publisher: Greenwillow
date of publication: April 24, 2012
format: ARC
pages: 324
source: DAC ARC Tours
Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository
From Goodreads:
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.
Having grown up reading Poe's poetry and short stories, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I had to read this book. A steampunk adaptation of Poe's story by the same name, Masque of the Red Death is exactly the kind of refreshingly unique book I've been looking for. Simply judging by the description, I thought that both the plot and the tone sounded spot on. The potential for a love triangle gave me some pause, but nothing was going to keep me away from this book. Now that I've read it, I can affirm that Masque of the Red Death lived up to all of my expectations and made this Poe fan very happy.
Araby had just the type of personality I would attribute to a character that is part of an adaptation of a Poe story. She is tragic, moody, and desperate to attain oblivion, making her well-suited to a story such as this. Her characteristics are lent even more emphasis by her closest friend, April, who is a devil may care type of party girl with a hidden penchant for kindness. As for the two love interests, my personal preference was Will in all his tattooed, sweet-natured glory, though I have to say that Elliott is a very interesting character in his own right. All of the characters are so well developed that I was left with no complaints, whatsoever.
Masque of the Red Death is comprised of some truly amazing world building. Bethany Griffin has given us a bleak, dangerous world in which a frightening disease runs rampant and the debate of religion versus science is at the center of a battle between the weary citizens. The plot moves along at a great clip and is free of overly slow points and hitches. The details are both rich and meticulous, making it very easy to sink into the story. If I had had the time, I would have read it in one sitting. As it was, I did finish it within 24 hours, which is a true testament to the ways in which Bethany Griffin's writing can rope you in.
Masque of the Red Death is one of those books that I feel compelled to chatter on about at an insane rate of speech. It fulfilled every expectation I had and provided me with hours of wonderful reading. Bethany Griffin has taken one of Edgar Allan Poe's most famous stories and given it new life with this compelling, addictive novel. Beautifully written and given just the right touch of horror, Masque of the Red Death will infect you with a ceaseless need to read on and on and on. There's no cure, but that is perfectly fine by me. Thus, Masque of the Red Death has earned 5 hoots and is the first recipient for my brand new rating distinction, the Night Owl Award.
Obligatory legal statement: This ARC was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Debut Author Challenge ARC Tours. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.
I've definitely had my eye on this book. Fun review!!
ReplyDeleteThx for hoppin' by my blog. I can't wait to see what happens with the Fierce Reads campaign!!
Thanks! Obviously, I adored this book. :-)
ReplyDeleteI think the FR campaign is going to be awesome. My first package was Struck. I know what the next 3 books are, just not the order I'll receive them in.
This books actually looks really good! I'm not a huge fan of Poe, but only because I'm not familiar with a lot of his works. I've read a few in school but after that nothing. This makes me actually want to go out and check this book out and some Poe!
ReplyDeleteOh, you've got to! He wrote such fascinating poetry and his stories were so twisted. He's one of the few American authors/poets I consistently read. :-)
ReplyDeleteGosh your review is awesome!!!! sadly, I didn't enjoyed this book quite as much as you did, but I also need to add that I never read Poe before so I didn't have a comparison. Lovely Review :))
ReplyDeleteThank you, Danny! I was first introduced to Poe's work through his poem "The Raven." His poetry remains amongst my favorites, in the company of Christina Rossetti and William Butler Yeats. He has a certain voice that was captured so well in this book. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Danny! I was first introduced to Poe's work through his poem "The Raven." His poetry remains amongst my favorites, in the company of Christina Rossetti and William Butler Yeats. He has a certain voice that was captured so well in this book. :-)
ReplyDeleteI've been curious about this book. From the sounds of your review, I take it to be a darkly intriguing novel that I simply must order for my library branch. :) Here's hoping we can get it soon!
ReplyDeleteThat it is! This one's probably going to remain checked out for a long time when you get it. :-D
ReplyDelete