I so loved Kiersten White’s three book retelling of the Dracula story (Conqueror’s Saga) that as soon as I heard she was writing a Frankenstein book from the point of view of Elizabeth Lavenza Frankenstein, I put it on hold at the library at the earliest possible moment.
It begins in the present and has frequent flashbacks to fill in the back story. It starts off a bit slowly, but it is worth persevering because the ending is perfect. Much better than the original ending.
In her author’s note, White states that she wanted to write from the point of view of the minor (i.e. female characters) and what a brilliant decision. Whether you;ve read the original or not, you know enough to understand what Victor is up to. He is the one who comes off as the real monster.
Publisher’s Summary: Elizabeth Lavenza hasn’t had a proper meal in weeks. Her thin arms are covered with bruises from her “caregiver,” and she is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything–except a friend.
Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable–and it works. She is taken in by the Frankenstein family and rewarded with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable.
But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth’s survival depends on managing Victor’s dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness.
Middle school readers might enjoy this as much as YA readers. There’s nothing age-inappropriate and it is not scary at all.
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