DNF'd 50% of the way through.

Heartbroken about this book. I really wanted to like it - Lucy! Vampires! Sapphic! And it just got increasingly silly. Lucy accidentally stops WW1! She stops a serial killer! BUT she's not a good person, she's just accidentally in the middle of every historic event to take place since Dracula was written! I was starting to feel like I was reading Dracula Forrest Gump, and not in a good way. It felt random and disjointed from the narrative. Nothing she did had any impact on the story.

I also thought it was very poorly written. From the start, you're reading Lucy's diaries along with her present day therapist transcript (ngl this ALSO felt very, very weird. Why is this vampire at a therapist?) and then later in the book, the other narrator, Iris, starts reading them too - but she's behind what you've already read, and starts making references to things that happened ages ago in the book. It would have been easy for the reader to be reading WITH Iris, but the reader being SO far ahead just created confusion. It didn't feel well thought out.

I liked this book so much at first, but the silliness of the narrative along with the sloppiness of the POVs made me think not only do I not want to handsell this book, but that I don't want to read anything by this author ever again.

I think it's criminal that a book with such a STUNNING cover and interesting premise is so BORING. DNF at 20% cause I know myself and I know what I like to read, and this isn't it. The characters were bland, the jumps between diary entries, present-day, and therapy session transcripts was jarring, and I just didn't vibe with this at all. So I'm not pushing myself through this to give it a mid rating when I'm done.

Lucy Undying: A Dracula Novel by Kiersten White is a captivating tale of a vampire who breaks free from Dracula's control and sets out on a journey of self-discovery and love. This epic gothic fantasy, written by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hide, is both empowering and vengeful, drawing me into a seductive world of darkness and intrigue.

I'm so grateful to have gotten the opportunity to read Lucy Undying as an ARC! This is my first time reading something by Kiersten White, and after finishing this book, I've come to realize that I really enjoy White's writing style- I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for her books in the future. Also- can we take a moment to appreciate that STUNNING cover??

A revelation I had while reading this book is: as a whole... I'm not sure I love Dracula retellings. This is not a criticism of White's retelling by any means- I thought her rendition was really interesting and fun- I'm just not sure they're for me, in general! With that being said, I really enjoyed the writing style throughout Lucy Undying- there were a lot of creative elements and POV's that made this story come together in a really intriguing way. Even though Dracula retellings aren't typically the subject matter I reach for, something about this book kept me turning the page. If you are a fan of Dracula retellings (particularly extra sapphic ones!!!), then this is definitely something I would recommend you check out on September 10th, when this book finds its way into the world! Overall, I'm giving Lucy Undying a 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for Goodreads purposes. I look forward to seeing what else Kiersten White writes into existence!

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey books for this ARC for review. I LOVE Dracula so when I saw that there was going to be a book about Lucy, I was super excited and had to get a copy. This book did not disappoint. This book tells the story where Dracula left off and even more so. This is Lucy's story in its entirety. Lucy didn't let Dracula in, her family did. The only thing that saved her was Dracula. Her family was trying to kill her. Lucy then spends her undead life figuring out who she really is, and it isn't until present day that Lucy finds someone special.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Lucy Undying by Kiersten White is a mixed first, second, and third POV mutli-timeline contemporary horror reimagining of Lucy, Mina, and several other characters from Bram Stoker's Dracula. When Iris, a young heiress, finds a diary belonging to Lucy before Lucy was bitten by Dracula, she becomes enamored with the Queer journey inside. Meanwhile, Lucy has been hunting Dracula down for decades to keep Mina, her first love, safe.

It's been years since I read Dracula, so I'm ashamed to admit that I actually did not remember Lucy but I did remember a vast majority of the other characters mentioned. I felt that the narration does assume a bit of knowledge of Dracula but more in the ‘you know who Dracula, Jonathan, and Mina are? Good, enjoy the ride’ way. The cowboy, the doctor, and the heir that are also part of Lucy and Mina’s storylines are fleshed out enough that I wasn't lost or wishing I had reread Dracula more recently.

The narration plays a lot with style and form. We have transcripts between Lucy and a therapist that is almost entirely Lucy speaking and using ‘you’ as if she is talking to the reader, not her therapist. We also have first person narration from Iris, Lucy in the form of diary entries, letters, several third person chapters, and a few second person chapters. There is an indicator at the start of each chapter to let the reader know who the main player is and sometimes even a date. I found the playing with form to be a really interesting way to integrate all of these diverging aspects that really all stem from the same source.

What I found really interesting was how Iris and Elle, a young woman who quickly becomes Iris’ friend then lover, mirrors and then breaks away from Lucy and Mina’s story in the diary. Lucy pines for Mina and wants to marry her and Iris cannot stop thinking about Elle. But Mina always insists on Lucy getting married to a man and Mina wants to marry Jonathan, pushing Lucy towards three men who may or not be sincere in their intentions towards her. It's heartbreaking to see a young Queer woman being tossed aside like that but it's also wonderful to see a Sapphic relationship being given the chance to grow into something long-lasting.

Content warning for mentions of medical procedures done without consent, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and emotional abuse

I would recommend this to fans of Dracula who want a Queer storyline, readers invested in stories depicting descendants of characters from classic literature, and those looking for a horror with a slow build and playing with form

"A vampire escapes the thrall of Dracula and embarks on her own search for self-discovery and true love in this epic and seductive gothic fantasy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hide.

Her name was written in the pages of someone else's story: Lucy Westenra was one of Dracula's first victims.

But her death was only the beginning. Lucy rose from the grave a vampire and has spent her immortal life trying to escape from Dracula's clutches - and trying to discover who she really is and what she truly wants.

Her undead life takes an unexpected turn in twenty-first-century London, when she meets another woman, Iris, who is also yearning to break free from her past. Iris's family has built a health empire based on a sinister secret, and they'll do anything to stay in power.

Lucy has long believed she would never love again. Yet she finds herself compelled by the charming Iris while Iris is equally mesmerized by the confident and glamorous Lucy. But their intense connection and blossoming love is threatened by outside forces. Iris's mother won't let go of her without a fight, and Lucy's past still has fangs: Dracula is on the prowl once more.

Lucy Westenra has been a tragically murdered teen, a lonesome adventurer, and a fearsome hunter, but happiness has always eluded her. Can she find the strength to destroy Dracula once and for all, or will her heart once again be her undoing?"

I love that Lucy Westenra is finally coming into her own and is no longer just a victim of Dracula as she has been for over a hundred years.

I LOVE THIS BOOK. Lucy is such an underappreciated character in the Dracula story and hearing more from her is so fun. And in typical Kiersten White fashion, it is meaningful and has an underlying message that was so important.

“Lucy Undying” is a great take on an underutilized character and I loved getting a new sapphic twist on the classic Dracula through Lucy Westerna. I enjoyed the different points of view in the story. I felt that using three different points of views in the beginning, that slowly caught up to one another was a really great way to tell this story. The author made this very easy to follow by giving each POV and timeline separate chapters, so it was always clear whose head and time you were in. It really highlights who Lucy was and who she is now and how she was changed by her experiences. Lucy is a much more interesting and complex character here than in the original “Dracula”. Lucy's points of view were a nice contrast to Iris, as each chapter revealed different information I could piece together what was happening really nicely. The characters in this book are all interesting and in my opinion, rather well written. I loved the Queen, Doctor, and the Lover. Lucy was just a wonderful protagonist to follow. Iris took a bit more time for me to get used to, but I ended up really enjoying her too. The relationship between Lucy and Iris develops quite fast, but it made sense and all their jokes and quirks were really cute. This book is brilliantly plotted. It's not a short book, but the pacing is really strong and there doesn't feel like there is any excess that doesn't serve the overarching narrative and themes. I think that this would make an excellent series for a streaming platform. I think the romance in this sapphic story is delightful and refreshing - if you enjoy vampires, LGBTQ+ stories, and solving mysteries then give this one a try! Thanks to Kiersten White, Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine and Del Rey for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts.

This book is such an original spin on the story we all know so well. I loved hearing Lucy’s story. I devoured it all. I’m so glad that I read this. Love who you love and don’t let anyone remake you to their idea of what/who they think you should be!

Lucy Undying tells the story of Dracula's first victim from her perspective and the connections she makes along the decades as a vampire, from World Wars to present time. Will Lucy ever find her place in the world?

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"The blood is life."

This book has it all: feminine rage, sapphic vampires, and plot twists until the very end. The relationship that Lucy and Iris form throughout the book is wholesome and the way that they help each other work through the traumas they've faced in their lives is so powerful. Every single character had their place in the story, my favorite being an unapologetic and blunt vampire doctor in which Lucy meets time and time again throughout the course of the book. Some parts in the middle did drag for me, and some of Dracula's POV chapters seemed unnecessary, but I still had a really great time with this book, and I highly recommend it!

I was given the opportunity to read this ARC by NetGalley and I knew the author from Mister Magic wich I loved and I thought I would also enjoy this, and when I say that is an understatement This was addictive. It fully engulfs you and sweetly gives you a glimpse in three points of view. It's romantic, it's adventurous, it's a journey of a llifetimeand I loved every page of it. I cannot wait for everyone else to be able to read this and to add to my physical collection.

I thought this book was very underwhelming and a disappointment. The first half of the book is filled with different POV between Lucy, Lucy’s therapist notes and many others. It was all very very confusing!! I never found myself caring or empathizing with anyone in the novel. I was just really disappointed in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

ARC by NetGalley and the publisher.
This review really hurts me to write as I had been so incredibly excited to read this Dracula retelling however personally this one just didn’t work for me. The biggest issue I had was with the amount of POV changes and timelines, it made for a very disjointed and confusing pros to follow. I didn’t mind Lucy‘s POV to much, especially when she is narrating and with her therapist but I just could not handle the dullness of Iris’s chapters. I was personally also hoping for a bit more Gothic vibes and elements as well with this book despite it being a more modern approach to Dracula’s story. I do appreciate where the author was going with the humorous element and idea of a vampire MLM. However I could not get past the drastically off pacing which made it incredibly hard to connect with these characters which for me is crucial to my overall enjoyment of a book. Sadly as said I just had wishes for me with this book.

Lucy Undying comes out September 10th, 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing, Ballentine for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.25★

The premise of the book sounded exciting and the twist on Stroker's Dracula caught my attention. And, it also used multiple povs which I personally liked. Unfortunately, the book wasn't able to meet my expectations. I think the story progression was dragging and the use of multiple povs wasn't well taken advantage of.

Lucy Undying was one of my most anticipated reads for the year - sapphic vampires, women taking on a MLM cult obsessed with blood, and a retelling of the original Dracula story from Lucy's perspective to boot - it was hitting every checkmark for a potentially solid read.

The book started slow, was disjointed between past and present, and it was made even more difficult to follow with Lucy's present POV vs her past POV vs her POV in therapy vs Iris's POV (why does one character have three POVs!?). It made the story so difficult to keep track of and I kept getting pulled out of it having to go back and figure out whose chapter I was reading and in what time period.

I hit my DNF wall at one point only to turn the page and be reeled back in at the 50% mark just to quickly lose that momentum again at 70% but at that point I felt like I was in too deep and owed it to myself to at least try and power through. I finished the book but I'm not proud of that achievement.

This book went on forever.
Lucy - a teenager in love with her governess. Mina desperately hopes to marry well. Lucy tries to stay out her courting gentlemen clutches.
Elle - tells her story to Vanessa. The years struggling to be a vampire and have purpose.
Iris just wants to live her life, struggling against the confines of her family's legacy and cult.

Oh Lucy, Lucy Lucy. How I love you.

This is one of those books that I wish never ended. It was very long and some times I feel a dread when I see those page numbers tick up, but in this case I never wanted it to finish. There is so many different stories jammed and intertwined into this book that at no point was I not entertained or invested with what was happening.

While this story was mostly Lucy’s, it was also Iris’s. We have two POV’s, but for a good half of the book the Lucy’s POV is from 100+ years ago. We get to walk through her entire life but we also get some chapters that are her in present day telling the story to a counselor. I loved that with the dual POV’s of Lucy and Iris, it was almost like 3 different points of view in total. Oh and of course, Dracula’s POV.

I love spins on Dracula’s wives and this book is no different. It was SO GOOOOOOOD. I loved the different things that the vampires could do in this story and also getting to see the inner workings of Dracula’s mind.

I love the cult spin to all of this a well. The old house, the memories that it held, the adorable gay couple that Iris connects with while in England. Everything about this book was just perfect and I have zero negative things to say about it. READ IT! READ IT NOW!

DNF at 15%.

This story really has potential, and I think for the right audience it'll be great. It just wasn't for me. I liked that it's told piecemeal across journal entries, transcripts, and regular narration.

Of the 3 POVs, there was one that I just wasn't interested in and loathed to return to. While I applaud the author for managing to make the POVs feel distinct, the narration style for Iris (the modern character) feels juvenile and hard to sit through, especially compared to the lush gothic tones in Lucy's narration. Iris's story just doesn't make sense to me in this plot, and it makes the whole thing feel like it's trying too hard to combine elements that don't fit well together.

I think some will love it, and if you're into stories that feel wildly different depending on whose POV you're following, you might give it a try. Don't go into it expecting it to be solely of the gothic vampire genre, because that's only one part of the picture.

Thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey for the ARC!