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 around them.So what does Araby Worth have to live for?Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery makeup . . . 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 is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.And Araby may find not just something to live for, but something to fight for—no matter what it costs her.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Haunting and beautiful, disturbing and thoughtful, this is a book you’ll be thinking about well after the last page is turned.” (Melissa Marr, New York Times Bestselling Author of Wicked Lovely )
“Luscious, sultry and lingeringly tragic, this story has my heart. I can’t stop thinking about this tale of a broken world held together by corsets and clock gears. Araby’s voice stays with me even now, making me wary of the air I breathe.” (Lauren Destefano, author of WITHER )
“Bethany Griffin’s Masque of the Red Death is gorgeous, compelling, and achingly romantic.” (Suzanne Young, author of A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL )
“Luscious, sultry and lingeringly tragic, this story has my heart. I can’t stop thinking about this tale of a broken world held together by corsets and clock gears. Araby’s voice stays with me even now, making me wary of the air I breathe.” (Lauren Destefano, author of WITHER )
“Bethany Griffin’s Masque of the Red Death is gorgeous, compelling, and achingly romantic.” (Suzanne Young, author of A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL )
Review
Masque of the Red Death is a very well written debut novel. The writing itself is beautiful, the vivid descriptions are the best I've read recently. Bethany Griffin's writing style is very unique, and I loved it. This book was a joy to read. The whole idea is very unique. It's a concoction of dystopian and steampunk mixed together perfectly to create this hauntingly beautiful story. I wasn't sure whether I was going to like this book or not but it blew my mind. It's such a mysterious tale that leaves the reader catching their breath in suspense. Read, Write and Read Some More 20120511
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Customer Reviews
“ Where the novel is somewhat lacking, unfortunately, is in developing the other characters in the story and their relationships with Araby. ”
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
As a Poe enthusiast, I was a bit diffident about reading "Masque of the Red Death". After all, I had read "Nevermore" which proved to be sham of book, imo. Never the less that lovely cover called to me, and in spite of the fact that pretty covers have often proven to possess ugly innards, this book at least proved to be the exception to the rule.
"Masque of the Red Death" tells the story of Araby Worth, who lives in a world plagued by contagion and death. Bodies fill the streets as cities slowly disintegrate along with humanity. Death is emanate, except for those lucky few who possess ceramic, air filtering masks. But even those who have been lucky enough to survive thus far have few things to live for. As a result, many individuals, including Araby Worth, spend their days seeking oblivion in night clubs, chasing highs to escape their lows. It is in such a club, known as Debauchery, that Araby meets two individuals who will change the course of her life.
While I'm sure that the summary may sound trite, rest assured that "Masque of the Red Death" didn't befall to the typical YA pitfalls. There is so much to soak in while reading this story. It is gloriously atmospheric. I was wholly entrenched in this plague ridden universe. I had a clear mental image of dress and those coveted, life saving ceramic masks. And there were many times I wanted to jump into the shower as I read of plague and puss. Moreover, I loved each of the characters. There were such a refreshing change of pace with their drug habits, manipulative cunning, and most importantly, desperation. Even the love triangle, which would typically create an impulse to bang my head against the wall, was exceptionally well done. It wasn't forced, and made perfect since for each of the characters. My only regret is that I read this via an ARC. Now I have to wait even longer to begin the next installment.
"Masque of the Red Death" tells the story of Araby Worth, who lives in a world plagued by contagion and death. Bodies fill the streets as cities slowly disintegrate along with humanity. Death is emanate, except for those lucky few who possess ceramic, air filtering masks. But even those who have been lucky enough to survive thus far have few things to live for. As a result, many individuals, including Araby Worth, spend their days seeking oblivion in night clubs, chasing highs to escape their lows. It is in such a club, known as Debauchery, that Araby meets two individuals who will change the course of her life.
While I'm sure that the summary may sound trite, rest assured that "Masque of the Red Death" didn't befall to the typical YA pitfalls. There is so much to soak in while reading this story. It is gloriously atmospheric. I was wholly entrenched in this plague ridden universe. I had a clear mental image of dress and those coveted, life saving ceramic masks. And there were many times I wanted to jump into the shower as I read of plague and puss. Moreover, I loved each of the characters. There were such a refreshing change of pace with their drug habits, manipulative cunning, and most importantly, desperation. Even the love triangle, which would typically create an impulse to bang my head against the wall, was exceptionally well done. It wasn't forced, and made perfect since for each of the characters. My only regret is that I read this via an ARC. Now I have to wait even longer to begin the next installment.
19 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
The world in Masque of the Red Death is being destroyed by a plague called the Weeping Sickness. Because the air is foul and contaminated, everyone who can afford one wears a mask that covers half his/her face to keep out the sickness. Araby Worth lives in a pastiche of New Orleans and Paris in the fin de siecle. There are carriages and corsets, but this is no Gilded Age. The sickness killed the horses, so everyone relies on steam to power their carriages and machines (yes, this is a steampunk novel). In order to prove a person doesn't have the sickness, tattered clothing exposing as much skin as possible is worn. Inexplicably, dramatic glittery makeup and tattoos abound, despite the pseudo-historical premise. Young women of the upper classes go clubbing and inject drugs to pass the time and forget the horror and death all around them.
Araby, the daughter of the scientist who created the masks, goes where she wants whenever she wishes. She spends her evenings at the Debauchery Club with her friend April, niece of Prince Prospero (the villain in this tale). Though the people suffer, the Prince does nothing but send out his soldiers, killing any infected persons. Prospero feasts in his castle, safely behind his walls (this is where the Poe influence comes in). One night, the bouncer at the club finds Araby in a drugged stupor, and decides to help her. The two grow close over the story, as Araby finally finds something to goad her out of her sadness and self-hatred. Since Araby's brother died of the sickness, she has had nothing to live for, preferring to wander through existence in a drug-induced haze. The bouncer, Will, has two younger siblings for whom Araby begins to care, and she tries to help the family, who live in the lower city, the disease-ridden, dangerous part of the city.
But what Young Adult novel is complete without a love triangle? Will pursues Araby, but so does Eliott, the nephew of the Prince (April's brother). Eliott wants to use Araby to get to her father's inventions and medicines, as Eliott is planning a rebellion against the Prince. Araby is just bored and gullible enough to fall in with Eliott's plans. I should probably mention that Eliott is also Araby's drug dealer, so they have some prior acquaintance. Helping Eliott endangers Araby, who now becomes a target of the Prince and of the rival rebel faction gaining power in the city. And to make things worse, a new plague is hitting the city, the Red Death (more Poe!). Araby will have to decide whether to become a part of the world and accept her place in it, or die screaming.
There is some interesting world building in this novel: the city, the sickness, the steampunk elements. For some reason, turn-of-the-century girls have become bright-haired goths, and the young men are tattooed rakes. No one is chaperoned, and despite the terrible sickness killing people daily (publicly), parents don't seem to take much care of their children. Young people do what they please, where they please, mostly at clubs, and stagger home drunk at dawn. This doesn't seem like realistic behavior, but hey, it's alternate history. It takes time for the city to come alive for the reader - the author slowly builds atmosphere and effect throughout the 336 pages, finally creating a vivid world by the end of the first installment. The action sequences are entertaining, and the dystopia/Poe mashup is an intriguing concept.
The characterization, however, falls short of the novel's promise. Araby is a zombie for much of the novel, she's a drug addict, and she's very naive. Dangerously naive. She has to be rescued several times by other characters with more common sense. Araby allows herself to become a pawn in Eliott's rebellion, with little benefit. And for someone who spends her nights in Debauchery, she's remarkably bland. She is neither fun-loving nor exciting. She's more cautious than her friend April, but both do remarkably stupid things. While some of her motivation is provided (the dead brother), the rest of Araby is a void.
Will is equally vague. All we learn about him is that he loves his family, and he's caring enough not to leave Araby passed out at the club. We know little else about him. That said, he's far more pleasant than Eliott. Love interest #2 is rakish, manipulative, cold, and (as I've pointed out), a drug dealer. He fancies himself a rebel poet, and uses Araby to achieve his ends. Eliott is one of those alpha male aggressor heroes that populate romance novels and many young adult books. He's pushy sexually, and he alienates Araby from her family. He's not a very nice person, but he's so broody and handsome that we're not supposed to care. Eliott fully admits that while he is fond of Araby, he would not hesitate to sacrifice her for his cause. Somehow Araby finds all this compelling, so she goes along with it, and we're treated to another 200 pages of her conflicted feelings for the two men.
The novel would have been stronger with more supporting characters and fewer potential lovers. All young adult novels these days seem to require 3 books and 2 love interests, but the formula is getting really tired. Hopefully Araby will decide to become a real character in the next installment, rather than be pulled along by the fellas. By the end of the first volume there are several potential supporting characters introduced, and they may have bigger roles in subsequent volumes.
Araby, the daughter of the scientist who created the masks, goes where she wants whenever she wishes. She spends her evenings at the Debauchery Club with her friend April, niece of Prince Prospero (the villain in this tale). Though the people suffer, the Prince does nothing but send out his soldiers, killing any infected persons. Prospero feasts in his castle, safely behind his walls (this is where the Poe influence comes in). One night, the bouncer at the club finds Araby in a drugged stupor, and decides to help her. The two grow close over the story, as Araby finally finds something to goad her out of her sadness and self-hatred. Since Araby's brother died of the sickness, she has had nothing to live for, preferring to wander through existence in a drug-induced haze. The bouncer, Will, has two younger siblings for whom Araby begins to care, and she tries to help the family, who live in the lower city, the disease-ridden, dangerous part of the city.
But what Young Adult novel is complete without a love triangle? Will pursues Araby, but so does Eliott, the nephew of the Prince (April's brother). Eliott wants to use Araby to get to her father's inventions and medicines, as Eliott is planning a rebellion against the Prince. Araby is just bored and gullible enough to fall in with Eliott's plans. I should probably mention that Eliott is also Araby's drug dealer, so they have some prior acquaintance. Helping Eliott endangers Araby, who now becomes a target of the Prince and of the rival rebel faction gaining power in the city. And to make things worse, a new plague is hitting the city, the Red Death (more Poe!). Araby will have to decide whether to become a part of the world and accept her place in it, or die screaming.
There is some interesting world building in this novel: the city, the sickness, the steampunk elements. For some reason, turn-of-the-century girls have become bright-haired goths, and the young men are tattooed rakes. No one is chaperoned, and despite the terrible sickness killing people daily (publicly), parents don't seem to take much care of their children. Young people do what they please, where they please, mostly at clubs, and stagger home drunk at dawn. This doesn't seem like realistic behavior, but hey, it's alternate history. It takes time for the city to come alive for the reader - the author slowly builds atmosphere and effect throughout the 336 pages, finally creating a vivid world by the end of the first installment. The action sequences are entertaining, and the dystopia/Poe mashup is an intriguing concept.
The characterization, however, falls short of the novel's promise. Araby is a zombie for much of the novel, she's a drug addict, and she's very naive. Dangerously naive. She has to be rescued several times by other characters with more common sense. Araby allows herself to become a pawn in Eliott's rebellion, with little benefit. And for someone who spends her nights in Debauchery, she's remarkably bland. She is neither fun-loving nor exciting. She's more cautious than her friend April, but both do remarkably stupid things. While some of her motivation is provided (the dead brother), the rest of Araby is a void.
Will is equally vague. All we learn about him is that he loves his family, and he's caring enough not to leave Araby passed out at the club. We know little else about him. That said, he's far more pleasant than Eliott. Love interest #2 is rakish, manipulative, cold, and (as I've pointed out), a drug dealer. He fancies himself a rebel poet, and uses Araby to achieve his ends. Eliott is one of those alpha male aggressor heroes that populate romance novels and many young adult books. He's pushy sexually, and he alienates Araby from her family. He's not a very nice person, but he's so broody and handsome that we're not supposed to care. Eliott fully admits that while he is fond of Araby, he would not hesitate to sacrifice her for his cause. Somehow Araby finds all this compelling, so she goes along with it, and we're treated to another 200 pages of her conflicted feelings for the two men.
The novel would have been stronger with more supporting characters and fewer potential lovers. All young adult novels these days seem to require 3 books and 2 love interests, but the formula is getting really tired. Hopefully Araby will decide to become a real character in the next installment, rather than be pulled along by the fellas. By the end of the first volume there are several potential supporting characters introduced, and they may have bigger roles in subsequent volumes.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Masque of the Red Death is based on a story by Edgar Allan Poe by the same name. Araby Worth lives in a world where everything lies in ruin after a devastating and fatal plague. The rich and the important people live in towers, protected from the plague whilst the rest of the people have to scrounge for food, shelter and risk infections. The book reminded me of Romero's Land of the Dead where the rich live in the towers and everyone else lives in shacks.
There is a love triangle, a revolution and steam punk. It has all the makings of a somewhat interesting book. But, it is NOT.
I hated hated hated this book. It is one of the most tedious and boring books I have ever read. It was so bad it put me into a reading slump for 2 months. Araby is a bland, unidimensional protagonist that doesn't stay true to character. She is tedious and boring. I imagined her languishing away her days, wasting away whilst the rest of the world went to hell around her. Even in the most urgent of circumstances I imagined her moving a snail speed. I was just completely unsympathetic toward this character, or any other. The triangle.... well, it was choosing between two duds: a self absorbed jerk and a seemingly nice guy. Ugh... I just can't complain enough about this book.
There is a love triangle, a revolution and steam punk. It has all the makings of a somewhat interesting book. But, it is NOT.
I hated hated hated this book. It is one of the most tedious and boring books I have ever read. It was so bad it put me into a reading slump for 2 months. Araby is a bland, unidimensional protagonist that doesn't stay true to character. She is tedious and boring. I imagined her languishing away her days, wasting away whilst the rest of the world went to hell around her. Even in the most urgent of circumstances I imagined her moving a snail speed. I was just completely unsympathetic toward this character, or any other. The triangle.... well, it was choosing between two duds: a self absorbed jerk and a seemingly nice guy. Ugh... I just can't complain enough about this book.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Review of Masque of the Red Death
This review and others are on my blog, My Friends Are Fiction
The Story:
Masque of the Red Death is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's gothic short story of the same... Read more
The Story:
Masque of the Red Death is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's gothic short story of the same... Read more
Published 13 hours ago by My Friends Are Fiction
4.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Before I got this book from the library, I heard that it was inspired by a poem written by Edgar Allen Poe. Read more
Before I got this book from the library, I heard that it was inspired by a poem written by Edgar Allen Poe. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Becca
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful, Frightening
This story transcended labels such as "YA" or "horror" or "romance." Bethany Griffin gives us a fully realized, lush, descriptive tale that is impossible to put down. Read more
Published 15 days ago by lucysnow
3.0 out of 5 stars
Library Lady Hylary - Interesting setting, but a bit of a mixed bag.
After a deadly plague has killed most of the Earth's population, society is left in ruin. Araby Worth and the rest of the city don't know if they're the only ones left alive, but,... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Library Lady Hylary
5.0 out of 5 stars
I loved this book
This dark world is amazing and mysterious. I loved the flawed characters. I love when I get a book, this is one of those ones where you get it or you don't. Love or Hate. I loved. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Hannabanna
2.0 out of 5 stars
Romance Masquerading as Steampunk Dystopia
Araby Worth lives with a dreadful truth - her brother died during a horrendous plague and her world lives in fear of being contracted with it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Crystal Starr Light
3.0 out of 5 stars
Couldn't connect with the MC
I'm a huge fan of Edgar Allan Poe so I have very high expectations when it comes to adaptations or reinterpretations of his work. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Xan
1.0 out of 5 stars
...
See the title of this review? 'Nough said. I only got so far in this book before I said "SCREW IT!" and quit reading. It was utterly boring and just plain crap. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jenna
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very different and amazing read!!
Simply Loved it! Amazing Read!
I wasnt really sure if I would like this book.I mean Ive read my share of Apocalyptic/Dystopians but this just sounded really dark. Read more
I wasnt really sure if I would like this book.I mean Ive read my share of Apocalyptic/Dystopians but this just sounded really dark. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Laura B.
4.0 out of 5 stars
3.5 stars
Choppy, yet interesting, retelling of an Edgar Allen Poe short story with a bit of steampunk thrown in. This version of events was dark, intriguing and very curious. Read more
Published 3 months ago by ShannonT
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More About the Author
Bethany Griffin is a high school English teacher who prides herself on attracting creative misfits to elective classes like Young Adult Literature, Creative Writing, and Speculative Literature. She is the author of Handcuffs & MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH (April 2012). She lives with her family in Kentucky.
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