Okay listen. This book was amazing. But I also think I was in the unique position to understand some themes in this book that other people may not get. This is an allegory for leaving Mormonism. Point blank period. Yes, it is a Dracula story, but it's also fully about putting your faith in something (your personal god) and finding out that that something does not give a flying freak about you.

I liked these characters; I understood them because I, too, have been in their positions—have grown up in their positions. And now as an adult, I really appreciated their ability to do what I cannot. Yeah, it's a fictional story, but it was also quite healing. I'm rambling and this probably doesn't make any sense. Let me just say, if you have any sort of religious trauma surrounding your bodily autonomy, your life trajectory, or anything else you may have been taught that you do not necessarily agree with now, READ THIS BOOK. The gothic lesbian vampire vibes are just the added plus in this regard.

Also, if you're a huge fan of Bram Stoker's Dracula and are attached to that storyline, you may not like Lucy Undying. The mythos of Dracula and its supporting characters get a BIG rewrite. I didn't love Dracula when I read it so I didn't have any preconceived notions to have me end up disappointed.

I read this early to very much thanks of the publisher, author and netgalley. I unfortunately hated it and then waited for the audiobook to see if I liked it better. it was a no go. It feels like we have a huge influx of bland stories that include vampires trying to be "hard", "edgy" and genderbent queer to make it a trendy tik tok hit. I was just let down the cover alone is worth a thousand words just not the one the author used.

This book was phenomenal! Lucy Undying by Kiersten White is a fantastic vampire extravaganza that surprised me in all the best ways. It’s about Lucy Westenra, one of Dracula’s victims in 1890. But her gothic horror story is combined with that of Iris, a young woman in 2024 whose life has a lot of parallels to Lucy’s own journey. I went in mostly blind and am so glad I did, because at some point this story moves beyond a tragic gothic story and into a deep healing journey as well as a sort of romp of an adventure. It features everything you want in a new Dracula story:

Feminism and feminine rage
A swoony sapphic love story
Dry humor
Found family
Deep inner healing (I cried more than once)
A multi-level marketing health scheme (trust me, it just works!)

I, too, have no idea how the author manages to pack all of this in one single book and make it all work but she really does! I think this is set to be one of my top reads of the year. I recommend this for people who aren’t afraid of dark stories (or gore) but love their darkness balanced with hope and beauty. I’d say it’s perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House series.

Thank you to Del Ray for this ARC.

I absolutely love Dracula spin-offs or retellings, given that the classic vampire story is such an iconic piece of literature. So, when I saw that “Lucy Undying” was a gothic sapphic vampire tale featuring none other than Lucy Westenra herself, I was so excited. Unfortunately, this one fell flat, and I am still questioning a lot of the choices that were made with this novel.

The best part of this is the unique concept. I love the idea of having Lucy be the main character and instead of dying like in the canon tale, we get her turning into a vampire.

However, the problems of this novel start with the pacing. The first half of this book bored me. I had to take frequent breaks, and if this had not been an ARC, I would have quit reading. The middle starts to pick up the pace, but by this point, I was so removed from the characters and plot that I didn’t particularly care where the story was going.

In my opinion, Lucy was an immature character who didn’t really evolve throughout the plot. Mina was boring, which just made me depressed. The MLM aspect of this vampire story left me confused and asking, “Why?” I also saw the major twist in this book from a mile away. Overall, I did not enjoy this one. I can see where other readers may love the reinterpretation, but for me, it was a disappointment.

FIRSTLY I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an early review copy*

Lucy Undying is the story that asks “what happened to the women Dracula prayed on? What happened to Lucy Westenra?”

In this story we follow Lucy Westenra in snippets of her past and present as she deals with the life she lost and the un-life she gained.

I found this book gripping from page 1. We get dual POV from Lucy when she’s a young girl facing manipulation at every turn and later when she’s a vampire as well as another POV from a human woman named Iris who’s family is part of a health product cult empire, as she’s on the run from their clutches.

The way this book made the Dracula legend feel so fresh and unique but also felt like a true presentation of the classic legend was so masterfully done. Kiersten White dived into themes of men vs monsters, women’s injustices, sexism, abuse & neglect, as well as finding yourself and learning to love yourself and not hold onto the past.

This book was SO well written, some of the quotes in here had me actually feeling a deep yearning to transport myself into the novel and watch everything first hand. Speaking of, the YEARNING in this book was top notch. Not overly done but so beautiful and felt realistic. (Had me kicking my feet.)

Iris and Lucy (Vampire Lucy and child Lucy) are people you just can’t help but feel so deeply for, and root for them even harder. Every chapter was so intriguing ESPECIALLY the ones where we just learned about them as people. The plot was fantastic as well I thought it was a nice twist on the Dracula lore but the characters were the shining stars for me. I could have read 800 pages of just slice of life about those two in particular. There are also some phenomenal side characters who really emphasize and bring to life the monstrosities taking place in this book.

An instant new fave for me!

Thank you to Del Rey and Netgalley for the advance copy of Lucy Undying! This review is entirely my own thoughts and opinions based on the advance copy I read.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

This story is a triumph! A lot of love and care went into crafting a story that could blend quite well with the original Bram Stoker's Dracula novel and the result is this glorious five star read that I would happily re-read again for the first time if I could. If you are a lover of the original Dracula novel, then you will have a lot of fun with this story. Kiersten White went above and beyond with easter eggs that line up with the timeline of the original novel all the way to the formatting of the story mimicking Bram Stoker's choice of storytelling through journal entries, multiple POVs, ship logs, etc. It is incredibly well done and speaks highly of the author's love of Dracula.

The story itself is wonderfully Sapphic, from the very start to the end. It's a glorious showcase of women in love with each other from all angles. From unrequited, almost obsessive love, to the bond of sisterhood and friendship, to a blazing romance that outshines all the others. Most refreshingly is the fact, White chose to portray all these loves and romances through the ages of Lucy's life in a light of acceptance, not once veering down the path of her being queer becoming a topic of ridicule and social shunning. That was honestly a nice touch that I love the author for.

Lucy as a character is incredibly well done. Her journey of self-love and self-acceptance is one that so many can relate to. What's even more touching is how, as she learns and grows, her growth reaches out and touches those around her at the time. There were so many times I just wanted to hold Lucy because of how endearing she is, heck even after finishing the book and getting to see the triumphant results of her journey of self-discovery; I still just wanna cuddle her. Kiersten has written her in such an endearing why that Lucy has landed herself at the top of my favorite Vampires list.

The story overall is wonderfully done. It has the same haunted gothic atmosphere that Dracula has. Horror is blended beautifully with fantasy in a tale that takes place firmly in our world, and is written to be so believable, just like Bram Stoker did with Dracula. While the first half of the story did a fantastic job of introducing the main key players and their role in this story, the second half is where the plot really shines! I could not put down this book once the ball got rolling on Iris's part of the tale. There were many up-too-late nights reading this one.

Overall, I do highly recommend this book! This is my first time reading Kiersten's writing, but I'm honestly in love with her storytelling.

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄:
☆  Dracula Retelling
☆  Sapphic Romance
☆  Hidden Family Secrets
☆  Journey of Self Discovery
☆  Gothic Atmosphere
☆  Multi-POV
☆  Female Rage
☆ Vampires and Cults

This was an exciting read! It was interesting to see things from Lucy's point of view. The character development in this book was wonderful! The background and the different timelines really gives you a complete picture of the journey Lucy has taken. Learning about Lucy's transformation into a vampire and her life is definitely something that keeps you turning the pages! Overall it was a good read! Thank you Tbr and Beyond Tours, Kiersten White and Del Rey for sharing this book with me!

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC!

While a beautiful premise, I fear it just moved far too slow for my liking. The cover is beautiful and Lucy, my beloved, I'm so glad you're getting your flowers, but with sapphic vampires I wish to be hooked more.

I love a dual POV/timeline book. That is a big part of what sucked me into this story right from the start. We have Lucy's story from the late 17th century, Iris's story from one year before the present, and then the transcript of a client therapy session from present day. There are times when it is hard to figure out how they connect, but when they do it is with a bang. Unfortunately, once that happens at around 75%, the story really lagged for me. It became repetitive and very slow. We add in a few chapters from Dracula's POV but they were not compelling for me, and there was too much included that didn't advance the story in my opinion. It took the book down from what was at least a 4 start experience to a 3 star one for me. I know that other readers did not feel this portion of the book detracted from the whole, so if you are at all intrigued, give it a try yourself.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

"The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein" by this author is one of my all-time favorite books. So when "Lucy Undying" was announced in 2022 as a similar retelling, I started counting down the days. I was with my friend Sarah and we screamed and rushed to buy copies of Dracula so we could be ready. Did either of us read those copies sometime in the last 2 years? Well, no. But it's the thought that counts?

I was still familiar enough with the story and characters of the original story to follow along here, so I don't think it's required reading to enjoy this version. Here we're following Lucy Westenra, a lonely 19-year-old heiress in 1800s England.Others see her as beautiful, innocent, and helpless, and men line up to tell her who to be. But within herself, Lucy is sharp-tongued and clever, and desperately in love with another woman. Until she's killed and turned into a vampire by Dracula. Lucy travels the world, meeting other victims of Dracula and men in general, forming unique female friendships while trying to find herself. 

This story is dual POV and told in several mediums and timelines: one is Lucy's diary as a human, one is transcripts of Lucy's therapy sessions as a vampire, and another is Iris' POV in modern day. Iris is a twenty-something girl who's just inherited property in England, along with a manipulative MLM company determined to make her its figurehead and acolyte. When Iris visits said property in England, she comes across a diary from one of its previous inhabitants---three guesses whose it is. 

This book was beautifully written, fun, and thoughtful. I especially enjoyed the historical parts. I liked the idea of the MLM storyline, but it felt like it could have been its own separate book to me. While I enjoyed all the timelines, I think I'd have been able to immerse myself more if the modern-day one and historical were separate stories. I did like the romance, but think it would have impacted me more if we had more of Lucy's POV. That's also probably because I just wanted more Lucy in general, outside of the filter of her diary or therapy transcripts. 

If you're in the mood for a feminist and sapphic take on a classic horror story and vampire lore, definitely check this one out! Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I originally found Kiersten White through The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, and have since read several other titles from her. But Lucy Undying brought me right back to the vibes of Dark Descent, and I immediately felt at home. Though Lucy Undying is more modern, the gothic undertones stay strong, and the modern twist on Dracula and vampirism is a fun, wild ride the whole way through.

I'm a huge fan of mixed media in books, and the different time jumps and storytelling formats used throughout Lucy were absolutely perfect to show the transformation that Lucy herself went through at each stage in her life, and Iris was the perfect heroine to accompany her.

If you like dark, sapphic tales with strong, resilient leads, you'll love this!

Sapphic vampires!? Sign me tf up! 🧛‍♀️👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩

As soon as I read the synopsis for Lucy Undying by Kiersten White (and saw the cover because, I mean, come on, it's gorgeous!) I knew it was going to be my kind of novel! I adored Dracula when I read it many years ago and, while this book is not Dracula, I still adored it, just in a different way and for different reasons.

Lucy is everything I wanted in an ancient, sapphic vampire in the modern day and I loved learning about her history through journal entries and an interview. I was really impressed with the way White was able to weave three different voices from different times into one book and make it flow the way she did. And the way the novel explores agency versus the version of ourselves society reflects onto us was *chef's kiss*

I liked unraveling the mystery of Lucy's story alongside Iris. At first, I wasn't sure how both women's stories were going to tie together and I wasn't sure how I felt about their budding romance, but I ultimately loved how the narrative unfolded.

Some of my favorite quotes:

"It wasn't that my mother didn't love me. It was that her version of love was another form of violence."

"Lying about the existence of monsters never saved anyone from falling victim to them."

"First thing's first though, we start this girls' trip the proper way: arson and then a visit to my therapist."

"Forever is composed of nows, and I've been unbound by time long enough to know our now was perfect."

If you are here for vampires, queer romance, and mystery this one is for you!

Thanks to Random House/Del Rey and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

This was a case of the cover, and the description made me do it. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and the description made it sound like this would be a great sapphic spooky season pick. Unfortunately, the description and the actual content did not seem to match. I was expecting "A Dowry of Blood" vibes and instead ended up in a story that mostly took place in a contemporary time frame (literally the end of 2024). I may have enjoyed it more if it had been pitched differently because I ended up feeling duped.

Stories featuring Dracula, or his victims, or his descendants always make for a great plot, and so I was fascinated to see yet another modern take on this epic theme.

It could all work out so well, but for some reason I felt zero connection to the romance between Lucy and Iris, even though the secret of how Iris's family maintains its power is an interesting feature.

Interesting theme, but zero connection.
2 stars

I’m quite torn about how to rate this one and think I will settle on 3.5⭐️

The actual story itself? Dark, mysterious, alluring. I loved Iris as one of our FMCs. I’m so glad that Lucy had such character growth. I didn’t understand all of the POVs and time jumps initially but it all made more sense at the end and I love the variety of characters we get in all of the side vampires - “the Lover, the Doctor, and the Queen”. I’m a sucker for a good sapphic love story, especially one that involves vampires. I also love cults which was a lovely addition - the whole MLM thing was great! Were there some twists that I saw coming from a mile away? Absolutely! But there was a huge plot twist at the end that I didn’t see coming which I enjoyed.

My biggest complain is the length. It felt unbearably long at times. I feel as though it really should have been cut down. That would have probably made it in the 4-5⭐️ range for me.

I will also say, I was pretty annoyed that Dracula’s POV was written in 3rd person while all the others were in 1st person. It was hard to read his chapters.

Overall, if you’re a fan of Dracula, vampires, and sapphic love, give this one a read this spooky season!

Unlike anything I’ve ever read and just as difficult to describe without spoilers. Having never read Bram Stoker’s Dracula myself I can’t attest to how much is taken or twisted from the original story but Lucy Undying takes one of his first victims and makes her the main character in this reimagining. Filled with interesting characters and an engaging storyline across multiple timelines, there is a lot to this queer gothic story. It fell short for me in the structure though, jumping from different writing styles and then just when I thought I was over the whiplash and fell into the rhythm a new pov of a yet unknown character would be thrown in for good measure. It’s wacky, and all over the place, and I think that is part of it charm for some readers but the mishmash writing style detracted from an otherwise engaging story for me.

Lucy Undying by Kiersten White introduces a Dracula reimagining where Lucy does not die but instead spends a century trying to find a way to kill her maker.

Since gothic literature holds a place near and dear to my heart, this was one of my most highly anticipated reads of the year.

But oh, boy! This book suffers from inconsistent writing—both in terms of quality and characters' voices. It felt almost like I was reading two different novels that were haphazardly stitched together, and the tonal whiplash kept throwing me off. It vacillates between gorgeous, biting prose and some of the most juvenile, cringe-inducing dialogue scenes I've had the misfortune to read (like who on Earth calls their partner "my little butter chicken")?

It's a shame because the book's cover is a breathtaking masterpiece. I just wished that the interior reflected that.

I really enjoyed finally getting to see a Dracula story where Lucy wasn't only an agentless victim. I will say though that if you are incredibly tied to the original Dracula story, just be aware that everyone but Lucy in this version is a terrible person. I enjoyed that difference and thought it was a fresh take on the story, but I've seen that it upset some people.

The format of the book took me a bit to get used to, but once I did I really enjoyed it. In a callback to the epistolary nature of the original story, much of the book is told in journal entries and transcripts. The story is split between the other protagonist Iris in the modern day, Lucy's journal from the events of the original story, and then transcripts of Lucy describing her adventures in the time between the two. I liked getting to see Lucy telling her own story, with her unique voice flavoring the events.

I enjoyed both protagonists and how they were drawn to each other. Lucy is obviously one, but the other is a new character. Iris is the unwilling heiress to a sketchy health cult who is seeking freedom. I thought their love story was really well done, although sometimes the pacing in the middle of the story was slow.

Without giving any spoilers, one of my favorite parts of the story was its treatment of Dracula as the sad little man he is lol.

Overall, this was a fresh take on an old story that's a favorite of mine, and I appreciated seeing a new side of the story.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for the copy of the book. This review was left voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

📖: Lucy Undying-a standalone

🖋️: Kiersten White-new to me author

🗓️: Publication 9-10-24, Read 9-10-24

⭐️: 4/5

🌶️: 2/5-closed door

📔: e-book 452 pgs.

🌍: mainly London

⚠️: murder, illegal fertility treatment (h has eggs involuntarily taken), parental abuse

Tropes, Topics & Themes:
✨Dracula retelling
✨LGBTQIA+ rep/sapphic romance
✨vampires
✨historical fantasy
✨mystery
✨paranormal
✨Women's Fic
✨journals/psychiatrist sessions


This is an account told by Lucy Westenra (19), Iris (25), and Dracula of their journeys within the vampire world.

This retelling dealt with Lucy making peace with her death, exploring her sexuality, and falling in love. Iris was on a mission to take down her family business Goldaming Life while reading Lucy's old journals about her life and death.

I loved Lucy's adventures with the Doctor, the Lover, and the Queen. All these women taught her about being a vampire and became her companion for a time. Even Mina gave Lucy an education on female friendship, ambition, and deception. The side characters of men Jonathan Harker, Dr. Seward, Quincey Morris, Arthur Holmwood and Dr. Van Helsing were portrayed as predators who schemed and killed Lucy for their own profit.

Dracula was elusive until the last 20% where he hunted and tried to lure Lucy and Iris back to him.
This book kept me interested because of the secrets, backstabbing, and betrayal. I loved the few surprises and Lucy and Iris's HEA!

🙏🏽Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Del Rey for this ARC 🧛🏽‍♀️! As always, my review is my opinion and thoughts.

There is so much about this book that i really loved, but the things that didn't work for me really didn't work.
Lucy as a character is the absolute reason to read this novel. Spanning the centuries of her life we get her story through her diary entries and also through some modern day therapy sessions as she reflects on her time after death. There is so much depth and juicy goodness in this story for her that i really loved unravelling. Dracula's victims being given the chance to fuck his shit up? Very much my jam. Sapphic i'll destroy my world to protect you storyline? I will eat that up every time.
The things that didn't work for me were the chapters told from Dracula's perspective - they felt a little overwrought and i didn't really need them to further the story at all. We get a good picture of him from the other POVs and i didn't need to give him any power in this story. There were also moments of writing that felt disconnected from the overall tone of the book that jarred me out of the reading experience.
Come for the sapphic vampires, stay for the found family/MLM as religion allegory/healing your inner child of it all.