It's been a long time since I've read the source material, but that didn't negatively affect my experience. I might have missed some nuances and homages that Kiersten inserted into the story, but this is a retelling that stands on its own while also honoring its source material.
"Words and stories were tools to elicit the desired reactions in others, and I was an expert craftswoman."No one is really likable; every character has some major issues. I'll be honest, my not liking Elizabeth contributed to my lukewarm feelings of the book. But it wasn't her own darkness or machinations which made her unlikable for me; it was her codependency. But that was the point and something I came to realize in the last quarter of the book. Now? I love that Elizabeth is not completely innocent. Her dark descent is a direct relation to that and her incredibly toxic relationship with Victor. She feels her survival depends on Victor, and it is that desperation that leads her to do some questionable things.
"I sought to puncture heaven and instead discovered hell."Unfortunately, the plot took too long to take off for me and at times I found my eyes glazing over with disinterest. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it until the last 70 pages or so when the shit really hit the fan and the plot really took off. That also roughly coincided with the end of the flashbacks to childhood, which I found to be poorly timed. They contain crucial information but definitely contributed to the slow start of the book.
“You are mine, Elizabeth Lavenza, and nothing will take you from me. Not even death.”Overall, I appreciated this Frankenstein retelling told from Elizabeth's point of view. The book really explores how we are shaped by those around us, the lengths we will go for survival if desperate enough, and the nature of monsters.
Content warnings: abuse, animal abuse, animal death, death, dismemberment, murder, talk of suicide
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