The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein - by Kiersten White (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
A CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

"Inescapably compelling." --VICTORIA SCHWAB, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie Larue

"A masterful and monstrous retelling." --STEPHANIE GARBER, #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Caraval and Legendary

A stunning and dark reimagining of Frankenstein told from the point-of-view of Elizabeth Lavenza, who is taken in by the Frankenstein family.

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.

**Ebook exclusive: the full text of Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN**

Review Quotes

"If you read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and thought the ladies in that were getting a bad deal, then this is the book you've been waiting for....White is unafraid to dig in the graveyard and piece together a creature of her own design out of old parts, and the resulting tale is dark and chilling." --NPR

"Exquisitely disturbing. The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is a beautiful tapestry of horror, sewn together with threads of madness, obsession, and murder. Kiersten White has written a masterful and monstrous retelling."--STEPHANIE GARBER, #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Caraval and Legendary

"Visceral, sinister, and inescapably compelling, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein feels at once reverent of its inspiration, and entirely new. White's skill is scalpel-sharp." --VICTORIA SCHWAB, #1 New York Times bestselling author of This Savage Song

"In the hands of master storyteller Kiersten White, the bones of a familiar story are reconstructed to form an inventive, grotesque, and completely unexpected reimagining of Frankenstein. Mary Shelley would be proud."--MACKENZI LEE, New York Times bestselling author of The Gentlemen's Guide to Vice and Virtue

"Kiersten White has breathed fresh life into a much-loved classic. Even Mary Shelley herself would be riveted by the dark lengths Elizabeth Lavenza would go to in order to survive. A dark and lovely midnight read.--MEGAN SHEPHERD, New York Times bestselling author of The Madman's Daughter trilogy

★ "Breathtaking."--PW, starred review

★ "This novel indeed descends to "dark and hellish" depths, but captivated readers will avidly plumb them in the company of the complicated and compelling Eliza­beth Frankenstein."--Horn Book, starred review

"In this clever retelling of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, White neatly undercuts the original by making Victor's narrative wildly unreliable . . . this character-driven novel with a healthy amount of gore should appeal to horror fans, too." --Booklist

"White adds emotional depth to a character who was passive in Shelley's original. She highlights, with feminist sensitivity, Elizabeth's total dependence as a woman of her time, playing whatever part is necessary to ensure her future. The novel continues in the gothic tradition of the source material, and the title speaks volumes about the darkness of tone and content. The language is often surprisingly lyrical with the narrative flowing smoothly despite frequent flashbacks. Twists and tweaks, especially toward the end, may take readers of Frankenstein by surprise, but will not spoil either book. Recommended for YA collections traveling on the dark side."--SLJ

"An all-around win."--Kirkus

PRAISE FOR THE AND I DARKEN SERIES:

"A dark and twisty fantasy. . . . Think Game of Thrones . . . but with teens."--Seventeen

"Sinister, suspenseful, and unapologetically feminist."--Buzzfeed

"Will completely spin you into another time and place."--Bustle

"Takes no prisoners, offering up brutal, emotional historical fiction."--NPR.org

"Gleams with fierce, cunning characters--absolutely riveting."--#1 New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Bracken

"As richly complex and glittering as the Ottoman Empire itself." --Robin LaFevers

"Kiersten White is a genius."--Justine Larbalestier, author of MY SISTER ROSA and LIAR

About the Author

Kiersten White is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Camelot Rising, And I Darken, and Paranormalcy series and many more novels. She is also the author of the Sinister Summer series for middle grade readers. 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.