Wow! This is not my genre, but I absolutely loved this book. I heard the author received a 1 star review because the book has sapphic content. Not due to a bad story or bad writing, simply due to homophobia. So, of course I went right to NetGalley to request an arc! I am so glad I did!
The story, the character development, the world building are all amazing. The time hopping is appropriate to the story and lends even deeper understanding to it all.

Having the story of Dracula be reimagined with Lucy as an independent, self evolving woman was a treat. It’s a story of finding herself and coming into her sexuality as much as it is a story of greed, vampires and messed up family dynamics.

It is difficult to go into details without giving away spoiler so I will leave this review by saying Lucy and Iris are brilliant characters that I enjoyed getting to know. While Iris’s mother and Mina were characters loved to loathe!

This is my first book by this author and I will check out more from her!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the arc.

Damn y’all this book had everything. Badass vampires, intrigue, an evil MLM. Everything I wanna gush about is a pretty big spoiler so the biggest pro is as follows: there’s a joke about how Jonathan Harker was always bringing back recipes for food he tried and if it wasn’t like 12 am I would have genuinely lol’d. The biggest con is this: Kiersten babe, this book was too long 🥲 despite being intensely readable, the story really dragged in places, particularly at the end. Also Kiersten is 3 for 3 on making me cry and this time I will be suing for emotional damages! 😤😂

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Del Rey for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

We are halfway through the year and this book has landed itself in my top 5 in 2024. This book takes a minor character of the well known story of Dracula and puts her front and center of her own story in a fascinating fashion. I was hooked in just a few pages. The multiple POVs were done in such an intriguing way and as they were clearly marked, it was easy to bounce between them and follow all of the narratives. I also loved the present day story of Iris, her struggle to break from her family's creepy MLM cult, and her awkward inner thoughts over her crush on Elle who she doesn't realize is the owner of the diary she's been reading. Also need to give a shoutout to Rahul, Anthony, and Vanessa the therapist, as well as the Queen, the Lover, and the Doctor.

While we as the reader can easily put together that Lucy, Elle, and our unnamed client are the same person, I found myself waiting excitedly for the moment that it all comes together for Iris and we join all those pieces together in the present. Lucy's life prior and post being turned are given so much consideration and make her a full-fledged 3 dimensional person compared to air-headed heiress of the classic Dracula story. Her desire to be loved for who she truly is is relatable and breaks your heart as time after time she gives her devotion to those unable to return that love, though they are all fundamentally changed by having Lucy in their lives.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for the eARC of this book for my honest review. I cannot wait to purchase a physical copy of this book when it comes out in September. I will definitely be rereading this one.

I had a wonderful time with this story! Reading it in tandem with the original Dracula was a nice touch, but not needed to enjoy this story, as it stands on its own as a tale of self discovery and the power of love. The epistolary style and the use of Stoker’s characters is evocative of the original, but never overshadows the story White set out to tell. There were a few moments that felt a little cringey (dialogue, inclusions of modern music which will date this story) but overall this was a really touching exploration of what it means to be a woman in a world that would shape you into what it wants you to be without any consideration for what you want.

I love sapphic vampires and this did not disappoint. If you are looking for a fast paced book this is not the one for you. If you’re looking for a new twist on Dracula and love women vampires I highly recommend. Easy, entertaining read that I finished in now time. This was my first book by this author but I look forward to reading more if they’re anything like this book :)

DNF @42%

I truly wanted to like this, but it just didn’t do it for me. The pacing felt so, so slow and the juggling POVs had me a bit lost. The concept is really interesting but the execution fell flat. The writing was okay and at times really beautiful. I just lost interest and was basically forcing myself to continue. I feel this story is very niche, and will appeal to those that like a slow build with mystery.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc of this upcoming read!

I LOVED this!

It was pure vibes and gave everything I hoped it would. I am new to this author but she is automatically one I will be checking out. I mean, come for the cover stay for the plot. And the vamps, and the blood

A twist on a familiar tale, what’s not to love, I knew I needed this story. The cover is amazing, the dark gothic style had me anticipating a darker story. I felt the book was slightly more YA, for a vampire Lucy still hasn’t matured a lot. I did love how stubborn she is and the revenge mission is pretty epic. What I most loved was the romance. Sapphic vampires 🧛 are definitely a vibe, I absolutely adored that Lucy gets a proper love interest in this book. I also enjoyed the telling of the story, there are time jumps and therapy sessions alongside modern day. Great writing is moving through time like this and still having this momentum and pace that was steady throughout leading up to the finale. This is definitely a unique take and for that I will highly recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

dnf @ 42%

well that was disappointing.

incredibly slow-paced, unexciting characters, and writing that leaves much to be desired. three POVs are being juggled that could've been utilized much better, but instead they all drag on.

Ohhhhh, where I do begin with this beauty?

First, I want to state that I cried a lot at the end. Kiersten White created a raw, emotional story that I could *feel* came from very dark places that I related to. To see how she molded these feelings into Lucy Undying, I am in absolute awe.

The story, inspired by Stoker's tale, follows Lucy Westenra, giving voice to a character who once had none. We follow Lucy through journal entries and transcripts, and we meet 25-year-old Iris, a woman desperate to escape the clutches of her mother's MLM empire.

The prose was a masterpiece, full of poetic language and sapphic longing. In its core, this book is about a woman trying to overcome the trauma of her past and accept herself, which any lost soul can connect with. Lucy is canonically pansexual, and adored the evolution of her queerness throughout the story. (I also really loved the metaphor for the vampiric nature of MLMs.)

This books spoke to me so deeply. Kiersten White is the perfect person to tell Lucy's story, and it was such a privilege to read.

"Lucy Undying: A Dracula Novel" by Kiersten White is a captivating and fresh take on the classic vampire tale. White transforms Lucy Westenra from a tragic victim into a fierce, independent character on a quest for self-discovery and love. Set against the backdrop of modern-day London, the romance between Lucy and Iris is both tender and intense, adding a beautiful layer to the gothic narrative. White’s writing is immersive and atmospheric, blending elements of horror, romance, and personal growth in a way that feels both new and nostalgic. The story’s high stakes, with Dracula’s looming threat and Iris’s dark family secrets, keep the tension high, while Lucy’s journey offers a powerful message about reclaiming one’s identity and finding true happiness. It’s a must-read for fans of vampire fiction and those looking for a strong, complex heroine."

This is a captivating reinterpretation of a classic tale, offering a compelling blend of Gothic horror, romance, and introspection.

It offers a fresh and imaginative twist on the classic Dracula tale, focusing on Lucy Westenra, a character often overshadowed in traditional narratives.

Its always interesting to read stories through the eyes of others.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for allowing me access to the e-Arc.

I honestly enjoyed most of the book. I found the different point of views to be very interesting. I loved the purpose of the story. However, when I reached about 350 page mark. Things kind of turned. I wasn’t enjoying where it was going. That was a shame. I was really hoping to love this one.

i regret not reading anything from this author sooner, THIS WAS ICONIC. if you loved dracula, especially lucy, you will love this

I'm sorry, but I had to DNF this. The three timelines, the two POVs, the confused stakes and storyline...I just couldn't get into this. The idea is great! But I'm not interested in what's happening here.

I am a big fan of Dracula and I enjoyed this book! There were parts that felt a little slow but overall I loved how queer it was and how the side characters from Lucy's past kept showing up and grew as people (vampires?).

What has Kiersten White done to one of my favorite novels? Bad, bad, bad!!! And yet, I loved this story. She fundamentally changed the original in a way that makes so much sense that I can’t believe I never noticed. She took the great but not very developed character of Lucy and gave her a story. None of the twists really surprised me, but I don’t think that was her intention. At first, I hated Iris, the main modern character. She’s stealing and cheating and lying but then, after I learned her story, I was surprised at how much of a survivor she is, and started rooting for her. It’s funny how what seems like a bad thing is actually good, depending on the viewpoint. The novel is told in different timelines and points of view. There’s Lucy’s original diary, undead Lucy talking to someone in the present and Iris, the heiress of a vast fortune related to a cult. I was delighted as how Miss Westenra’s journal reads like it could have been part of Stoker’s original. The tone and the language match, giving a different perspective on the events we already think we know. The characters that Lucy meets throughout her un-life are also well developed. They are more than the stereotypes their names would convey. I’d say more but I don’t want to spoil the wonderful story. The book is a little too long for me, I would have maybe skipped some parts, but it was nice to revisit the original from a completely different angle.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey.

The gorgeous cover and promise of a Dracula retelling immediately drew me in!

Just like Stoker’s Dracula, this novel is broken into multiple POVs and told through different mediums. The chapters that I felt were the strongest were Lucy’s diary entries and the client transcripts. The different timelines being told all at once really made Lucy feel so fleshed out and interesting.

The parts that lost me a little are how instantly Iris and Lucy seemed to fall in love, and the whole MLM plot line. I also felt like Iris was such a flat character compared to Lucy.

Overall, I found this book to be fairly enjoyable, and I know many people will love it, it just wasn’t really for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Del Rey for providing a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Lucy Undying provides an interesting perspective on a classic tale. As someone who has never read Dracula, this was very beginner-friendly and I was able to connect to the backstory/context of the original Dracula narrative. Through multiple character viewpoints, we follow Lucy on her journey as she discovers herself not just as a vampire, but as a being with her own needs and desires. Luvy herself is a relatable character. While Lucy Undying is an overall engaging read, the story could be predictable, especially in the beginning. As the story progresses, the plot also becomes a little chaotic/jarring. I would not describe this as an “epic gothic fantasy”, but more of a fun modern gothic romance. (3 stars)

Lucy Undying by Kiersten White served as my introduction to this author. This book sparked my interest as it was a Dracula Novel, and I had recently read Dracula by Bram Stoker, so I was curious about a novel making use of his characters. At first I was left a bit conflicted on how I felt about this book, similar to how I felt after reading the original Dracula book, but thought it was an interesting and entertaining story overall.

It took a while to really get into the book, as the first half flips quite quickly between Iris, an original character who has recently inherited her mother’s sketchy business along with her properties, Lucy Westenra’s diary from her teenage years, in which we learn of a different side of Lucy than the Lucy that Bram Stocker invented, and Lucy’s much more modern transcript with a therapist, in which she recounted her post mortal life story. These first chapters were so short that it took a while to become invested in any of the storylines, especially before it became obvious how they all fit together. While the diary entries include all of Bram Stoker’s original characters, in Lucy Undying Lucy claims that she kept two diaries, one a secret diary expressing her real feelings, which differed greatly from her attitude in the original Dracula book. Lucy Undying changed a few other key plot aspects of Dracula too, the most obvious being that Lucy is still alive, but included an explanation for how every change was possible. Beyond the original Dracula characters, there were also a large cast of original characters, and Lucy’s friends ended up being really fun to read about. I wouldn’t say that it’s necessary to have read Dracula to enjoy this novel, but being familiar with the basis of the story and characters is nice as there are some Easter eggs that relate to the original story.

The pacing of the book, much like the original Dracula, was not completely consistent. The beginning was a bit slow, and chapters often ended on cliffhangers which sounded really exciting, then ended up being silly and simple events, which got a bit old after the first time that tactic was used. The love connection also seemed to just be based on lust, as they fell in love without even getting to know each other. Some of the action scenes in the later half of the book also seemed rushed and unrealistic, which was a bit strange.

But what kept me going? For me, the book was not completely predictable. I didn’t know how it would end and I did not expect all of the twists. While I’m sure some people will piece it together faster than I did, it took me some time to put together the relationship between the characters and Iris’ family’s business. There were definitely hints thrown out, but I liked the slow reveal over time.

In the end, I realized that even though I originally felt the book was a bit slow, I became attached to some of the characters and I was invested in how it all played out. I liked seeing a different side of Lucy Westenra, and getting to see her finally have a chance a true love and being an independent woman. Do I believe in the conspiracy theories of Arthur, Jonathan, and Mina? Well no, I don’t believe that was Bram Stoker’s intentions, but it was really entertaining to hear them out and see how they actually (kind of) fit into the original Dracula book. I thought it was a unique take, and I will look into some more of Kierstan White’s books in the future for sure.