Review: Masque of the Red Death - Bethany Griffin

Release Date: April 24th, 2012
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Harper Collins

Everything is in ruins.
A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.
So what does Araby Worth have to live for?
Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.
But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.
And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

Being a fan of Edgar Allan Poe I was eager to get my hands on this one. And needless to say I was drawn by this gorgeous cover that was creepy and beautiful at the same time. Furthermore after reading the novel, I think the cover fits perfectly with this novel. I really enjoyed reading this novel yet I should mention that I did have some issues with it. Nevertheless it was an enjoyable and peculiar (in a good way!) read.

The plot itself was amazing. I was captivated by the story, trying to find out what would happen next. The love triangle was built in inextricably that I would have read this one just because of the romance and its amazing twists and turns. Yet I was rather lost when it came to the time frame of the novel - I never really knew if it takes place in the past, in a different present or even in the future. And the flow from a scene to another was sometimes rather sloppily written.

But what I surely enjoyed the most in Masque of the Red Death were the characters. They were all so mysterious which doesn't come as a surprise in such a mysterious and Gothic novel. But I was certainly positively surprised. Griffin's characters had such realistic personalities which provided the novel with many of its twists and turns because they would never react as I thought they would.

Over all Masque of the Red Death was a great read. It certainly entertained me and even though it wasn't as good as I thought it would be, it was still great. And with its amazing ending, I can't wait for the second book! If you like novels full of mystery, Gothic aspects, with love triangles and many, many surprises, this book should certainly be on your to-be-read pile.

Bethany Griffin has always admired Edgar Allan Poe's short stories. "The Masque of the Red Death," which this novel reimagines, is one of her favorites.
"I've always loved the amazing atmosphere Poe creates," she says. "But ‘The Masque of the Red Death' is one of his shortest stories. I wanted to know more. I wanted characters and their stories within the context of this devastating plague. And that's where this story originated." Bethany Griffin lives with her family in Kentucky. Website / Twitter