his was so, so good and so different from what I expected. It's like....half female-centric classic Dracula story, half "What if vampires turned their thirst for blood into an multi-level marketing corporation?"

Incredibly unhinged. I freaking loved it.

The novel is shown from different viewpoints — composed in a pseudo-epistolary style, Lucy Undying is told mainly in three different perspectives: the secret diary of Lucy Westenra before and during the events of Dracula in the 1890s, recordings of the vampire Lucy in 2024 done by a therapist, and a first-person narrative by a young woman named Iris who arrives in London at the start of the novel. Iris’s narratives take place a few days after the recordings, which are all done on the same day.

Reading this novel was somewhat difficult for me as I found it difficult to believe that Lucy could escape from Dracula. I guess I expected a different vampire novel. I am also a true devotee of the original Dracula novel with the original beliefs given. I don’t know what else to say. It is a complex novel. I do think that this is a book that has a different “flavor” to it. I recommend reading it and deciding for yourself if this is the vampire novel for you.

thank you net galley for the chance to read and review 'Lucy Undying'.

DNF: 33%

I tried for so long to like this book. I wanted so badly to love it but I just couldn't. By no means is the book bad, but it has some stylistic choices I dislike. Mainly the constant changing of the era. I Usually like when stories change setting to show the past however, this book feels like it was too ambitious with that. We spend so much time in Lucy's POV ,from the past, it's almost like you forgot who Iris is. and the chapters of the client transcript feel out of place to me.
As for the aspects I liked, misleading connections. I loved how Lucy referred to her "Darling" in the beginning, and I fully expected it to be Dracula and not Mina.
In the end, the story was engaging at points, but I simply don't have the time to stick with a book that isn't going to keep me engaged the majority of the time. Hopefully in the future I can come back to this one, but it likely won't be anytime soon

This had me in the first half...and then it takes a bonkers turn that didn't quite work. Which is saying something because I feel like the target audience for this! I too am an ex-mormon who thinks utah-based MLMs are perfect grounds for a horror novel! But I think White was biting off (heh) more than she could chew with this Dracula retelling.

Loved Lucy though! Her diary entries and therapy sections were the best bits of this book, and I honestly wish the whole book was her POV.

I also appreciated that Dracula was barely a character in this. I'd argue his POV sections were wholly unnecessary! Who cares what his dumb thoughts are!

Lucy Undying follows the story of Lucy Westenra, one of Dracula’s victims from the titular novel. It also follows Lucy the vampire, Iris the human, Dracula the vampire, and some random lady at one point…. There are a lot of POVs to this story. The best one was Dracula’s, which is disappointing since it’s a female gets revenge story. But the guy is the most interesting perspective.

Lucy the vampire follows her journey through the decades after her turning, through war and love and prosperity and death. Her perspective was my second favorite.

Iris, she’s an unexpected narrator, and the less you know I think the more you’ll enjoy it. The mystery of her life was what made her chapters interesting.

The book overall is not greater than the sum of its parts. It had a very promising start, eerie and mysterious, but this book was too long. Many ideas were revisited multiple times by different characters. It felt repetitive. Especially once the romance started, oh my Jesus! Nonstop waxing on and on about their love. But not in a romantic or poetic way, more like a love struck teenager.

With about 50 pages cut out, and more bloody vampire fights I could’ve rated this higher. The gore, while rare, was peak.

This is the type of story you get when a lit major decides to expand upon a beloved story and it goes swimmingly. Lucy, a small footnote in Stokers book, a character that has been routinely trivialized and "thrown away" by various interpretations of the source material, is fleshed out and given a story full of complexity and mystery. Thank you so much NetGalley for a chance to get my hands on this novel!

Lucy, in an effort to protect Mina, has allowed herself to become Dracula's bride, but soon finds that he truly only cares for Mina and is shoved aside so he might pursue her. Since she was a little girl, Lucy has been treated like she did not matter, that she only had one job to do, and that was to marry well and produce babies. Yet, as an undying bride Lucy is able to become so much more, to thrive, grow, and be who she was truly meant to be - from here is where LU starts. Overall, LU is a story of self-love and strength, it just so happens to also be a bit of a thriller and deals with vampires.

Kiersten White has been so hit or miss for me--I loved 'Mister Magic,' hated 'Hide,' and now really disliked this latest offering, sadly. Between the narrative voice and the overall writing, I was very put off by this one, though the story itself seemed awesome and like it might have been well-developed. I found myself skimming sections, though.

A definite read for anyone who enjoys a dark broody romance. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This very much felt like if Romeo and Juliet was meleded with feminine rage in the best way. I loved the twists and turns, the multi time lines. A wild ride, with a great romance underlying it and only adding to the tension of how will all of this end.

There were many things I enjoyed about “Lucy Undying”, such as the sapphic romance, Dracula’s chapters, Lucy’s diary and therapy sessions, and the final twist at the end.
There were some things I didn’t enjoy. Firstly, the book felt too long. I think there were parts throughout that could have been cut to streamline the story a bit more. Secondly, can characters stop giving their love interests nicknames? Maybe it’s just me, but “butter chicken” really took me out of reading the story.
One last part I really enjoyed, Alicia’s chapter. I thought it was a great way to give more insight into Goldaming Life! Part of me wishes there had been other chapters like that where we got to see through the eyes of a very minor character.

Thank you to Kiersten White and Del Rey via NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun Dracula retelling from Kiersten White! I loved that the story reimagined Lucy's narrative, and I *loved* the sapphic angle. White's writing style is witty and engaging, and my mouth literally dropped at a few particularly shocking moments. My one issue with this book was that the pacing was a little uneven; there were long stretches at the beginning and through the middle that didn't seem to add much to the story, and then everything went completely off the rails at the end. But overall, I enjoyed Lucy Undying and would recommend it to those looking for a contemporary twist on a well known classic.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

I am very much caught up in the big wave of vampire romantasy this year after loving vampire books growing up! I have also been drawn to Dracula retellings/reimaginings, so I was eager to request this. However, something about this just did not work for me! The prose was flowery but accessible, but the narrative spends too much time telling and not showing, which is odd due to how many details are there. I don't know how to explain that better, but some things should have and could have been left for the reader to piece together on our own. This book was SLOW. Lucy was immature, Mina was boring, and Lucy's perspective about Dracula seemed…flat. It needed some more development.

I think White is a fine author; this just did not work for me and needed some fine tuning.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, Del Rey, and NetGalley for providing an ARC!

I love reading about vampires because each author brings a unique perspective to the legend and drama surrounding them. This book certainly did not disappoint. I was thrilled to see a character from Bram Stoker's Dracula, but the author expanded Lucy's story in ways I never could have imagined. Although the book was lengthy, I was completely engrossed as I wanted to see how everything would unfold. Lucy is a multi-faceted character, and I appreciated that she took center stage rather than being an afterthought. It’s often the case that women are portrayed as victims, so I was happy to witness her empowering journey. While the book was long, I enjoyed every moment of it and felt a bit sad when it ended.

This is an excellent reimagining of Lucy’s character from Dracula (and, yes, absolutely agree with the author that she is queer). Iris, though somewhat oblivious, is relatable and often hilarious, and I enjoyed reading about Lucy’s adventures. Oddly enough, the only part that didn’t work for me was the POV from Dracula—those chapters feel superfluous with everything else going on.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Lucy Undying: A Dracula Novel by Kiersten White in exchange for an honest review. This was such a a great book. I love the Dracula story and have enjoyed different interpretations over the years, but this beat them all. Who knew I've been craving a story told from Lucy's point of view and that she was in love with Mina? I highly recommend this story.

Overall this is a good novel, with some things keeping it from greatness. I will say, for a storyline featuring exciting beings like Dracula and vampires, it felt more low stakes, and the plot is a bit slow moving.
I did enjoy the split narratives, particularly Lucy and the other vampires she meets and befriends- the writing in these sections is pretty and atmospheric, while the writing in Iris's narrative is…not.
The plot is straightforward and a bit predictable with the twist at the end. The romance was also a bit boring; I wanted more yearning before their immediate in love after just a few days lol . However I do appreciate their happy ending. I wouldn’t mind a sequel duology of the vampire pair hehe.

I have conflicting feelings about this book. On the one hand I loved the characters, the world building, the fresh spin on Dracula, the title, and the cover. It was wonderful to see Lucy get the spotlight for once, and I was intrigued by the Promising Young Woman vibes of her revenge plot. The storytelling was enjoyable enough to keep reading, and the writing was often clever and at times downright beautiful.

On the other hand, the constant shifts between Lucy’s diary, the therapist’s transcripts, and present day Iris (plus a couple of other perspectives I felt were completely unnecessary since removing them wouldn’t have changed anything) made it difficult to stay engaged. That may just be a me thing—I don’t fare well with more than two POVs—but it interrupted the flow every time there was a switch. Since the chapters were very short (which I usually love), I found myself putting down this book frequently and switching to a more bingeable book. I also felt this was far longer than it needed to, since there was repetition and places where the pacing seemed to drag. The conclusion, in particular, seemed drawn out to the point where I often found myself wondering why the story hadn’t ended yet, and the ending itself ultimately didn’t feel as satisfying as I would’ve liked since it focused on setting up the next book rather than wrapping up the story neatly.

The romance was also a mixed bag for me—sweet, but not enough chemistry or connection between Iris and “Elle” to make me feel truly invested in whether they ended up together. I found Lucy’s relationships with The Queen, The Doctor, and The Lover far more compelling than the central romance.

I would recommend this to Dracula buffs who don’t mind constant POV shifts.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

I wanted so badly to love this one. DNF'd at around 15%. Just wasn't enticed y the writing style at all, but I think this book will find it's readership. The ideas are all there,. Thank you Net Galley for sending me an arc.

Oh my, this was something entirely different, like a story I didn't know I needed until I started reading it. Having her point of view her storyline was enjoyed. Being a fan of Dracula, I found this be a spectacular read, one that I found myself enjoying.

This book includes:
- complex family dynamics
- life on the run
- vampires

The concept behind "Lucy Undying" fascinates me and the book cover is absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, the book did not hold my interest and I was unable to plow through the story. That said, the chapters I read were well-written and I could see this book being a favorite for many paranormal readers.

I received this eBook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Kiersten White, and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted to GoodReads check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863 and it will be posted to my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/