Review: Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Masque of the Red Death

Author: Bethany Griffin

Genre:YA/Dystopian

Release Date: April 24, 2012

Review Source: Greenwillow Books

Format: eGalley

Goodreads Description:
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:

First, I want to mention how much I love this cover! I think the Gothic feel of the girl's dress, umbrella, as well as the dark fog perfectly fit the book. I love the colors that were used too - they solidified the Gothic feel for me.


Being a huge Poe fan, I was eager to read this book. It was a dark novel based in a dystopian world where infection ran rampant. People were forced to wear masks at all time to avoid being infected and most couldn't even afford to buy a mask. Araby seems to be a thoughtful character amid her shallow friends and shows concern for the people who have been infected. This is largely due to her past, which is elaborated upon in the book and is very well written into the rest of the novel. 


The book speaks of many topics including love, friendship, fear, revolution, family, and sense of self. Through it's dark narrative, Griffin weaves a story unlike any other I have read in the dystopian genre. The only thing that kept my mind wandering from the heart of the story was the setting. It's purely dystopian with no clue as to whether it is past or future or a different planet altogether. I believe that because I haven't read much dystopian literature before, that this minor detail kept me curious as to when this book was happening. 

Once I was able to set aside the timing of the novel, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The ending had me a bit disappointed, as there didn't seem to be any real closure to the book. It seemed a bit wide open - perhaps like there should be another book after it (which I'm not completely sure about). I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially fans of Young Adult, dystopian, and Poe.

Disclosure: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.