Title: Masque of the Red DeathAuthor: Bethany Griffin
Date of Publication: April 24, 2012
Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-Book
Synopsis: After a deadly plague kills over half of the world's population the few people who are alive struggle to survive. The daughter of a wealthy scientist Araby spends her nights at the Debauchery Club, drinking and doing drugs trying to avoid the pain of her brother's death and the indifference of her parents. There she meets Will, a mysterious bouncer at the club, and Elliott who is related to the Prince who rules the city. With riots and rebellions breaking out and mysterious new illnesses appearing people will do anything to protect those they love, even if it means betrayal. The secrets Araby, Will, and Elliott are hiding are dangerous, and maybe even deadly.
My Review:
This is a difficult book for me to review, while I did like it I constantly found myself confused and spent a lot of time back tracking trying to find the important detail that I had somehow missed when I read it the first time. However, I loved the tone and setting and Griffins writing pulled me in and made this book deliciously creepy.
I enjoyed the setting of this novel much more than I enjoyed the characters. The world Griffin creates is chilling and mysterious, full of hidden passageways, secret gardens, and the dark yet beautiful Debauchery Club. From the vivid description of death to the crumbling city I fell in love with the setting and tone of the novel.
I didn't love Araby but she was an okay main character, because she spent most of her time doing drugs and drinking I had a hard time relating to her. Elliott was slightly insane and a bit sinister, his own motives and plans coming before anything and anyone else. My favorite character had to be Will, mysterious yet caring he takes Araby in when she has nowhere else to go and would do anything to protect his brother and sister.
While I did enjoy Masque of the Red Death my constant confusion made it hard to enjoy to its full potential. Fans of paranormal romance and perhaps science fiction may enjoy this novel but I recommend that readers wait for the library to obtain a copy instead of purchasing this novel.
3/5
I actually really enjoyed this book, though I do understand the confusing aspects. I had to go back a couple of times too and double check things. I think I liked this story so much because it was a different twist on the now ever popular dystopian fantasy. Plus, it also had that creepy factor. I'm hoping the next book will keep the creepy, but be less jumpy.
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