Told with multiple POVs and timelines Kiersten White does an amazing job of bringing life to a character I always wondered about. Now while I did like learning more about Lucy's past and how she ended up a vampire with a vendetta against Dracula, I really enjoyed the chapters of Lucy in the present, I also absolutely adored Iris's POV and how she saw Lucy, especially after reading the diary she wrote as a young woman. The way she viewed Lucy showed a lot more facets to Lucy's personality, and she caught some interesting tidbits about the people in Lucy's life that she didn't / couldn't see at the time.

While this book is a Lucy retelling I really think Iris is where this book shined, she just has a way of bringing everything around her to life, making it brighter, and bringing a level of sass that constantly had me grinning while reading. There was a bit of insta love between our couple, and a few slower parts in the beginning and middle, but I was completely entertained and loved watching both Lucy and Iris realize what is most important, and really coming into their own.

Thank you for a copy but unfortunately I DNF'd at 15%. I needed more character action or plot action to be invested more.

Dracula reimagined meets Interview with the Vampire (the interview/therapist confessional part) meets the recent We Love the Nightlife.

The prose is wonderful, and Lucy's POV is very interesting. She is sarcastic, self-deprecating, and lovely. The convergence of the storylines and characters is a bit on the nose, but it does work - if the book was not so incredibly long.

I did enjoy it, but the Iris chapters almost sound like YA, probably because she is supposed to be the "modern and hip" to Lucy's all-knowing and wise (ish?)

That said, there are plenty of beautiful parts, and the book lures you in despite the uneven pace. I loved the themes of loneliness, what it can mean to different people, and how the desire to be seen and loved can push us to self-destruction. The sapphic romance throughout was lovely as well.

"What would I give, to be seen? To be carefully studied and perfectly understood? Would I let someone carve me up, if it meant feeling like I was loved? I knew the answer was yes, because it had always been yes."

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for sharing an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review. The book is out on September 10.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book. This book has my whole heart. I absolutely adored this! From the incredible characters, to the plot, to falling in love with everything so quickly- I couldn’t put this down. I highly recommend this! It really just sucks you in and makes you never want to leave. In my opinion, those are the best books and I couldn't get enough. Kiersten has a way that sucks you in (pun intended) and I was ready to flip back to the beginning and start all over once I finished.

𝟯.𝟱 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗡
A book being over 100 chapters should be illegal.

That aside, I have very mixed feelings about this book. I wish I had read the original Dracula before reading this because I feel like I would've understood certain references more had I done so. I also feel like it was a major part of why I didn't quite connect fully with the characters. I liked them and they were well written and fully fleshed out, there was just something missing. Which is obviously totally on me. However, I did enjoy my time reading this book overall. I loved the different perspectives and the time jumps. Also a HUGE YES TO THE SAPPHIC ROMANCE! The writing was extremely descriptive without being overly-flowery and annoying.

I guess my main complaint would be that it was too long. This book is edging close to 500 pages, which wouldn't have been a problem, had it not dragged in various places. Also, as I said before, it had over 100 chapters...113 to be exact. Granted, most of the chapters are fairly short but it makes the book automatically feel as though it has been going on FOREVER.

~ Chosen One
~ Damsel in Distress
~ Forbidden Love
~ Found Family

I found this book to be an exciting take on the classic Dracula. I loved that this book helps us take a peek into who Lucy is and the fact that she just wants to feel something. The character development in this book is top tier which I found very essential to the story because our two female main characters in this book needed a strong background to explain their grappling with trauma and assertion in their society. The bridge of the two timelines kept me hooked, allowing me to see how Lucy evolved into who she is now. It gives you a deeper exploration of legacy, autonomy, and resilience in the face of darkness. This is a good read for those who are gothic and contemporary lovers.

Dracula is one of my favorite movies, so naturally, when I saw a book about Lucy, I immediately requested it. First of all, that cover alone makes me want to pick up the book. It is definitely gorgeous and a little bit eerie. As for the story, I love the author's different take on a well-known story. The story is not just told from Iris's point of view, but also includes Lucy's journal entries and client notes. I highly recommend this book if you want to read a different, unique, and sapphic vampire story. Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I am obsessed with this book and with Kierten White's writing! I went into this with no real expectations and was pleasantly surprised around every corner. I Couldn't put this down. Iris is a fascinating character, and I found myself relating to her quite a bit. Lucy though stole my heart. Her journal entries and her therapist transcripts were fantastic. This was a really interesting take on the Dracula tale that we all know. I loved being able to see through Lucy's eyes as she traveled and came into contact with more vampires that had been made and then abandoned by Dracula. I really didn't see the twist coming, usually I have some sort of inkling of what is going to happen. The way the story flips at the end was not what I was expecting but I loved it. Also, as someone who is currently living in the Salt Lake City valley, I was super excited when the story returned there. I loved the way that Iris took hold of her trauma near the end and used it as a weapon against those that had wronged her. I think she really grew into her own at the end. This is definitely going on my list of recommendations for vampire books!

Lucy Undying by Kiersten White is a fantastic Dracula novel!
In this epic and seductive gothic fantasy, a vampire escapes the thrall of Dracula and embarks on her own search for self-discovery and true love.
I really enjoyed the writing style here! I thought it was engaging and well written.
The characters suck you in almost immediately.

First, this cover is gorgeous! It visually gets you excited to read a gothic fantasy/romance with vampires. Unfortunately, the novel itself left me feeling meh. I love pretty much all things Dracula inspired. I am here for the recent transition from the more commercialized vampires to the scary haunting ethereal forms. When I saw a book featuring, in my humble opinion, a maligned feminine figure such as Lucy from Dracula I was all in. Instead I found more a thesis on the evils of MLMs. Perhaps I was mistaken in my expectations but this book was just not for me. When I first started this book I was intrigued and excited for the many ways this story could go. I found it dragged instead and I often found myself skimming and picking up my phone to scroll instead. Poor Lucy, still maligned for being a sexual creature in a time of purity. Alas.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group / Ballantine / Del Rey for sharing this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Another absolutely delicious novel from Kiersten White! The way she weaves a story to be not only fantastical but able to provide a searing feminist and sociological commentary has me lost for all the right words to express how much I love her writing. I am a sucker (pun not intended) for a story with multiple perspectives, and she just does it so well. I raced through Lucy Undying and couldn't wait to see this story of infinite nows unfurl. I loved flitting through time with Lucy and finding out the next revelation in Iris' equally chaotic life story. This book will be the reason I finally read Dracula after my 33 years on this earth. Thank you, Kiersten White. I absolutely cannot wait for your next novel, and I thank you for giving us Lucy & Iris, Rahul & Anthony, and the Queen, the Doctor, and the Lover.

Lucy Undying is an amazing story based around classic vampire lore and themes such as feminist rage and the idea of love and curiosity.
Also, please a moment of marvel for the stunning cover which drew me in originally and then a plot so perfect for me I could cry. 😍
First off: Dracula is a long time favorite of mine so naturally anything based on or around it I must read instantly. Sapphic Dracula retellings tend to be my favorite and the love story in this novel had my heart playing puppet. So unique and captivating I just wanted more and more. No spoilers but it’s one for the books!

In Lucy Undying there are multiple POV’s/timelines which definitely kept things interesting with so many twists and turns but the pacing could’ve been helped a little. The middle tended to drag on a bit in my opinion but that’s a small turn off. With that being said, every character we met was well developed and had a reason to be there. There was no wasted thought about why they mattered or what their purpose was. I appreciated that because it gave my brain time to wonder about other pieces of the novel.

Overall this novel was gothic and deep, the histories and hidden meanings behind small details really secured my opinion on this novel. More time often than not we get vampire stories of mass killing or slow insanity and Lucy Undying was a different but so intriguing point of view on a different undead life.

I highly recommend and will be reading again. 🖤

this will go down as one of my favorite reads of the year. dracula, vampires, sapphic humans that arer lovestruck and gay as hell? my favorite. the fmc is so relatable in her queerness, and the way the chapters are split up made me so, so eager to get to the next chapter so each element of the story could unfold. i loved every page.

Kiersten White, the writer you are.

Every chapter of this book is the perfect combination of female rage and sapphic longing. I love the prose, the suspense, and that ending? This is such a perfect spooky season book.


I see some hatred for this book, and I gotta say, maybe vampire books are not for you? Also, if you went in expecting a dracula retelling and were upset when it simply contained a book from Dracula, maybe read synopsis of books more?

Yas, queens!

The newest novel from Kiersten White focuses on the story of Lucy Westenra from Dracula. It is told through alternating timelines and POVs. For the first two thirds or so these primarily consist of excerpts from the journal Lucy kept before being turned into a vampire at age 19 in the year 1890, transcripts from current day Lucy's talks with a therapist as she explains everything that has happened to her since then (a la Interview with the Vampire), and a narrative following a woman named Iris, who is trying to escape her abusive and controlling family and its company/MLM empire. Her connection to the rest of the story becomes apparent over time as hints are dropped like a trail bread crumbs. Later, we get several chapters from the POV of the Transylvanian count himself.

This is the story of women who are expected, by their families and by society, to be a certain way, fit into a certain mold. These women may try to please these others so much that they are unable to even recognize who they truly are behind the act. They play at being meek and cooperative, but then no one pleased by their resultant vulnerability bothers to protect them when called for. The damage wrought by this kind of trauma can ultimately be cured by being wholly loved for exactly the people they are, nothing less and nothing more.

In that way, this winds up being a really sweet and inspirational sapphic romance story. It also has mysterious and Gothic elements, and the tension and dread of being constantly watched by those who believe they own you. Lucy's story takes us from England to China to Istanbul, and through two World Wars. Eventually we are brought to the States to take on the horrifying company that will never willingly let Iris go, and even Dracula himself.

Speaking of...the character of Dracula was the least compelling here. Maybe that's intentional as he thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread and everyone should worship him, but after centuries of growth some of the women he's screwed with realize he isn't worth taking up any more space in their thoughts. These women, though - by the end of the story, I loved them so much! Over the course of her Unlife, Lucy met and...sure, "befriended", a handful of other women turned into vampires by Dracula, and they wind up all being quite delightful in their own ways! Girl power!

Not just doom and gloom, there are some quite funny moments in this book as well. These are often provided by snarky and irreverent Iris, but not always. I got a real kick out of one of the vampires only just trying to learn about cell phones, sending a blurry picture of a squirrel. The recipient sends "Who is this?", and the dear, sweet, insane vampire replies "You mean what is this it's a squirrel".

The main reason I decided not to go with 5 stars for this book was because it did seem overly long and dragged a bit in the middle. But when it did pick back up once the three timelines converged, I loved all of the ass-kicking, and the healing of trauma through being loved for one's true self. Great stuff!

Thank you so very much to NetGalley and Del Rey for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.

Neutral 3 stars
——————

DNF @ 45%. I think I liked the idea better than the execution.

When I saw Dracula Novel in the title, I was expecting a gothic setting and lyrical writing. But I didn’t get it. The writing was pretty boring and the way the novel is formatted into different journal/client session/modern first person was too much. I didn’t need two perspectives of Lucy, even if it was before and after death. Plus the blurb kind of spoils what I imagine is the “plot twist” I found the characters boring, I couldn’t connect with them at all.

Neural stars because I DNFed.

This isn't horrible but honestly I could not get into such a modern vampire story.I loved Lucy's old journals in the story but vampiric cults, pyramid schemes and the very idea that Mina was bad didn't go over too well with me.There was too much back and forth with the characters until you couldn't keep track of whose viewpoint you were reading from and even if you did you just didn't care anymore.I only gave it three stars because I think Twilight fans would enjoy and the writing was okay.

4.0. I enjoyed this! The plot made sense with the original story and was very compelling, it almost read like a thriller. The vampire lore/worldbuilding was really cool and the nods to Dracula canon were really fun to read and well interspersed through the story. It’s definitely an alternate version of the story, but I think people who liked the original will like this too. My issues with this book were fairly minor. It honestly felt like I was reading two different books that split right at the halfway point. When Iris learns who Lucy is, the story shifted into a very different vibe. I still enjoyed it, but it really shifted the reading experience for me. The first half was definitely my favorite: Lucy’s diary entries, interspersed with modern day Iris, interspersed with Lucy in therapy was like. Amazing? So when two of those ended, the story progressed as it needed to, but I was sad for the loss. The Dracula in 2nd person sections were… weird? As they were supposed to be I think. His character was very well done for what this book was doing. As were all the other villains!! The reveal(s) at the end had me gasping! Overall, would recommend if you want a sapphic gothic vampire story to read, and especially if you want more historical queer women and you support women’s wrongs.

Thank you so, so much to Random House Publishing Group Ballentine, Del Ray, and Netgalley for allowing me to read the advanced copy of this book!! I am forever grateful for the opportunity!

I really enjoyed this book!! I have always loved vampires and this book had the perfect mix of light and dark that I was looking for! I don’t always like when stories jump between the present and past continuously throughout the entire story, but I enjoyed how White stuck to three main POVs to tell Lucy and Iris’s stories. The choice of those three POVs to come from Lucy’s diary as a human, the recount of her vampire life to Vanessa, and the modern narrative of Iris’s perspective and thoughts gave the story an interesting take, in my opinion. Though I agree that the beginning was the slightest bit slow, I felt that it moved along smoothly, with all three POVs coming together seamlessly to fully complete the story. I had so many highlights and quotes that really stuck with me as I read. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book! It was the perfect book to begin this autumn’s spooky season with!

This is an interesting novel. I will say that for as long as the book is the first two thirds really drags, to pick up massively in the last half. This book is predictable in some ways but also has a couple of surprises. I quite loved Lucy and how her interactions with other vampires caused them to look at their lives differently. The Lover had to be one of my favorite vampires. She was just so airy and at times added humor where humor where humor was needed. Overall, this book is okay. The ending was perfection I just wish that pace had been integrated into more of the book.
Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group Ballentine, Del Ray, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.