Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin Review

Reading Level:young Adult
Publisher:Harper Collins
First book in Masque of the Red Death series
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

Review
After reading this in insanely curious about Edgar Allan Poe. I have no idea who that is. I'm going to put some research into it. I've seen some mixed reviews for this. For basically the first half I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this. I think the concept is very interesting and I love the characters.


I liked Araby. She seemed humble and always wanted to help if she could. I'm really glad she let go of all her guilt and let herself live her life. I really don't like Elliot. He's pushy and creepy. I ended up liking him more by the end than I thought I would. I'm not looking forward to a love triangle but I know there's one coming. I love Will with all my heart. I loved him from the second he came in. It was really easy for me to chose which guy I liked. I wish he played a bigger part but I have a feeling he will in the sequel. His siblings were adorable. I love how family is such a big part of this. It makes it feel more real.


For some odd reason I thought this book was going to be scary. It was creepy but it wasn't scary. I don't really read a lot of books about disease. I like the idea and hope to read more about it in the future. I like how there was two diseases. I love the masques. I find this somewhat steam punk and post apocalyptic. I'm not sure if it actually is but it seemed like it was.


I liked the second half better because it was faster. The first half was more buildup. It also confused me a little. It took me awhile to figure out who was who and what was going on. Overall I ended up liking this more than I thought I would. It's something I normally wouldn't read and I'm excited to see where this story goes. 4/5 stars


Jasmine :).