The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

By: Kiersten White

Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan

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**

A Shockingly Great Book!

This book came out of nowhere for me. It was a instinct but, and I’m so glad it paid off! It was everything I wanted it to be. It was sad, gory, creepy, and mysterious. I thought Elizabeth was a very complex and real character. She was unlikeable at some points, but that was the point. However, it was very slow during most of the book. It also had a lot of mysterious which were really simple to guess ahead of the time. Lastly, the ending was.. I don’t know. It wasn’t my favorite. Despite all of this, I really enjoyed the time I spent on this book!

What an ending!

This is silly but I didn't realize that this was a retelling of Frankenstein from Elizabeth's perspective when I purchased it. It's been more than thirty years since I read Frankenstein and didn't even remember Elizabeth in the book until after I started listening to this story. I bought it when it was on sale and didn't really look into what it was. I appreciate Mary Shelley's amazing creation but loved this retelling even more. I think that Mary Shelley would have loved this book and it's fantastic ending.

I love this book

Holy crap, this was amazing. I caught myself yelling at Elizabeth at certain sections, rooting for her in others. This is wonderful.

A pleasant surprise

I went into this book thinking it would just be a retelling with a slight twist. It was so much more. I devoured this book. Katharine McEwans narration truly brought the characters to life. Anyone who wants to know more about the Frankenstein family, and a different perspective on Victor should definitely give this a read

loved it!

Really enjoyed this. As an English teacher, I thought I knew how it was going to go, but I was wrong. It'll keep you hooked and guessing until the end!