The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

Book review by Michael Berry, Common Sense Media
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 12+

Clever retelling of horror classic from female perspective.

Kiersten White Science Fiction 2018
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Parents say

age 15+

Based on 1 review

Kids say

age 13+

Based on 3 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this book.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Kiersten White's The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is a reimagining of Mary Shelley's classic tale of horror. It focuses on the female characters who people the original novel. There's a large amount of violence, more often implied than shown, that includes a strangling, a hanging, a shooting, and a stabbing. A small amount of swearing includes "s--t," "piss," "ass," and "bitch."

Community Reviews

Princess Consuela B.
Princess Consuela B. Adult
January 6, 2019
age 15+

Very gruesome

This book is not for the fainthearted. It has very descriptive and gruesome descriptions of animals being cut open to find out how they died, small children (that are alive) having their arm cut open, and bodies cut apart. Also, people are murdered to be made into monsters. Many important characters are strangled descriptively, cut apart, and go mad. Elizabeth and Victor end up being married, but sex is limited to a few embraces and kisses. Language is a bit strong, with a*s, piss, b**ch, and sh** used pretty frequently. Elizabeth starts off as an awful role model that only does things for personal gain, but she ends up realizing the errors in her ways. Again, it is awfully gruesome in its descriptions and is for older teens. If this retelling became a movie, it would be R+. It is very intriguing and suspenseful.

This title has:

Great role models
Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

As THE DARK DESCENT OF ELIZABETH FRANKENSTEIN opens, Elizabeth Lavenza is on a desperate quest to find young scientist Victor Frankenstein, who has disappeared somewhere in Europe. Hired to be his friend, she believes that his presence is the only thing preventing her from being cast off, penniless, into the streets. Accompanied by the Frankenstein family's governess, she traces him to Ingolstadt, where she makes a horrifying discovery about Victor's research. A monster is in their midst, but he may not be who he seems.

Is It Any Good?

Familiar tales can sometimes be reworked into something new and compelling, and this creepy retelling of a horror classic has intelligence and inventiveness to spare. The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein does justice to its source, but with a modern, feminist sensibility. Author Kiersten White devises some shocking twists, keeping the suspense high on two different timelines. Reading the original book beforehand is recommended. The changes White makes to the story are more fascinating the more one knows where she started from.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein reimagines its source to emphasize the roles of the women. How have opinions changed over the years about how girls and young women should be portrayed in literature?

  • Should science be governed by morality? Are there subjects too dangerous to be explored in the name of science?

  • Why is Frankenstein still read centuries after its initial publication? What themes resonate with modern readers?

Book Details

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