TAB Book Review: This Dark Endeavor
Have you read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley? Then you should definitely read This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel. This Dark Endeavor is a prequel to the famous Gothic fiction tale and is a fantastic book. It tells the story of Victor Frankenstein at age 16, living happily with his mother and father, two younger brothers, adoptive sister, Elizabeth, and identical twin brother, Konrad. But one day everything changes when he, Elizabeth and Konrad stumble upon a secret passageway behind a shelf of books in the library. The passage leads to an archive of ancient alchemical books behind a rather disagreeable door. Victor becomes obsessed with alchemy and the hidden library, and when Konrad contracts a possibly fatal illness, Victor is sure that he can recreate the Elixir of Life, a potion that is said to be the cure to any ailment. With Elizabeth and his best friend Henry at his side, Victor sets off on a dangerous quest to save his brother, battling vultures, giant fish, his feelings for Elizabeth, and the awful question of whether the elixir actually works, or is simply a foolish fantasy. This book will captivate your attention until the very end, and leave you scrambling to get your hands on the second installment, entitled Such Wicked Intent. Happy reading!
-Written by TAB member Annalise L.
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