Review - Masque of the Red Death (Masque of the Red Death, #1) by Bethany Griffin

Title: Masque of the Red Death

Author: Bethany Griffin

Series: 1st

Pages: 320

Published: April 24th 2012 by Harper Collins 

ISBN:  9780062107794

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

Decription: 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.

I Give This ...

In getting ready to write this review I realized how long it's been since I read it.  So, I'm hoping that I can do this book a little bit of justice.  

This book has a really dark feel to it, which it should considering it's inspiration comes from a similarly names story by Mr Edgar Allen Poe.  I was intrigued by the world that the author has created.  The population has been decimated to a small portion and those who survive leave in fear.  They fear the plague because it's not gone.   They fear the violence that is threatening to overcome the city.   But, a few of them even fear the leader because he's not everything he seems.  

Araby first seems oblivious to all of this.  Despite the times, she's feel cared for and has a mask of her own.  Her father is respected and even idolized.  But, somehow she gets pulled into an underground society that so close to ripping open everything she knows.  But, that's not necessarily a bad thing.  Because, even her parents are holding secrets.  And she slowly unravels all of them she begins to regret that past decisions that she's made.  I think she took for granted what she had and begins to see that life isn't guaranteed.  She's been wasting moments.

I liked our male characters a lot.  Will really pulled at me.  He's so close to that life of privilege and has to go home everyday and watch his brother and sister live without.  I like that he sees something in Araby that she doesn't even see in herself.  I'm curious as to what the end of the story means because it wasn't what I was expecting.   As for Elliott...well at first I disliked him.  I thought he was careless and selfish.  But, he grew on me.  I'm still not sure were his true motives lie, but I can see something in him that makes me doubt my original thought on him.

And interesting story that was a little slow at times and a little confusing.  But, in the end I really enjoyed it and look forward to the next in the series!