Masque of the Red Death (Masque of the Red Death #1)

Great!

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
ARC received from Harper Collins via Edelweiss
Release Date: 4-24-2012
Reviewed by: Middle Sis Jenn
The Sister’s Say: Macabre, Mind-blowing, and Masterful

From the first page of this novel, I was gripped, and I refused to put it down. I had been staring at the cover for weeks in awe (you have to admit, it's breathtaking). And, I was fortunate enough to get an ARC through Edelweiss Above the Treeline!!!!

This is one of the first books in a while where I found myself completely stunned with all the twists and turns--I didn't see a single one of them coming! It's so great to read a book that is anything but predictable.

The setting is absolutely amazing. There were times when the action was slow, but I didn't mind at all because I got swept away in Bethany Griffin's description of the dilapidated city filled with the gorgeously dressed rich people and then the grotesquely vile plague victims. Her imagery melts onto the page, and I felt like I was plucked from my recliner and thrown right into the middle of Bethany's world. If only more people could write the way she does!

Her characters are so rich with personality, even the characters with smaller roles. I felt connected to each and every one of them, but especially to Araby. She has experienced great tragedy, and as a result, she sinks into herself, trying anything and everything to escape the harsh reality into which she is thrust. I felt her pain as if it were my own-- a feat very difficult to accomplish for most writers. And then when she meets Elliott and Will--I felt her hope and guilt and indecision. I can't explain it other than I was captivated.

I love Will and Elliott. Will is the mysterious tattooed proprietor of the club who Araby is instantly attracted to, and his secrets (which I won't reveal) make him even more...irresistible. And then there's Elliott--the wealthy aristocrat who is hiding his own secrets. I love these two guys because they are completely genuine, even when they are hiding things. I instantly felt like I could trust them both...but boy, did they both surprise me! READ IT!!! You won't be disappointed.

Bethany builds a world where the macabre and sinister is ordinary. There is no black or white, good or evil, healthy or sick--her story is rife with everything in between. It was so good, I immediately went straight to Twitter and asked Bethany if a sequel is in the works (Yes! 2013!)--I can't wait.

Finally, I will give a warning that this story is for older YA readers. I would rate it PG-13 for drug use, violence, and brief references to rape.

I like dark, angry, screwed-up stories. I really do. Looking at the cover, I was a bit worried that it might be like some other historical fiction books that have things such as petty cat-fights, dramatic "It's not you, it's me" breakup scenes, scandalous affairs and the such at its centre instead of the badass stuff. I was definitely not disappointed. The characters definitely didn't freak out if their BFF's shoes don't match their hats or whatever; they were quite down to earth, actually.

I love Edgar Allen Poe's works, but haven't read The Masque of the Red Death yet, so I can't make a comment on the connections between the works of the two authors, although Bethany Griffin did a fantastic job with creating a despairing atmosphere of Poe's world. From the beginning to the end, it was all very depressing in a good way. Araby finds nothing to live for and do pretty much nothing except for clubbing with her one and only friend, April. So far so good.

To be honest, I genuinely can't put a time era onto this. The plague part of the book may easily be part of the time when the Black Death ravaged Europe, but it could at the same time be something like the flapper era, or the Prohibition. Or it could simply not be on our time, and follow something else entirely. Just my thought.

Araby is not a kickass heroine. At first I thought of her as quite weak, without a point in life. She made decisions I couldn't stand, or just did nothing at all. I don't hold it against her. What made me like her wasn't her epic hand-to-hand combat skills, or her charismatic leading of rebelling civilians, but instead her pure, complete sadness and loss. She has a reason for not having anything to live for. A really big reason she just can't forgive herself for, and what she because of that, although quite unhealthy, was a bit noble in a terrible way. She was trying to make amends. I love the pwnage heroines, but Araby has a special spot in my heart.

I have a serious love-hate relationship with love triangles. This one is not an exception. Usually, I'd be like, "I like both of them, but I like this one better," or even "I HATE, HATE, HATE [insert name]! Why did he/she choose him/her?" but I'm completely neutral with both Will and Elliott with this book. I don't know whether to jump into the book and hug them or threaten to strangle them. Nearly all love triangles I can think of right now have two completely different sides: the perfect, good guy, and the one who's so bad, he's good. I was a genuine Will fan at first, and thought Elliott was a thoughtless jerk who uses Araby for her connections, but Elliott turned out to actually care, even though his first priority is his rebellion, much like Will who'd put his little siblings above everything else. (By the way, Henry and Elise are ADORABLE KIDS. Why aren't my little sisters more like them?)

Next is April, BFF to Araby. My first impression of her was simple: airhead. But think about it. She was loyal. She wasn't freaked out by the social recluse in the form of Araby Worth. And as the story went on, I definitely didn't think of her as an airhead.

The plot was amazing, and although it didn't have a ton of action scenes, it was very beautifully written, from Araby's memories to the description of the dead/dying in the beaten-down streets. Books are sometimes described as "fast and driving" or "enchanting" or something like that. My idea of it'd be "stepping on eggshells," in a very good way. One false move and anything may fall apart. I'd definitely recommend Masque of the Red Death to just about anyone.