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!

This was one of my most anticipated fall reads for this year, but sadly it was nearly a miss for me. While I love this author’s books normally, this one was just ok. Actually, that’s not entirely true, as I really loved the first 60% or so before the story line changed somewhat and new POVs were introduced.

I LOVED that Lucy Westenra got her own story! Her character development was superb and I loved that she gets to discover what real love is. Iris’ character is also very well done and I adored her rebellious nature. The portion of this book that develops these characters and their love story was close to perfection and I was fully engaged with that story.

But then the narrative shifts and other POVs are brought in to delve into the mystery of Goldaming Life and that is where I started to struggle with finishing this book. I was not invested in that story line and honestly had to force myself to finish the book.

I didn't care about any of the characters. Iris is such a frustrating character. Nothing that she does makes any sense; it is just convenient for the plot for the things to happen, And that meet cute was just so contrived.

I hated the writing style as well. I couldn't the characters's voices.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the e-arc!
Sapphic vampires??? Sign me right up! Not only is this a Dracula retailing, but it is also a Dracula retelling focused on his most famous victim, Lucy, and her escape from Dracula and current life. I immediately knew I was going to love this book; with a Gothic atmosphere in a retelling focused on an untold perspective, this book bring so much to the table. We follow Lucy in the present day as she meets Iris and immediately feels a connection. We get to see her struggle and exploration into immortal life as well as her journey to be truly free from Dracula. Full of twists and turns, this is an unbelievable read for the fall season.

This book started out slow for me in the beginning but quickly picked up. I absolutely adored every aspect of it and was constantly thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading it.
The detail within this book was amazing and the writing style flowed beautifully.
I loved how many twists and turns there were throughout the book and I never guessed any of them!
The story of Lucy is a sad one, but also empowering and beautiful. The ending was amazing and I was so happy with it.
I definitely want to read more of Kiersten’s work after this!

This is hard one to review since I've absolutely adored all of Kiersten White's other books and this one just didn't blow me away to the same degree. However, this IS the Lucy-centric novel I've always wanted (and that she deserved), and that counts for a good deal. Iris was unfortunately pretty immature and annoying, and I didn't really understand the appeal. I loved the historical vampire friendship (?) segments and wish they'd been more of the focus.

⋆⋆⋆¾ — i don't really have a lot to say about this. not one of my favorite reads, but not too bad either. i really liked lucy's character in the therapist tapes. lucy of the diary was whatever, until iris's analysis of it. although i never truly connected with iris, through her, it was easy to understand all of lucy's layers, quite surprisingly.

the pacing prevented me from actually enjoying the concept, which was very unique (pyramid scheme where everyone at the top gets turned into a vampire. brilliant). the first half of the book was just establishing the setting and the characters' circumstances with no action whatsoever (except for lucy's spy arc). the chapter lengths, also, were atrocious. (all of them are like 2-5 pages? why?) and the writing was underwhelming for something that's trying to be a gothic book (i think). instead of being eerie and atmospheric, it's your run of the mill mystery writing.

i'd say this is fun if you don't go in with high expectations (or try to read it in one sitting. because then it gets very annoying.) thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy.

I have to say that I was not a fan of this story loosely based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I felt it was too disjointed with the multiple point of views and didn’t really want the reader to go anywhere very quickly. It seemed to try and hit all the vampiric tropes and not successfully. Strangely disappointed, as I really love a good bloodsucking novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and for Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for the digital copy in exchange for my review.