"All These Bodies" by Kendare Blake

All These Bodies (Sept. 21, 2021) by Kendare Blake.

*This is a standalone novel.*

It’s 1958. There are 16 bloodless bodies over four Midwest states, the final occurring in [fictitious] Black Deer Falls, Minnesota. The Carlson family, minus the toddler, have been found murdered. Throats slit, drained of blood, no sign of a struggle. In the middle of it all stands a 15-year-old girl covered in the victims’ blood. Her name is Marie Catherine Hale. 17-year-old Michael Jensen is the son of the local sheriff and an aspiring journalist. Marie agrees to recount her tale, but she’ll only tell Michael, because “he’s the only one who’ll  believe me.” But will he? Marie weaves a tale that is the stuff of legend. And yet, it makes sense. Doesn’t it?

            Right away, when I read of “bloodless bodies,” I immediately thought to myself that this is a vampire story. And that people dub them the “Bloodless Murders” or the “Dracula Murders” only seems to strengthen that theory. But the thing is, fictional as this tale is, it reads like a true crime story. I didn’t love the story, as I thought it lacked some of the gothic horror I’ve come to expect from Blake, but this remains a well-crafted, YA novel. She includes in her Author’s Note that inspiration was taken, in part, by an actual string of murders that also occurred in 1958 throughout the states of Nebraska and Wyoming. That killing spree left 11 dead. The murdered Carlson family was inspired by the murders of the Clutter family in 1959 (not related to the 1958 killing spree). For parents or teachers of advanced readers, they may like knowing that there is no romantic twist to the story, but may still hesitate to recommend it due to the macabre plot. If you’ve never read a story by Blake, I wouldn’t read this one first. Ask me to recommend something else instead!

"The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein" by Kiersten White

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein (Sept. 25, 2018) by Kiersten White.

An orphan, unloved, malnourished and abused by her “caregiver,” Elizabeth Lavenza snags the opportunity to befriend Victor Frankenstein. An odd boy with a dangerous temper and an increasingly depraved mind, Elizabeth is determined to keep him. Because if Victor keeps her, she is saved from the caregiver. In survival mode, a calculating soul lies behind Elizabeth’s blue eyes, sweet smile and pretty face, but it grants her a warm bed, no lack of food, the finest dresses and a place to call home. But life with the Frankenstein family comes at a hefty price. She must go along with everything Victor does in the name of his experiments, no matter how destructive or disturbing. And when he leaves for school but then ceases writing to her, she must find him for fear that Judge Frankenstein will toss her out, thus subtracting her as an unnecessary expense. Locating Victor is not easy, and they’ve heard nothing from Henry Clerval, either. At least, not since he apparently abandoned Victor. Where is Henry, truly? How determined is Elizabeth to stay with the Frankenstein family, even when all of Victor’s experiments point to consuming madness, darkness and death? Does Victor’s madness know any bounds?

            Purposely timed with the 200^th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN, White’s YA novel is a disturbingly elegant retelling of the birth of a monster in this Gothic tale. White has stitched together a masterpiece of darkness, horror and obsession backed with immersive worldbuilding, a heavy plot and a suspenseful climax. White respects feminist sensitivity in a time when women were totally dependent on men and shows Elizabeth playing whichever role will allow her to keep Victor and a roof over head, no matter how unstable those around her are. She isn’t without her flaws, based out of desperation not to be thrown out with nothing and no one but herself, but she remains a strong female lead. With an overall dark and ominous tone in this gothic and, at times, gory horror, this clever retelling should appeal to anyone with a dark side!

            Who makes a monster? Is it something you can see, the physical aspect? Or is it within one’s soul … or lack thereof?