Mister Magic was one of my favorite horror novels last year, so I was very excited to get my hands on Kiersten White’s latest horror novel, a gothic fantasy exploring the Dracula story from a new perspective.

Lucy Undying is an ambitious story. The story opens on Iris, a young woman who has escaped a mysterious past and is now looking to tie up some loose ends in London as weird things start happening to her. From there, we also get Lucy Westena’s journal, as well as transcripts between a therapist and their vampire client, and all of this is topped off with White’s signature social commentary.

The story is unique and it was cool seeing all of these disparate perspectives come together, but it took a long time for that to happen which meant that as a reader, I was very confused for a significant portion of the story. I would have much preferred for it to focus solely on Iris’ perspective as I found that the therapist transcripts and journal entries didn’t add much to the story and many of these chapters slowed down the action, especially the further I got in the novel.

Overall, this is a good pick for anyone who enjoys vampire stories and light horror with fantasy elements (there are almost no scares in this one.)

Lucy Undying hits shelves Sept. 10. Thanks to Del Ray and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was very impatiently waiting for my boyfriend to finish reading dracula, so we could WATCH dracula, so then I could read this book. While I do wish it was October or November and not 100 degrees out while reading this I still enjoyed it! I really enjoyed the diary entries and the transcripts, but I did find the PoV of Iris as compelling as the others. I also found it a bit frustrating how everyone from the original tale was terrible except Lucy, when I quite liked a lot of the original characters from Dracula, and it is rather jarring having read the original, watched one of the movies, and then read this. Overall, I really enjoy Lucy's character and I think she's always deserved better than what she's got, so in the end I still did have a good time seeing her in a new context here.

Kiersten White is such an eloquent writer, I continue to enjoy her spinning tales!
Personally, I do not love the vampire genre as much as others do. I do not necessarily dislike the genre, however, feel it is overdone…….. need I list the millions of blockbuster hits. 😊
Regardless, Kiersten White is such a consistent, eloquent writer, I continue to enjoy the tales she spins! “Lucy Undying” was creative, varying point of views from various characters, and some back and forth time hopping though the various chapters. If you are a fan of the vampire genre, I recommend this read!

Okay, as beautiful as this cover is, the book itself was kind of meh for me overall. I will say, it was wildly atmospheric, especially during Lucy’s diary entries and therapist transcripts and it was very easy to get swept up in those chapters. However, the book dragged a lot in several places, particularly during the chapters that focused on Iris and the now timeline. I just did not connect with her as much as I did with Lucy and I found myself wanting to get back to her story. I did really love the redefining of Lucy’s character and how she was finally given some agency and autonomy. I also liked the big twist at the end, which I did slightly see coming, but I still thought it was an extremely cool way to bring the story full circle. I also enjoyed how the book dealt with trauma and healing, especially from family members and other loved ones. I think if you’re a Dracula fan, you’ll find the story interesting, especially with the familiar characters. And if you’re not super familiar with Dracula and the characters, don’t worry, you won’t be lost! I felt like the lore was explained super well, even with the reinterpretation. Overall, I did enjoy Lucy and her story as well as the gothic vibe, but I did think it could have been a little less long.
CW: child death, animal abuse, death, violence, sexual harassment, stalking, medical trauma, death of a parent

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Perfectly bloody, dark and Gothic feminist vibes. Good read for spooky season and or just anytime you wanna feel Like Lydia deetz

If you're looking for an intriguing take on women affected by Dracula, "Lucy Undying" is for you. This book immerses us in the life of Lucy, a young woman turned vampire that takes us on a mysterious journey through three unique perspectives:

1. **Iris**, a girl who is fleeing her family and slowly uncovering secrets from her family's past.
2. **Lucy's therapy records** with her psychiatrist, where she is brutally honest about her experience as a vampire (my favorite part!).
3. **Lucy's diary** before her transformation.

Although the plot is fascinating and has great potential, I must admit that the reading felt very slow, and it was easy for me to lose interest quickly. Despite this, upon finishing the book and reflecting on the story, I feel that it is a very interesting take on Dracula’s tale but, unfortunately, left me wanting.

- *Huge thanks to NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange of my honest review.*

Plot: ⭐⭐⭐ 3
Characters: ⭐ 1
Relationships: ⭐⭐ 2
Spice: 🌶️ 1
World-building: ⭐⭐ 2
Overall: ⭐⭐ 2

Si buscas una versión interesante sobre las mujeres afectadas por dracula, "Lucy Undying" es para ti. Este libro nos sumerge en la vida de Lucy, una joven convertida en vampiro que nos lleva por un viaje lleno de misterios a través de tres perspectivas únicas:

1. Iris, una chica que huye de su familia y poco a poco se va descubriendo cosas del pasado de su familia.
2. Los récords de la terapia de Lucy con su psiquiatra, donde es brutalmente honesta sobre su experiencia como vampiro (¡mi parte favorita!).
3. El diario de Lucy antes de su transformación.

Aunque la trama es fascinante y tiene un gran potencial, debo admitir que la lectura se sintió muy lenta, y me fue fácil perder el interés rápidamente. A pesar de eso, al terminar el libro y reflexionar sobre la historia, siento que es muy interesante pero tristemente me quede con ganas de saber más sobre los personajes. Es curioso cómo algo que se sintió eterno también puede dejarte con muchos vacíos.

*Un enorme agradecimiento a NetGalley por una copia electrónica de este libro a cambio de mi honesta reseña.*

Trama: ⭐⭐⭐ 3
Personajes: ⭐ 1
Relaciones: ⭐⭐ 2
Spice: 🌶️ 1
Construcción del mundo: ⭐⭐ 2
En general: ⭐⭐ 2

This was one of the most interesting and well-written Dracula retellings/interpretations that I have come across. There are plenty of elements that put a spin on the events of the novel, which are told alongside the stories happening in the present day. This book does Lucy Westenra's character and story justice and introduces several other strong, intriguing female characters (some of whom are vampires).

Narration is primarily split between Iris and Lucy. Both characters are compelling and a lot of fun to read. Watching both of them on their respective journeys was extremely satisfying and their character arcs were fulfilling. All characters, even some of the more minor side characters, were interesting to read about. Iris adds a lot of humor and life to an otherwise dark story, and she has some unforgettable turns of phrases. Several different plot lines are introduced, and all of them are balanced well. The pacing is perfect to build suspense as things are revealed to us and to Iris (I was never frustrated and waiting for Iris to catch up on the revelations). There were plenty of twists and turns in a plot full of intrigue, mystery, and shady, corrupt family/company dealings that stretch back for generations. The vampire lore was also a great addition.

The story overall is so much more than a Dracula retelling--it's like an expansion that focuses more on the events leading up to and following the confrontation with Dracula. It adds a different perspective on some characters' relationships, which I will definitely keep an eye out for when re-reading Dracula. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys classic retellings with a slow burn romance and journeys of self discovery and empowerment.

I want to say thank you so much for the chance to read this advanced copy. I saw vampires and RAN! I also did enjoy this authors previous novel Hide so I was excited to read this one. I think the gothic vibes were totally there, however what kept me from truly falling in love with the story was the pacing and there was a lot of characters which is usually fine for me to keep up with, but I just think I was slugging through a lot of this. I think it’s a good story with a great premise so I know there will be lots of readers who fall in love with it.

I was so disappointed by this book. I really wanted to love it, I mean a queer retelling of Dracula! That's right up my alley. Yet this book failed in so many ways. First, it was predictable, I was able to guess what was going to happen hundreds of pages before we got there at every turn. Secondly, it was over written, over explained, and way too long. Thirdly, it was just doing too much, there was so many threads that while easy to follow, could have been edited down. We would read Lucy's journal just to have Iris over explain the same information chapters later, which made it feel like the author didn't expect the reader to understand theme and nuance. All of the therapy could have been truncated, I get we needed to meet the other vampires but really it was too long. This book tried to be on par with the likes of The Invisible Life of Addie LeRue, A Dowry of Blood, and Rouge; Which writing wise it couldn't even compare, as it felt like fan fiction of the movie Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). I was happy to see that nearly every character was queer and that the cover is stunning, but that wasn't able to cover up all the issues with it.

Lucy Undying is a Dracula novel that uses multiple POVs to tell a rather needlessly complicated tale. Kiersten White does not hide the fact that there are vampires in this story (as if the title alone isn't enough to give it away) and instead gives the mystery over to another character who was rather bland and hard to connect with. And personally, the writing style didn't jive well with me. While I can see this being a hit with vampire fans, I can't help but compare it to other books of similar nature that came before and made a bloody impact.

Man, this was disappointing for me. I wanted to like this so much especially with how beautiful the cover is, I was in a Masters Program for English and took a whole vampire course, where I fell in love with Dracula and all the other tales that I got to read. This book was slow moving and did not create a strong connection with the main characters. I also strived for the females that were written in Dracula.
I would have DNF'd this book but I pushed through. I think has made it clear that Kiersten White is not the author for me after trying a few of their books.

I did love the multiple POV and the FF romance throughout the story, but that was not able to save it for me.

The pool of Dracula retellings coming out over the last year has caused a influx of books that have not measured up with the classics when they could fully develop something amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for the e-ARC for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I’m not even sure where to start with this or how to find the words to describe how much I loved this book. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down and I’m definitely planning on buying a physical copy once it releases. If you love anything that has to do with vampires or just gothic vibes in general, PICK THIS UP.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rel Publishing for the ARC of this novel.

I loved this authors Paranormalcy series so when I saw she had written basically a spinoff of Dracula to tell Lucys story I was so excited to read it and I wasn’t disappointed. This was a solid 5 star read for me. If you enjoy this authors writing style then this novel is written in the same lovely way.

Lucy Undying tells the story of Lucy, Draculas’ first victim in England. She turned a character who was barely a footnote in the story into an amazing sapphic romantasy that I couldn’t put down. This story bounces between time and POVs which can sometimes lead to feeling a bit hectic / confusing but with the different ways they are written they manage to remain separate yet expertly weaved together.

Part of the story happens in the same time as Dracula is set and is told through Lucys journals as Iris reads them. They don’t just tell the story though, they make Lucy truly come alive in the readers mind as they read her struggles as she tells her truths. Lucy is shown to be so much more than a vapid rich girl who was Mina’s friend. She struggles with her feelings of love towards a woman, a mother that controls her and men who do ‘what is best for her’ with no cares to what she wants.

Another part is told via transcripts of her conversations with a therapist set today, which what is more relatable then needing a therapist. These parts really showed how she growled and changed and became who she is today.

The parts told by Iris not only let us learn about Iris and her struggles and how Dracula is still managing to make a mess out of current times, but allows us to eventually see Lucy through someone else’s eyes who really see’s her as Iris reads Lucys journals.

I always try to stay away from spoilers but trust me there are so many shocks and twists every time you think you have figured it out you get hit with another wtf moment.

I highly applaud Kiersten White for writing what is so obviously her most ambitious work to date. Her creative writing choices (POV changes, the use of second person, epistolary chapters, playing with timeline) were all over the place in a way that didn't feel disjointed but rather exciting. As always, I found myself deeply invested in her characters- I could read a book that was solely Lucy and her backstory and be over the moon about it. Lucy Undying is brilliantly funny, astonishingly romantic for a book with so much blood in it, and a perfect love letter to the original Dracula (but better in some ways, sorry Bram!). There were times when the book felt too long to me, but all in all the reading experience was worth my time.

(3.5 rounded up)

I liked this one a lot. The pacing was very slow, but it didn’t bother me too much. I think the characters were well developed, and I just adored Lucy. Iris wasn’t as well developed, but I still liked her a lot. Also, sapphic vampires? Count me in.

The gothic vibes were 10 out of 10.

Lucy Westenra was Dracula's first victim in England, and though she died in the pages of someone else's diary, she was reborn a vampire. She spent years trying to escape Dracula, and in the twenty-first century is captivated by Iris, a young woman whose family is built from a dangerous secret. The two are drawn to each other, but Iris' mother won't let her go and Dracula is still out there.

The story follows Lucy via her secret journal, Lucy telling her story in the present day, and Iris in the present day. We learn about Lucy's real feelings toward her three suitors, and her infatuation with Mina, who is not as fixated or enamored with her in the same manner. We find out how Lucy survived the staking and how she spent her time afterwards. I really enjoyed that story thread, and the way Lucy maneuvered through history, unknowingly seeking out the other women that Dracula turned into vampires. Each are a little off in their sanity and purpose in the afterlife but becomes something of a family for her to fall back on. Her life changes as she gets to know them, and their lives change over time as well.

Iris is fascinating. From the start, Iris Godalming is hesitant to fall back on her family name and fortune. As far as she knows, it was built on a multilevel marketing cultlike business, and she goes through properties to find things worthy of selling. It takes her to the old Westenra home and to Whitby, with a historian at her side to help. She has a crush on Elle, and there are mysterious aspects of her past and her family to intrigue the reader. We think we know what happened if we've read Bram Stoker's Dracula, and this seems to be a world where that novel was never published. Iris gets to know Elle as she goes through the properties and the diary she found; it all comes together soon enough and Iris finds out more about Elle and her own Godalming legacy. It isn't quite what we thought it was at first, which makes the final third of the novel even more fun to read. It's a little over the top, with a vampire MLM in the middle of Utah, and more gore with the finale than the state will likely want.

I feel like to overall neutral feelings toward this book stems more from my high exceptions rather than an issue with the work itself. The pacing of this one is slow, which does make sense when you consider you need to keep track of 3 different timelines in order to follow the story. That kind of approach just isn’t my cup of tea, as two timelines is my limit. I’m easily confused, what can I say. I was also bored with the characters pretty early on, they weren’t very complex nor did they have any of the normal depth I’ve come to expect from Kiersten White. Overall, this was still a fun book, but you got to upfront a few things, both of which are the pacing and timelines. It was still a fun book and the cover is so gorgeous, and I would ultimately recommended it for anyone who wants a slow, sapphic vampire read.

I saw vampires on the cover and just had to request it, unfortunately this one was just SO slow. I had to skim to make a dent in it and ultimately felt like it wasn’t worth it.

The first thing I have to say is: what a cover! Whoever illustrated and designed this cover did a truly masterful job!
I loved the premise of this book and was so intrigued to dive into it. Kiersten White's writing has been hit or miss for me in the past, so I was extra curious to see how it went. Lucy Undying was a slow-paced journey that I think may not work for everyone, as it did slow down the pacing a bit here and there, but I think the pacing fit well with the vibe of the story. I enjoyed the diary entries and discovering made along the way, and think there was a really interesting overarching plot at play in this one. I didn't personally love all of the choices White made regarding other characters in this book from our classic Dracula original, but everyone's entitled to their own opinions and decisions, so I still really appreciate what she was trying to do. Overall, I think this could be a fun read for fans of Dracula or anyone who enjoys vampire stories.

Lucy Undying is a fantastic take on Dracula. There are so many Easter eggs we have from the original story, but hearing from one of his brides, Lucy. The story does drag on for quite a bit, but I was intrigued enough to keep going, just with a lot of stops and starts.