I almost wish this had been given two books and a little more time to breathe plot wise, as it kind of starts sprinting hard towards the end, but the book is still a whole thought, and a pure joy to read in the season. Yes, Lucy absolutely deserved a goddamn girlfriend. I also like that White gets to take on MLMs and old school swindles here while she's at it, and also gives Lucy a bit of therapy while she's at it while letting Lucy off the chain. Like, if this is the riffs we can get on the source material, I want authors to fuck around in this kind of space more. Definitely worth a read this fall.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for proving an ARC for review.

This is a very good premise that felt very bogged down. The first two-thirds of the story are told between three rotating narratives told in order from Iris, to Lucy, and then a third narrator. This was very frustrating! The story would build momentum and something cool would happen, and boom, the chapter is over and you’re reading a different narrative. Personally, I liked Iris’ narrative the least of the three and internally groaned when it was her turn again.

This book felt too long as well. There’s over 100 chapters, and with the interrupted momentum of the story, it started to drag. There were so many sparkling moments that just felt buried in this massive tome of a book.

I liked this, and I loved Lucy as a character. There were wonderful elements of self-discovery and self-acceptance, and I loved the narratives around overcoming trauma and abuse. There were genuinely cool moments, interesting reflections, and intense introspection. It was also boring.

This book is really long, and at times really drags. It was hard to finish but I think it could have been a big hit had it been more succinct in getting the point across.

This book! Good lord, I loved it so so so much. Lucy, Iris, the twists and turns! At one point I thought it was dragging on a little bit, because I thought oh, they can have a happy ending! But then THE TWIST! I was SAT. I loved this continuation of Dracula, focusing on a character who truly needed more attention. Thank you, Kiersten, for doing our girl justice!

A feminist twist on a beloved classic, LUCY UNDYING puts the focus on Lucy Westenra from the original tale and gives her a wholly new story with a unique spin. In this story, Lucy is indeed a vampire, but here she’s trying to outrun her past and Dracula. Her journey intersects with that of a modern woman who is searching for the same things as Lucy — discovering who she truly is, self-love, healing, and escaping the past in order to build a future. Like some of White’s previous works (Mister Magic, for one), there’s also a bit of an allegorical reference to White’s relationship with her former religion, and that plays a super interesting part in this book.

Lucy undying isn’t a book you speed through. The slowed down pace and intricate prose makes sure of that. Instead, this is a book you slowly savor, carefully devouring each word of this beautiful book until it (and Lucy herself) imprints itself on your heart. I’m a huge fan of Kiersten White, but don’t let my fangirling and bias influence your decision to pick this book up. I promise you that this story is fantastic, and certainly one that imparts some solid and interesting talking points. 5 stars. Pick this up if you enjoy:

🍂Multiple povs
🍂Dracula-inspired tales
🍂Gothic fiction
🍂Feminine rage
🍂Vampires
🍂Exploration of injustices against women including misogyny and abuse
🍂Self-discovery and healing
🍂LGBTQ+ characters and sapphic romance

Really well written and enjoyable! While the book does feel like two separate novels and becomes meandering at times because of that, I enjoyed the overall story. I would almost like to see a bit more of the MLM as vampires because I love that concept, and I really liked the idea of The Lover and her way of seeking attention and love feels so true and real in a unique way. A great Halloween read!

“I’ll start at the beginning. The beginning is, as all beginnings are, soaked in blood and shrouded in darkness. The end will be, too, but we’ll get there together.”
Lucy Undying by Kiersten White is the first novel that I’ve read by this author, and I can assure you that it will not be the last. Not only was I totally consumed by the premise of Lucy Undying, but I also found myself wholly won over by the themes and the fierceness in the way Kiersten White has brough the tale of Lucy Westenra to life in both the past and modern timelines.


Dracula gif via giphy
I should start by telling all of you who might be nervous about starting Lucy Undying, that reading Dracula as a precursor is not necessary at all. Kiersten White’s storytelling is easy to follow and utterly enchanting. I found myself, more than once, unable to put my e-reader down. It’s fine. Stirring a pot only requires one hand and minimal focus, right?

“Dear, dear Mother, who loves like a knife, slicing me into ever smaller pieces until I’m exactly the shape that pleases her the most.”
Readers meet Iris Goldaming, new heir to her family’s megalithic fortune and business empire, as she’s running away to London in the hopes to find enough quick cash by divesting estate. She ultimately wants to disappear, wanting nothing to do with her mother’s nefarious legacy. Iris quickly enlists the help of her ride share driver, as well as the enigmatic blonde goddess who saves her on her first day in London.


female vampire gif via giphy
Lucy’s story is told in journal entries prior to her run-in with Dracula. These entries show a young woman who desperately wants to choose the love of her life, but is constrained by societal norms, a strict and overbearing mother, and a handful of suitors. Lucy’s descriptions of her suitors are both insightful and comical.

“Perhaps they will kill each other! Then I can prettily mourn them and be free. I do quite like the drama of black lace. I would look lovely, pretending to cry over their graves as my darling held me close.”
The other POV is Lucy as she gives an interview. Told in a deposition style, she’s giving her undead story in all the gory details. The strength and guile it takes Lucy to survive through such tumultuous times in history made me adore her even more.

The way the past culminates with the present is a twist that I thought I saw coming, but didn’t truly grasp fully until Kiersten White unveiled it all near the last third of the book. I love a great twist, and this one kept me up late into the night. Taking a gothic fantasy and making it modern is no easy feat, yet Kiersten White handles that challenge beautifully in Lucy Undying.

“Lying about the existence of monsters never saved anyone from falling victim to them.”
Easily one of the best stories of the year, Lucy Undying is an ode to sapphic love, feminine rage, and to the OG vampire story that has spawned countless others. If you need a story that is both unique and romantic, with plenty of action, and mystery to keep you hooked, then you absolutely need to read Lucy Undying! Available everywhere now, don’t want on your copy! Congrats on a brilliant new release, Kiersten White!

This book held so much promise for me. I was initially drawn in by this gorgeous cover and the Dracula retelling (ish) aspect of the story. I loved White's historical fiction series of a gender-bent Vlad the Impaler, who was the inspiration for Dracula.

What if Lucy Westerna had not been killed after turning into a vampire? What if Mina wasn't who she seemed? What if vampireism helped the rise of a multilevel marketing cult?

The story follows the journal of Lucy Westerna (human), the client transcripts between Lucy Westerna (vampire) and her therapist, and Iris Goldaming, heir to said cult. The parts with the journal entries I found to move very slowly. I just couldn't connect or feel really anything for human Lucy. I just wanted to get back to vampire Lucy's povs or Iris'. It took until about 45-50% of the book for everything to hold my interest. When all of the loose strands started coming together to weave a picture.

From 50-80% of this book, I couldn't put it down. The stakes were introduced and high. All three povs were starting to align and people from Lucy's past began making appearances. And of course, the bringing down of a cult, who doesn't love that. However, this book really seemed longer than it needed to be.

KIERSTEN WHITE YOU ARE THAT GIRL. This book is so so so so so good.

A story spanning generations, we are taken through Lucy's story from when she was a nineteen year old pining after Mina and writing in her journal, to her time spent hunting down Dracula over her undead-lifetime. Woven in, is Iris. Iris is the heir to a MLM vampire cult and has been trying to get out her entire life. Everything she thought she knew about the company is not quite correct and in her efforts to run away, she uncovers secrets that her family has been keeping for generations.

SUCH a wonderful take on Stoker's Dracula. Definitely add it to your TBR this spooky season.

My biggest issue with the book is the instant love aspect between Lucy and Iris. As much as I wanted to be deeply unwavering in support of the love story it just felt too fast to completely win me over.

I love so much of this story. I love that it’s a queer revival of a classic, the villainous twist, and the fantastic side characters.

The story being divided between the therapy sessions, diary entries, and Iris was just magic to read. A perfect way to layer in suspense.

Honestly it’s so refreshing to read a book in which the vampire love interest wasn’t afraid to turn their beloved to have more time.

When I started reading, I wasn't sure that I was going to finish the book. That being said, it did pull me in after a few chapters and I did finish it. What a crazy ride, lot of stuff to unpack and honestly, probably a really good representation of how a vampire would feel if they existed. Being alive for so long and drifting through the eras without something to hold onto would be exhausting.

This was a really cool take on vampires! As someone who lived in Utah for 20+ years (and has seen how many crazy MLMs there are) I thought it was so funny that an mlm cult based in Salt Lake City was a large part of the plot. I really enjoyed seeing Lucy’s life through the years and how portions of the story were told in epistolary form. The romance felt a little insta-lovey, but I still liked it and was rooting for it. My main complaint is it was too long and could have been shortened, but overall I really liked this one! I also enjoyed the audiobook!

Didn’t gel with the second half as strongly as I did the first, but honestly, I’m never going to be mad at a book that gives Lucy Westenra the happy ending she deserves, complete with vengeance and SO many lady vampires.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sapphic vampires, intricate characters, vampiric tropes with a modern twist.
We follow Iris and Elle as they form an unbeatable bond that transcends everything. Iris is trying to get away from her mother and her huge MLM scheme, and Elle is trying to find herself.
Twists, turns, Dracula!!! I must say, I figured out a majority of the surprises before they happened, but I was satisfied and wanting more despite it.
I absolutely loved the historical fiction aspect of getting to read through Lucy’s diaries, and also the modern day talks with her endearing therapist, Vanessa. Lucy (Elle, hehe) and Iris deserved the ending they got, and I will think about them often.
Now, you know what, I’m going to be a little selfish here… can we have more, please? Maybe some extra stories pertaining to the three other badass women : The Lover, The Queen, and The Doctor?! They were whimsical perfection and I adored hearing about them - maybe even more than the actual storyline.
Ahem, read this if you enjoy a good vampire story with grit, longing, humor, and heart.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of these thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lucy Undying is a continuation/reimagining of the novel Dracula. This novel has several different points of view but mainly follows Lucy, Dracula's first victim and Mina Murray's best friend. Her story doesn't end with Dracula, it really only begins. The story also follows Iris, a human in the current timeline, and her quest to break free of her controlling family and live the way she wants.
I was so engrossed in Lucy's story, I always felt she got an unfair bad ending in Bram's original, that I did a lot of skimming over Iris's parts. I still found Lucy Undying to be such a good book. I really couldn't put it down and enjoyed the multimedia aspects of journals, conversations and doctor's papers and the like. Really well done. I did feel like the story drug on a bit long, but that's not really a negative. I am so pleased to get more of Lucy's story and the cover of the book should win an award all its own. that artwork is gorgeous! I will recommend this novel to all of my spooky genre readers.

The most atmospheric read that I have experienced this year. Captivating, lush, romantic - nothing quite like it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Performatively woke Dracula retelling where Lucy and Mina are not like other girls lesbians and all straight men are evil on account of them being straight men.

So firmly on my do not read list.

Pre-reading:
One of the best covers I've seen this year.

Thick of it:
What a banger opener.

It reminds me of Maeve a bit. (If this isn’t proof I went in with a good attitude-)

It's a little performative edgy rn.

Boston, baby!

No babe, you're just dead, and they're not into necrophilia.

Somehow I think Rahul would still take a free mansion.

I liked chapter one and the rest of this is just giving YA performative woke cringe.

If she's some vampire hybrid and that’s why her blood’s special I’m gonna be so bored. (SO BORED.)

You google. What do you mean how do you figure out if something is valuable?

Detritus sin

Would dnf. It’s reading extremely YA.

I feel like Lucy fake works for the museum and I feel like girlypop might be a descendent of Mina and she’s like wow, my girlfriend rejected me but maybe her great great great granddaughter will lick me. (Fuckin’ nailed this book.)

This book sucks. Pun not intended.

I’m ready to be done with this book

Mommy issues lead to gayness is so fucking tired.

Do not make me reread journal entries I’ve already read. What the fuck.

I’m so tired of the virtue signaling.

Imagine writing a pick me girl vampire.

Imagine writing that your Mary Sue single-handedly stops World War I.

Hate pugs, not a cat person.

It’s a bit Addie LaRue-the same empty history.

The vampires are at a silent disco, so I officially wanna die.

Take a shot every time this book mentions Emily D.

This butter chicken shit made me say ew out loud.

I feel like this is supposed to be a huge plot twist, and I’m like I opened the book.

Dude, the woke signaling in this is unreal.

I hate it here.

I wish y’all could see my face of disgust reading this.

It’s the way another publisher read gay vampire starts a beauty MLM and was like publish it.

Have I mentioned I hate it here?

The Dracula chapters are so much better than the rest of this book.

How you gonna make me root for Dracula over these insufferable bitches when you’re literally writing him as rape symbolism. Get me out of here.

Fuck your religious agenda very much.

This book is such a goddamn repetitive slog.

How does it keep getting WORSE.

Burn it.

Post-reading:
Girl. Giiiiiiirl. How you gonna waste a cover like THAT.

This book is why people hate woke authors. It’s so incredibly tone-deaf. Imagine writing that your Mary Sue very special girl who’s a butchering of a classic literature figure single-handedly stops World War One and thinking you’re cooking. Sit downnnn.

This is the third vampire historical retelling I’ve picked up this year, and it’s got the same issues as the others. They’re just so unbelievably bad. The characters are flat. The romance is codependent instalove. The plot is painfully obvious from the jump. The pacing is a repetitive, punishing slog. The book has no valuable messaging despite the author clearly thinking she’s schooling her audience on how to be #diverse and #inclusive. I’m just so fucking tired. I don’t even know how much brain power to dignify this book with. I feel like I’ve said it all already.

I want rape culture commentary and feminist hot takes and sex and horror. I am the audience for these books. They never deliver. They never have anything to say. Don’t waste your time.

Also, I didn’t know this going in but other Goodreads reviews did take the time to educate me that Miss Thang misspells the character’s last name for the entirety of her Dracula retelling, and I feel like that tells you everything you need to know about this book.

Who should read this:
No one
Dracula die hards

Do I want to reread this:
Fuck no

Similar books:
* Immortal Pleasures by V. Castro-different book, same shitty execution, historical retelling, insufferable virtue signaling
* The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab-historical retelling, magical realism
* Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk-historical retelling, vampires, gay
* The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo-historical retelling, magical realism, vaguely vampires
* Bride by Ali Hazelwood-paranormal romance, urban fantasy
* The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores-insta love, YA fantasy romance, gay
* Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid-historical retelling, virtue signaling
* Grey Dog by Elliot Gish-historical gothic, virtue signaling, gay
* Rouge by Mona Awad-mommy issues, vaguely vampires, horror
* Night’s Edge by Liz Kerin-mommy issues, vampires, horror, gay

First, I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an ARC reader and a profound apology for the review coming a bit late (my car got totaled, so it's been a month).

I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this book, even those I didn't love. Being a lover of the original Dracula by Bram Stoker, I always thought the character of Lucy was severely underdeveloped and could have added so much to the story than just being the sexuality aspect of the story. She was always the spoiled and petulant child, and I wanted to see her through a different lens; here, Kiersten White gives us that chance, and she does NOT disappoint. We follow a cycle of POV, including the present day, Lucy's diaries, Lucy's therapy sessions, and later on, some side characters POV's as world-building, but we also glimpse Mina and Dracula POV's. We follow primarily Iris, the heir to an MLM scheme in the United States, who is in England trying to escape the cult-like industry her mother left for her. Compared to most MLMs, this one runs on the life-enhancing and life-saving blood of the Goldaming family Iris was born into. Iris is saved by a lovely girl named Elle, who just so happens to work at a museum and can tell Iris what the home and old belongings are worth (or at least, Iris *assumes* that Elle works for the museum she called). Iris finds the diaries from Lucy and learns about her life, love for Mina, hatred of her overbearing mother, and the three suitors that her mother keeps throwing at her. She finally agrees to marry one of them, and the diaries follow the plot of the Dracula story, which I won't spoil for those who have yet to read the book.

The diary entries and therapy sessions give us a glimpse into Lucy's solitary and heartbreaking life and the undead story of her teenage years and her time before meeting Iris. The book's second half focuses on Lucy teaming up with two of the three leading figures in her life after death, trying to track down Dracula, who remains mostly a figure in the background until closer to the end of the book. While Lucy does that, Iris makes the people involved in the MLM think she is giving in to everything while giving Lucy more time. The last few chapters focus on the book's most complicated aspect and theme: what would you do for someone you love, and what would they do for you if they truly loved you back? In the acknowledgments, White writes that Lucy deserved a girlfriend, and she's right. I always agreed that Lucy fit the characteristics of similar characters like her that were written at the time for many queer characters that were essentially forced or coerced into these straight romances and straight lives. In this story, Lucy, rightly so, finally gets the girl.

Lucy Undying by Kiersten White is a unique retelling of the classic tale of Dracula that casts Lucy Westenra in a completely new light. White approaches Lucy's tale through three perspectives: that of Lucy herself, chronicling her life in the 1800's, that of a vampiric Lucy telling the story of her undead afterlife, and that of Iris, a young woman reckoning with the dangers of her family's wealth and influence.

I really enjoyed the approach that Lucy Undying took to the story of Lucy Westenra! It was very cool to see a character who doesn't get much page-time in Dracula become the central focus of the story and shed new light on the consequences of the classic narrative. White's theory about the other characters plotting to steal Lucy's fortunate was completely fascinating! I also thought that the sections with Iris and Lucy coming to know one another, and all of the intrigue surrounding the Goldaming family, were so interesting!

With that being said, I did struggle at times with the division of perspective in the book. This story is being told in so many different time periods, detailing very different circumstances, that I found the narrative a bit difficult to parse at points. It was hard to feel commonalities across what felt like very disparate parts of the story.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Del Rey for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

I have been a fan of Kiersten White since discovering 'Hide' and 'The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein' and being a fan of horror and feminist retellings, I was excited to get my hands on this book.

Lucy Undying, is a Dracula novel, but is primarily about Dracula's main victim, Lucy. Straddling the past (original Dracula era) and present, we are also introduced to 25-year-old Iris, the heiress to a multi-billion-dollar company. How their stories come together is interesting and touching, a powerful coming-of-age tale as both women ultimately search for true love.

This book is a sapphic work of gothic horror that doesn't shy away from violence or queerness. The characters are powerful and full of potential and makes the story have a modern feel while paying homage to the original source. I think it's brilliant and a masterpiece! Fans of White's other work, particularly The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein (as I would consider them in a similar vein) will LOVE Lucy Undying.

I will definitely be recommending this one to my October book clubs and Horror friends! Go check it out! You won't be disappointed! It's TO DIE FOR!