Synopsis
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.
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 when, in twenty-first-century London, she meets another woman 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. But she finds herself compelled by the charming Iris, while Iris is mesmerized by the confident and glamorous Lucy. But their intense connection and blossoming love is threatened by forces from without. Iris’s mother won’t let go of her without a fight, and Lucy’s past still has fangs: Dracula is on the prowl again.
Lucy Westenra has been a tragically murdered teen, a lonesome adventurer, and a fearsome hunter, but happiness always eluded her. Can she find the strength to destroy Dracula once and for all, or will her heart once again be her undoing?
Review
A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!
Retellings of any kind are a huge labor of love, especially retellings of classics like Bram Stoker’s Dracula, a novel that shaped the horror genre as we know it to this day. Of course, with such a story being written so long ago, today’s modern lens presents the opportunity to revisit, and possibly redefine, the facets that are rife with possibility for further storytelling. Kiersten White does just this with Lucy Undying, deciding to give Lucy Westenra a different fate with very, very different consequences. Now here’s where I lose my horror card; I admit I have never actually read Dracula in its entirety. My limited knowledge (shoutout Wikipedia) undoubtedly affected my reading experience with Lucy Undying, but I’m more than confident there are other folks in my same boat. So, let’s unpack this.
Lucy Undying is a novel that undoubtedly has its heart in the right place with the best of intentions of rewriting the more problematic, less than feminist aspects of Dracula. White implements various perspectives and timelines to depict the duality of characters presented in Dracula such as Lucy, Mina, and of course, Dracula. These perspectives come in the form of Lucy’s diary entries, unveiling an inside look at her thoughts, feelings, and emotions for the many, many years she has lived both before and after her encounter with Dracula. Here is where some of White’s best writing shines, giving depth to a female character who was simply offed in her previous iteration. I can’t commend White enough for breathing life and complexity into Lucy, a woman tossed aside in the literary throes of the past.
Things do get a little tricky in Lucy Undying for the uneducated reader such as myself. My limited knowledge of the world of Dracula led to a bit of confusion for the first part of the novel. White utilizes many perspectives to paint the picture of Lucy’s life while also introducing a new character, Iris, in the present. We have diary entries from Lucy, an unknown perspective that is revealed later down the line, and the perspective of Iris. It is well, a lot. Lucy Undying is described as an epic and it absolutely is for how ambitious this reach is. However, I won’t lie and say I wasn’t slightly overwhelmed. I can say though, that there is a big pay-off for riding out my initial confusion, and White does expertly bring together these wandering plotlines into a succinct confrontation of past and present.
This merger comes in the form of Lucy and Iris as parallels, both women experiencing an unmoored sense of existence in the world. White showcases her best prose, her best instances of cathartic female rage, through these two women in their struggle to find themselves. While I did find aspects of Iris’ character to feel a bit immature, her strife mirrors that of Lucy’s in the past despite the extensive time gap. Their treatment by men, their mothers, and those who they consider to be friends reflects the hardships of womanhood, of yearning to be taken seriously in a world that’s constantly doling out slights. However, we are sitting front and center to all of Lucy’s life which is a lot of time and a lot of lore explored by White. For the most part, it all lands quite well, but make no mistake, this novel is expansive. Numerous other intriguing female characters with various desires, conflicts, and challenges are given the space to breathe and develop alongside Lucy, a very refreshing aspect, but one that is very, very detailed. There is no stone unturned for Lucy and those who enter her orbit, making the length of this book both a strength and a weakness.
Yet, Lucy Undying is a tremendous entry in the horror zeitgeist that feels remarkably satisfying for shining a spotlight on the women of the stories we all know and love. And, it’s more than giving them the attention they deserve; White builds personalities and aspects of these characters that give them life that was previously somewhat ignored. Yes, this is a long book, and while I personally didn’t gel with some of these characters, that’s not to say Lucy Undying isn’t a tremendous success for its heart. I can’t help but adore Kiersten White’s ambition and execution of bringing forth characters that are diverse, complicated, and nuanced in such a way. Ultimately, Lucy Undying is more than just a Dracula retelling; it is a reflection of the trends in horror fiction to bring forth the voices that have been suppressed, to revel in inclusivity, complexity, and humanity. It’s a story about finding yourself in a sea of madness, deceit, and confusion, a love story.
Lucy Undying by Kiersten White releases on September 10th from Del Rey.
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