to fruition. 

Is Victor truly the genius Elizabeth believes him to be, potentially on the verge of defying death? Or is he, in fact, a madman lost to an obsession? And how much of a role has Elizabeth played in creating who it is Victor turns out to be?

I honestly cannot get over how much I adored this book! I don't want to sound like a gushing moron over here, but seriously, I LOVED this read. Where to start?

I guess I should first admit that I have never read the original "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley, though I am familiar with the story and have read/watched several adaptations of the original. I love the concept of the original story and am fascinated with the debate about who the real monster of the story is: Dr. Frankenstein or his monster. 

This retelling definitely focuses on that debate; we get to see both sides of it through the eyes of Elizabeth, the person closest to Victor who arguably knows him the best. Told through a series of present-day scenes and flashbacks, we see from almost the beginning the dichotomy of Elizabeth's feelings for Victor; it's a revolving door of love and fear. 

Victor's family knew from day one something about him was off, and true to the time period, had absolutely no idea how to deal with him. Thinking a female presence might soothe his rough edges, they find Elizabeth and bring her to live with them. From that moment, they make it obvious that Victor is now Elizabeth's responsibility. Desperate not to return to the miserable hand life had dealt her, Elizabeth shoulders that responsibility, learning how to tame Victor's inner demons and make him socially acceptable. And when Victor's demons occasionally make an appearance, Elizabeth becomes a master of deceit, hiding them from everyone's sight but her own. 

All of the characters in this story truly come to life, but Elizabeth is the star. Kiersten White does an excellent job of highlighting the inner turmoil Elizabeth faces, trying to navigate the murky waters of life with the Frankensteins. Elizabeth is the epitome of a survivor, facing difficult choices and making hard decisions, knowing those decisions most likely are not the "right" ones, but are necessary for her survival. She makes no apology for them, either. Does she come to regret them? At times, but she owns them. One of the things I loved most about this read was watching Elizabeth acknowledge her role in who Victor becomes and the fallout of everything that follows. She doesn't spend a bunch of time raging at God, at fate, at circumstances beyond her control. She doesn't wallow in self-pity. She takes control of her life, for better or worse. 

Besides the wonderful helping of character development and growth, DDoEF also has a well-paced plot with plenty of suspense and drama. Is Victor a villain or a hero? Is Elizabeth a villainess or a heroine? On what side of the spectrum do the other characters fall, including Victor's monster? The lines are blurred in every case. As we follow Elizabeth as she travels cross-country in search of Victor, as we discover along with her more and more of Victor's research and experiments, as we watch her defend Victor to the public while confronting him behind closed doors, we are constantly questioning. Who is Victor? What is he doing? Why is he doing it? How much does Elizabeth know? Is what she knows the truth? Who can Elizabeth trust? Who can WE trust? Will Victor conquer death? If so, at what cost? 

If you're like me, you'll turn pages at a record-setting pace to find out. 

(artwork credit: Twitter @NanFe1789)

A few final points: the prose is exquisite without being overly flowery or obvious. It's subtle, much like Monet's Water Lilies. The story is well-paced; the back-and-forth of present-day to past transitions smoothly and introduces new information at all the right moments. The amount of suspense is perfect. It's just enough to keep you turning pages without ever feeling artificial. The story follows an organic route. Though the story is obviously fantastical, it feels real. 

I don't often give out full 5-star reviews, but in the case of "The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein" I feel it's well-deserved. I cannot wait to read more of what Kiersten White has to offer. 

Keep turning pages. Until next time ...

MR