Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. Lucy Undying was a fun little reimagining. I love this authors previous books, and this one was no different. It was fast paced, entertaining and the mystery kept me hooked. I fear this might be a staple read for fall time. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and Del Rey for this ARC for review!

Lucy Undying was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, a retelling of sorts, taking one of Dracula’s brides, Lucy Westenra, and giving her her own story to tell… and it’s sapphic? And that COVER ART?!

In the beginning of this book, maybe for the first 25% or so, I found it a little slow. I was really dragging my feet to get through to a part that would make me not want to put it down. While interested in both Lucy and Iris and thoroughly enjoying the point-of-view switches, I just felt like the beginning was too slow. BUT! Once it picked up, I was totally enthralled.

My favorite part was definitely the chapters switching POVs, especially between Lucy recalling her early days as a new vampire to her therapist and her diary entries from her girlhood before she became a vampire. Such a skill to be able to make the reader go from Annoyed This POV Chapter Ended to OH THANK GOD WE ARE BACK TO *THIS* POV!!

The mystery of how Iris and Lucy were connected was so enticing, and I am proud to say that I knew it was coming when it happened. In a good way. The clues set us up so beautifully and the backstories between the two of them were so intricate. Their romance was written so well, very refreshing to have such a beautiful romance between two women with openness and honesty and unconditional love! They’re soulmates!!!

Big big love for the vampire beauty cult twist and its Utah setting! Hilarious and apt! Almost reminded me of Mona Awad’s 𝘙𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘦 at times, and I’m into this weird modern beauty cult MLM plot!

I haven’t read Dracula, admittedly, embarrassingly, so I can’t compare this retelling to the source material. I can however say that I loved learning about Lucy and I enjoyed this new perspective on Dracula.

All in all, Lucy Undying was a sharp, poetic, romantic, mysterious read and I definitely recommend it for everyone’s spooky fall and October reading lists! Or for anyone who loves vampires! And/or sapphic love stories!

So slow and uninteresting; the writing was stilted and awkward, especially the dialogue. Nothing else about the story captured/kept my interest. I’ve loved Kiersten White’s books in the past so I’m not sure what happened with this one. I started skimming large swaths of the book in hopes it would get more exciting, but spoiler alert—it did not. It was a less good version of An Education in Malice by ST Gibson

Will post review on Tiktok, Youtube, Instagram, and Goodreads on 9/1/24.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Lucy Undying was one of my highly anticipated reads, as it felt almost like a return to what I fell in love with from Kiersten White, which was her reimaginings of classic characters, from Elizabeth Frankenstein to her prior genderbent “real” Dracula series, And I Darken. And while I didn’t think much about it before, Lucy is absolutely one of those characters from classic novels that deserves justice, given how the source text and its adaptations alternately infantilized, sexualized, and villainized her, before fridging her.
The structure of the book attempts to imitate that of the original Dracula novel with its epistolary format, with a mix of POVs (at least three, including Lucy in two timelines), and these consisting of Lucy’s diaries from 1890, “client transcripts,” and more. Some of the choices made are odd, like Dracula’s POV being told in second person, but White makes this style work for the most part.
Lucy truly is a compelling character, and I love the way she’s given depth. While I didn’t necessarily agree with the angle that her passionate sapphic feelings for Mina were not just unrequited, but led to Mina taking advantage of her for her own ends, it was only because it felt like a cheap way to get justice for Lucy, while vilifying the only other prominent woman in the narrative. But I admired Lucy’s strength, and there’s a real sense of growth from her days as a young woman preparing for marriage prior to vampirism, and post-vampirism in the modern day as she seeks out Dracula again in search of answers.
Iris was initially a bit of a weak link for the book, especially in the first half. There are hints of connection between the two prior to their meeting, like complex relationships with their mothers, but it doesn’t really begin coming together until the second half, when the story really began to pick up.
And speaking of how it comes together, I loved learning how the two (and Mina) were connected. The seeds were planted throughout the story, making the reveal fairly satisfying. And I just love the idea of vampires leveling up their predation through the power of multilevel marketing.
In spite of it being tagged as a romance in some places (including NetGalley), I did feel the romance was a tad “meh,” as I didn’t feel much chemistry between Iris and Lucy, and it really took a backseat to all the vampire stuff. But I don’t hold it against it too much, as I otherwise had a good time.

Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey, and Kiersten White for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I haven’t read Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” but I fear he’s got nothing on Kiersten White (no offense to Mr. Stoker).

“Lucy Undying” was captivating from the very first page. The romance, mystery, and vampirism hooked me and didn’t let go.

Opening the book to see it was 113 chapters was a little daunting at first, but the story was so compelling and the plot moved along quickly enough that it wasn’t a chore to get through.

P.s. is anyone else totally not surprised that a creepy vampire cult would be headquartered in Utah?

First of all, can we get some recognition for this beautiful cover? It pulled me in right away and the story didn’t disappoint either. I loved Lucy’s story both in her human journal & her transcripts and I loved how the 3 POVs pulled together. What really kept me tuned in though was the mystery of Iris, who she was, how it connected, and what the fuck was going on with this company. Perfect spooky vibes, I can’t wait until some friends can pick this one up on 09.10.

Lucy Undying: A Dracula Novel by Kiersten White is a retelling and original continuation of the events of Dracula from Lucy Westenra’s perspective. The story is told in an interesting form with part of it being Lucy’s journal before she’s turned by Dracula. Giving us an interesting look at familiar characters for fans of the original Bram Stoker tale as well as answering what they were really up to. A story I suggest you discover for yourself in this book. We also get Lucy’s story after her turn through a discussion with a therapist and finally the original character Iris’ perspective as she is trying to break ties from her now dead mother’s MLM cult that is somehow connected to everything. This was a fun page turner and even has a change to the format that I just broke down but I don’t want to spoil why. I loved seeing characters I know in a new light and agree that this is definitely what was really going on in the original Dracula novel as Kiersten shows a knowledge and love for Stoker’s book and characters even as she changes how we view them. So go check out Lucy Undying: A Dracula Novel.

I actually LOVED this! I've never seen a retelling so well done. This flips everything you know about Dracula on its head while still sticking to the source text. I'm in awe. Plus we get a sapphic romance that's great! Where one of the love interests isn't awful!

This is such a wonderfully subversive reimagining of Lucy's story. If you've ever read Dracula, or even just watched a movie version, Lucy is kind of the throwaway character; she's pretty and flighty with no depth. This book gives her oceans worth of depth, and lets us rage at the way she was used and discarded by those around her. We get 2 POVs from Lucy: one from her journals before her death, and one from therapy session recordings in modern day. We also get to experience Iris reading the journal with fresh eyes that finally SEE Lucy for who she is.

The narrative structure really keeps you turning the page. The chapters are short and often end on a slightly cliffhanger note. And there are 3 main POVs to cycle through: journal Lucy, therapy Lucy, and modern day Iris. And when they all finally come together, it's so great!

There's so much more I'm not even covering here. There's found family, Dracula himself, romance, the mother of all twists, an indictment of MLMs, and so much amazing discussion of women, their place in the world, how men use and abuse them, and how they take their power back.
Highly recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.

LUCY UNDYING is a highly unique and fresh take on the classic Dracula tale. The book partially follows the epistolary format in homage to the original, this time with letters from Lucy's perspective. It also maintains the primary tone of gothic horror throughout the book but with a modern twist at every step, casting a light on how a vampire would hide and maintain their power in plain sight in the present day, and what type of modern villain they may become in the process. Lucy's story tackles conversations of power, control, and reclaiming women's stories, both past and future, by addressing the mistreatment she faced in the past and pursuing justice in the present. Different from the original text, UNDYING has the added and necessary focus on the queer plot line present in the original between Lucy and Mina, this time giving readers a fulfilled story with Lucy and new character Iris in a dynamic that empowers them both at every step. Rich with mystery and a fast-paced plot, the novel maintains lightness with its humorous narrators, especially within Lucy's teenage diary entries as she documents the men surrounding her in the 1890's. I flew through this book and haven't stopped thinking about it since- this is the exact type of retelling I seek out, and I can't wait to see more readers discover this version of Lucy's story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House / Ballantine for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

"Lucy Undying" is an exciting reimagining of Lucy Westenra, one of the more sidetracked characters from Dracula. It looks into what could have happened if Lucy had survived her supposed death and had lived on to present times—having had to cope with all the trauma from her turning vampire and her discovery of self outside the overwhelming shadow of Dracula.

The jacket of the book is striking, giving way to a story full of eerie, powerful moments. Lucy's character development was something special to read, especially her journey of self-discovery and relationship with Mina being extremely complex. That will just add depth to her story, making it more compelling than this insta-love present-day storyline between Lucy and Iris, which feels a little underdeveloped to some readers.

However, this novel does have several flaws. The result of this dual focus to retell Dracula and weave in the subplot of a modern-day vampire MLM cult does not always mesh well. This attempt at stitching together two narratives occasionally leaves a disjointed story that feels slow, especially in the middle sections. Truly uneven in its pace, some readers find it a bit too slow before the final 100 pages when all the action picks up.

The portrayal of characters from Dracula can also be controversial, especially to the fans of the original. Some portrayals, like the case of Mina as a manipulative character, may seem superficial or even reducible. The feminist themes in the book are palpable but at certain times, much toward the end, seem stridentlyportlet.

Despite these critiques, "Lucy Undying" does manage to give Lucy some voice and agency denied to her in Dracula. The character's evolution and the final act are very strong and balance very well against modern-day cringe moments, redeeming some of the slower parts.

If you are a Dracula fan and you do like retellings that go more into the sidelined characters with new perspectives, then "Lucy Undying" is a read worth taking the time for. It's definitely unique in horror and fantasy with a little dark humor, even if it doesn't live quite to its potential.

Lucy Undying is exactly what I wanted from a vampire story. It’s dark and well written and the characters pulled me in immediately. I loved the three different ways the POVs are told. I felt each character voice was clear immediately and I never had to question which POV I was in. I do think it got really slow and questioned a bit if it needed to be nearly 500 pages. It’s very character focused which I enjoy but is definitely not for everyone.

This book was absolutely breathtaking. It felt like a sapphic love letter to the original Dracula and the writing? Impeccable.

As I read, I got to see who Lucy and Iris were and who they became and never got to be.

I can't recommend this book enough.

Dracula fans, this one's for YOU! Seriously, I kind of wish I had read Dracula prior to diving into Lucy Undying so I could fully appreciate all of the references in this retelling. 

I love vampire stories and horror novels and Kiersten White's latest delivered in many ways. We get dual timelines: Lucy in the late 19th Century and Iris in the present day. I honestly loved both of their stories. But the book reads more like a paranormal historical fiction, rather than horror. There are some action-packed scenes, but I was never scared, even when things lurked in the night. It's a sapphic love story and it's about choosing your own fate. And as you'd expect in a novel by White, it has a thing or two to say about cults/religion. 
Overall I enjoyed the novel. It drags a bit here and there and attempts to cover too much ground. I think if it had been a tighter read it would've been a homerun. Still, I can't wait to read whatever White writes next. She's one of my favorite voices in the genre.

Lucy Undying will be out 9/10.  Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

P.S. DO NOT READ THE SYNOPSIS. I feel it gives wayyyyy too much away.

I've already pre-ordered my physical copy of this book! Sapphic Dracula retelling? I knew this would be right up my alley with writing I love and actively seek. This is the first book I've read by this author and absolutely will not be the last. I did initially struggle with the POV's and timelines but eventually, each felt like it's own tone of voice and became easier for me to navigate.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of Kiersten White from her Conquerer’s Saga, I was ecstatic to be approved for her latest book, one that promised to be a dracula retelling like never before seen. And trust me, she absolutely delivered. Lucy Undying is a dark and rich story about a young woman cursed by dracula and the journey she takes through the coming centuries to undo what he’s done to her.

I absolutely loved this, and White continues to hold steady as one of my favorite authors!

4 stars. I knew from the first page that I was going to enjoy this book. I like my vampire books to be queer and funny and this had that. I liked the structure and the main characters. I did think this book was going to end about 100 pages before it did but after getting to the end, I see why she kept going.
I would definitely read more by her following this.

I have really enjoyed Kiersten White’s other novels so was super excited to see she had a new book coming out, and this time a Dracula retelling, but sapphic. Sign me up. I jumped on the opportunity.

This book is, like the author’s previous works, deeply atmospheric, and dare I say slow moving. However, in this case the book is almost 500 pages, and really not a whole lot happened over the course of the book. I would categorize this as a character driven book, because again, not much happens of significance with the plot, but we do get to know the characters immensely well.

I enjoyed the different points of views including Lucy’s diary/journal, therapist discussions, and Iris. It was a fun way to get to know the characters in an intimate and natural way. I also enjoyed the authors writing style which did draw me in, however I felt that the book was too long for what it was, and I found myself not wanting to pick it up.

I think I need to stick to these books in audio because they really immerse me more in the atmosphere that way. Some books just work better for me in that medium, and in this case, I believe this author is that way for me.

3.5 stars rounded to 4

⭐⭐⭐1/2 stars!

Now, I have NOT read Dracula (and I'm not really sure if I will) so I can't attest to whether this is well written fanfic or not but I did have a good time! I would reccomend this if you're wanting some sapphic vampires

Spoilers below:

I have two complaints:

One: the mish-mash of POVs. First we have Iris (in 2024), then we have Lucy (in 1890ish), Lucy (in 2024), and Lucy (in 2025), as well as Iris (in 2025) when the 'current' (2024) timeline catches up, as well as some POVs from Del Toro, Dracula, and Mina. See how this could be confusing? I eventually figured out the timeline but I really do wish we only had two: Iris 2024-2025 (with Lucy's journals being shown as Iris reads them, not seperately) and instead of transcripts with her therapist (which felt really random, as we never actually met said therapist) just have Lucy narrate her life (either to the reader, or herself, or Iris in the future or something).

Two: This novel couldn't seem to decide what genre/tone/mood it wanted to be. I enjoyed both sections: Lucy's journal/transcripts from her therapist walking us throughout her life and history and her emotional journey, and Iris' mad dash to destroy Goldaming Life. It did feel like I was reading different books for a while though. Lucy's sections were reminding me of Addie LaRue, while Iris's sections felt like a modern paranormal book.

All of these complainst aside, I was hooked. I've been wanting to read some spooky sapphic vampires and that's exactly what this is.

**A thank you to NetGalley & Del Rey for providing me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review of Lucy Undying by Kiersten White.**

I knew only two things going into to this book - it was a Dracula story and it was sapphic. One thing I love is sapphic vampires, and I was so excited to love this one too, but sadly it fell short.


In this book we get three different perspectives with three different voices - Lucy’s journal, Lucy’s therapy transcripts and Iris’s modern day pov. I think this was a mistake because the story didn’t feel very cohesive. It honestly was like juggling between three books, and not in a fun way. I think Lucy’s transcripts were the best part of the book. White has an incredible lyrical voice, but it was sadly overshadowed by the trendy phrases in Iris’ perspective.

Side note: An MLM cult vampire book would’ve made for such a funny prompt by itself and feels like such a missed opportunity.

Anyway, for having read over 170 pages, you think things would start making sense or pieces would start coming together, but they don’t? It really drags on with Iris, she hides so much of herself from the narration that it makes it impossible to care for her as a character. Also, the insta love was wack.

This feels like a group project where one person did significantly better than the other, and it’s painfully obvious who it is. Lucy > Iris

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for providing me with an eARC of this title.

Lucy Undying is a Dracula retelling with multiple POVs and alternating timelines. We get Lucy in the 1800s and Iris in 2024 as well as chapters from 2025 and interviews with an unnamed character. First I would like to say that the cover is stunning, absolutely beautiful. As far as the story, I had some mixed feelings while reading it. This book is pretty lengthy, and I don't think it needed to be this long. The second half is so much stronger than the beginning. I didn't really feel super invested in the story until about 40% of the way through. At that point I sat down and read the rest in one sitting. The second half of this book was great. There were some top notch moments at the end that I absolutely loved. I didn't really prefer one POV over another. I felt pretty similarly about all of them throughout the book. The vampire vibes are very strong throughout. Even when I wasn't loving my time reading this at the beginning, I was still loving the vampires. I think this book is absolutely worth pushing through the beginning because the second half is truly amazing.